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Pt. Mugu State Park(Sycamore Canyon) - #Pt.MuguStatePark(SycamoreCanyon)
Socal - Ventura County - Point Mugu or Newbury Park NickNames: #Pt.MuguStatePark(SycamoreCanyon)
This State Park can be accessed from 2 very different areas. From the beach side use Highway 1 (PCH) and head north of the L.A. county line to Point Mugu. Head up to Sycamore Canyon State Campground. Parking is $6.00 a day, camping is $18.00 a night. They have hot showers & flush toilets. The trail head is at the top of the campground not hard to find.
or
From the valley side take the 101 freeway to the city of Thousand Oaks, get off at Lynn road and go South. Take Lynn a couple miles and go left on Wendy Drive. You should soon find the trailhead at the end of Wendy Drive.
Thomas Guide page 387
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- Trail UpdateSycamore/Guadalasca-We rode Sycamore Canyon on March 31. It looks like a lot of work has been done to repair the damage from the rains WITH THE EXCEPTION OF Guadalasaca. There are lots of ruts on the upper part, but watch out for a huge washout on the lower part. The drop off is about 5 feet and will mess you and your bike. We started on the Wendy side, rode Wood Canyon to the main road to the beach. Back up Overlook to Guadalasca. 26.2 miles total.
old gringo
a 62 year old Cross-Country RiderPosted:04/01/2015
- Trail UpdateSycamore Canyon-Very odd weather today. Lots of high clouds and even some raindrops. We rode 23 miles from Wendy, down the canyon to PCH, back up Overlook, down Hell Hill to the canyon, and back. A little over three hours.
old gringo a 59 year old Cross-Country RiderPosted:07/12/2012
- Trail UpdateSycamore Canyon-Foggy and cool today which, along with hard-packed trails, made for great conditions. The only problems were an overflowing campground on the PCH end and a marathon which put a couple of hundred extra runners on the trails. We still managed to get in a good 23-miler.
old gringo a 59 year old Cross-Country Rider riding a Nice bikePosted:05/12/2012
- Trail UpdateBackbone Update...-Just to clarify, the work wasn't overseen by CORBA. CORBA regularly maintains the Backbone as singletrack from Temescal fireroad all the way down to Will Rogers State Historical Park. The work was done by a recently hired trail supervisor for the Santa Monica Mountain Conservancy (I think...it might have been one of the other affiliated gov't organizations that has oversight in the region). It was performed unilaterally by the trail supervisor without proper authorization or review by the higher-ups. When CORBA heard what had happened, they protested immediately, as did most of the members of a Thursday night ride group that I ride with...our primary loop involves that stretch of the Backbone.
The proper people have been notified at the SMMC, and they were equally displeased and put an end to the devastating work. Fortunately, only the first two miles were 'dozed, which leaves most of the downhill portion of the trail still in good shape.
dromy a 29 year old Die-hard Enthusiast riding a Gary Fisher Roscoe III from Sherman Oaks, CAPosted:12/11/2010
- Trail UpdateBeware Of Work On Backbone-Rode Wood Vista (Backbone Trail) the other day and sad to report that some terrible asinine trail work has been done on this trail. Sadly this work was organized by CORBA who should assure that the work they do is well thought out and will do good for the trail long term, not the other way around. Not only will this work cause some serious damage once the rains come, but the trenches and holes that were dug into the trail are in terrible spots that could cause serious injury to riders coming down the trail. Be safe and watch out for these traps.
Please keep in mind I am not one to rant about trail work and I respect the heck out of anyone that is willing to volunteer their time and put forth crazy effort to make our trails better. (Heck I have worked countless hours myself and I know how hard the work is). But trail work should make the trail better and there needs to be a better understanding of the work that is done and the effect it will have on a trail. The trench’s put in place a few weeks ago are going to cause serious washouts, massive water ruts and sadly maybe a broken collarbone or two from bikers whose front tires get caught in these terrible traps.
Willy a 41 year old Die-hard EnthusiastPosted:11/19/2010
- Trail UpdateSycamore-We rode here on October 10. Perfect weather in the beginning but a little warm going back up the black thing. There were a few muddy spots on Wood Canyon and the main trail. Overlook was awesome. And much better going down hell hill than up. 24.1 miles in three hours seven minutes.
old gringo a 58 year old Cross-Country RiderPosted:10/10/2010
- Trail UpdateBackbone/Guadalasco-Started on Los Robles trail at felton,took this to Sycamore.Wild flowers are in full bloom and thick,plenty of lizards,rabbits and kind of weird but no ticks yet for me this year which is rather nice.Took the various single tracks to the bottom of Backbone and started climbing.I havnt been herefor a few weeks and last ride Backbone was knaly descending,w/ruts,rocks,washouts ect.Very fun.This time it was graded all the way up by a trail cat.It hasnt been done in years and it needed it so right now it is a little loose and smoothe but a couple of rains will bring back the challenge.It was a nice climb and took the fire road to Guadalasco and it was a ruff and challenging as it ever has been.Im sure it is on the plow list but right now its as ruff as ever.Not technical but plenty of places to get hurt if you want to go fast.A very fun trail.I always check for other riders climbing and when its clear take off.It is in killer condition now and I rode down it and took Wood cyn back.I am just plain lucky to have this ride practically in my back yard.So mush fun,I think I will do it in reverse tomorrow.Also,taking Los Robles from felton to Sycamore is some of the best single track in the area.Not very many riders on the stretch from potrero to te top of Rosewood.a jewel of a trail in the area.Stud Hill is very challenging right now.
Jmomma a 48 year old Die-hard Enthusiast riding a Santa Cruz HecklerPosted:05/09/2010
- Trail UpdateSycamore Canyon-This is a great place to ride because it has fire roads, single track, tough climbs, easy climbs, and great scenery. There is a great map at venturacountytrails.org
old gringo a 57 year old Cross-Country RiderPosted:01/03/2010
- Trail UpdateNeed Some Information-I have never rode this trail but have heard good things. Is it a straight fire road, or more of a trail. How many miles from Wendy entrance to the beach side? I want to try it out next week.
Posted:01/03/2010
- Trail UpdateSycamore Canyon-We rode here today, June 28. Great conditions. Started at the Wendy trailhead, down the canyon to Wood Canyon, up Hell Hill to Overlook to the beach,, and back up the main canyon road.
old gringo a 56 year old Cross-Country RiderPosted:06/28/2009
- Trail UpdateSycamore Bugs!!-Bring your insect repellent. We rode here today, April 18, and the gnats and mosquitoes on Hell Hill were awful. State Park Service is grading Overlook and it's in good shape, except for a few loose spots.
Old Gringo a 56 year oldPosted:04/18/2009
- Trail UpdateSycamore-Rode here today, March 21. Started at the Wendy trailhead, went to the main canyon road to PCH, then back up Overlook to Hell Hill, down to the main road and out. Overlook has been plowed from the PCH side of the main road to Hell Hill and is in good shape most places. There are some soft spots so watch out. There is no water is the stream and only a few mud puddles elsewhere. Everything is green.
old gringo a 56 year oldPosted:03/21/2009
- Trail UpdateFlowers Are Out At Sycamore Cyn-Started from Wendy trailhead, down Sycamore Cyn to Two Foxes, then on to the Sycamore Cove beach and returned the same route. The creek crossings are dry, the poppy's are out in spots and the parrots near Sycamore Cove campground were squawking. We even saw some whales spouting out from Sycamore Cove beach. The Two Foxes single track is in great shape. It was great to take a Monday off and ride!
Jerry Ventura BOMB a 55 year old Cross-Country Rider riding a Trek Fuel EX9.9 from SimiPosted:03/09/2009
- Trail UpdateSycamore-Great ride today. We started at the Wendy trailhead, then down the BB to Wood Canyon. Then up HH to Overlook where we went a little north before heading to the sea. Back up the main canyon road. The stream seems to be drying out very quickly. Conditions are very good everywhere.
old gringo a 55 year oldPosted:07/13/2008
- Trail UpdateSycamore Canyon-This is one of the best places to ride on scorching days such as we have had recently. We rode here on June 21 and 22. Started too late both days so we were climbing up the BB at around 11:30 on the 21st. Conditions are very good on the main trail, Two Foxes, Wood Canyon, and Overlook.
old gringo a 55 year old riding a Ellsworth TruthPosted:06/23/2008
- Trail UpdateSycamore-Perfect conditions again today. Except for a couple of soft spots on the main trail, it is all good. We did Wood Ranch and Two Foxes, too. Five stream crossings on the main trail and two on Wood Ranch. 30.8 total miles.
old gringo a 55 year old Cross-Country Rider riding a Gary Fisher ParagonPosted:06/08/2008
- Trail UpdateSycamore Canyon-Absolutely perfect conditions yesterday, March 16. Everything is so green from the recent rains. Not too many ruts. And there isn't that much water in the streams. We did 22 miles from the Wendy trailhead, Wood Canyon, up Hell Hill to Overlook, and back down to the main trail.
old gringo a 55 year oldPosted:03/17/2008
- Trail Updatehttp://www.venturacountytrails.org/TrailMaps/MapsHome.html
This is the most complete map for the santa monica moutains biking trails that will ever be. Enjoy.
burritos a 37 year old Cross-Country Rider riding a gary fisher sugar 2+ URL: nrmbc.orgPosted:10/21/2007
- Trail UpdateSycamore-Conditions are still great as of May 19. We started at the Wendy trailhead, went down the main road into the canyon until we got to Wood Ranch, then up Hell Hill to Overlook.
old gringo a 54 year oldPosted:05/22/2007
- Trail UpdateConditions Are Perfect-Rode last weekend. Did over half the trails in the park. Hell Hill is perfect right now, steep but not rutted and very tacky. Still a hard climb even in the cool and perfect conditions. And yes I am talking about Hell Hill, not the asphalt hill at the end of the canyon that some confuse for it. Guadalusca is great. Lots of rocks to keep you on your toes and a bit bumpy, but still just a blast going down. Sage trail is great and the very technical sections seem to have mellowed out a bit. The steep creek crossing is actually doable right now. Sin Nombre and Two Foxes are smooth fun fast rides and perfect as always. The main canyon, other then being crowded is smooth and tacky and all stream crossings are dry. Overlook is perfect and the climb up gets the legs humming after three major climbs out of the canyon. Some puddles around but they are easy to avoid. In addition to the great conditions the grass is finally starting to turn green and the wildflowers should be following in a few months. Get out there. Sycamore will be at its best over the next two months. Rode 28 miles in all and 4,300 feet of climbing.
M... a 38 year old Cross-Country RiderPosted:02/27/2007
- Trail UpdateCoyote Trail Is Open-Bikes are now allowed. Get out and enjoy this great trail. It is a blast. Not allowed on the new trail that vears off to the left about 1/4 of the way down from the water tower side, or heading uphill when it takes off, but once that is done word is that will be open to bikes as well. Lets hope it will be done soon.
SascachamoPosted:02/09/2007
- Trail UpdateWrong Season!-Ceartainly the wrong season. Those pics were snapped in the middle of spring. Even Cheese-bro looks like a saltine cracker this time of year.
If you DO get a chance to hit Sycamore in the spring, you'll be pleasantly surprised. It's actually one of the very best places for wildflowers and wildlife in this part of Cali.
Dr Wellington YuehPosted:10/29/2006
- Trail UpdateNot Worth Treking For.-I loaded up my bike this morning @ 7AM and hauled myself an hour & 1/2 West from Pasadena for what I thought was going to be a great ride with a great view. My hats off to the photographer who took the pics in pics section. I was suckered in by them.
Unbeknownst to me this place was dryer than the Mojave. This summers heat must have scortched the vegetation dry this year. Their is a lot of conservation work going around the park to bring it back to what it look like before.
This conservation effort is closing many of the trails that use to be open to bikes and equestrians to HIKERS only. For the most part people where friendly. I saw a couple of bikers going through areas that are banned for bikes very BIG SIGNS ARE POSTED people and watch out for the rangers they are everywhere. You'd think they were patroling the border or something.
If you live locally it's not a bad place. If you don't and you have to drive more than an hour to get there. Not worth the ride. If you didn't believe this post and you went anyway. Save your weekend and try Chesebro Canyon it's east on the 101 from Pt. Mugu. Not a bad ride even though there are lots of hikers and equestrians.
Steve Austin a 35 year old Weekend WarriorPosted:10/29/2006
- Trail UpdateSycamore-We rode this one on 10/7. Started at the Wendy trailhead, down to the canyon, Coyote, Wood Ranch, Hell Hill, Overlook south, then back up Overlook to Guadalasca, Wood Ranch back to the start. 30 miles in a little over four hours riding time. All the sections fo the trails were in great shape.
old gringo a 54 year old Cross-Country Rider riding a Ellsworth Isis from ChatsworthPosted:10/11/2006
- Trail UpdateI Found An Electronic Device!-I Found an Electronic Device near the front of Sycamore Canyon. E-mail me the make and model of what I found and I will make sure it finds its way back to you.
Matt from Newbury ParkPosted:09/29/2006
- Trail Update"Hell Hill"-Hell Hill is off Wood Cyn....To me it always seems over a mile long with a grade of 45 degree's. We called the paved road that drops into Sycamore from T.O. "tar baby"..But I have also heard it called the black bitch, but it still pales in comparison to "Hell Hill."
RichPosted:08/13/2006
- Trail UpdateOh, Good!-Now I know what trail to stay away from if I want to avoid all of the stuck up, elitist jerks. A simple, "I think you are taking about the wrong hill, this is where the correct hill is," would do just fine.
mrkcy76 a Cross-Country RiderPosted:08/12/2006
- Trail UpdateJeesh, What Did I Start?-To put to rest any confusion.... The Hell Hill that I was talking about, and the only one that I know of is the one that takes off of Wood Canyon.
Matt a 37 year old Cross-Country Rider from Newbury ParkPosted:08/11/2006
- Trail UpdateGo Figure-Leave it to a guy from Malibu to not know his ass from his elbow. Joe is right. Yous gots your hills confused buddy. Less Surfing might help.
The Spinner a 22 year oldPosted:08/10/2006
- Trail UpdateWrong You Are-The hill you are referring to at the end of sycamore is NOT Hell Hill. It is most commonly referred to as the “Black Bitch” though for obvious reasons that could offend. It is also called the “Asphalt Hill”, “Asphalt Grind” or probably most commonly “That Last #$U# Hill on the Way out”. It is not and never has been Hell Hill. Hell Hill is correctly identified below twice, once by Matt, and another by an unnamed person just above him correcting the other person whom seemed to be confused. Hell Hill is much harder and shorter then the hill you refer to. It is one of the steepest dirt roads in all of the Santa Monica’s. Much steeper then Bull Dog, however it is also much shorter and less technical.
As for the 8 minute comment. You might want to ride a bit more if it takes you that long to get up the asphalt hill. Perhaps by the time you get down to a respectable 6 minutes you will learn what hill is what.
Joe a 47 year old Cross-Country Rider riding a K2 from Thousand OaksPosted:08/10/2006
- Trail UpdateHell Hill-Hell's hill is at the back of sycamore canyon Rd, not wood canyon. And you guys, forget the gradient of the hill, it takes all of 8 minutes, if that, to get to the top.
a 24 year old Cross-Country Rider riding a Giant Reign from Malibu,CAPosted:08/10/2006
- Trail UpdateSycamore Canyon In Great Shape!-Today I rode some of the Sycamore Canyon trails. Went up Overlook, over North Overlook to the Guadalaska trail, down Guadalaska and Wood Canyon Fire Road, up Two Foxes trail to Danielson, and then down a little of Sin Nombre and back down the Sycamore Canyon Fire Road to the entrance. All these trails/roads are in great shape. Guadalaska is a wonderful singletrack. Saw one big rattler coiled and rattling on the side of Overlook as we climbed up, and one doe looking back at us from the creek along Sycamore Canyon Fire Road.
JimNo a 66 year old Weekend Warrior riding a Marin Hawk Hill hardtail from NorthridgePosted:08/08/2006
- Trail UpdateHell Hill Is Not 17.5%-I think you have your hills mistaken. Hell Hill is a dirt road that takes off out of wood canyon and meets up at the junction with La Jolla Canyon. It is .4 miles long and gains 643 feet (Check any map if you question it). Doing the math would make it an average of 30.4%. However there are some very steep sections that mess with the actual average. Matt is almost dead on according to my Garmin and Polar bike computers. The average is about 24% with some very steep sections. If you have ever ridden it you would know that it is well beyond 17%.
Posted:08/08/2006
- Trail UpdateHell Hill-Hell hill is about .65 mile long and gains 600 ft. Average grade is 17.5 percent.
tphenomPosted:08/08/2006
- Trail UpdateA Good Day On Hell Hill-Did a 27 mile trek throughout the park. Decided it was cool enough to do my once a year gruel up Hell Hill. About 1/4 of the way up just as I was getting in the groove I saw the biggest Rattlesnake I have ever seen. This thing was easily over 6 feet long. As he pulled out in the dirt road he easily covered 2/3rd's of it. I was hoping to ride either behind or in front of him but as I got close he sensed me and went into "Super Pissed Off" mode. Turned and started heading down the road right at me. He quickly turned again and went off the side of the trail, rattling all the way. Amazingly beautiful animal. So after that brief stop, I rode the rest of Hell Hill, and yes it is still the wonderful trudge that it is with an average grade of 23% with some spots quite a bit steeper. View at the top was great and the rest of the ride was wonderful. Sycamore Cove was very peaceful and the ocean air was cool and inviting. Great ride in a great park with just about the most Varity of trails in the Santa Monica. Not matter what you want, you will find it there.
Matt a 37 year old Cross-Country Rider from Newbury ParkPosted:08/04/2006
- Trail UpdateHere wa go again! Easy buddy riding at sea level is not that hard.
baloo a 31 year oldPosted:06/26/2006
- Trail UpdateBesides...-As far as trails go, that's the "Sunset Strip."
El Contador a 35 year old Cross-Country RiderPosted:06/24/2006
- Trail UpdateSsshhhh!-Intriguing post. Let 'em stay down there! Imagine if all the good trails were clogged with that kind of traffic.
