Add that to the list…

[Slugman]

of rides I will NEVER do again!!!

So I made the mistake of telling my friends that I need to do more climbing, since I have been traveling an ungodly amount and therefore not riding during the week (I type this while stuck in an airport).

They tell me about the Bell Ridge route, it goes up Trabuco Canyon (a trail I ride down all the time) and then over and back down Bell Ridge. I will repeat that, back DOWN Bell ridge… keep that in mind.

So knowing that the day will get hot fast, everyone meets up at our place at 7 am so we hit the trails by 7:30 and take advantage of the nice marine layer.
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c248/MBoomer/Bell%20Ridge/CIMG0773.jpg

Getting ready to roll:
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c248/MBoomer/Bell%20Ridge/CIMG0774.jpg
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c248/MBoomer/Bell%20Ridge/CIMG0775.jpg

We head out from our place to Trabuco canyon rd. which will take us to the trails, after 5 or so miles. Then the first mechanical, nothing much just some poor shifting:
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c248/MBoomer/Bell%20Ridge/CIMG0777.jpg

Looks like the sun is gonna show up sooner than we expected:
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c248/MBoomer/Bell%20Ridge/CIMG0776.jpg

About 2 miles later – time to lose the layers!
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c248/MBoomer/Bell%20Ridge/CIMG0780.jpg
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c248/MBoomer/Bell%20Ridge/CIMG0778.jpg
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c248/MBoomer/Bell%20Ridge/CIMG0781.jpg

Just cruising along
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c248/MBoomer/Bell%20Ridge/CIMG0782.jpg

D’oh – mechanical #2, a flat tire.
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c248/MBoomer/Bell%20Ridge/CIMG0784.jpg
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c248/MBoomer/Bell%20Ridge/CIMG0785.jpg

Finally – end of the fire road!
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c248/MBoomer/Bell%20Ridge/CIMG0788.jpg

Some fun rocks
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c248/MBoomer/Bell%20Ridge/CIMG0790.jpg
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c248/MBoomer/Bell%20Ridge/CIMG0793.jpg
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c248/MBoomer/Bell%20Ridge/CIMG0799.jpg

A short pause to get ready for the climb:
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c248/MBoomer/Bell%20Ridge/CIMG0802.jpg


And up we go
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c248/MBoomer/Bell%20Ridge/CIMG0805.jpg

This never seems this steep when I come down it
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c248/MBoomer/Bell%20Ridge/CIMG0806.jpg

Don’t give me that look – this was your idea!
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c248/MBoomer/Bell%20Ridge/CIMG0807.jpg

Took this shade for granted
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c248/MBoomer/Bell%20Ridge/CIMG0808.jpg

Hello mr. Sun
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c248/MBoomer/Bell%20Ridge/CIMG0810.jpg

Do not fall to your right.
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c248/MBoomer/Bell%20Ridge/CIMG0811.jpg

Looking back at where we came from
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c248/MBoomer/Bell%20Ridge/CIMG0812.jpg

Ahhh.. more shade!
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c248/MBoomer/Bell%20Ridge/CIMG0815.jpg

We started back where?
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c248/MBoomer/Bell%20Ridge/CIMG0819.jpg

After this corner I finally caught up to everyone else. I was nearly out of water and feeling the lack of fitness. However we just had 1 more mile to go until we hit Blue Ridge.

Getting there was a little tough:
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c248/MBoomer/Bell%20Ridge/CIMG0821.jpg
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c248/MBoomer/Bell%20Ridge/CIMG0823.jpg

Finally! Time to drop the seats and have some fun!!!
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c248/MBoomer/Bell%20Ridge/CIMG0824.jpg

Or not (3 riders in that picture):
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c248/MBoomer/Bell%20Ridge/CIMG0826.jpg

OK – here is the split… now it’s time to pad up, drop the seats and have some fun:
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c248/MBoomer/Bell%20Ridge/CIMG0830.jpg

I have to admit – the DH was fun… except it was very short. We probably dropped 1000’, but then had to climb another 900’ to the next peak.
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c248/MBoomer/Bell%20Ridge/CIMG0831.jpg
Looking back
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c248/MBoomer/Bell%20Ridge/CIMG0832.jpg

This is pretty much how it went for the next 10 miles. Now I had run out of water when we padded up… so I was F’ing miserable! I was able to get some water from my buddies, but they were low too… so we just had to suck it up and keep pushing on.

