Chantry Flats- Angeles Nat'l Forest

Oh Glory, another hike out there....this time I discovered Chantry Flats above Alta Dena in the Angeles Nat'l Forest. It was a very cool 50+ degree start but sunshine prevailed, that along with a strenous uphill begin and we warmed up enough to remove my jacket before long.

Chantry Flats is a very popular hiking destination for the locals. It is just below Mt Wilson, which can be reached if you just continue climbing up and following the signs.

We chose Upper Winter Creek to begin our hike and followed through to Lower Winter Creek to return to parking.

The trail was a constant beauty. Winding up and over and down and around and up and down; I wondered; why did they name it Chantry FLAT? There was no flat to be found!

But I must rate this hike as the MOST BEAUTIFUL place I have traveled in my hiking shoes. The dappled sunlight provided gorgeous moments around the turns laid out with giant boulders and dramatic scenes of drop downs below; way down below. The creek winds around and down and through and over there again. We crossed over the creek 's stepping stones and big rocks at least a dozen times. The water was clear and at just the perfect height to enjoy it's sounds and not impede an easy crossing. Shoes stayed dried if you chose your stepping stones correctly!! The rock cliffs, the yellow and orange leaves, the fallen trees, the scent of earthy forest; we looked right, then left , then right to soak in the beauty at every turn.

There were intersections along the trail that direct the hiker to Mt Wilson, just a couple more miles thataway. Next time.
The 6 -7 mile hike took us 3 hours and included a few contemplative rest stops. My almond butter and grape jelly sandwiches I hiked in with never made it out. Nothing like a lunch under giant magic pine trees alongside a bubbling brook with a good friend.

Mountain biking is allowed here but the single track would leave me scared silly. The width of the trail is very narrow in many spots and the penalty for a misstep or misplacement of a knobby tire is a looonnng way down into creek beds.

The trail had a steady flow of hikers on this Sunday morning. The parking lot was just about full when we arrived. Best to get there by 7am on those warmer days to grab a spot.

The final 1/2 mile out was an UP. I had wanted to investigate another 1 1/2 mile trail to a hikers lodge but was advised we'd try it next time. Smart advice. The paved UP, out, had us breathing hard, sweating more than the previous 3 hours and happy to see the parking area again.

Arroyo Trabuco Wilderness Park

Oh yeah, another adventure on dirt! Me, AL, Steve rode from O'Neill Park in Trabuco campground through the riverbed trail of Arroyo Trabuco, all the way to the beginning of Tijeras Creek trail in Rancho Santa Margarita. The amazing combo of singletrack and paved sections treated us to amazing forest-like sections the locals called the "HoChiMinh" trail.

Pictures couldn't quite capture the beauty of overgrown trees and brush and tunnels of vines we rode through, the creek crossings and surprises around every turn.

At one section I heard some big creature bounding through the crunching leaves off to the left of the trail, I was afraid to take my eyes off the trail in front, as my tires rolled up and over and down and through. But Al and Steve saw it, a big buck running alongside us back into the dense overgrowth.

Our ride was 16 miles in all and a new fun trail we will return to with the rest of the posse as soon as possible, before the rainy season or afterwards.

Al was so pleased. This is the trail right down the street from his new condo in RSM.

FAT TIRE FESTIVAL

Fat Tire mountain biking festival in Kernville, CA last month was an epic ride adventure for me. Three days in the beautiful Angeles National forest with temp's in the high 80's. THAT was a bonus. The air was clear and clean and crisp in the early mornings, then warming up to fantastic riding weather!

Friday the boys rode up and down Cannell Plunge, while I opted for a solo hike and ride around down, saving my energy for SAt ride up through Portugese Pass and Sunday ride thru Alta Sierra single track heaven.

It was all I'd dreamed of and more. The conditions were perfect from a bit of rain earlier in the week. Tacky, tight, and packed down dirt. Sunday through the forest single track was like a dream ride for me. I'd seen videos of such rides and hoped, maybe some day I'd find myself floating along one of those "E" ticket rides. And there I was.I wish I'd filmed it. Well, I did in my mind! I replay the video when I close my eyes!