El Contador a 35 year old Cross-Country RiderPosted:06/24/2006
- Trail UpdateFlatlanders-Six inches of water in some water crossings for the flatlanders looking for some action. For the five percent (or 2 percent) of mountain bikers who actually climb up on the real trails and descend/ascend the non-flat singletrack there is alot of growth of brush and it's narrow in many spots.
Why is it that there will be a bunch of cars/trucks with bike racks parked at the beach or Potrero Rd. and then nobody on the harder trails? The bottom valley trail is like a highway with traffic and yet one or two bikes up on the hills. Dudes who are stuck in their granny gears wearing Fox gear and crash protection riding the flat fire road. Go figure.
tphenom a old year oldPosted:06/23/2006
- Trail UpdateA Cool Place To Spend A Hot Day-Rode here on Saturday. It was very hot this weekend but still for the most part very pleasant in the Canyons. Did about 25 miles of riding all over the park. Saw a few snakes. All trails and fire roads are in excellent shape. Flowers are still out and blooming and the ground is not too dry yet. Some of the creek crossings still have water. Summer has not yet taken its toll here yet. Get out and enjoy.
Posted:06/05/2006
- Trail UpdateBackbone/Guadalasco Loop-Put a new foxDHR shock on the Heckler this week and wanted to try it out.I took Los Robles(@ Felton)to Sycamore and took the various non fire road connectors to Backbone.Trail conditions were good and the wild flowers are in full bloom.This is the the most prolific bloom I have seen in this area,super bright colors made for a fantastic ride.Backbone is bitchen right now,lots of ruts and divots from the last couple rainy seasons made for a fun climb to Guadalasco.No traffic on Guadalasco so I was able to blitz the trail.There was lots of ruts and pot holes and bumps which made for a fun descent.The shock seemed to work great.This was my first long ride on it so I need to do a few more before I can compare it to the 5th Element.Evenings are a great time to ride,I have seen a lot of Bob Cats the last couple weeks.The trail is in great shape so give it a try quick while the flowers are still blooming because a couple weeks of hot weather will turn everything to the usual brown.
Jmomma a 44 year old Die-hard Enthusiast riding a Santa Cruz Heckler from Newbury ParkPosted:05/24/2006
- Trail UpdateT.K. Riders....-Ah, Sycie canyon So nice.. So sweet. rode up to Backbone, In great shape. Got passed on the climb by a girl on a Santa Cruz and got blessed with a great backside view. Her legs were built like a stallions, what a woman. I think it so hot when a woman Mountain Biker can smoke me up or down. You'll be forever in my dreams mystery woman. Even got stopped by three little mammas needing water on Wood Canyon, they even let me sqeeze water from my CamelBack hose into their sweet young mouths. So anyways it was.......nice.
T.K. Casle a 98 year old Die-hard Enthusiast riding a Magna Titanium Toy-r-US special from Biig ChinoPosted:03/27/2006
- Trail UpdateSycamore Cyn Open-Rode from PCH to Newbury Park on 2-12-06. No closed gates. Trail is in great shape. Stream is 100% dry at every crossing.
a 42 year old Cross-Country RiderPosted:02/12/2006
- Trail UpdateSyc Cyn Closed-Started out in fog this morning. Got to the top of the black bitch and the gate was closed with signs warning "park closed fire danger". My partner and I discussed our options. Hop the fence and ride or go somewhere else. About this time more riders showed up and one couple said "oh its open thet just hav`nt taken the signs down yet". If its good for them its good for us, over the fence and off we rode. Anyway, rode Sin nombre to Two foxes to Overlook up to Backbone down to Syc. Great ride. Starting back up the BB my partner and I discussed the various options we had should the Ranger be waiting at the top. We could see a white truck stopped 200 yards ahead at the 1/2 point but were to tired to make a run for it, although it would be cool to turn on the news and see your buddy flyin` down Syc with the Ranger in close pursuit. To make a long story short the Sycamore cyn is closed as long is there is a red flag warning for fire danger and the penalties are 1000.00 fine/6 months jail. Got off with a warning but I got my ride in.
simi mike a 46 year old Die-hard Enthusiast riding a reign 1 from simi vPosted:02/11/2006
- Trail UpdateBig Syc-Overlook-Guad-Big Syc-Driving 30+ minutes to a trailhead, kinda sucks.
Driving 30+ minutes to a trailhead along the PCH, kinda cool.Started on Big Sycamore, which only had a couple water crossings then hunkered down and started the climb up overlook, which was so worth it when I hit Guad. Guad was a little rutted, and I did endo when I hit a switchback too fast. But all in all, this was a great ride.
JasonLee a 28 year old Weekend Warrior riding a Liquid 55 from ChatsworthPosted:11/14/2005
- Trail UpdateT.K. Riders Invade Magu..-Awsome place Lots of great views and those of you that climb in 3000+ elevation this ride will be easy.
Great condition just lots of people. A very magical place to ride. We will be returning.
T.K. Castle a 98 year old riding a ??? from Big ChinoPosted:11/07/2005
- Trail UpdateAlways A Good Time-I usually ride this trail from the PCH to Newbury Park and it's always been in good condition. I was on it yesterday and the water bars are dryin up a bit. Some have no water at all. Keep riding this trail and you'll feel the difference when you get to the "Big Black Bitch" going into Newbury Park. Venture off the beaten path to find some remote trails leading into the hills. I recommend riding with a buddy if you do go off onto those trails. You take a bad spill or get eaten no one will find you for days. I come across coyotes almost everytime i'm up there. None have been aggressive but theres always that one time. Ride On!!!
a 28 year old Die-hard Enthusiast riding a Trek from Port HuenemePosted:09/08/2005
- Trail Update"It was suposed to be hard? Or up hill?"
Hah...do Hell Hill and ask yourself that question again. :)
Anyway...rode here Sunday. From Wendy trailhead, down the canyon, up Backbone (the water crossing at the bottom here was a bit deep...got my foot wet). Then, up the rest of Overlook and then down Guadalasco (a bit overgrown near the top, and kinda rutty near the middle/bottom, but not too bad). There's 3 or 4 water crossings between the bottom of Guad and the main trail, but none too deep. We passed on doing the aforementioned Hell Hill this time and headed back up the main canyon.
Posted:07/11/2005
- Trail UpdateA Good Bath...-I was just ont this trail last saturday with my girl friend, and we had a blast! It was suposed to be hard? Or up hill? Well we went thrue about 6, or 7 water bars, and some were alittle depper then others, but over all the trail is in very good condition, and the weather was great, some what cool, and overcast. Brig alot of watter, and expcet to get wett and muddy! I was soked at the end of the day, trail is a slight up hill, and an very fun down hill on the way back, I wuold say motaerate to easy? Hope to make it back there soon.
Rythme a 23 year old Downhiller riding a Diamond back xtc full suspesion, ... from ventura, caPosted:07/07/2005
- Trail UpdateSycamore Canyon's In Great Shape-On May 3 I rode up Sycamore Canyon as far at Danielson Ranch and back. All ten of the stream crossings between the beach and Wood Ranch Road intersection are running, with a few inches of water in each one. Great fun going through them. I did get my shoes soaked, but no other problems. This trail (really a park service road) is in great shape. Lots of man-high yucca, mustard and Queen Anne's Lace in blossom along the sides. Saw one snake across the trail--not a rattler.
JimNo a 65 year old Weekend Warrior riding a Marin Hawk Hill from NorthridgePosted:05/04/2005
- Trail UpdateLots Of Water!!-
A friend of mine & I went up Overlook & down Guadalasco this last saturday. Guadalasco is in excellent shape, considering all the recent rains. There are some ruts & it's quite overgrown in some sections but it's 100% rideable. Coming down Big Sycamore, there are at least 8 stream crossings with lots of water. You will get wet. It's a lot of fun. I'd be there every day if I had the time. By the way, parking is now $10 a day.
Ride rating: Intermediate
Mighty1 a 34 year old Weekend Warrior riding a Giant from L.A.Posted:03/29/2005
- Trail UpdateSkeeter's Biting-Rode here Saturday afternoon. Still alot of water in the canyon. Overlook trail is in good shape, just a few major ruts. The biggest problem was the mosquitos. They were out in numbers and very agressive.
Posted:03/14/2005
- Trail UpdateSycamore Cyn.-We started up Big Sycamore cyn to the Overlook trail. It is a river crossing. Not a brook or a stream but a river. This section is fireroad. We had to hike across the river and bushwack to the fire road. Some ruts but in good condition. We took Backbone down and that is also in very good shape. Major water crossing at the bottom but it's ridable. Onward to sagebrush and up Sonombre.These are singletrak. Sage brush is washed out. Tons of ruts and rocks. A real challenge with one big slide. Hard to damage a trail that's all rock though.
Sonombre needs to dry out some more. There is some damage on the steep uphill sections. It'll be better when the sun cooks it some more! There is still lots of water. Up the pavement in back to Wood cyn. No guilt tearing that up. It's fireroad and a muddy fun fest! Stream crossing are minimal till past Hell hill and then they are formidible drop off crossings! Coming back on Big Sycamore was one major river crossing after another. Some are ridable and others arent and some you just can't tell! I chose to attempt one that I just couldnt tell and was surprised at how warm the water was as I sat in it up to my neck. Really! It looked doable! Sure glad it's not snow melt!
A friend did Guadalasca,another singletrak, and said it was rutted pretty badly and she had to get off about 3 times. Two other freinds said they thought it was pretty good. If you hate ruts, you can always turn around.
Plan on getting very wet in the canyon. Oh yeah, Twin Fox's singletrak was in fairly good condition with a couple big water crossings. Pack a towel in the car if you ride this and do it on a warm day!!
Ride rating: Intermediate
Ride distance: 10 to 35 Elevation change: lots of up and down
Singletrack=40% Dirt Road=40% Paved Path=20%
Dirtmistress a older than Britney Spears year old Die-hard Enthusiast riding a Santa Cruz SL or Merlin HT from L.A.Posted:01/27/2005
- Trail UpdateCheck out this site http://www.allsingletrack.com/frm-sg/index.php?gallery=. to see the latest rain damage. Go to Sycamore and then January 2005 to see the photos.
WhiteBlur a 37 year old Racer from T.O.Posted:01/13/2005
- Trail UpdateWarm Winds On The Backbone..-Went in from Wendy dr. last night about 7pm and did the Backbone to the Guadalasco loop. I could have rode this in short sleves it was so warm. Just a gentle breeze down in the canyon but up on the ridge the wind was howling hard. I almost got blown off that section of road climbing in between the top of the backbone and the start of the downhill of guadalasco. The climb up the black bitch was a little tough due to the fact that we did a 45 min run before the bike ride so the legs were a little tired. I'll never get tired of riding in this area!!
Dirtshark a 42 year old Cross-Country Rider riding a Landshark/Yeti from Santa Clarita
Posted:12/16/2004
- Trail UpdateSycamore Canyon-I read some messages on Mountain Lion
Sightings in Sycamore canyon. I have been biking
ther for more than 15 years and never saw a
mountain lion till about one year ago (summer '03)
on a Sunday afternoon about 4pm. I was
screaming down the trail when I saw one leap
about 20 feet off the side of a ridge to my left.
Shortly after I met a rider on the trail, stopped. I
asked him what he was looking at and he said he
saw a Mountain Lion and he thinks it is chasing a
buck. The rider took off, I and my friend just stood
there quietly. Next thing I hear is rustling to the left
of the trail. Next thing a big buck is rustling thru the
brush , apparently running from something. He
jumps out into the trail about 3 feet from my
hanlebars, his nose twichin like crazy. Then he
leaps over the trail and jumps up the other side
and dissapears into the brush.. I was convinced
he was running from something. Next thing,
theres more rustling from the brush to my left and
the mountain lion becomes visible. He then drops
down into the bush about 7 feet off my trail. At that
point in time I figured A. He was in fact chasing the
deer and... B. he was hungry and C. I should start
pedaling away. Thats what I did. Never told
anyone. I know this is rare. I asked a ranger about
3 mos after that if there were mountain lions there.
He said very few and he had never seen one.. My
sighting was super rare. The fact that it was
summer and on a sunday was also rare.Posted:11/06/2004
- Trail Update2 Foxes/Backbone/Guadalasca Loop-Took the Los Robles trail from Felton down to Sycamore and on over to Sien Nombre-2Foxes.Great traction with puddles in the usual places,a huge fallen Oak tree on 2 Foxes but there is a route around it.Headed over to Backbone,The lower section has a lot of knuckle bone rocks exposed and a slight rut in places the upper is slippery in the usual places and nice and packed down.(It looks like great conditions for descending.Hard rains always make the trail a little rougher and more fun.)Headed over to Guadalasca(some nice trail work at the top of Hell hill).Guadalasca is one of my favorite trails to descend in the winter because a lot of rain makes all kinds of ruts grooves and rock exposure.It was a blast going down,not really too rutted up yet but more fun than summer conditions.Took Wood canyon out(mud and water in the usual gulleys) and headed back home.If your riding this area a great way to head into Sycamore is to take the Los Robles trail starting at Felton,this in my opinion is some of the funnest trail in the area and hardly anyone rides it.When Los Robles ends and you get to the road just go straight across and the trail will take you to just below the parking area at the end of Wendy.
Ride rating: Novice
Ride distance: miles 23 Elevation change: ?
Singletrack=60% Dirt Road=25% Paved Path=15%
Jmomma a 43 year old Die-hard Enthusiast riding a Santa Cruz Heckler from Newbury ParkPosted:10/30/2004
- Trail UpdateSycamore Cyn, Great Conditions-I drove out from Santa Clarita to ride this trail (It is still too muddy & wet to ride up here)..
Did this ride at dusk (began at 4:30ish),,The conditions are so good right now. Maybe 1 more day of sunlight will make the trail perfect (if that's possible). I started on the Valley side, down Sycamore cyn to Wood Cyn then up Guadalasco (I think I spelled it wrong),,Then down the single track back to Sycamore and back to the valley side.
Burg a 42 year old Die-hard Enthusiast riding a Turner 5 Spot from ValenciaPosted:10/22/2004
- Trail UpdateThe Trail Has Been Open.-Hey all. The main trail has been open all day since the rains. And because Sycamore soaks up the rain so fast the conditions are fantastic. Did a great ride their yesterday. Until they finish repaving the main road the trail will be open on weekend and on weekdays after 5pm. Get out there and ride right now. The paved road is gone so it is a much nicer dirt road to ride.
Everything we rode yesterday was in great shape. No mud bogs to report and the trails are nice and tacky. Temperature is perfect and I got to use my light for the first time in quite a while. Bring on the end of Daylight savings time. It is time for some damn good night riding.....
Posted:10/22/2004
- Trail UpdateOpen On Weekends-Yes, the closure signs did say open on weekends. This, as far as I know, involves the Black Bitch paved hill. I don't know how much more road they're repairing.
Posted:10/07/2004
- Trail UpdateTrail Closure-It will however, according to Rangers, be open on the weekends.
Posted:10/07/2004
- Trail UpdateWendy/Potrero Access Problem-From now until Nov 1 the asphalt road leading down to the park a.k.a Sycamore Canyon Rd. or the Black Bitch is closed. Don't even try it. They're running equipment that takes up the entire width of road and will tell you to go back.
Posted:10/07/2004
- Trail UpdateAs Usual....-ask two people a question and get conflicting answers regarding trail access, much like Coyote trail also in Syc Cyn. That being said I do use this unnamed connector and work on the premise that unless I see a no bikes sign I consider a given trail as open. Yes, I know that is flawed but I do get to ride more trails.
CrashPosted:09/21/2004
- Trail UpdateThe Trail Is Open-The trail is not off limits. It is open to bikes and horses. In fact I just ran into a ranger on a horse there the other day. We had a great talk and it was never mentioned that the trail was closed. Happy riding on this "Open" trail.
P.S. - Don't believe everything you hear from CORBA. They are a good group but are not always right. In fact I have found to be wrong an alarming amount of the time.
Posted:09/21/2004
- Trail UpdateTrail ?-Crash,
Thanks for that info. This is the first time that I have ever heard of this trail being off-limits. I have seen many folks on it and have never seen any signs not allowing bikes.
DavidPosted:09/20/2004
- Trail UpdateIt Is An Illegal Trail....-Although well established this connector between Sage and Sin Nombre is a no-no. I know this because 2yrs ago when I worked on trail maintainence during State Trail Days the head of CORBA and Frank Padillia (local head of state parks) freaked out and said this trail needed to be obiliterated because it is "unauthorized". That being said I err,umm hear it is a sweet little tie in to the trail system in Big Syc Cyn.
CrashPosted:09/20/2004
- Trail UpdateGood Ride-Rode up Overlook, down Backbone to Big Sycamore and then up Sin Nombre to the little triangle where Sin Nombre goes back toward the asphalt and connects with another trail to the left. Does anyone know the name of this trail? It winds around some trees and then eventually drops you into a dried up creek before climbing up and coming out on Sage trail. Continued up Sage to the ashphalt and on to the water tank. Down the asphalt road to Wood Canyon, back to Big Syc. and back to PCH. Most trails were in good condition, but obviously dry. Backbone on the other hand is all beat up. Not real comfortable, but the banked curves make up for the discomfort.
Ride rating: Intermediate
Ride distance: 18 Elevation change: 1200
Singletrack=48% Dirt Road=50% Paved Path=2%
David a 33 year old Weekend Warrior riding a K2 from Point MuguPosted:09/19/2004
- Trail UpdateIs the caynon still closed? I tried riding here last week and the gate was locked on the valley side.
Burg a Die-hard Enthusiast riding a Turner 5 Spot from ValenciaPosted:09/12/2004
- Trail UpdateBigSyc/Ranch/Wood/Guad/Overlook-Great day for a ride. All the trails are dry and dusty. All water crossings/creeks are dry. Watch out for the poison oak near the top of Guadalasca. I was going up Guad. so it was easy to spot. Just slow it down if you are coming down from the top and you should ride by it without any contact. Rode down Overlook through the fog all the way to Big Syc. No relief from the heat on all of the other trails. Trails were busy with bikers/hikers.
