Man, i am so behind on my blog entries! I did three rides in three days over the Memorial Weekend.
The first was Santa Rosa Plateau. We've been talking about this place for a long time now and finally went. I can't believe how close this area is to town! It's super easy for hikers, bikers and picnickers (I didn't even know that was a word) to run up the road from Murrieta and enjoy this absolutely stunning area. For mountain biking, the trails are pretty short, so you'll need to find ways to extend your ride. Also, everything on the southeast side of the road is for hiking only and mountain biking is restricted to the northwest side of the road. For you adaptive riders, there is a huge dirt parking lot but no bathrooms. There might be some at the visitor's center though. No sure. Everything i rode was mostly flat and wide open with the exception of Tovashal Trail. I definitely recommend having a support rider with you (adaptive riders) if you are going to attempt it. Overall, this area is great for hiking and there are tons of benches in key spots for soaking in the views.
This was an interesting day for me. I spent the entire week editing my previous Weekly Ride video and did not do anything active for FIVE days. I was super grumpy, to say the least. When i get in these moods, in all honesty, i just want to run. I want to throw on my shoes and just go. Getting out there helps, but really there is nothing i can do about it and i just have to work through it. The feeling is anger and claustrophobia. Usually the best remedy is to have a long surf session, take a shower and reflect on everything i am thankful for over a good beer.
The feeling extended into the next day when i rode Daley Ranch in Escondido with my new friend Thomas. He gave me a pretty awesome tour of the area which is super rocky, rutted and rowdy. Adaptive riders, you can do most of this area solo but there are spots you will get stuck in so a support rider is a must here. At least at first. The free lot is dirt with no bathrooms, but there is a pay lot with handyman parking and running water facilities. There is a grueling climb called Five Bitches so be prepared for that. Thomas did not have a chance to pre-ride the single track so we decided to forego it and downhill the main firewood trail which was super fun anyway. We also cut the ride short and skipped a whole section of trail called Crest Trail. Next time.
I met Thomas the previous weekend at Sky Park in Arrowhead. There were a couple features i needed help with and he jumped on it without hesitation so i immediately took to him. There's something about people who take initiative and just know what to do without any instruction or needing to be asked. Asking for help can be hard sometimes.
I caught Thomas on my GoPro helping me at Sky Park and it was my intention to cut to those clps during the Daley Ranch segment, but i totally forgot so here it is. Thanks Thomas!
The next day, i was mostly feeling better and went for a "hike" With Christina in PQ Canyon. She was on foot and i had the power assist on my bike turned off. This was an experiment that totally worked out. I didn't think i could do it but it turned out to be not so bad. I did turn the assist on the lowest setting for hills and inclines though. All in all, my heart rate was way higher than usual (which is good) and i got a really good workout.
May Gray Tailgate Setup
This was also the first time i did Tunnels without anyone touching me. Thats a big deal for me. This is the coolest trail in the area and to be able to add it to my usual route has increased the quality of my rides exponentially. Since then, i have done it several times and am now riding it with more and more speed, making it more and more fun.
Afterwards we tailgated and grilled turkey burgers for Memorial day. Here's the Weekly Ride episode about the weekend.
