For the fourth weekend in a row, it was raining in the OC so we hit the desert. Route was up Dunn to s/t by Wild Horse -Vandeventer -Dry Wash – Palm Canyon – Indian Potrero – Dry Wash – Hahn – Wild Horse – Cathedral. It was an ambitious route, but we knew what we were getting into.
It was quite a bit warmer this day over the previous few weeks. All the washes had signs of a lot of water flow. Be sure to check the video of creek along Indian Potrero.
I have to admit that over time I have become a bit jaded about the scenery and natural beauty that mountain biking gives one access to see. Riding this winter in the Santa Rosa mountains has really reignited my appreciation for what the Western United States has to offer.
We kept a constant pace until we got to Palm Canyon and then it was a bit of work due to the climb and deep sand.
As we got closer to Indian Potrero, the sound of running water became louder and we soon discovered why. After the initial drop in we forded the water that was thigh deep. Took a quick break and kept rolling to the switchbacks at lower part of Indian Potrero. The video below shows how much water was flowing.
Several weeks earlier Eric and I had ridden up the Dry Wash with a strong tailwind as a storm was blowing in and coming over the mountains. With minimal effort, we were able to keep 10mph. Today was a different story. The wash was dry and sandy. It was a lot of work to keep 7mph. Anders hadn’t been riding very much and the wash took its toll.
After a bit of rest we rolled up Dunn over to Hahn and finished up the ride. I really like descending on Cathedral. There was a pack of dudes on ebikes that were jamming up the trail. I don’t want to be preachy, but if you can’t go fast, move over and let the person behind go by. We clocked 27 mi and 4.5k of climbing.