Ride rating: Intermediate
Ride distance: 15 miles Elevation change: +- 1800 Ft.
Singletrack=20% Dirt Road=50% Paved Path=10% Truck Trail=20%
Double C's a 32 year old Cross-Country Rider riding a Trek Mountain Track from Woodland HillsPosted:06/05/2004
- Trail UpdateCan't We ALL Just Get Along?-Get a life people.
Posted:05/27/2004
- Trail UpdateSO, You're A Rude Idiot.-I wish I could now say that there was one attack last Sunday. Then there would be two less posts on here and one less stupid ass idiot in the world. Ride somewhere else. We don't want you here.
Posted:05/27/2004
- Trail UpdateI Didn't Say An Attack-Nobody said anything about a Mountain Lion attack. I was just asking about a reported SIGHTING on Sunday. I dont care about a couple of girls hiding in a port-a-potty a few years ago.
If you do not have any info fine, but I don't need the history of mountain lions in the area.
Whether you want to believe it or not, there are mountain lions in this area!
Posted:05/26/2004
- Trail UpdatePortapotty Story-If you want the details on the Portapotty story here they are. Two women went into a portapotty because they thought they saw a mountain lion. They went in there and heard noises that they thought were a lion. They stayed in there for a bit and then came out to find nothing. Neither of them were attacked and nobody else ever saw the lion. No tracks were found and a bobcat den was found about 100 yards away with 2 kittens. I was assigned to investigate that case. It was decided that they probably saw a bobcat and the bobcat never did attact.
Again. There has never been one attack by a mountain lion anywhere within the boundaries of Sycamore Park.Posted:05/26/2004
- Trail UpdateMountain Lion-Not true that there have been no mountain lion attacks in Sycamore. A couple of women were trapped in a portapotty by one on the main trail a couple of years ago. Still not likely that anyone saw one. They know how to hide.
JDcowboy a 49 year old Weekend Warrior riding a Santa Cruz Blur from Thousand OaksPosted:05/25/2004
- Trail UpdateProbably Not A Lion-Over 95% of Mountain Lion Sightings are not true. The fact that it was on a Sunday also does not bode well for the accuracy of the sighting. That place can be a zoo on weekends and Lion's avoid crowds at all costs. Lions are present in Sycamore however and have been monitored over the last several years. Never has there been an attack and it is very rare that there is a verified sighting. If you ever are lucky enough to see one consider yourself that. Very lucky. They are an amazing animal that is trying hard to hold on in the ever increasing population that is the Santa Monica Mountains.
Posted:05/25/2004
- Trail UpdateMountain Lion Sighting??-I rode here Sunday afternoon and heard several people talking about a mountain lion sighting on the main trail (Sycamore Canyon) about 3 miles up from the campground.
Does anyone have more info??
Posted:05/24/2004
- Trail UpdateMountain Lion Sighting??-I rode here Sunday afternoon and heard several people talking about a mountain lion sighting on the main trail (Sycamore Canyon) about 3 miles up from the campground.
Does anyone have more info??
Posted:05/24/2004
- Trail UpdateSycamore-Did a 31 miler today (actually the longest ride I've done so far). Started from Newbury Park, climbed the Sage single track, down Wood Canyon, up Guadalasca, back down to the bottom via Backbone, all the way down the fire road, then climbed Overlook to the top and descended Guadalasca. Whew. Well, its a long ride for me, anyway!
On the way back I took the Two Foxes single track and saw the biggest bobcat I've ever seen (from about 10 feet away). I thought it was a small mountain lion at first, but then I noticed it didn't have much of a tail.
Ride rating: Intermediate
Ride distance: 31 miles Elevation change: ~3600 ft
Singletrack=40% Dirt Road=50% Paved Path=10%
Brett a 35 year old Die-hard Enthusiast riding a Kona Dawg from Calabasas,CAPosted:04/30/2004
- Trail UpdateCoyotes Aren't A Problem, BUT...-Hey zchick, coyotes won't give you any problems, but where there are deer, there are mountain lions, which you should be aware of. Luckily, we were spared in last year's fire situations, so the lions here are well fed. Still, use caution, and educate yourself on mountain lion dos and don'ts.
PreacherPosted:04/28/2004
- Trail UpdateWednesdays-are the best day of the week to ride... 15 minutes from work yet it seems a world away. A little escape that makes the weekend not so far off. No one out there but me and the coyotes. Saw one last week and just kept going, I was riding solo, going back again today, how dangerous are they? If my chain falls off will I make it out in one piece? Looking forward to that top of the world feeling when you get just above the gray and hit blue skies and sunshine and green hills and then fly back down through fog so thick you can't see ten feet in front of you... as if the ride wasn't exciting enough with unlimited visibility.
Ride rating: Intermediate
Ride distance: 14 miles Elevation change:
Singletrack=40% Dirt Road=40% Paved Path=20%
zchick a 29 year old Die-hard Enthusiast from Ventura, CAPosted:04/28/2004
- Trail UpdateSycamore-Did a near 30 miler there Sunday and conditions are good. Regarding the Poison Oak Endo mentioned on Guadalasco, it wasn't too hard to avoid it and it wasn't in that many areas. Of course I was climbing up it rather than down it so I had more time to keep an eye out for the stuff. There is quite a bit of poison oak off to the sides off Wood Canyon and the main trail but you would really have to go out of your way to make contact with that. I didn't see much on Backbone.
Ride distance: 29miles Elevation change: 3300
Big ScudPosted:04/26/2004
- Trail UpdateMy Loop At Sycamore-On Thursday I left the windy Santa Clarita area and drove to Newbury Park (Wendy Drive) to park and then ride one of my favorite rides, Sycamore Caynon. I rode down the small paved road into the caynon. From there I rode towards the Pacific ocean then turning on Wood Cyn to Guadalasco trail (Not sure on spelling).From there I climbes up to the Overlook trail then down the single track that is just south of Hell Hill. This is a very nice single track. I came across 2 cyclist. I literally had the park to myself. It was AWESOME ! Weather was nice, very little wind. I had a great ride.
Burg a 42 year old Die-hard Enthusiast riding a Turner 5 Spot from ValenciaPosted:04/23/2004
- Trail UpdateGreat Ride!!-Made the drive from the O.C. on Monday, and really enjoyed this trail! Conditions were great, weather was cool, ride was fantastic, and the veiws were outstanding. I pedaled up Sycamore Cyn, up Wood Cyn, up Guadalasco Trail and then came down Backbone and back to the lot. Then I had lunch on the beach and drove home. This ride was worth the drive time!
Ride rating: Intermediate
Ride distance: 13 miles Elevation change: 1150
Singletrack=40% Truck Trail=60%
Johnny a 36 year old Weekend Warrior riding a Yellow Fisher from Costa MesaPosted:04/21/2004
- Trail UpdateBeware!-In addition to the amazing wildflower display (not
as good as last years, but still distracting enough
to send you off the trail by the sudden bursts of
color), the poison oak is everywhere and crowding
into the trails. It's hard to avoid on Guadalasco,
especially if you're going downhill and aren't
focusing on all the green oily leaves in the trail.
You will touch it. There's some close sections on
Wood Cyn View/Backbone and some long
stragglers reaching well onto the wide trail on
Wood Canyon.Otherwise it's so beautiful out there right now. My
fav. loop is up Wood Cyn View Backbone, Down
Guad, Down Wood Cyn, Up Two Foxes staying left
all the way to Sage/Tick, Up Sage, Down Wood
Cyn, Up Guad and down Backbone. Oh yeah!
Endo Verendo a Weekend Warrior riding a Turner 4-Spot from the ValleyPosted:04/12/2004
- Trail UpdateWow-the trail is in great condition or it might have just been my new Iron horse Sinster comp! had a great time
Singletrack=45% Dirt Road=25% Paved Path=15% Truck Trail=25%
tyler a 13 year old Weekend Warrior riding a iron horse sinister comp from venturaPosted:04/03/2004
- Trail UpdateSigns!!!-Vick is right. It was not CORBA or the State Park. It was a National Park Ranger and I watched him do it. At least the sign by the water tower. The trail was considered open for a short time but some miscommunication led to the initial opening. It has never offically been re-closed but then again, I guess it was never offically open. So it is a quandry that one must decide. Many have decided that it is open. That is all I can say for now...
Posted:04/02/2004
- Trail UpdateClosed? Open??-The winds of change are blowing. That's all I'm sayin'... for now.
PreacherPosted:04/02/2004
- Trail UpdateCoyote Trail.....-per Frank Padilla of State Parks is CLOSED to bikes. Yes, it's true that the signs are down, but it wasn't State Parks or CORBA that took them down, and our current state budget crisis has no room in it for new signs.
Vick a 35 year old Weekend Warrior riding a Kona from Culver City
Posted:04/02/2004
- Trail UpdateCoyote Status-Now that is a good question. It really boils down to who you ask. Some of the Rangers will tell you it is open while others state that it is closed. All no-bike signs have been removed but it seems that the consensus is that it is currently closed to bikes. You would never know that based on all the tire tracks that are on the trail. Sorry that I don't know of a better answer. Sad, because it is one of the best rides in the entire park.
Posted:04/02/2004
- Trail UpdateCoyote Trail-Can someone please confirm if Coyote is open to bikes.
DavidPosted:04/01/2004
- Trail UpdateGuadalasca - No More Felled Tree-The trees that blocked Guadalasca are gone. Our thanks to the trail maintenance crew!
However, watch out for shin-high poison oak!
MudPie a 39 year old Cross-Country Rider riding a Schwinn Homegrown, hardtail, stock from Camarillo, CAPosted:03/14/2004
- Trail UpdateWOW-What a day of riding. The conditions are about as good as they can get. Did a good ride through the park on Tuesday evening and the trails are in prime shape. Very little mud to speak of and fantastic tacky conditions. The tree is still down across Guadalasca and be careful if you choose to walk around it by going up hill. It is poison oak land up there. Better to go straight over it. The smaller tree higher up has been removed. Even with the recent storms it is sad to see how little water is in the creek. We really need a few more storms just to break even. Animals are out like crazy. Deer and Coyotes along with to many frogs to count. Night rides will include dodging them on a regular basis. And the THX introduction in movie theatres has nothing on the sound of all the frogs as one makes their way up Wood Canyon at night. Flowers are starting to bloom and within the next week or two should be amazing. Green grass everywhere. It does not get any better then this.
Ride distance: 20 miles Elevation change:
Matt a 35 year old Cross-Country Rider from Newbury ParkPosted:03/04/2004
- Trail UpdateSycamore-Rode it on Sunday and despite the recent rains it's really in great shape. There is a bit of mud and some water in the crossings on Wood Canyon and a little bit in a couple crossings on the main trail but not anything you can't avoid if you so desire. Everything has turned green and when riding Two Foxes trail you'd think you were in Ireland or something. Some big billowy clouds over Old Boney mountain, crisp temps, man it's all good. Even caught a Coyote wandering around near the Coyote trail of all places as I was passing it by on Two Foxes. Good thing I guess they don't have a trail called Mountain Lion.
Ride distance: 27 miles Elevation change:
Old Bones riding a Intense TracerPosted:03/03/2004
- Trail UpdateJust Kidding. I Didn't Ride. .-these trails. Besides you missed some of the other closed connectors. Just keeping you guys on your toes during the rain. Peace out bro!!
David a 33 year old Weekend Warrior riding a K2 Attack from Point MuguPosted:02/21/2004
- Trail UpdateCoyote Is Off-limits!-Coyote is closed to bikes and likely to remain so if people keep poaching it!
Vick a 35 year old Weekend Warrior riding a Kona from Culver CityPosted:02/21/2004
- Trail UpdateGreat Ride-Although a bit rainy prior to the ride, it was dry until about the last 15 minutes. Some mud in the river crossings which made it fun. Went left on Wood Canyon to Two Foxes and then up Coyote to the water tank. Took the asphalt road down to Sage trail and rode it back down to Big Sycamore. Turned around and went back up Sage for 1/2 mile and took a trail to the right. Don't know the name of it as this is the first time I saw it. It's not noted on the map. The trail dumps you out on Sin Nombre near the road. Took Sim Nombre back to Sycamore Canyon, to Two Foxes, to Wood Canyon and finally back to Big Sycamore for the ride back to PCH. Overall trail conditions were excellent.
Ride rating: Intermediate
Ride distance: 15 Elevation change: 1000 est.
Singletrack=80% Dirt Road=19% Paved Path=1%
David a 33 year old Weekend Warrior riding a K2 Attack from Point MuguPosted:02/21/2004
- Trail UpdateKONA DEMO DAY-February 15th there will be a Kona demo day on the PCH side of
Sycamore Canyon. Come out and test ride the latest designs from
Kona. Check out the bikes designed for So-Cal riding, like the
Kikapus, the Dawgs, Stinkys and the all-new Coiler with 5 inches of coil
sprung suspension. We will also have the So-Cal Kona Sponsored MTB
clubs on hand to answer questions about our local trails.The demo hours are from 9am to 1pm. Please look for the Kona tents
in the camping area on the PCH side.
Please contact Shoreline Cycles in Ventura with any questions. URL: Kona Demo DaysPosted:02/09/2004
- Trail UpdateGuadalsca - Tree Across Trail-There's a big tree across Guadalasca, located about half way between Wood Canyon and the beginning of the true single track part of Guadalasca (the signpost). I had to dismount and carry my bike through the tree. As you're climbing Guadalasca, there is a smaller tree partially blocking the trial about 100 feet before the big tree.
MudPie a 39 year old Cross-Country RiderPosted:02/04/2004
- Trail UpdateYesterday 01-04-04-
Click for 1024 pixal width wallpaper.
Man!!™
Ride distance: 13 Elevation change: 2,000
Dennis Hopper a enough year old Die-hard Enthusiast riding a Blue Velvet Truth® from S&M/BentwoodPosted:01/05/2004
- Trail UpdateDon't Take My Word For It.-
Give him a ring and see what he says.
Also, I moved the discussion here the other day.
The PreacherPosted:12/29/2003
- Trail UpdateIt's Not About The Gnar Gnar...-Well we aren't even talking about embedded rocks or anything gnar gnar like some other trails. These are just some steep sections, and clean-able one's at that. I would think making more re-route trails would ruin the character of Coyote for all of the trail users. I'd imagine the hikers who've used to that trail for years getting upset if the trail was suddenly less of a challenge.
I might be wrong but I thought it was Frank Padilla himself who said only newly built trails have to meet the newer 'muli-use' guidelines?
Endo VerendoPosted:12/28/2003
- Trail UpdateTired Of Trail Sanitizing-"Obviously, Pt. Mugu is not a gnar gnar playground, but there are plenty of other places that are."
Sorry Preacher, I completely disagree. Granted, there aren’t many technical features in Sycamore Cyn (at least open to MTB), but there are NOT plenty of other gnar gnar MTB trails in the area. In fact, technical trails are becoming extinct because of the very attitude that you espouse in virtually every post I've read.
What the hell is wrong with leaving the rocks embedded in the trail?! Are you worried a flash flood is going to form because of the users eroding the trail? Is the trail going to gouge 6 feet into the earth if we don't keep adding more soil? Are the hikers going to one day forget to look down, trip on a rock and fall flat on their collective faces?
Trail conditions evolve from one season to the next. And every year they continue to exist without becoming an increasing threat to the lives of neighboring communities or the lives of the creatures that live there.I'm not condoning rampant proliferation of new trails; I'm talking about the existing trail network. Take the two techie climbs on Sulfur Springs in Cheseboro as an example. Every spring the sections are deep, rocky steps. Every summer they slowly become sandy from users. Every fall/winter the rain packs down the dirt or washes some of the loose soil to the side of the trail. When spring comes around, they look just like they did the year before. The plants continue to thrive along the edge and the animals continue to scurry about.
The same type of evolution has been going on for ages with rock formations in the desert, mountain ranges and riverbeds. Are we going to start hauling loads of dirt to stop them from changing? Brush clearing is one thing, but removing or covering rocky features is just ridiculous and shouldn't be done.
IMO, rocky sections on trails are being altered as a direct response to the evolution of full suspension bicycles to discourage technical riders from coming to the multi-use trails. Organizations that lobby against MTB use would rather cut off their nose in spite of their face before they’ll admit that mountain biking is a legitimate activity that has as much of a right to enjoy the privilege of using our natural resources as a hiker or an individual riding an1800 lb animal.
I agree that not every region of wilderness should be developed as a multi-use park. I’m just tired of the willingness to give in to those who oppose one of the earliest modes of transportation, forms of recreation, instruments of health, and environmentally friendly ways of enjoying the outdoors.Happy Holidays. May your life be filled with miles of singletrack and enough mechanicals along the way to allow you to rest under the shade of the trees.
Upchuck
Posted:12/23/2003
- Trail Update"Once Again, Another Good Trail"-I'm just tellin' ya what I heard da man say. Different land management agencies have different trail specs, but you know that, right Endo?. Obviously, Pt. Mugu is not a "gnar gnar" playground, but there are plenty of other places that are. Personally, I'd rather have Coyote open than not open. You can always go right across the main Sycacmore fire road and hike until your heart's content, on the miles and miles of wilderness trails that will NEVER be open to MTBs again. I say: open EVERYTHING on the north side.
The PreacherPosted:12/23/2003
- Trail Update"there will need to be reroutes of the steeper
sections to make it qualify as an official, State Park
multi-use trail."I thought this only applies to brand new trails? I
doubt many hikers and bikers would want anything
on this trail changed. Once again, another good
trail might be sanitized for the sake of multi-use.
Endo VerendoPosted:12/23/2003
- Trail UpdateOur Usual Quickie. . .-Up Guadalasco and down Wood Vista section of Backbone; beach parking and back. Good trail work on Guadalasco this time around; thank you, to all involved parties. A little less of a challenge on the switchbacks than I like, but necessary in light of oncoming rains (hopeful). The trail conditions, traction and weather were perfect yesterday. You could lean over the bars climbing in granny, hit the cranks and deliver torque and no "slippage". It was my fourth ride since injury and by far the best with the least pain so far. Maria barely had to wait at the top ;-?) About and hour and a half ride time (70 minutes round trip to SM drive time). Great investment!