GIRL ON BIKE

Did I mention I'm writing a book? "GIRL ON BIKE, What the Boys taught me about Love, Life and Mountain Biking"...........It's done,or so it seems. Now it's time to get some serious input and some "critiquing" (is that a word?) from the experts. I've included stories from the trail, and chapters featuring 7 guys who have taught me all I know about more than biking. The time is now to get it out there. I feel it! It's very exciting and no matter what, I am determined to see it in print, one way or another.

Now it's visits to Barnes and Noble, visualizing! I have the cover design thanks to Al's fabulous photo of me he took this weekend with his new Kodak Coolpix.

I'm back on schedule with my early morning writing and story telling. Amazing dreams have been coming to me just before I awake and I'm turning them into short stories and essays. Suddenly I feel I have SO MUCH to tell, so many stories, poems, essays to get printed; my passion, my dream since I was 17 years old after traveling to Paris. They say it's never too late. It's time to test that theory for myself.

I'm rearranging my writing studio finally!

TBC....................................

Back to Monroe Truck Trail, Los Angeles Natl Park

Sunday Oct 4th, a gorgeous cool autumn morning and perfect mountain biking conditions for a return ride up Monroe truck Trail above Glendora.

The first mile in is a rocky, winding creek bed through high reeds and brush surrounded by hills leading us to the start of the single track. Once through the rocky bed, it's a wonderful winding single track on the edge of the mountain. Up, up, up until you turn the corner and are rewarded with a stunning view of the LA basin. Yesterday the partly cloudy blue vista caused a bit of haze but I could still see downtown LA, waaayyy over there.

I climbed faster and further than last time I rode MTT. The deer hunters were out yesterday, honest. They had their bows and arrows wearing camoflouge. It was unsettling to me, the thought of killing any deer.....but then again, I eat meat so what could I say? I told them I hoped they didn't see any deer today.

Back at the truck 3 hours later, I was amazed the ride was over already. It was, shall I say ...easy????

ALISO WOODS WILDERNESS...can't get enough....

Sunday Sept 27th was an easy bike trail to Aliso Woods, 3 hour ride; well 3 hours total with stops along the way when we wanted to! No agenda, no waiting for anyone else, just a great ride before it heated up. We met up with Edward and Chris and Jeff and Ed coming and going. I passed Michelle Barton and said hello. We stopped under my favorite sacred sycamore grove, stopped at the bottom of Choya, stopped to chat..it was one of those kinds of rides. A Sunday ride in the park. I did a bit of racing on the bike trail and that got the heart rate up and running!

This morning we hiked up on West Ridge again and did record time....4 miles in 59 minutes...oh yeah. I was feelin' so good all morning....................

Finally, stepping down STAIRSTEPS, Aliso Woods

Sunday Sep 20th, I finally hiked down and up Stairsteps; hike/mtn bike trail in Aliso Woods Wilderness Park. We have ridden and walked past its entrance hundreds of times for over three years and kept repeating..."One of these days...."......Well, Sunday was one of these days.

We started late; 8:30 am. way late for getting started. Al and I are always out on a trail by 6-7am and on what was a hot day, we were sucking down the water before we even got to the trail head...

Anyway.........Stairsteps is a very sharp drop down the side of WestRidge fire trail. And yes, it looks just like a staircase.......big sandstone steps down a singletrack with sharp turns and all kinds of rocks and ledges and drop offs. Technical? That's not saying enough. It's technical all right and only the very experienced mtn bikers, with full face helmets and body armor of various kinds looking to spend some accumulated testosterone should bother taking it on.

We had our hiking poles and I kept repeating, " I LOVE MY POLES!" We got down to the bottom and rested in some shade before finding out what it was like CLIMBING UP Stairsteps! It was not a long hike, maybe 30 min one way.

On our return we kept ears sharp for bikers shooting down the steps. Instead we saw a couple wannabes stopped up at the easy spot, thinkin' and wishin' they had the kahunas for the real thing. But they turned back up with a weak story they'd ridden Stairsteps...NOT!

Wilderness Access Day LIMESTONE CANYON, Trabuco, CA 9-12-09

What a beautiful ride in Limestone Canyon, off Santiago Canyon road this past Saturday. Irvine Conservancy Wilderness Access Day from 8am-1pm. The group was ready to ride at 7:59am! It was a 1o+ mile ride with more hills then expected! We climbed about 1200' in the first 3 miles. I was so strong climbing this day, beat Al up one hill. Oh yeah! Even kept pace with a couple other guys. I only saw two other women mtn bkrs out there. The views were amazing.

