Post HO HO HO Daley

After partaking in all of traditional Christmas time feasting it was time to try to knock a little of the growing HO HO HO off of my belly with some miles and some climbing.   Daley Ranch offers plenty of that.   I decided to switch my routes some on my two rides out here this week.  I decided to start out with a climb up the boulder loop which I have not done it quite some time.   While on the climb I came upon a Kangaroo Rat.

Ain’t he cute?

So I have seen plenty of Kangaroo rats out on the trail when night riding. This was my first time seeing one during the daylight and certainly catching one. I actually caught this little critter several times while trying to get the photos. Other than a couple ticks on its under side it seems to be healthy. I’m pretty sure its behavior is going have it being a coyote or hawk snack very soon.

Blue skies, green grass

It was has been really pretty out here lately with the winter storms bringing in some much needed moisture.

The Pacific Ocean in the distance

It was pretty nice to do some of this area in the opposite direction than what I normally take.   Seeing things from a different perspective as well as at a different speeds put a nice “new” twist on things.

Snow on Palomar Mountain

I  always think it is a treat to see and visit snow without snow coming to visit me.

 

Return to Black Mountain (RB)

It has been quiet some time since I have been over to the east side of Black Mountain in Rancho Bernardo.    Man I have been missing out.    There has been some really good contouring single tracks built on “Little Black Mountain” that are replacing the stupidly steep old jeep routes that were previously most of your options out there.

The great thing is these are fully above board legal trails.     The local community and the San Diego Mountain Biking Association working  with the City of San Diego have a good thing going out there.

The route I have been kinda digging as of late has me starting from the Black Mountain Open Space Park and head south along west base of the mountain to connect to the main fire road climb where I head up to the peak.   After the peak  I drop down the Black Widow Trail.    I climb back up the main fire road where I then cut over to Little Black Mountain and ride the loops out and then connection up to the Nighhawk trail to Miner Ridge Loop.   From there I do the eastern half of that loop to Lilac and then to the Ahwee that takes me back to the park.   Here is a link to that route.  The end of the Ahwee is cut off due to my GPS watch running out of juice so your distance should be slightly longer.  (I need to update my website page on this trail system)

 

Anderson Truck Trail Playtime

I got in a couple of rides out at Anderson Truck Trail this week.    The first outing was a solo effort and the second was with Steve and Jim.

Winter and some rain has brought back some green to the trail
This view never gets old but it was exceptional on this outing.

The trail had some pretty serious hero dirt during my outing. I had to make some phone calls after that ride.

Steve and Jim joined me for a second visit for the week and once again the dirt was sublime.

There was some rock playtime to be had as well.   Good Times

Cowboy Trails Redux

So I managed to get back to the Cowboy trails for another crack and making it up to the ridge without getting snowed out.
What a bunch of asses out running a muck off trail
I took the Bunny and Fossil Canyon Trails first bit of climbing
After that I took the outer loop which I had never done before.   It was some nice bit of single track
The snow capped red-rocks. So cool.
 
Looking back down the Fossil Canyon Trail
From Outer Loop I hooked up with Midas and SARS.   It was nice to be able to feel my toes at this stage of the ride compared to my last time our here.  
Cool view of the strip from along the ridge
After that I took Radio Tower.   (Next time I will take Little , The uppermost bit of Bomb Voyage, Little Jimmy Switchbacks up to the Ridge Trail
More views from the top
I bet the night view would be really awesome from here
The views from the ridge line was just as cool as I remember   Once off I the ridge trail, I hooked up with the Bomb Voyage trail.   I got turned turned around just a bit at the top on some hiker spurs but there is no mistaking the trail once it turns downhill.  Oh man is the trail burly!   I had to walk more that a couple of sections.    Pretty close to the bottom, the Bob Gnarly trail merges with Bomb Voyage.    During my next visit out here I’m going to give Bob Gnarly a shot.    The numbers are a lot less than the fun (and work) factor out here.   I’m already looking forward to a return to here on the next visit to Vegas.