May 3, 2020

Last weekend Carol Ann and I rode out on Friday and it was too short. So we went again on Saturday. This one was too long.

I want to remember that this ride sucks. I hate the long slow down hill on the back fire road that’s all shall and rocky and in the sun. Last time I did this loop I thought the same thing. But clearly I forgot. The rest of the ride is nice but the one section is so crappy it makes the loop not worth it.

We started off taking the left branch of hogpen fire road back and through the closed fire gate. At the Four way intersection at the top of the hill we went right and followed that along and eventually back into the woods. So far it’s lovely. It rides through a formally burned area that is pretty neat and has a few views.

Eventually it pops out at a fire road, where you bare right. The gate here has always been open previously but was closed on this day and had no ride around. So we had to manage around it a bit tediously. Then down the horrible long steep shaley fire road. Luckily it wasn’t hot or the sun would have baked us. The constant steep down hill killed my knees and Simon was frustrated with its tediousness by the end.

It does finally reach the bottom and then wraps through the woods, over some creeks and it very lovely. After that it pops back into the woods and eventually rides out at slate lick lake and back to the parking.

The lake area was packed with day trippers walking around. The camping areas were also packed. We literally cantered through all of it and back to our rigs with haste. It was just staring to rain and we hit the road out quickly.

Carol Ann was on Dash and I was on Simon.