IRC always does a great job of hosting these Open Access days. They have sign ins and extra water to share and very friendly staff; very well organized and efficient. The weather was a bit warmer than expected so there were many times I rested in shade spots and doused my head with water. My challenge is always keeping my head cool on these hot days. It doesn't breathe! I keep my bandana around my neck, wet, and just pour on the water over head as needed.

The Sinks was a beautiful sight, a giant sinking spot along the fire road everyone stops to see.

There were a few downhill spots I walked down, especially near the end...I was tired...ok, exhausted after three hours...and when I have used it all up, my technical downhill skills are kaput soI don't even try; way too risky. So I scrambled down a couple rocky intersections with bike slidin' next to me all the way.

The guys I ride with, Al, Steve, Bob, Phil, Ladera Dave are so helpful, patient, funny as heck. They seem to like having my company too. Whatta know!

Would definitely return to Limestone Canyon...................

Hiking Laguna Wilderness Park. Laguna Beach, CA

Another hike into Laguna Wilderness park on Saturday the 29th August. Jane Kadoich joined me for her first hike into the park. It was surprisingly cool at 7am for a day that was promising 100 plus. By 8:30 the sun got serious and it cooked us before we finished our hike at 10am.

But we were prepared, had on our hike hats, sunblock, water and hiking shoes.
I shared my new birthday hiking poles with her. I'm a devotee of hiking poles now. They add stability to the climbs and balance to the descends. I also find they help me with my pace and gate. I miss them on even simple hikes. Poles are also a good upper body work out.

Jane kept up really well, so well, I had her lead us back. (She doesn't know how tired I was before we made the top. But I was TIRED and HOT......should have carried more water too! She's a good hiker!)

We also met up with my biking buddies, Steve, Al, Ladera Dave and Bob. They were finishing up their ride in from the Nix Center which joins up on our trail. The sun beating down on us prevented a long stop by chat, so we said hi, bye and off we went.

The plus about the Laguna Wilderness trail is how much shade we can hike under. The cooler cover suddenly shows up enough after being exposed to direct sun. It's a beautiful trail in spring. I've taken some great photos of previous walks there, I'll try and post soon......

Always good to get OUT THERE..........

"Girl on Bike"...finished writing...

Well, I finished the last chapter of Girl On Bike yesterday......whew..... Now it's time to read through it, make sure I've covered the bases, answered my own questions and told a story that others would really enjoy reading! So far, those who have read some chapters could NOT put it down so they say! I feel like I've given birth...and I have!

This mornings' hike on West Ridge had to be the most amazing one yet. The clear sky, the pink glow above the blue that reflected from the ocean, the orange glow behind Saddleback, views that were unending, clear and crisp. There was a vibration to it all that surrounded me and my companion. He said he could see the glow around me. We walked in silence and breathed deeply, the coolness of dawn and scented sage brush. Pictures taken can never capture the true color. I'm learning that being there, being a part of it and capturing it in my mind, and then on paper, allows me to remember it more completely than photos. I'm always disappointed in the flatness from photos.

You think, "Oh, I'll get a picture of this." Once in awhile you might get a feeling of a moment, but life is about living it, not holding on to a picture of it. I'm getting to the point where it's almost like trying to steal the sunrise. God's creative majesty bursts on the scene so quietly at sunrise. And only those who get OUT THERE are the ones who are blessed with the communion of natures' dawn. This morning we were surely an audience to a birth that included...US.

As I looked up ahead and marveled at the colors of the dirt trail ahead and its' winding, gentle curves, a deer appeared. It stood there for a moment, turned and looked back at us, then disappeared in a blink, back into the brush..........Gentleness, the message of Deer..................

Just another Monday, wishing it was Sunday so I could ride, or hike and get back to the dirt. It always seems the best times are increasingly...out there. The outdoors is my church, my temple and my happy place. All my cares are left behind in the parking lot until I return to pick them up once more. But I always return with answers to questions, and fewer aches and pains then when I set out that morning.
Here on my blog where I'll share some stories about the trails I ride or hike. I'm almost finished with "Girl on Bike", just a couple more chapters to go. My plan is to complete it by summer's end.
Later.....