Dennis Hopper a enough year old Die-hard Enthusiast riding a Blue Velvet Truth® from S&M/BentwoodPosted:12/22/2003
- Trail UpdateCoyote Debate-The last I heard, the MBU were the ones who replaced the no Bikes sign at the water tank, after what were called "mountain biking vandals" tore it down. It's down again, and has been for awhile, but this does NOT mean the trail is officially open.
The lack of communication between SP officials is very frustrating and confusing. Someone else I talked to indicated that a ranger told them it was open. But the last word I got (August 2003) directly from Frank P. -- the head honch of SoCal State Park Trails -- was that Coyote is officially not open (yet) to mountain bikes. Among other issues, there will need to be reroutes of the steeper sections to make it qualify as an official, State Park multi-use trail.
The PreacherPosted:12/01/2003
- Trail UpdateMBU-IF indeed the MBU was on Coyote Trail then the trail must be open. The MBU is a volunteer unit and if a trail is closed they are not allowed to ride it to "Patrol" the trail. They must abide by the same rules as the rest of the riders out their. For the most part I believe in what the MBU is doing and most of them are very friendly. But I have heard on many an occasion of them over stepping their bounds. This sounds like it could be one.
Further evidence that the Cayote Trail may be open is as follows. I was night riding in Sycamore (not Coyote)a few weeks ago and was waiting for my partner at the water tank. A ranger drove up and stopped his car, got out and started moving rocks from the entrance to the trail. I went over and helped him move the rocks and branches out of the way. I asked him if the trail was open to bikers and he said that as far as he knew it was a multi-use trail open to hikers, bikers and horses. He confirmed that the park service was responsible for removing the "No Bikes" sign at that end of the trail as well. In any event he made it clear that it is at least open to hikers and asked me to spread the word that if bikers are the ones that are constantly building the makeshift barrier to the trail to please STOP. The trail is an open trail, even if it is just hikers.
I'm sure I only cloud the matter further, but lets not continue to build the barrier and upset the powers that be any more. Thanks and enjoy the trails.Posted:11/30/2003
- Trail UpdateCoyote NOT Open...-Read Preacher's post below.
Many riders poach Coyote, and so, the Mountain Bike Unit patrols it on occasion.
Vick a 35 year old Weekend Warrior riding a Kona from Culver CityPosted:11/29/2003
- Trail UpdateBig Syc./Rnch. Ctr. Rd./Wood Cyn-Trails were in great shape with very little dust. Started the ride from PCH. Most of the trees still have fall folliage on them. Rode on 11/28. Very few people out riding/hiking the day after thanksgiving. Wood Canyon is rocky with some soft spots so watch out coming down from Ranch Cntr. Rd. All water crossings are dry. Weather was almost summerlike with wind and sunny skies with passing high clouds. Next time will try Guadalasca/Overlook trails.
BTW... Is Coyote Trail open and legal to ride. I saw a few MTB patrol guys who mentioned to me that they were going down that trail. Are they the only ones that can ride it? I didn't see any no bike signs. If anyone has an official word whether or not Coyote is open please post.
Ride rating: Novice
Ride distance: 13 miles Elevation change:
Singletrack=15% Dirt Road=75% Paved Path=10%
Double C's a 32 year old Cross-Country Rider riding a Trek Mountain Track from Woodland HillsPosted:11/29/2003
- Trail UpdateOverlook In Great Shape!-We rode Overlook the last two Saturdays and the trail is in great shape. A little windy and dusty yesterday, but nothing too bad....hit this trail while things are nice and cool!
Jeb4 a 31 year old Weekend Warrior riding a Stumpjumper FSR Disk from CamarilloPosted:11/23/2003
- Trail UpdateOverlook Is Soft/loose-Parts of Overlook are loose and soft - becareful on the descents. Park maintenance filled in ruts and rough spots, with fire equipment in mind.
Mudpie a 38 year old Cross-Country Rider riding a 2 wheels connected with aluminum tubes from Local BoyPosted:08/31/2003
- Trail UpdateCoyote Is Officially NOT Open-
Yeah, the replacement sign was just wired onto the post. I'm sure somebody just ripped it down again. The trail is still officially off-limits.
Contact Pt. Mugu SP and voice your support for opening Coyote, and while you're at it, ask 'em to open Hidden Pond Trail as well. Points to include:
* Both trails are on the north side of Big Sycamore Canyon Road, and therefore would not interfere with wilderness designation.
* Opening these trails would alleviate over-crowding on Big Sycamore Canyon Road.
Contact info:
Telephone
818-880-0350Address
9000 W. Pacific Coast Highway,
Malibu, CA 90265
The PreacherPosted:08/12/2003
- Trail UpdateNo Relief From The Heat-Rode the area Sunday but the usual cool breezes you get here were really no where to be found so it was a roaster. We did a nice loop which includes mostly singletrack--starting from the Newbury Park side we went to the "Y" and took the paved road to the right. A few hundred yards on the left is the start of the Sin Nombre trail but we took a right onto the unnamed trail which hooks up with the Sage trail (lot of fun). Than it was through Wood Canyon, up Guadalasco and down Backbone than over to the Two Foxes trail and back home. The trails are in pretty good shape. I also noted that the No Biking sign at the Water tank area where the Coyote trail starts has been removed-the rest of the sign is still there so maybe some knucklehead ripped the bike portion of the sign off..or maybe the trail is open to bikes..who knows? In any event it looks too overgrown anyway to bother with.
THE BIG SHIPPosted:08/12/2003
- Trail UpdateConditions At Sycamore Canyon-The weather is starting to heat up and it's likely to be toasty this weekend. Overall, trails are dry and dusty. Backbone and Guadalasca (singletracks) are getting loose in some areas, with some fist sized rocks rolling around the trail. The main Sycamore trial has one wet water crossing - a few inches deep. Overall, great riding, great weather, clean air!
Mudpie a 38 year old Cross-Country RiderPosted:08/07/2003
- Trail UpdateConditions?-Hey all. I am coming down this weekend, how are
the conditions?
NorCal a 20 year oldPosted:08/07/2003
- Trail UpdateOverlook, Backbone, Then Pop...-
Mini me: Sorry to read about your incident at Mugu. Hope your girlfriend's O.K. It's not the first time I read or hear about something like this. You're right, Those Ranger guys are great!! I've seen people being rude to them or arguing when they ask them to stay on the trail, etc. I feel better knowing that they're there. Keep ridin'
Belicoso a 32 year old riding a Giant from BurbankPosted:08/07/2003
- Trail UpdateHey man, you don't have to be sorry. sorry you had such a bad thing happened to you on your ride.hope your girlfrind is ok and ready to ride soon, and your are very right you have to be carefull. mountain biking is not a video game. vaya con dios.
Ramon a 36 year old Weekend Warrior riding a Gary Fisher from LakewoodPosted:08/04/2003
- Trail UpdateOverlook, Backbone, Then Pop..-Weather and conditions were absolutely perfect yesterday. Very few bikers around despite it being a Saturday. Took an easy spin up Overlook and then descended backbone. My girlfriend, friend and I were enjoying the mellow ride back and then it happened. The scarriest moment of my life. A 5-6 year old was riding along with his dad at a pretty quick pace for such a little guy. On one of the dry water crossings, the one just after the still wet crossing I think, it happened. The kid wiped out in the bed, I slowed and said heads up to my riding partners and my friend panicked and yelled "kid!" scaring my girlfreind into thinking the kid was right there. She locked up on the decline of the water bed and pitched over the bars. The next thing I knew I heard THE worst screaming. I looked back and rushed up to her. To cut this short, she seperated her shoulder (same as football players) and was in genuinely extreme pain. My first aid kicked in and stabilizing the neck, shoulder, chest, hip, ankle, etc. I didn't know the extent of the injuries, was worried about the neck and spine, k.o., and it was almost impossible to keep her neck and spine still with how badly f-ed up her shoulder was. Worst screaming I've ever heard and the helpless feeling of not being able to make it go away made it extremely difficult to stay clam and focus on what needed to be done. After an hour got her to the hospital. Severely seperated shoulder, probably surgery later on, but thank god for me nothing life threatening to her. Special thanks to the rider passing by that got the rangers and to the rangers, emts, paramedics, and chopper guys.
Please guys and girls be careful. Even on the easiest of terrain, circumstances can lead to horrendous injury. We are not novices either, probably been to mugu 30 to 40 times and we have been riding 6 years both road and mountain.
Be safe people.
Sorry this is so long but I figured you would all understand as we all have loved ones in the sport be it friends or significant others.
mini me a 28 year old Cross-Country Rider riding a Tracer from west losPosted:08/03/2003
- Trail UpdateAwesome Conditions-Started a novice group ride and went on the lower two-foxes / sin nombre trail. For a weekday ride, I was surprised to see a lot of riders. I broke from the group and went solo. Great trail conditions on Guadalasca, Backbone (Wood Canyon Vista) and Hell Hill...sweet riding by someone on a blue Cannondale and passed everyone up on this trail (probably cleaned this challenging uphill in about 10 minutes!). I now have a new goal - to climb like a goat just like this guy! NOTE: There is ONE water crossing on Big Sycamore Trail (1.75mi or so from the beach side)- so watch out for this. Plenty of hikers and runners. HOT and HUMID.
Ride rating: Intermediate
Ride distance: 20 Elevation change: 1200
Singletrack=40% Dirt Road=60% Paved Path= %
GhostShifter a 36 year old Die-hard Enthusiast riding a Homebrewed Rockhopper from OxnardPosted:07/18/2003
- Trail UpdateSycamore / Guadalasca / Hell-Ahhhh, now that’s what we needed, hadn’t ridden here in over a year. Drove up to Sycamore this past weekend (6-29-03), left the “BMW and plastic scheizter” at home Norcal.
Really incredible weather conditions. At the beach, foggy and cold. Three miles up the canyon sunny and hot!
Road up the canyon to Wood Cyn. Then up Guadalasca to Overlook. Down Overlook, passing in and out of the fog and clouds, while screaming down to the canyon. Then back up the canyon to Hell Hill, up Hell Hill then over to Guadalasca and down. Down the canyon to the parking lot for a total of 23.6mi. Conditions on all the trails covered were quite good. Soil is beginning to dry out / get powdery in the upper end of the canyon and on the ST, but really exceptionally ride-able.
Saw two snakes, one coyote with a snake in its mouth bound off the trail (top of Hell Hill) and two large deer (midway Guadalasca). Even when arriving back at the lot at 3pm the beach was cool and foggy.
Quite a few hikers in the canyon, but once back in no hikers and not many bikers.
Enjoy!
Ride rating: Advanced
Ride distance: 24 Elevation change: 1200
Singletrack=40% Dirt Road=60%
El_Salt a too old year old Die-hard Enthusiast riding a bike from W. SidePosted:06/30/2003
- Trail UpdateNorCal-if you are going to ride this park, take it from lynn
road, if you stick to the main trail ( though not as
technical and kick-asstic as some of the other
trails), you will head down some of the coolest
scenery that I have ever ridden down. I took the
trip down over Memorial Day weekend and ripped
from Lynn road to highway 1, took highway 1 to
Point Mugu, and broke right and up a killer climb
back to Lynn road. It definetly got me warmed up to
some of SoCal's scenery. And I thought it would
be nothing but mercedes and bmw's full of plastic
hollywood scheizters. Man I was wrong. I met a lot
of cool cyclists down there along the trail. Keep up
the good spirits, see you on the trails.
Ride rating: Intermediate
Ride distance: 24 Elevation change: lungbuster
Norcal a 20 year old Die-hard Enthusiast riding a Haro x-1 full suspension from NorCalPosted:06/06/2003
- Trail UpdateCoyote Is Officially NOT Open-I just got off the phone with State Parks, and it was confirmed (after some recent confusion) that Coyote Trail is officially closed to bikes. So please don't ride it, so we can help to keep the rest of the trails open. Thanks.
2 Foxes and Sin Nombre were the two trails that WERE officially opened to bikes last year.
The PreacherPosted:06/02/2003
- Trail UpdateGnarley Sycamore Canyon-Just wanted to let everyone know to watch out for lots of snakes on the main canyon trail, I almost ran over 3 rattlers a week ago, also bee's are kind of rampant right now too, heads up, later dudes.
Ride rating: Intermediate
Ride distance: 16 roundtrip Elevation change:
Ben Foy a 19 year old Racer riding a Mongoose's and Haro's from Thousand Oaks, CaliforniaPosted:05/19/2003
- Trail UpdateWile E. Coyote...-Fri. afternoon off. Sun blazing. Blue sky. Perfect day for a drive down PCH to Pt. Mugu for some ridin'. Wanted to try Coyote trail as it has been recently opened and the previous posts sounded intriguing. Gotta admit, it was tougher than what I expected. Started from the water tower. Cleaned the first climb, but just barely. There's a tiny transition point where you've (meaning me) got to wedge the tip of your saddle into where the sun don't shine. The rear wheel started sliding but I quickly regained traction by repeating a sacred mantra..."pedal in circles, pedal in circles..." Once I was through it the front wheel wandered off the trail into the shrubbery. Thought I was gonna lose her but I managed to get her back on line. Shortly thereafter are some steep downhills. There's a tough (actually, it LOOKS scarier than it is tough) rocky downhill section that took me a few attempts after stopping and thinking about the best lines. Obviously, certain sections of this trail are better served with a lowered saddle but the transitions from the descents to the climbs are so close together that stopping repeatedly to raise and lower the saddle can become a bit of a buzzkill. (Then again, better a buzzkill than you-killed). A great trail and another reason to do the long drive down PCH...
Eck See a 33 year old Die-hard Enthusiast from Los AngelesPosted:05/10/2003
- Trail UpdateTrail Maintenance-An outstanding job to the entities responsible for the trail maintenance on Backbone Trail, thank you. Actually, Big Sycamore have been graded as well. Guadalasca trail if you're heading down this, WEAR SAFETY GLASSES! Twigs magically appear right in front of your face at just about every turn. The ride - up Overlook, down Backbone, up Hell Hill, down Guadalasca, up Wood Canyon (water tower), down Coyote Trail and out.
Ride rating: Intermediate
Ride distance: 20? Elevation change: 1200
Singletrack=65% Dirt Road=35%
2-1-4 a 35 year old Cross-Country Rider riding a Rocky Mountain Element from CamarilloPosted:04/29/2003
- Trail UpdateThanks Matt-Please see this post if you haven't already.
The PreacherPosted:04/15/2003
- Trail UpdateFlowers-Hey Preacher, those are Mariposa Lillies. They do look very similar to Poppies though. Happy Riding
MattPosted:04/11/2003
- Trail UpdatePoppies??-
Nice photos, SpokeNTrued.
These are the flowers I was talking about below. Are these poppies next to the lupine? Anyone??
The PreacherPosted:04/11/2003
- Trail UpdateBeach To Guadalasco Down BkBone-These pictures (see link below) were taken on the way up Guadalasco; if I had taken all I would choose, I'd still be there waiting for daylight. To steal El Santo's words about Moab "This place is just focking silly!". The trails are hard packed with some new features that will put a smile on your face. Christmas comes every thirty feet in some stretches of the trail. It was good to have the pleasure of introducing Black Bart to to these trails in the park. Maria and I both agree that he made a great riding partner. Heart, speed and consideration; and poison oak and TICKS everywhere ;-?) Gus aka ChainSaw.
Ride distance: 12.5 Elevation change: 2,000
Singletrack=50% Dirt Road=20% Truck Trail=30%
SpokeNTrued riding a Functioning mountain bike. URL: Black Bart, ChainSaw and SO afternoon loopPosted:04/11/2003
- Trail UpdateTwo words: Fathers Office. The night before I had the perfect ratio of protein:carbs, (Burger+Chimay on tap+sweet potato fries+Abita Turbo Dog), that boosted me up that hill. Actually, starting slow and pacing myself helped. Plus there's a trail on my local loop I sometimes ride up that's even steeper so I knew where to position my body on my bike. It's a really sweet trail though- super steep up and down.
Endo Verendo riding a Nother Turner from The ValleyPosted:04/10/2003
- Trail UpdateCoyote Trail Cleaning-Rode this trail last weekend with 6 experienced riders and the only person to clean that first steep section was Endo Verendo, and he was hungover. Go figure.
MB, and The Preacher are correct this is the toughest trail in the park by far. This was the first time I had ridden it. Great trail!
SmootheD a 28 year old Cross-Country RiderPosted:04/10/2003
- Trail UpdateCoyote-I agree Coyote is the toughest trail here. I can clear it except for the first very steep up hill from the water tower. Can anybody clear this? If so any tips? I have made it my goal to clear Coyote but I am far short of clearing this first hill.
MB a 27 year old Cross-Country RiderPosted:04/10/2003
- Trail UpdateCoyote Is The Toughest Trail...-Coyote is officialy the toughest trail in Sycamore now... both uphill and down. Hats off to anyone who can clean the entire thing, either direction.
What's with those beautiful white/purple flowers that look like poppies? Are they poppies? Have I missed them before?? They are all over the place, especially on Sin Nombre. So many flowers this season, it is nearly hallucinogenic. Enjoy them while they last!
Happy Trails!
The PreacherPosted:04/10/2003
- Trail UpdateCoyote,guad,backbone,etc.....-Rode 4hrs on all the fun stuff from N.P. to the beach and back. Conditions were good on all trails with no unexepected surprises.Things to watch out for 1) poison oak branches that slap you in the arms, legs and face as you fly down guadalasco 2) Lots of hikers, weblos, boy scouts, novice mtbrs on the main canyon trail down by the campground.