About 4 miles into we hit this little slice of DH fun… too bad I was overheated to the point of being lightheaded. I rode a decent portion of it, but I was so out of it - it was more of a controlled falling…
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c248/MBoomer/Bell%20Ridge/CIMG0835.jpg
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c248/MBoomer/Bell%20Ridge/CIMG0836.jpg

Finally civilization and the promise of WATER!!!!
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c248/MBoomer/Bell%20Ridge/CIMG0839.jpg

As I look back and curse the trail:
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c248/MBoomer/Bell%20Ridge/CIMG0838.jpg

[Konabumm]

nice pictures ! thanks

[bluebug32]

Looks like fun!

[Konabumm]

wow houses are different out west

[I Are Baboon]

This is pretty much how it went for the next 10 miles.

:twitch:

Exactly how long was this ride? 10 miles 'round here pretty much kills me.

Looks like a painfully good time!

[-BB-]

of rides I will NEVER do again!!!

So I made the mistake of telling my friends that I need to do more climbing, since I have been traveling an ungodly amount and therefore not riding during the week (I type this while stuck in an airport).


And where are you right now?

AIRPORT!! ;)

I should have at least 3-4 more rides in by the weekend. :imstupid:

[-BB-]

:twitch:

Exactly how long was this ride? 10 miles 'round here pretty much kills me.

Looks like a painfully good time!

That was the ride from HE11.

It was 5mi to the trailhead, then another 5 miles of climbing to the top (about 3,000 ft straight up) then about 7-8 miles of up and down (another 2,000 feet of climbing) and 2miles from the bottom back home.


Remember the San Juan ride that we did?
If we looked DOWN to our left from this shot, we would see the TOP of the San Juan trail.

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c248/MBoomer/Bell%20Ridge/CIMG0824.jpgAnd we started at about the same elevation. Then, we still had a lot of climbing to do as we went down Bell ridge. I'd say this was almost 2 san Juan climbs in total, or almost 5,000 feet of climbing.
:imstupid: for doing this ride.

[Riding]

I need to head out for another visit. ....but I'm not bringing the bullit this time! The bullit is great for ridiculous technical Eastern MA climbs. But those long sustained ones you guys have out there, no thanks!

[Zark]

Ahh, death marches. Gotta love em......

Sounds like Buckhorn trail in SB. 10 mile fireroad climb in, 2 mile singletrack descent. 8 miles of up and down single w/ 50 stream crossings....and a 10 mile fireroad climb out....Just save yourself the trouble and throw a cup fire ants and honey down your pants, its about as fun. ;)

[-BB-]

Ahh, death marches. Gotta love em......

Sounds like Buckhorn trail in SB. 10 mile fireroad climb in, 2 mile singletrack descent. 8 miles of up and down single w/ 50 stream crossings....and a 10 mile fireroad climb out....Just save yourself the trouble and throw a cup fire ants and honey down your pants, its about as fun. ;)


haha:poster_oops:

[Slugman]

And where are you right now?

AIRPORT!! ;)

I should have at least 3-4 more rides in by the weekend. :imstupid:

Get a job you slacker!

[Total Heckler]

Cool ride report. Not really my kind of riding (only because I dont have a bike to do it with), but it looks like it was a good time. =]

I'm a little sad, no riding for me for the next few days for sure because I just got more work done on my tattoo. Race next weekend though. Score.

[SkaredShtles]

Damn - that sounds like a pretty cool ride.... what was the problem with it again? The heat?

[Slugman]

Heat... and that it was advertised as one climb and then a DH run.

In reality it was a climb, thena bunch of little DH runs and a bunch of climbs, many of which were hike-a-bikes

[SkaredShtles]

Heat... and that it was advertised as one climb and then a DH run.

In reality it was a climb, thena bunch of little DH runs and a bunch of climbs, many of which were hike-a-bikes
Sweet! Sounds like a good ride. :D

http://homepage.mac.com/saemisch/MinersCreek/27Jul02-044.jpg

http://homepage.mac.com/saemisch/MinersCreek/27Jul02-057.jpg

[Slugman]

Sweet! Sounds like a good ride. :D

You are a sick man... if you ever make out her let -BB- or I know... we'll take you to Los Pinos, makes Bell ridge look tame!

[Toshi]

this pic rocks :)

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c248/MBoomer/Bell%20Ridge/CIMG0839.jpg

[SkaredShtles]

You are a sick man... if you ever make out her let -BB- or I know... we'll take you to Los Pinos, makes Bell ridge look tame!
That was a 50-ish mile day. All manner of climbing up to and over 12,000 feet. :dead:

I'm not in nearly as good of shape anymore. :D