Ride rating: Advanced
Ride distance: ? miles Elevation change: yes
Singletrack=45% Dirt Road=45% Paved Path=10%
simi mike . I wanna be a 43 year old Die-hard Enthusiast riding a GIANT nrs 1 from simi valleyPosted:04/05/2003
- Trail UpdateTrail Maintenance...-Most of the work on the trails in Sycamore is done by State Parks and CORBA. Check this site for more info:
http://corbamtb.com/trailwk.shtml
The PreacherPosted:03/31/2003
- Trail UpdateTrail Mantenance-I rode up Guadalasca from Ranch Center Road on 03-30-03 and I came across a section of the trail that looked like somebody had cleared up some of the overgrown brush and weeds sticking out on the trail. It's pretty cool but, is it legal? If it is, I wouldn't mind doing a little trail maintenance myself in some of those areas. I kind of got "bushwacked" a couple of times. Being somewhat new to this, I guess I don't know how trail maintenance works, who does it, etc.
Moto a 32 year old Weekend Warrior riding a Giant from Van NuysPosted:03/31/2003
- Trail UpdateFire At Ranch Center-Hot & busy day Sunday, the burn-area at the Ranch Center clearly visable from Ranch Center Road & Coyote.
"3/28 1730 Sycamore fire (VNC-3023286)... currently estimated at around 100 acres, with 3 outbuildings destroyed."
ET riding a Switchblade from SimiPosted:03/31/2003
- Trail UpdateRain Ruts / Washout-The main fire road (Big Sycamore Canyon) still has some water running through at a few creek beds. OVERLOOK TRAIL, the rain ruts became enlarged creating hazards for those coming down (towards the beach) and not expecting it. BACKBONE TRAIL's rocks are more pronounced making a ride on a hardtail that much more exciting. HELL HILL is always a challenge going up, but heading down is also a challenge as well. Shale and loose dirt / sand wash out at the bottom when the trail turns (after the white shed). New creek crossing was created where BIG SYCAMORE CANYON comes to a TEE with HELL HILL and WOOD CANYON. For those coming down from Hell Hill or Guadalasca and proceeding at a fast pace down this little decline, watch out for this new DIP. GUADALASCA - somehow survived the beating of the rain, only noticeable differences were the switchbacks-they are a deeper and at some spots wider. It still is fun traversing this trail down! The Double Dip on WOOD CANYON towards the water tower is mushy at the bottom, almost had a spill when my front tire got stuck in the mud as I hit the bottom at a good clip. SIN NOMBRE/COYOTE trail is still a challenge from the start. There is a little bit of water through the creek bed. Coyote trail is almost overgrown with the wild vegetation making the trail more difficult to spot. The wash out (coming out of the grove) is back and yes, I dabbed. WATCH OUT FOR TICKS ! ! ! On the way back, I started to feel the itches on my ankles, a brief stop revealed two ticks, one on each ankle/calf area. Have a GREAT RIDE.
Ride rating: Intermediate
Ride distance: 20 Elevation change: 1400
Singletrack=75% Dirt Road=25%
2-1-4 a 35 year old Cross-Country Rider riding a Homebrewed Rockhopper from CamarilloPosted:03/25/2003
- Trail UpdateEd...-Rarely do I feel the need to post a comment on someone's open-ended evaluation (except an occasional Olbai post).
But you sir, have done an exceptional job utilizing the Trails Update section. You were thoughtful, articulate, and eloquently conveyed your message. I beheld a vivid picture in my mind as I read your rich description of the trails. Thank you for taking the time to post.
Seriously dude, great update!
Upchuck1 riding a 2003 Stank PrimoPosted:02/19/2003
- Trail UpdateCoyote-My wife and I rode Coyote from both directions on President's Day. Conditions were as to be expected, excellent. We decided to ride it both directions to compare. We came to the conclusion that its harder from the Two Foxes singletrack turn-off. This would be because you have to ride up the switchbacks before you get to the hike-a-bike sections. And although its not technical at all, it is steep in sections so leaves your legs a little fried when you hit the hike sections. And the thing is the hike sections are just long and steep enough, 100+ yards, to make it tough. Anyway, from the opposite trailhead side, which is at the top of Wood Canyon at the old water tank, there are only 3 climbs of about 300 yards each, albeit steep ones. I made 2 out of 3 of them the other day and that was because of the really good traction at the moment. Later on this summer it will be tough to make all of them. But since you do most of your climbing at the water tank side on the paved road out of the main canyon, its easier to do it from that side. And there is the long singletrack downhill to Two Foxes with a couple of cool technical sections where the hike-a-bikes are. If you like singletrack climbing Two Foxes trailhead is the way to go, which is my preference. Anyway, I've ridden in Sycamore for years and to have this trail, Two Foxes and Los Carneros added is real sweet. If you ride from the Newbury Park side, the best loop would be to go up Coyote from Two Foxes, take Wood Canyon down to Gudalasca, up Gudalasca and then down Backbone and then back out to Newbury Park on Two Foxes and Los Carneros to the bottom of the Black Bitch road up to the Chumash Center. That would be 4+ hours depending on how fast you ride. And I believe a bonus is that the hike-a-bikes on Coyote will probably keep most of the gonzo downhillers off the trail so hopefully it won't get as chewed up as Guadalasca has. Not that I have a beef with downhillers, it'll just cut down on the traffic. Oh yeah, the views from the top are, to use an overused word, awesome. Have fun.
Ride rating: Advanced
Singletrack=90% Dirt Road=10%
Ed Morris a 48 year old Cross-Country Rider from Newbury ParkPosted:02/19/2003
- Trail UpdateCoyote Trail-I was just reading through the threads on Coyote and realized I may have been one of the first to ride on it when it was opened or reopened? ON 11-21-02 a couple of buddies and I did a 1/2 day 1/2 night ride of about 18-19 miles through sycamore cny. At the time I wrote this in my training diary, " Epic ride, went a new way, different loop, with new single track Coyote Trail. Great Place to ride." I remember wondering at the time if it was legal, but there were all access signs at the trail head and I was thinking wow this is just great that they've opened up more single track at one of the best places to ride in Ventura county."
Ride rating: Advanced
Ride distance: 18.4 Elevation change: na
Michael Maki a 36 year old Cross-Country Rider riding a Trek Fuel 90 from MoorparkPosted:02/07/2003
- Trail UpdateCoyote Trail-ScottR1, what is your problem? I didn't say I skidded down that part of the trail but I address my post to all riders of all abilities. Trust me some of the guys I was riding with are very advanced riders both in ascending and descending and even a couple of them had a brief episode of minor skidding or washboarding in a particularly loose steep section. Some trails are so so loose and steep that a little bit of that is going to happen. Frankly Scott probably a good 95-98% of the people who come to this website would have the same experience on that part of the trail. Than again there are riders like yourself who obviously walk on water and are so far above us mere mortals that we should be honored in your presence--LOL. Lighten up a little guy. Trust me we did no damage to any of the trails.
Old BonesPosted:02/06/2003
- Trail UpdateCoyote Is Legally Open-I just got off the phone with the Santa Monica Mountains Headquarters. Talked to a very informed ranger and the Coyote Trail was officially opened to multi-use (hiking, biking, and horseback riding) on January 1st, 2003. She said that it was actually opened in late November but that the sign by the watertower was not removed until early January. The trail was built and maintained until the early 80's when it was stopped for lack of use. They are currently considering re-routing of the trail through the unmaintained sections to allow better access and less enviornmental damage, but this will not happen for a while if it happens at all.
M...Posted:02/05/2003
- Trail UpdateCoyote Trail-Matt, stop at the map (Satwiwa entrance) and look at Coyote Trail. The upper section has never been maintained, it's just a "use" trail. No, I've never ridden it because I actually DO follow park regulations instead of just paying them lip service, and as of last Wednesday (the last time I was there) that trail was still closed to bikes, so I've only hiked and jogged it. And from my point of view the glass is not half-full, it's three-quarters empty. I've been mountain biking (and cyclocrossing) long enough that I got to ride all of Pt. Mugu, from the Ray Miller trailhead to the top of Sandstone Peak, back when these areas were still open to cycling. Now bikes are restricted to the area between Overlook Trail and Sycamore Canyon, and I'll never get another chance to try to clean the waterfall section in La Jolla Canyon - and you won't, either. Instead of treading lightly and trying to keep what little we have left, Old Bones publicly announced his erosive riding, and told the anti-bikers what section of which trail to go photograph in order to document mountain bike abuse - does that sound smart? I agree that most mountain bikers are considerate riders, both towards the trail and towards other trail users, but those who aren't deserve to be slammed. Old Bones should have just said conditions were a little loose, and if they're too loose to ride without skidding I'll thank him for the update and just carry my bike through that section, it's not that heavy.
As for the Backbone Trail, you said you were going to "ride Backbone in a day" which, in fact, would be breaking the law - your own words, no assumptions on my part. It's your choice, but I'd like to keep riding in the Santa Monicas for another thirty years, and if you do too then I hope you choose to ride legally and considerately. And we'll argue about this again in 2033, 'kay?
ScottR1Posted:02/04/2003
- Trail UpdateScott, Stop Being An IDIOT.-Scott, Look at your posts through out this section. You have nothing nice to say about any one who posts stuff here. You attack everything that they write about. Have you even rode the Coyote trail? It would be pretty hard to ride down all of it with out skidding a little bit. There is nothing in Old Bones post that would even lead anyone to believe that he is causing undue damage to the trail. If you have been on that trail you should know that much of it is no longer maintained and it not planned to be. Your comments about the backbone ride assume that laws will be broken. Look at the glass man, it's half full, not half empty. Look in the mirror before you call someone else a moron. Make sure the person looking back at you is not the moron, which in this case it sounds like.
I'm not trying to say that there are not idiot riders out there. I have run into my share of them. But stop going into every post thinking that someone will be doing something wrong. Most riders I come across are very concerned about the environment and the beauty of the outdoors. That is what makes them Mountain Bikers and not Road Bikers.
Preacher. I heard about the Hidden Pond trail through a friend (Ranger) who does a lot of mammal studies in Mugu Park. It is the next trail, according to her, that is being considered for multi-use. They do not want to open the section from the bottom of the "Black Bitch" to the fork however because that does get a lot of foot traffic.
Hope to see you out on Coyote, even if you accidentally cause your tires to skid just a little bit....Matt a Cross-Country Rider from Newbury Park
Posted:02/04/2003
- Trail UpdateThanks For The Coyote Update!-As soon as I can get rid of this damn cold, I'll be there.
Matt, where did you hear the rumor about Hidden Pond... if you can disclose this info? ;-)
ScottR1, take it easy on Old Bones. True that nobody should be skidding and thrashing trails, but "moron" may have been a little harsh.
Peace. Happy Trails!
The PreacherPosted:02/04/2003
- Trail UpdateAnd We Hope It Stays Open...-Coyote is a recently-opened trail, and the best way to keep it open is to ride it with some consideration for the trail surface. Riding like Old Bones ("skid down some steep...") is a great way to get the trail closed again. If you don't have enough skill to ride without skidding, stay on fire roads until you develop your techniques. That way, by the time you become skilled enough to ride singletrack, you'll still HAVE singletrack to ride. The western quarter (La Jolla Valley) and the whole east half of Pt. Mugu State Park are closed to bikes, and it would be a shame if morons like Old Bones got us kicked out of the remainder of the park.
ScottR1Posted:02/04/2003
- Trail UpdateThe Coyote Is Really Open.-Yes the Coyote trail really is open, and you will notice that the "No Bikes" sign has been removed from where the trail starts at the water tower. It is a great ride, although as Old Bones stated, a little tricky in some spots. It is much easier doing it by starting at the Water tower, but a much better workout in the other direction. Have fun on it. I did the first time at night. Now that was an adventure...
Rumor has it that the Hidden Pond trail will soon be open from the Y in the paved road to the water tower but it is not open yet. That too would make for a great ride.
As for the left split on the single track that Old Bones was talking about, it does have a name. It is the Sin Nombre trail and it's a blast. The trail to the right does not have a name however. Get out and enjoy...
Matt a Cross-Country Rider from Newbury ParkPosted:02/03/2003
- Trail UpdateIs Coyote Trail Really Open??-Hi Old Bones. Is Coyote really open? I rode it a couple of weeks ago, from 2 Foxes where there is no sign, up to the water tank where there WAS a No Bikes sign, so I have not been back since then. Is the sign at the water tank gone now?
The PreacherPosted:02/03/2003
- Trail UpdateTwo Foxes, Coyote Trails, Etc.-A bunch of us did a big loop hitting a lot of the recently opened trails. Coming from Newbury Park, if you hang a right at the paved "Y", you will come to a trailhead a couple hundred yards up on the left. Once on this singletrack you will soon come to another split. Left is a great singletrack which will eventually spill you out near a 4 way I/S back on the main Big Sycamore fireroad. However, today we did the singletrack leading off to the right. This trail has no name (neither does the one heading left) but it also is a really fun singletrack. Not too technical except for a section of loose downhill with lots of cactus on either side--definitely not a place to take a fall! A couple steep climbs than over the ridge and this connects to the Sage trail. We took the Sage up to the paved road than hit the newly opened Coyote trail starting at the water tank. This is definitely an advanced ride with some very steep climbs exceeding a 20% grade than a slightly easier grunt before you top out. Once on top you'll skid down some steep loose zig--zagging trails with some decent sized rocks thrown in for good measure. Expect some washboarding here. Once past that section the trail is very nice with smooth packed singletrack with only a couple tough switchbacks as you drop down to the Two Foxes trail. Two Foxes is nice ride though a little hard on the rearend even with full suspension because it's very packed down and has a lot of horse hoof divots (and they say mountain bikers ruin trails!) running through it.
Old BonesPosted:02/03/2003
- Trail UpdateBackbone Trail-Scott,
Please rest assured that I understand sections of the Backbone trail are closed to biking and I will not ride on any of those sections. I should have been clear about that in my earlier post. I will be riding as much as is legally open and for the other sections I will ride other available trails. As a last resort when the is no other option, I will ride on paved roads. Of the 74 miles I will be riding I have found a way to do all but 14 miles of it on dirt. That seems to be the best that I could do. Thanks for your information though. It is all correct information about the Backbone Trail, which I'm sure not everyone is aware of. I look forward to the day when the entire Backbone is multi-use as it is currently intended to eventually be, but until then I will not ride on any illegal section of it. Thanks again for your information.
MattPosted:01/13/2003
- Trail UpdateBackbone Trail-Please research your route before trying your proposed "Backbone In A Day" ride. Numerous sections of Backbone Trail are closed to bikes - for example, the section immediately east of your described ride, from Sycamore Canyon up to Yerba Buena, is in a wilderness area and off-limits. Similarly, the easement between Yerba Buena and Encinal hasn't even been purchased yet, and there's no trail through there. Other closed areas include Malibu Canyon to Old Topanga, including the areas around Piuma and Stunt Roads. You can get around the closed Sycamore Canyon to Yerba Buena area on Los Robles Trail, then climb Decker southward to Encinal and re-join Backbone, but there's no good (meaning "unpaved") way around the Malibu Canyon to Topanga closure. The best route may be to descend Bulldog instead of Mesa Peak, exit the park at Mulholland, and take Mulholland east to Stunt Road. Less than a mile up Stunt is the Calabasas Peak Fire Road (on your left), which crosses Old Topanga and continues all the way to Top of Topanga, where you'll turn right and take Topanga Canyon Blvd. down to Topanga State Park. Or you could do the whole thing as a trail run, which would be hellaciously hard.
ScottR1Posted:01/13/2003
- Trail UpdateFun 40 Mile Ride-Here is a great ride for anyone that wants to do an Epic tour of the mountains around the Conejo Valley. The loop that I did was just over 40 miles of which about 70 % was single track, 15 % was fire road and 15% was paved road. I decided to do this ride to get ready for my “Backbone Trail in a Day” ride coming up in early April. It’s a long ride with consistent up and down, but overall there are no hills that will kill the reasonably fit rider. The length, more then any one particular hill will wear you down.
I did this ride on Saturday January 11th, a perfect day for riding. I started at Decker and Hidden Valley Road. From there I did the entire Los Robles trail from end to end coming out at Potrero. Click here for more details on this section of the ride http://hypercomp.net/community/mtb/robles.shtml. The trail conditions are excellent. Even with the recent warm spell the trail is still very tacky. No deep sand pits as of yet. From Potrero I went into Sycamore canyon (http://hypercomp.net/community/mtb/images/mugu_map.jpg) via the Los Robles Trail Connector and newly opened single racks (Two Foxes Trail and the other, I forget the name) to the Backbone trail (Wood Canyon View Trail). I took this to the top of Guadalasca Trail. From here I went down Guadalasca to Wood Canyon, turned up Wood Canyon and followed it up past the upper water tower. Again, all trail conditions here are excellent. Everything is green and very “Spring Condition” like. From the water tower I continued on the paved road to the marked single track on the right before the long paved decent. I went down this trail about half way and took the unmarked, but well maintained trail on the left. This leads you back down to the main part of Sycamore canyon but is much more enjoyable then just riding down the paved Wood Canyon connector road. I came back out of Sycamore and took the Los Robles trail back to Decker and Hidden Valley.
The great thing about this ride for locals is that if you wear out before completing this ride you can escape at several places and ride home. I highly recommend this ride to anyone looking to do a long fairly hilly ride. It took me about 5:45 minutes to complete the ride. It also showed how me where I stand for my proposed “Backbone Trail in a Day” ride which will be about 74 miles long. I still have a way to go for that one. Happy riding to all.
Ride rating: Advanced
Ride distance: 40 miles Elevation change: lots
Singletrack=70% Dirt Road=15% Paved Path=15%
Matt a 34 year old Cross-Country RiderPosted:01/13/2003
- Trail UpdateSin Nombre, Coyote & Two Foxes-Sin Nombre and Two Foxes trails are now indeed open to biking. This is a recent development, but feel free to ride on these trails. They are great rides. As for the Coyote trail coming off of the Two Foxes trail, I belive that this trail is not open for riding. I rode it the other night, (By the way it is really not worth riding) from the Two foxes trail where there is no sign outlawing biking on the trail. The other side of the trail comes out at the water tank next to the paved road heaing into Wood Canyon from Sycamore Canyon. There is a "No Bikes" sign posted in that direction. Honestly this trail is not very bike friendly anyway. The first third from the Two Foxes side is a lot of fun but then there is a lot of Hike a Bike. I did do this at night so it may be a little better during the day. For further information, it looks like the "Hidden Pond" trail may be opening to bikes soon. If so that would be great as it would make for a great riding trail and sees very little foot traffic. Hope this helps out. Happy riding.
Matt a 33 year old from Newbury ParkPosted:12/10/2002
- Trail UpdateSin Nombre Two Foxes-Saturday I asked the ranger at the front station if these 2 trails were open and she said she had verifed with another ranger earlier that they were closed to bikes. I rode 2 foxes before I talked to her and didn't see any "no bike" signs. Is there anyway to verify that these are open to bikes? Also does anybody know if the coyote trail off 2 foxes is open to bikes? I didn't see any closed to bikes signs but I didn't want to chance it as I haven't seen it listed anywhere as an open trail.
Ride rating: Novice
Local MB a 27 year old Cross-Country RiderPosted:12/09/2002
- Trail UpdateSycamore Canyon-I went by this AM and the trails were all closed, with the wind and the fire danger they weren't letting anyone back there.
MikePosted:11/27/2002
- Trail UpdateSycamore Open-I just spoke to both the NPS and State Parks Service and Mt. Mugu State Park (Sycamore) is open. The fire closure was only for yesterday. Happy riding.
Fervor a 35 year old Racer from TOPosted:11/21/2002
- Trail UpdateCLOSED!-Went by there around 12:30 pm and there was a sign at the gate (Highway 1 side) that the back country was closed due to high fire danger. I continued on and there was a bigger sign at the trail head (Big Sycamore)that read, "PUBLIC ACCESS IS PROHIBITED DUE TO HIGH FIRE DANGER" and the area is cordoned off with neon green tape. I don't really know if all the state park trails are closed, but this one is.
2-1-4 a 35 year old Cross-Country Rider riding a Homebrewed RockHopper from CamarilloPosted:11/20/2002
- Trail UpdateSigns Gone ? Great!-I know the no bikes sign on the north end of Sin Nombre has been gone for a long time but there was one on the south end and on both ends of Two Foxes so I'm glad to hear all no bike signs have now been removed from these two trails.
Now go see Endos post on the main board and how do we approach "opening" an exsisting trail to bikes?
Local RiderPosted:11/19/2002
- Trail UpdateSin Nombre And Two Foxes-Hi Local Rider, I rode both of these trails on Sunday, 11-17-2002 and neither have No Bikes signs. Now, I am not exactly sure about Sin Nombre: it is the 1st trail on your left, if you take Ranch Center Road from Newbury Park heading toward Ranch Center, it heads southwest and connects to the other "no name" single track which parallels Sycamore Canyon Road, right? If I am wrong, please correct me (anybody). This trail used to have a No Bikes sign where it meets the parallel single track, but it is GONE! 2 Foxes has a new, handwritten sign, but No Bikes signs are also GONE! So that's about 2 new miles of single track in Sycamore in just 1 year!
I totally agree with you about Hidden Pond. It looks like it gets zero traffic, and would be a perfect candidate for multiuse. Maybe we can get CORBA to put it on their "Most Wanted" list.
The PreacherPosted:11/19/2002
- Trail UpdatePreacher Question ?-I particapated in State Trail Days here this year and heard that Sin Nombre and Two Foxes would be open BUT the trail heads remain signed no bikes, where have you received your info and do Rangers know not to ticket? Riding these trails legally will be a nice addition.
I wonder if a group commits or pledges to do the necessary work on Hidden Pond, tread work, brush back etc. if the park service would consider to open it to bikes and other users on an Adopt a Trail type program. In my many rides at Sycamore Canyon I have never seen any user group on that trail and it's a shame to have a recognized trail waste away.
PS I also worked on the COSCA trail day this OCT, I am trying to give back to the sport.Keep preaching!
Local RiderPosted:11/18/2002
- Trail UpdateMystery Trail Update-Hi Matt, that would be the Hidden Pond trail that you hooked up with. The "connector" that you took from the paved road is not a recognized trail. It just goes up to Hidden Pond, where you can turn left -- which you did to arrive at the water tank -- or right, which takes you back to a junction on Ranch Center Road, or you can continue all the way to the trailhead at the bottom of the asphalt hill up to Newbury Park. Both of those destinations have No Bikes signs posted, and the trail is ultimately closed to bikes. BUT, this is a north side trail, and I would have a hunch that it possibly COULD be opened in the future... based on the recent openings of Sin Nombre and 2 Foxes trails. If you know anybody at CORBA (http://www.corbamtb.com), maybe you could inquire about the possibility of this. Who knows, maybe it could get done at next year's State Trails Days, the way Sin Nombre did this year!
The Preacher URL: http://www.corbamtb.comPosted:11/18/2002
- Trail UpdateWood Canyon To Mystery Trail-I have a question for those that might know. There is a trail that takes off to the right about 2/3rds of the way up the paved road towards Wood Canyon. It is just past the washout on the first hill of the paved road. There are no signs on it and there were a few bike tracks on it. It went a short way to a T. I took it to the left and had a great ride. I came out at the water tank at the highpoint of the paved road and I noticed a "No Bikes" sign facing the other direction. This leads to my question, "Does anyone know for sure the status of this trail for bikes?".
As for the conditions, I continued down wood canyon to Guad, up Guad and back down then back up 2-Foxes trail to Newbury Park and up the first part of the Los Robles Trail. Started at about 5:30, best night ride I have had so far this year. The rain did a world of good to all the trails and I passed about 150 frogs, no joke. It's good to see a few other night riders out there. Happy riding to all...
Ride rating: Intermediate
Ride distance: 20 miles Elevation change:
Singletrack=60% Dirt Road=10% Paved Path=30%
Matt a 33 year old Cross-Country Rider from Newbury ParkPosted:11/13/2002
- Trail UpdateA Real Scorcher-Enough LCS crappola! How about a real update. So much for escaping the heat today by hitting Sycamore. Except for right at the coast and some hard breeze at the post on top of Guadalasco it was hot. Interestingly, Backbone seems a little more rocky and rutted than usual--though not enough for LCS apparently.Guadalasco also has it's share of ruts near the bottom parts where the switchbacks start. Nothing extreme but keeps you on your toes in a few spots. Not too many riders out because of the heat but we came across 3 fairly hot women hiking up Overlook wearing bikinis--very nice girls thanks for the show and a distraction from the heat.
Super DavePosted:09/01/2002
- Trail UpdateMissing?-Dude, this ain't so much a message board as it is supposed to be a ride update. But...nope this area ain't that technical, but it's fun. If ya don't like it there are lotsa of other trails that are more technical, but for a nice, ain't gonna bust my brains open if I screw up knida ride, this place rocks!!!!!
westy a year old Racer riding a fromPosted:08/23/2002
- Trail UpdateHarsh Words-I didn't mean to offend people as much as these
posts obviously have. I'm certainly NOT a great
rider. I just use these trail postings to decide
where to ride and was offering my opinion of this
trail and its terrain versus others I've ridden.LCS a 34 year old Weekend Warrior from LA
Posted:08/23/2002
- Trail UpdateLCS
I can't imagine any woman who would want to date you. Your immense ego when it comes to riding must account for something very small on you. Usually people who talk like you end up riding like, well, im sure you know.
Posted:08/22/2002
- Trail UpdateRichard- I did take Guadalasco; the switchbacks
on it were the best part of my ride. Is backbone the
trail that tops out just south of hell hill on Overlook?
If not, maybe I missed it.
A nice el nino would certainly help the trails. Until
then, a scenic place to get my girlfriend on a bike.
LCS a 34 year old Weekend Warrior from LAPosted:08/22/2002
- Trail UpdateRe: What You Missed;-You stated that all the singletracks were just narrower fire roads. This tells me that you definately were not on Guadalasco, which is a singletrack that switchbacks down the mountain.
Also you appear to have missed Backbone Single track which starts near the top of Hell Hill and descends down to Sycamore Canyon. Not to be confused with Overlook Trail/Fire road.
Granted the trails are a little worn down (Due to a lack of rain), but it is still a great place to ride.
Lets all pray for El Nino to carve up the trails.
RichardPosted:08/21/2002
- Trail UpdateWhat You Are Missing-Pt. Mugu State Park is probably one of the nicest places to ride in the Santa Monicas. There are trails for all levels of riders from fireroad to singletrack.
The singletrack may not be the most advanced, but they are scenic, especially the ocean views.
If you are looking for narly singletrack or your own personal downhill course, then you came to the wrong place.
If you are looking for a variety of terrain where bikers, hikers and equestrains seem to get along nicely, welcome.
Ride rating: Intermediate
Ride distance: 20 miles Elevation change:
Singletrack=25% Dirt Road=40% Paved Path=35%
Steve a 45 year old Cross-Country Rider riding a GT i-drive from Newbury Park, CAPosted:08/21/2002
- Trail UpdateLCS, get over yourself. You are just that much better a rider then everyone else. Nobody has ever said that there are lots of advanced trails at Sycamore. Just lots of great riding in a very nice area.
MEP a Cross-Country Rider from Newbury ParkPosted:08/21/2002
- Trail UpdateWhat Am I Missing?-I parked at Wendy, rode down Sycamore Canyon
and took a right on Ranch Center Rd. Took a
singletrack on the left back to Sycamore Canyon,
then down to Wood Canyon and up "Hell Hill" to
Overlook. Coasted down Overlook to the ocean,
then turned around, went back up Sycamore to
Wood Canyon Vista, then over Guadalasco to
Wood Canyon and back up the hill to my car.The ride was fine, but I was expecting a lot more.
Nothing was even remotely technical; the
singletracks felt like slightly narrower fire roads.
Despite 28 miles of riding, I barely felt tired.Am I missing something? Was this place 'dozered
for elderly bikers? Each time I saw singletrack that
looked remotely exciting, it said 'no bikes'.
Ride rating: Novice
Ride distance: 28.4 miles Elevation change: 1400
Singletrack=50% Dirt Road=30% Paved Path=20%
LCS a 34 year old Weekend Warrior from LAPosted:08/20/2002
- Trail UpdateBees No More...-but lots of pesky flies. Didn't notice any bees at the water tower yesterday. They were doing some tree trimming and pest control right at the top of Wood Canyon. The bushes along Guadalesco are blooming right now which is where we saw the most bees.
The trails are in very good shape---Sycamore/wood canyon/guadalesco/wood canyon view singletrack---and not even as dusty as I expected or am used to.
Ride rating: Intermediate
Ride distance: 17 miles Elevation change:
Jane a 30 year old Cross-Country RiderPosted:08/13/2002
- Trail UpdateBees On Hell Hill, Etc.-Ya I saw that swarm up by the water tank too (awhile ago), coming from the water grate on the ground.
Anyway, all the rangers were gone when I got back to Satwiwa (Newbury Park side). Maybe I'll call 'em later today.
BZZZZZZZZZ!!!
The PreacherPosted:07/29/2002
- Trail UpdatePt Mugu-I hope that you let the rangers know of the hive!
Last year I was up on the concrete road that is at
the top of the ranch center road going away from
wood canyon b/c I didn't know what was there.
Well, I whipped around the corner and found
myself in the middle of a swarm. An emergency
slide and sprint later I escaped without a sting!
Told the rangers at the entrance, but don't know
what they did. Anyway, road up Overlook, down the
Backbone about a week ago. Conditions are
good, a bit dusty.
Ride rating: Novice
Mini Me a 27 year old Die-hard Enthusiast riding a Intense Tracer from Los AngelesPosted:07/28/2002
- Trail UpdateBeware Of Bees On Hell Hill-Was riding up Hell Hill (the real Hell Hill, off of Wood Canyon... not the paved road up to Newbury Park described below) in lowest gear, going very slow, when about 2/3 of the way up, the sunlight caught the buzzing wings of a bee just before he pegged me in the forhead and immediately stung. I stopped and wiped him off my forehead, only to realize that I was now being attacked by 10-20 other bees. I'm off the bike now, and doing my little dance, and I realize that the bush (to the left if you are climbing) is just swarming with 'em. I took another sting in the back and got another bee stuck in the velcro of my glove. I tried to run uphill away from them, but they followed and kept attacking. So I jumped on my bike and headed down, fast. Rode to the intersection of Wood Cyn. and Guadalasca and figured I was safe, so stopped for a closer inspection. Found the stinger -- still throbbing -- from the one that got stuck in my glove. So they were definitley bees, not wasps or yellowjackets. Africans? Who knows. Aggressive? Definitley. Watch out if you're on Hell Hill.
The PreacherPosted:07/27/2002
- Trail UpdateHell Hill, Sycamore Speed Trail-This is a great ride for pure downhill if you start a-top from the Newbury Park entrance and just let Hell Hill boost you through the valley below! Yehaww! haha! watch out for hikers and horses on the way down. Very beautiful all the way to the beach and if your lucky you'll snag a look at some deer and maybe even a mountain lion! woah! Try going up Hell Hill on a BMX bike! haha! that is fun stuff! Have an awesome ride everyone!
Ride rating: Novice
Ride distance: 8 miles Elevation change:
Singletrack=10% Dirt Road=50% Paved Path=50% Truck Trail=50%
Benji Foy a 18 year old Racer riding a FS-1 Money-Mongoose from Thousand Oaks, CaliforniaPosted:07/20/2002
- Trail UpdateOverlook, Guadalasca,Hell Hill..-...Wood Canyon Vista (ST)down and up and back down Overlook and up and down OL again.
And hardly a rider to be seen, they're all on the main trail even on the weekends. You gotta climb if you're a mountain biker!
Hell Hill... can you climb this non-stop? What is your time from bottom to top? I did 10:30 just taking it easy.
Ride rating: Intermediate
Ride distance: 25 Elevation change: lots
Singletrack=30% Dirt Road=65% Paved Path=5%
velocipedophile a 44 year old Cross-Country RiderPosted:06/04/2002
- Trail UpdateSycamore-Backbone-Guadalasco-Maria and I went up the Canyon and left up the Backbone to a right on Overlook and down Guadalasco. Trails have evidence of being "over-ridden" as well as maintained (thanks CORBA?). The first part of the Backbone, when climbing out of Sycamore is getting rocky and loose from either too much speed or breaking for the switchback escape drop. There is still a lot of beauty and life (read - large rattle snake and doe and fawn) along the trail-side, in spite of the draught. And, this picture is from the side of the trail about half way back down the canyon:
Ride rating: Novice
Ride distance: 12 miles approx Elevation change: 2,000 approx
Singletrack=50% Dirt Road=30% Truck Trail=20%
Gusitar a enuf year old Cross-Country Rider riding a '96 Truth from Santa MonicaPosted:05/20/2002
- Trail UpdateCal State Trail Days - 04/19-21-California State Trail Days
April 19, 20 & 21, 2002
POINT MUGU STATE PARK
The Preacher URL: http://www.corbamtb.com/StateTrailDays2002.pdfPosted:04/13/2002
- Trail UpdateRode today, place as busy as a freeway, great
weather, trails in good shape, riding a brand new
Rocky Mountain Instinct, quite a differance from the
Giant DS2.
I entered the park from the ocean side, then up
Overlook, down Guadalasco, hung a left at Wood
Ranch up to Wood Ranch Center, up the ashalt
road to the water tower then left, back to the main
road, then right 5+ miles to the main entrance.
Ride rating: Intermediate
Ride distance: 19+ Elevation change: 2000
Singletrack=20% Dirt Road=40% Paved Path=20% Truck Trail=20%
Mike10is a 47 year old Cross-Country Rider riding a Rocky Mountain Instinct from VenturaPosted:01/20/2002
- Trail UpdateSycamore/Overlook/Guadalasco-Rode this area the other day and conditions are excellent both going up Overlook and down Guadalasco. Guadalasco has some nice rocks and ruts both in the midst of some of the switchbacks as well on a couple of the long straight stretches. One thing I noticed about this area at this time of year when it gets about 4pm the temperature drops like a mother especially in the valley areas near the creek beds--water or no water--so be prepared. By the way all the stream crossings are currently dry on the main trail and in Wood Canyon.
Ride rating: Intermediate
Ride distance: 23miles Elevation change: 1500-2000'
The Big Ship riding a Bike under extreme stressPosted:12/20/2001
- Trail UpdateAnswer To Your Question-From your description you rode up Overlook and down Guadalasco. You then turned right on Wood Canyon and rode it to Big Sycamore canyon back to the beach.
The answer manPosted:12/11/2001
- Trail UpdateNot Sure!!?!?-Today the wife went shopping with her family so I decided to hit Sycamore. I am relatively new to this area so am not sure exactly the names of these trails.I parked on PCH, went through the campgrounds for about 1/2 to 3/4 mile and banged a left and started climbing. I reached the summit and came to an intersection with 2 trails which took off to the right. I continued straight to almost as far as you could legally go before banging a right down a singletrack that was a blast, at the bottom, i came to a tee and went right and finally ended up connecting with the main fireroad back to the beach. Can anyone put names on this route??
Ride rating: Intermediate
Singletrack=10% Dirt Road=100%
V-Lincoln a 40 year old Cross-Country Rider riding a 00` X2 & 99` DBR V6 from VenturaPosted:12/09/2001
- Trail UpdateSycamore, Hell Hill, Etc.-Here's an option to try if you're coming in from the Newbury Park side of the park. Head down the main trail about 3 miles until you come to the 4 way I/S. Take the singletrack option up to the paved road. It's a little under a mile and gives you a good rocky singletrack to warm up for the bigger climbs ahead. Bomb down the road through Wood Canyon and hang a right up Guadalasco. There's been some work done on this trail by a mini dozer as it's not quite as rutted and technical as it was a few months ago. Nevertheless a nice trail. When up top time to head down the Backbone (aka Wood Canyon View)trail. This beauty is buffed and smooth at first than becomes more rutted, rocky and loose with a couple small drops as you go down it-a lot of fun. I noticed some bikers have created a new path near the bottom before the last switchback. This path is hard to see except when you get to the bottom and look up. It's a nice 40-50 foot downhill at about a 30-40 degree slope--something up Dusty Bottom's angle judging from the photos at Kenter. After this we headed up Hell Hill than back down and home. Total ride was a little under 21 miles with lots of climbing and good singletrack mixed in. Ran into a couple old friends I hadn't seen in awhile and made some new ones. Gotta love it too when you're having one of those when you're climbing like a banshee. Doesn't get much better than this. The weather was great too.
Ride rating: Intermediate
Ride distance: 21miles Elevation change: 2500'
Singletrack=40% Dirt Road=40% Paved Path=20%
Dan from T.O. a Die-hard EnthusiastPosted:07/15/2001
- Trail UpdateWood Canyon View Trail/ Sycamore-I don't usually ride up the View trail as it's such a great downhill but sometimes you just need to change things up. Really is a nice climb of about a little under 2 miles with an elevation gain of probably 1000 feet or so. One thing that always amazes me about this trail and nearby Hell Hill is how friggin hot it can be as the hills block the ocean air. Nevertheless, a beautiful ride up or down. There is still water in a lot of the creek crossings on the main trail to or from the ocean--kind of feels good after the heat in the interior. Overall, conditions are real good. Enjoy.
Ride rating: Intermediate
Ride distance: 20miles Elevation change: 1500-2000'
Singletrack=30% Dirt Road=70%
SPARE TIRE a Weekend Warrior from Westlake VillagePosted:06/17/2001
- Trail UpdateAlso lot's of bugs, swarms of 'em!!!
ETPosted:05/08/2001
- Trail Update
Just a little picture from trail level right up from the intersection of Guadalasco and Overlook taken on the 3rd of May. More info to come. The time is NOW to venture forth on this ride. Take Wood Cyn up to Guadalasco, up Guadalasco to Overlook, go left about a mile and take a left just passed Hell Hill on to the Backbone Trail for a bit of fun back down to Wood Cyn. 
Ride rating: Novice
Singletrack=50% Dirt Road=50%
Gusitar a Die-hard Enthusiast from Santa MonicaPosted:05/07/2001
- Trail UpdateGuadalasco Singletrack-Thanks Dan from TO. I am planning to go back to Point Mugu very soon. I will probably take the same trail I took last time. I cant say it enough to my friends to check this place out. With your information in mind, man...I cant wait to hit that singletrack. I've got a new sled and it loves singletracks!!!
Ride Hard, Ride FAST!!!
Ride rating: Novice
Big Joe a Die-hard Enthusiast riding a Intense Tracer from FullertonPosted:03/25/2001
- Trail UpdateSycamore-Rode the trail for the first time in a few months curious how the rain of 2-3 weeks ago had affected things. No doubt at the height of that big storm Sycamore canyon was a raging river judging by the amount of debris around the riverbed. Water is still flowing all the way from the bridge down to the last water crossing as you head towards the beach. I noticed an Orange County biker posting below about Guadalasco. He's right in that it is normally an intermediate fun downhill but the heavy rains have made things quite interesting. There are stretches now on Guadalasco where there are some serious ruts and small rocks and parts of the trail would have to be described as technical. The ride down it was the best/funnest I have seen Guadalasco in the dozens of times I've ridden it. In fact, I would rank it ahead of the Wood Canyon singletrack now in it's present state. A big thanks to Mother Nature for the heavy dumping that has made it the way it is now. Wood Canyon itself also seems better and you've got to love the water crossings. Get out and down Guadalasco while the gettings good.
Ride rating: Intermediate
Ride distance: 23-24miles Elevation change: 2000'
Singletrack=25% Dirt Road=75%
Dan from TO a Die-hard Enthusiast riding a GIANTPosted:03/25/2001
- Trail UpdateSyc4more-Went out between rain storms. Good chioce - looks like this next storm will last all week long. Just enough sunny days to dry out the trials. Surprisingly very little mud.
Started from Dos Vientos. After the paved downhill, we took the first right across the bridge - nice warm-up uphill before dropping into Wood Canyon. The rain has made the stream crossings fun again (its been a long time since they have been full). The creek is full of water, but it is not thick with mud so you can fly right through it. Took a short break before going up Hell Hill to Overlook Rd. The rain has washed out Hell Hill a little bit making it a little more Hellful than usual, but it is a great workout.At Overlook road we took a left, then left again down ??? single track (sign says Backbone, but maps call it Wood Canyon). Two miles of the some of funnest downhill in to be found in the LA area. The trail is in good shape, but some ruts are starting to form in the top 1/4 of the trail. At the bottom the trail - surprise - no water at the stream crossing?! About a mile up the road the stream has a good amount of water but it dissapears underground before getting to the single track.
Despite a late morning ride, we saw three or four coyotes and very few other riders. The threat of rain must have kept them away. It made the single track downhill that much more fun -- we did not run into single uphill rider on the way down. This place is great fun, but can get very crowded during the weekend. Advanced riders are wise to go real early or late in the day.
Ride rating: Intermediate
Ride distance: 18 miles Elevation change:
Singletrack=20% Dirt Road=60% Paved Path=20%
SteveW a 40 year old Cross-Country Rider riding a Pro Flex from Dos Vientos - Ex OC RiderPosted:03/05/2001
- Trail UpdateSingletrackMind...-Back to attack...1st time back since New Year's eve. Started around noonish w/plenty of daylight to back up my exploration - last time here(my first time), I ran out of daylight.
Started up Sycamore Cyn to Overlook Fire Rd. Rode all the way up to Guadalasca Trail. (Made a few stops for some cool pictures!!!) Coming down Guadalasca was pretty cool. As I stated in my last posting, the singletracks here are long but not too technical. I was just glad to get to the singletrack and take a break from the fire road. When I got to the bottom of Guadalasca Tr, I turned right on Wood Canyon and another quick right to the Overlook Fire Rd connector. Now heading east, I passed the "pump house" with more climbing. As I reached the intersection, I turned south and back onto Overlook Fire Rd. I wanted to take the other singletrack/multi-purpose trail. Reached Wood Canyon Vista trail shortly from the intersection, then time for another run at a long singletrack. Totally killer!!! I can't say that enough. Despite the lack of technical challenge, this is one of the most awesome singletracks I have ever ridden. I couldn't really go fast, there were alot of people on the trail, but it was worth it being on a singletrack for that long. Where I'm from, Orange Cty, the singletracks are only half as long as these but are more technical. At the bottom, took a right and back down Sycamore to the park entrance.
For my fellow riders from Orange County, if you guys read this posting, this is like El Moro/Crystal Cove, but 10x better. Killer ride...Ride HARD, Ride FAST!!!
Ride rating: Novice
Ride distance: 16miles Elevation change: 13+
Singletrack=20% Dirt Road=80%
Big Joe a Die-hard Enthusiast riding a GT Hardtail from Fullerton, Orange County, CAPosted:01/21/2001
- Trail UpdateFrom The Beach Up Overlook, Etc.-Started at highway, rode past campgrounds, up Overlook, down Hell Hill and then went back up it without stopping. Then I continued on Guadalasco until where it crests and turned around to go back down Overlook. Isn't it funny how there are so many people with great bikes there but you never see them on the hill. I guess they're on the flat trail taking it easy because I saw absolutely no one up or down on Overlook.
Ride rating: Intermediate
Ride distance: 15 miles Elevation change: I dunno
Singletrack=20% Dirt Road=80%Posted:12/16/2000
- Trail UpdateRode Sycamore for the second time today. Not sure of all the names, but went straight out from the campgrounds down the main trail for 15-20 minutes before turning left to begin climbing. At the end of the climb is a water tank. Everything from there is down hill!! Saw two deer on the main trail about 1/2 mile past where the water is flowing. Lokk forward to riding the other trails soon
Ride rating: Beginner
David a 29 year old Weekend Warrior riding a Trek from Bloomington, IL (originally) militaryPosted:09/09/2000
- Trail UpdateThe Manimal-The fact that most of you haven't included a "BEGINNER" rating for this area is negligent. This is perhaps the best area to introduce those knobby fear prone people to the adventures of off-roading. The big Sycamore is the same as it ever was, easy and breezy. You can find any type of riding you wish in this ventura county mountain bike nirvana. A full suspension melt down of the Guadalaso trail can test the nerve of the most daring. A hoot to say the least. A pedal grind up backbone could make Ned O. smile and maybe even sweat (Perhaps wince if he did it like 10X). Tons of "off limits" trails for certain, but I wouldn't know anything about that (Lights help after the sun goes down while the ranger sleeps). The best part of this area is the facilities. Showers, BBQ's, toilets, and an ocean view make it inviting for the whole family and friends. Kickin' back and suckin' down some suds at the beach after a Sycamore hammerfest in a word ROCKS!
Ride rating: Beginner
Ride distance: 30+ miles Elevation change: 1200'
Singletrack=45% Dirt Road=45% Paved Path=10%
Manimal a 31 year old Downhiller riding a Mountain Cycle from Thousand OaksPosted:09/09/2000
- Trail UpdateSycamore/guadalasco-Things are starting to get a little dusty in spots but overall trail is in good shape. Interesting there is some decent water in a couple spots on the main trail which were not there a month ago--probably some underground stream spouting off. Enjoy the 70 degree temperatures at the beach after hitting Guadalasco, Hell Hill and Backbone.
Ride rating: Intermediate
Ride distance: 25miles Elevation change: 1750'
Singletrack=35% Dirt Road=65%
Dave a 34 year old Weekend WarriorPosted:07/17/2000
- Trail UpdateOVERLOOK-They graded this part of the trail so all of the ruts are basically gone. Overall, the trails (Guadalasco, Backbone,etc)are in good shape. The only bad spots are on the main Big Sycamore Canyon trail where grading has left some deep silt deposits near the watering holes--which are all bone dry now.
Ride rating: Intermediate
Ride distance: 21miles Elevation change: 1500-2000
Singletrack=25% Dirt Road=60% Paved Path=15%
Paul a Weekend WarriorPosted:06/06/2000
- Trail UpdateSYCAMORE-ET, I'm familiar with Backbone. You're right , it's a fun ride. The route I mentioned is just one of several variations I do. Thanks anyway.
THE BIG SHIPPosted:05/11/2000
- Trail Update"THE BIG SHIP" You missed the best singletrack! Next time, when bombing down the overlook, just after passing "Hell Hill" fireroad on your left, just 20 yards past that, to the left is the "Wood Canyon View", or "Backbone" singletrack, that's the best in Sycamore! Go down that fun ride, then continue down the main canyon to beach (if that's your destination) You'll never go back to continuing down the rest of Overlook to the beach again!
ETPosted:04/03/2000
- Trail UpdateSycamore/Guadalasco/Overlook-Trail is in great shape. There is only 1 spot with water on the main trail and a couple more on Wood Canyon North of Guadalasco. Guadalasco is a little more rocky up the switchbacks than it used to be but otherwise is in good shape.The weather was great as well with a nice cooling breeze off the ocean. I even caught a jet roaring over Guadalasco in preparation for the air show coming soon. The route we took runs about 24 miles. It is as follows:from the parking lot in Newbury Park down to the "Y" hang a right up thr paved road and bomb down the road past the old house as you pick up Wood Canyon. Hang a right on Guadalasco and ride it all the way to Overlook and take Overlook all the way down to the main trail and hang a right to the beach. Than after enjoying the beach haul your but back home 8 miles.
Ride rating: Intermediate
Ride distance: 24miles Elevation change: 1500
Singletrack=30% Dirt Road=50% Paved Path=20%
THE BIG SHIP a 34 year old Die-hard EnthusiastPosted:04/03/2000
- Trail UpdateTour De Mugu-Rode the park with socalmtb all-stars Heckler and DaBreeze on Saturday. We hit Big Syc, Guadalasco, Overlook, Backbone, The Ranch, Sage, and a few others. Water crossings were miniscule, weather was great, and almost decapitated several snakes. Lots of options, the $1.00 trail map at the ranger's pad is well worth it. Very fun ride. Good luck to you.
Dusty BottomsPosted:04/03/2000
- Trail UpdateBig Syc Loop-This is a long, butt-kicker loop, maximizing singletrack for those who get bored with fire road. Begin at Big Sycamore and ride inland to Ranch Center Road. Take the first right (singletrack marked simply "trail") and ride up the narrow, rocky singletrack to the paved Ranch Center Road. Turn left, continue past the tank bearing right, descend to the beginning of Wood Cyn Trail. This fast roller-coaster takes you to the Guadalasco Trail junction. Turn right here, and begin your ascent on rocky singletrack, through switchbacks to the trail summit on Overlook Fire Road; watch for riders descending rapidly. Now begin a blazing descent on Overlook (watch for climbers and small varmints which may become startled and dart under your humming tires, causing spectacular crashes). Once you pass the junction with Hell Hill, look left for the Backbone trail (singletrack), which is a fun, rocky, twisty descent back to Big Sycamore Canyon. On the way back, you'll realize how subtle the elevation gain on Big Syc Cyn fire road is. This route is probably over 20 miles long, with over 2000 ft of climbing, and great views from the top on clear days (Channel Islands, Angeles Crest, the Valley, and all the way north almost to Santa Barbara!). Sometimes there's water on Big Syc, but lately it's been bone dry.
Ride rating: Intermediate
Ride distance: 20+ Elevation change: 2000 ft
Singletrack=60% Dirt Road=39% Paved Path=1%
Stabone a 25 year old Weekend Warrior riding a Trek 7000 from Redondo BeachPosted:02/01/2000
- Trail Update13 Mile Loop-the ground was awesome.nice and hard/still moist.no puddles.went yester day-sat.
we call this the '9'loop.from the beach, go up the canyon 5 miles to paved RANCH CENTER ROAD.go up the road,[it gets steep]dont be intimidated.ride to the water tank.stay on the paved road and ride down to RANCH CENTER.at the start of the downhill look to your left down the canyon and you can see HELL HILL rising up.RANCH CENTER is a maintanance facility/housing.this is the beginning of WOOD CYN>south.i only wish they would make this a one way trail.i never understood why anyone would ride up this. this turns into a awesome rollercoaster of a ride for about 1.8 miles.eventually you will pass the guadalasca and hell hill.you will eventually get back to sycamore cyn.and back to the beach. whats great is that there are alot of trails that connect to the above ride.so you can turn this into anywhere from 10-25 miles.
Ride rating: Intermediate
Ride distance: miles12.8 Elevation change: 800
Singletrack=50% Dirt Road=30% Paved Path=20%
keddy doe a 33 year old Cross-Country RiderPosted:01/30/2000
- Trail UpdateBackbone/Guadalasco@Pt.Mugu-Starting from the beach a 15-20 loop (w/variations) that will provide 1200-2500' of climbing, 50% fire road, 50% intermeidate single-trak. Take Sycamore Canyon out of campground 2.9 mi from beginning of dirt and go left on Backbone trailhead. 20-40mins of climbing with easy switchbacks, fairly steep, lots of embedded "death biscuits." pretty dusty this dry, la nina season. at end of singletrak take right onto overlook fireroad and climb another 300' or so (past hell hill on right immediately after overlook fireroad merge). at summit (aprox. 1200'elevation) there's a nice rock slightly off the road to sit, enjoy the soaring hawks, the sb channel views, and powerup. from there descend 200yds on fireroad to the guadalasco singletrack trailhead and fly (carefully of course, as many, esp on weekends, choose to climb the easier guadalasco and will be coming the other way) through eight or so dusty, loose, and rutted switchbacks and an absolutely wonderful, fast rollercoaster climb amd drop at the bottom. eventually you will merge with wood canyon and a right will take back to sycamore and the beach (14 mi/1200'climb)or a right will take back to the old employee residences and another 400' climb up the paved Ranch Center road to a water tower. rom there a choice of fire road, easy single trak or paved all the way back to sycamore.
lots of variety at mugu; good for beginners (stay on the fire roads in the canyon)and intermediates/advanced depending on how fast you climb and descend. careful on the weekends as there are lots of hikers, bikers, and even the odd horse. vistas at mountain tops have been awesome this year with the consistent offshore flow. but winds have also caused an inconsistent closure policy that will disappoint you bigtime if you've driven a ways. suggest calling 310 4571324 (mugu, malibu, leo carrillo park switchboard) and ask if park is open if santa anas are blowing hard. sometimes they're less than sweet but will always give you the info you need.
one last blast: most riders park on pch for free but I encourage you to consider a year round state park day pass (good at any state park for day parking) for $75. i've paid for mine many times over in the past 2 years (day use fee= $6.00); you get sweet amenities like showers, bathroom, picnic tables, shade, water, and the beach right next to what amounts to your own personal parking space for most of the year. not a bad deal and it's a good thing to contribute a bit back to the park system as we MTBers gain so much. yes, we all pay taxes but these days of slimmed budgets, etc it doesn't really get the job done. the more we contribute the more likely we are to get additional singletrack opened (and there's plenty more that could be). also note that any medical aid (including helicopter rides to los robles hospital) are free in ventura county (unlike la which will charge you a whopping fee for your fuckup). food for thought, yea??!!
DvBPosted:01/08/2000
- Trail UpdateOVERLOOK/BACKBONE-Rode from Newbury Park down to the ocean, watched the waves than up Overlook and down Backbone and back home. The trails are in excellent shape. On your way down Backbone watch the ruts on the top half and the rocks on the bottom half (big pinch flat potential). Agree with the poster in that if you are riding late definitely bring the wind breaker.
Ride rating: Intermediate
Ride distance: 20 miles Elevation change: 1500-2000'
Singletrack=10% Dirt Road=90%
DAN a Die-hard Enthusiast riding a GIANT from T.O.Posted:12/12/1999
- Trail UpdateJust Climb-I atempted to ride Sycamore Saturday (the 4th), but I was turned back by rangers. There was a potential fire hazard (high winds with a fire in Camarillo), so the rangers didn't want to chance it. I understood their situation, but, a few of the other mntbkr's were pretty pissed off. I myself had a half hour drive (from Simi valley). I was dissapointed that I couldn't ride, but I was more dissapointed in the few mntbkr's that were bashing the reanger's for doing a good job! ANYHOW, I came back on Sunday (the 5th) and rode from the parking lot up the 1 mile hill at the end of Big Sycamore, then back. I took a right at I believe it's called Wood canyon, then a left up Hell hill. I was pretty wasted and only made it up half of Hell hill. At the top I ran into a Sherriff on horseback. We talked about life for 30 minutes while I wolfed down a turkey sandwhich, then I continued on to overlook and back down to Big Sycamore. The whole trip took me about 2.5 hours. The creeks were dry and the trails were dry but in good condition. If you can make it up Hell hill, you are a machine! Sycamore rules ! ! !
Ride rating: Intermediate
Ride distance: 23 (I think) Elevation change:
Dirt Road=90% Paved Path=10%
Mike Tanner a 44 year old Cross-Country Rider riding a Giant XTC SE1 from Simi Valley, Ca.Posted:12/11/1999
- Trail UpdateI Almost Killed Myself!-The trails are great but a little dry. i almost died by doing back bone and overlook in less than an hour. it was getting dark and i didnt want to be late for my ride home. I did it but man... i was tired. heck id do it again. anyways i got down thier and i was waiting for 1 hour for my ride they showed when the temp droped 20 degrees and i was freezing!!!! Its getting cold so wear a wind breaker if you go late!!
Ride rating: Intermediate
Ride distance: 12.5 Elevation change:
Singletrack=35% Dirt Road=65%
BoNZai a 17 year old Die-hard Enthusiast riding a GT Backwoods with a Marzochi Z.2 Atombomb from Camarillo URL: Virtue RealityPosted:12/10/1999
- Trail UpdateRode Overlook to Guadalasco and back Wood canyon on Friday. All trails were open, no fire hazards as posted earlier. Recent rains seemed to firm up the ground a bit, wasn't as dusty as in October. Stream crossings are still dry. Overall, this is a good ride for me. Overlook is a steady 45 minute climb on a fire road and then some bumps, rocks and ruts coming down Guadalasco. Have ridden this in the other direction and it seems most folks take that option preferring a rocky climb and smooth, scenic decent. Both are fun.
Ride rating: Intermediate
Singletrack=30% Dirt Road=70%
a Weekend Warrior riding a GT Karakoram from CamarilloPosted:11/28/1999
- Trail UpdateWe'll i went thier about a week ago and it was closed due to fire hazards. Im goiing to go and see of is open tomarrow but when i got kicked out the trail was a soft and fluffy in some places but over all it was green at the rim of the trail but not in the main mountain parts,
Ride rating: Intermediate
Singletrack=35% Dirt Road=65%
BoNZai a 17` year old Die-hard Enthusiast riding a GT Backwoods w/marazochi Z.2 AtomBomb, XT comp. from camarillo URL: Virtue RealityPosted:11/25/1999
- Trail UpdateMy bro and I rode this great area Sunday. It was my second time here. Alot of great people on the trails. It was in the 80's with a nice Pacific breeze to cool you off. Nice wide open ridin. I wish we had more access to those "Hiker's Only" singletrack though. Rode up Big Sycamore and all over. Great ride.
Ride rating: Novice
Ride distance: 25 miles Elevation change: 1000
Singletrack=10% Dirt Road=60% Paved Path=30%
Fireboy a 38 year old Weekend Warrior riding a Schwinn 97 FS Homegrown/XT from Long Beach, CA E-mail: Chris.W.Powell@Sea-Launch.comPosted:09/13/1999
- Trail UpdateRode this on Labor Day. Went up Backbone and over to Guadalasco...great ride! It's been a few years since I've been up there and everyone I came across was really cool. Thanks to the guy at the bottom of Guadalasco who gave me directions--much appreciated. You riders in Ventura County have a real gem in this place. Ride On!
Mark riding a Balance with all XT from San DiegoPosted:09/10/1999
- Trail Update8-22-99 Sycamore Canyon to Back Bone. Up to Over Look. Down Guadalasca and back on Wood Canyon to Sycamore Canyon. Trail was very dusty and worn out. All the stream crossings on Sycamore Canyon are dry. On Wood Canyon there is still a little water. The stream crossing at the bottom of Back Bone is very tame, no more drop off. Still it makes for a pleasant weekend ride.
Ride rating: Intermediate
Ride distance: Elevation change: 1000'
Singletrack=30% Dirt Road=60% Paved Path=10%
Clive a 33 year old Weekend Warrior riding a Kona AHAH from VenturaPosted:08/24/1999
- Trail UpdateSycamore Canyon Main Trail-An excellent ride today! Trail was dry and dusty. Only one water crossing. While the trail is easier and I don't miss the mud, It's nice to cool off on a hot day, not to mention the challenge of crossing a rapidly flowing stream. There was a broken water main that caused a man made mud pit about two miles inland from PCH. All in all an excellent ride topped off by a swim in the ocean before heading home.
Dirt Road=75% Paved Path=25%
Satwiwa a 43 year old Weekend Warrior riding a GT Talera W/Rock Shox from Thousand OaksPosted:07/05/1999
- Trail UpdateWent to ride on 5-16-99 and found good riding, although I generally ride early in the morning to miss the traffic of others using the trails. I find that getting to the trailhead by 7:30am is best and minimizes the conflict with hikers and walkers. I enjoy "The Canyon" alot and find it very good with diverse rides close to my home(20 minutes drive time).
Dirt Road=50% Paved Path=50%
Marcel & Jarad Racine a 40ish year old Weekend Warrior riding a Schwinn MTB from Oxnard, CAPosted:05/18/1999
- Trail UpdateI did a 19 mile ride on 5-15-99. I rode about 1/2 mile up Sycamore Canyon and turned left and climbed up Overlook Trail. Awesome views and a great climb! Trail conditions were excellent, almost too good. Seems the trails have been bulldozed and smoothed out. At the intersection of Backbone/Hellhill I continued straight and climbed up Guadalasca. A great climb but what used to be somewhat loose rock is now a nice smooth trail. I'm all for trail maintenance but part of the fun of mountain biking is the technical challenge. I proceeded down Guadalasca on the singletrack and it was awesome! Continued on to Wood Canyon. Very little water and the water that has to be crossed can be done at full speed. After getting down to Sycamore Canyon I turned left and proceeded to the fire road (I believe it's called Ranch Center Road) and climbed up this. Went back down Wood Canyon to Sycamore Canyon and turned right and went to the parking lot. Overall, a great ride, one of my favorites. Trail conditions were excellent, people were friendly and I only sighted one snake. One word of caution, there are a lot of hikers in this area so try to control your speed and give them the right of way. Mountain bikers seem to have good relations there so lets keep it that way. Along Sycamore Canyon there are a lot of families with small children. Keep your head up and pay attention!
Singletrack=25% Dirt Road=75%
Ken a 37 year old Cross-Country Rider riding a Cannondale Raven 2000 from Lancaster, Ca .af.milPosted:05/18/1999
- Trail UpdateTHE BIG SHIP-Rode 24 miles around the park 4-18-99 and conditions are excellent. Surprisingly, there wasn't much traffic even though it was so hot inland and great at the beach.
Singletrack=25% Dirt Road=50% Paved Path=25%Posted:04/19/1999
- Trail UpdateSycamore Canyon Loop-My wife and I took the grand tour loop on Easter Sunday--up Sycamore Canyon to Ranch Center Road, to Ranch Center, then down Wood Canyon, up Hell Hill and down the Backbone to Sycamore Canyon. Trail conditions were great. Very little water in Sycamore Canyon; only low water in Wood. Hell Hill (well-named) seems to have been recently bulldozed (making it harder at the start). Fantastic ocean views and a great descent down Backbone--but keep a sharp eye for hikers and fellow bikers coming up. We met lots of cool MTBers--thanks for the assist! This is an incredible place for riding; we're coming back to camp and ride an entire weekend.
Singletrack=10% Dirt Road=775% Paved Path=15%
Dave a 43 year old Weekend Warrior riding a Trek 8000 from Los AngelesPosted:04/05/1999
- Trail UpdateTdo Cyn Mn-heres a great but kicker.take the wendy trail to syc. cyn road. turn right at ranch center...up up up then past the water tank down to the maintanence residence. this the start of wood cyn. take wood cyn to HELL HILL. try to ride upit.[stay on the right side of the road]or you can walk up it. at the top turn right and climb some more 1mile to the start of the gladalasca trail.take the trail back to wood cyn to syc. cyn and go back up to your car at wendy trail .
Singletrack=50% Dirt Road=40% Paved Path=10%
a Cross-Country Rider from redondo bchPosted:12/26/1998
- Trail UpdateWent to ride this trail on Tuesday 9/15 and the back country was closed due to a mountain lion threat. They had guards posted at both entrances and were waiting for D.F.G. to track and capture the lion. Don't know if the back country is open yet.
good luck.
XCC a Cross-Country RiderPosted:09/16/1998
- Trail UpdateC.C.C. - Good news, the ticks are gone. Have'nt rode in this area for about a month or two and found the little critter's have died off. Not too many riders though... the lead rider ate alot of spider webs on the way down the singletracks. He did manage to duck a few and leave them for me. Had a beautiful ride in the fog. Climbed above the fog and found the canyons totally covered in all directions. Most of the trail damage has been fixed, with the rain ruts at the bottom of Guadalasca the only remaining E ticked section.
Singletrack=50% Dirt Road=50%
C.C.C. a 45 year old Cross-Country Rider riding a Specialized FSR from Santa ClaritaPosted:08/29/1998
- Trail UpdateMEB-I took the Sycamore fire road about 5 miles to backbone trail ( a small trail marker can be seen on the left hand side of the trail). The backbone trail is very technical and strenuous (be on the lookout for riders coming downhill from Overlook - it seems that this is the most popular direction of travel). It is a very long climb (about 7 miles)to Overlook all on single track. The trail is a little overgrown, but it is still manageable. The long climb is well worth it once you've reached the long Overlook downhill.
Singletrack=50% Dirt Road=50%Posted:06/16/1998
- Trail UpdateDAN From T.O.-I took Overlook up from the main trail and it's in much better shape than 3 weeks ago when it was overgrown.Speaking of overgrown, Guadalasco is very bad near the top portions but Wood Canyon has been totally cleared. Unfortunately, due to the bulldozing, Wood Canyon's technical portions are no more.
Singletrack=25% Dirt Road=50% Paved Path=25%
a Weekend WarriorPosted:06/15/1998
- Trail UpdateMud Puppy-Trail is wonderful. Very little water in the creek crossings but you can go tubin on a couple of the crossings. You get to speed with minimal endo fear cause you can see the creek bed. There is a bike race on June 7 at the Point Migu entrance. The trail can be as challenging as you want. Based on a cateye the trail is 8.3 miles from Potero Road to PCH, intersection to intersection. For myself, to the beach I average 17 MPH and about half the speed on the way back up the trail. I'm a plump mud puppy weighing 240 lbs. and my second favorite activity is watching the ticker all day. Found a baby hawk on the trail during the weekend. Coyote pack has left the trail and haven't seen a deer for a month.
Dirt Road=75% Paved Path=25%
don a 36 year old Weekend Warrior riding a 1997 Beast DHPosted:06/02/1998
- Trail UpdateMud Puppy-As of 5/12 track now great for beginners. Family outing with 7 and 8 year-old kids went like a charm. Creek crossings were do-able even for them. Awesome collection of wildflowers, owls, rabbits, ground squirrels, songbirds, etc. Coming up from PCH, avoid boredom by turning back after last (12th) creek crossing. Except for hill up to Newbury Park, not much exercise for die-hards.
David, Evi, Susie, Daniel from L.A. riding a 3 Schwinns and a TrekPosted:05/18/1998
- Trail UpdateOverlook Trail-The ride was great except for the singletrack descent back into the canyon. There were three of us and we found, no joke, twentytwo ticks on us! So check yourself regularly. The singletrack was really overgrown, and until they are able to wor on it, it is bug central.
Posted:05/02/1998
- Trail UpdateTHE VICAR-HALLALUAH! PT. MAGU IS OPEN AGAIN, ALL TRAILS, SYCAMORE HAS BEEN GRADED ATALL STREAM CROSSINGS. IT IS REAL EASY TO RIDE NOW. ACCESS TO OVERLOOK IS STILL ALMOST NON EXISTANT AT THE BEACH SIDE, BUT IT IS THERE. AT THE OCEANSIDE ENTRY, OVERLOOK HAS MANY RUTS AND HAS BEEN OVERGROWN TO SINGLETRACK STATUS, HOPE IT STAYS THAT WAY. IMPRESSIVE AMOUNTS OF CHANGE IN SYCAMORE DUE TO RAINS, GUADALASCA STILL HAS THREE BIG WASHOUTS AND WOOD CANYONS STREAM CROSSING ARE STILL HIKE A BIKE ITEMS, STILL THERE A BALL TO RIDE. DIDNT DO BACKBONE DOWN TO SYCAMORE, SO I DONT KNOW ABOUT IT, BUT HEARD THERE WAS AN IMPRESSIVE SLIDE UP THERE. INCREDIBLE WILDFLOWER BLOMS THIS YEAR, GET OUT THERE AN SEE BEFORE THERE GONE, BUT KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR RATTLERS AND TICKS.
Singletrack=40% Dirt Road=40% Paved Path=20%
VIC SMITH a 35 year old Weekend Warrior riding a GARY FISHER KLUNKER from PASADENA, CA.Posted:04/21/1998
- Trail UpdateMud Puppy-The trail is officially open. Trail is wonderful. Watch out for large rocks in the twelve creek crossings. The water is cold and crystal clear so seeing those rocks (when you endo) is an easy event.
Singletrack=5% Dirt Road=35% Paved Path=60%
a Weekend WarriorPosted:04/09/1998
- Trail UpdateMud Puppy-The trail is officially closed. I have no idea why it is closed. A bulldozer and backhoe graded the entire trail. You could walk baby carriages (four abreast) through the entire trail!! The only challenge is maneuvering around rocks in a foot of water through several creek crossings, the distance, and the 1.8 mile paved 20 %grade. I'd say the trail is better today than prior to the rains. If you travel from Potero road to the beach or viva versa you don't have to get off you bike unless you want to stop and enjoy the countryside.
Singletrack=5% Dirt Road=30% Truck Trail=65%
a Cross-Country RiderPosted:03/20/1998
- Trail UpdateMud Puppy-The trail is officially closed. If you happen to be on the trail before the rains the entire trail could be traveled by a truck and often came into trail negotiations with a family and their baby carriage. Now the rains have caused each creek crossing to be more challenging as you go towards the beach. There used to be nine creek crossings but the rains have carved out three more ( four if you count a washed out drain you must leap across). The creek level changes from a few inches to a couple of feet when it is not raining. The water level may double after a rain. You might have to carry your bike at least twice for distance of about 30 yards each unless you are willing to go off a five foot jump into a rocky creek bed below and negotiate water past your axles. The rest of the trail is entact and very fast with a few mud spots and sand bars. There is no drinkable water at the beach since all the plumbing is wash away. There is water at the Potero entrance "indian site". The only trail negotiations are some shy coyotes and a stubborn bulldozer shoring up the creek barriers.
Singletrack=5% Dirt Road=30% Paved Path=5% Truck Trail=60%
a Weekend WarriorPosted:03/15/1998
- Trail UpdateSycamore Canyon-Bad news. Due to El Nino errosion damage, Sycamore Canyon is closed to the public. The beach and the camping area are open. All the trails and fire roads are closed. The ranger could not tell me when it would be open again. I will try to post again when I know more.
Singletrack=50% Dirt Road=40% Paved Path=10%
Hedgehog a 33 year old Cross-Country Rider riding a Heckler from Canoga ParkPosted:03/12/1998
- Trail UpdateAs of Tuesday, October 14, 1997 this trail was closed due to fire danger. Sign posted at the Point Mugu campgrounds stated backcountry closed until further notice.
Posted:10/17/1997
- Trail UpdateSycamore/Wood Canyons-
- Lots of sycamore Trees all up the canyon not to mention lots of other trails! I also recomend going on the Wood Canyon trail and down the over look, its a single track, also some jeep roads. Its a cool trail to go to toward the end of November to June when the rivers start to flow! This Trail is rated one of the best 100 Trails in southern California
SingleTrack=25%, DirtRoad=50%, PavedPath=25%
Kevin Carlson a 20 year old weekend warrior from Huntington Beach, CA {KEC@worldnet.att.net}Posted:10/17/1997
- Trail UpdateHey Big Joe,
That is the classic Southern California ride -- fireroad up, singletrack down. The ride you did was one of the many featured in a SoCA mountain bike trails dvd about two years ago. You might still be able to find it at some bike shops and watch the guy ride down it. I agree with you that the singletrack is not technical enough. But it's two miles long.Posted:
- Trail UpdatePoint Mugu-Rode Sunday 12-31-00 - first time at Point Mugu. I wanted to start riding earlier in the day but things got in the way so the ride started at around 4pm. Started up Sycamore to Overlook fire rd. Continous climb but stopped a few times to soak in the awesome view of the ocean/beach. The plan was to ride all the way to Guadalasca Trail but I was losing daylight fast. I must say the view of the valley from the highest point of Overlook fire road is absolutely breath taking. Just before the intersection (after the water tanks), there is a multi-purpose trail that leads back to Sycamore Canyon trail. On the map I think it's called Wood Canyon Vista Trail. Took this trail, and I tell ya...from the top, you can see this singletrack snake down to the bottom of the mountain. Man, if my computer was right, this singletrack must have been AT LEAST TWO MILES long. DAMN, it was awesome!!! Totally fun, rocks, sharp turns and all. It's not a high speed singletrack, not too technical, but the fact that it went on forever was totally cool. So far this has been the longest singletrack I've ridden. Reached Sycamore Canyon and headed back to the parking lot as the sun had set. I'm definetly coming back for the ride. On the map there are so many trails to explore. Great ride, although short, for the last day of the year!!!
Ride HARD, Ride FAST!!! - for the next year...
Ride rating: Novice
Ride distance: 10.5 miles Elevation change: 13+
Singletrack=30% Dirt Road=70%
Big Joe a Die-hard Enthusiast riding a GT Hardtail from Fullerton, Orange County, CAPosted:
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