Big Bear for the holiday weekend

[GGR Girl Wendy]

I will be in BB Friday-Sunday. Make sure you all say HI! I will be in my GGR purple jersey. Mostly on the XC trails, although I will hit up Westridge and Cruiser I'm sure

[Udyr]

Have fun! I was going to go up with some people, but downhill on a healing finger dislocation is a no go.

You'll probably see tons of people out there.

[GGR Girl Wendy]

O dang so sorry to hear! Been there, very painful! Enjoy your holiday weekend!

[Hawg]

I was there last week so I leave the dirt for you to command.

[GGR Girl Wendy]

Dang Hawg I missed you again! Have an amazing and safe holiday!

[sdcadbiker]

Dang Hawg I missed you again! Have an amazing and safe holiday!

The XC trails are in great shape! Some of the gravel corners on skyline are a bit blown out but if you carry enough speed they pack down and firm up

The downed tree on Fern has been chopped up and removed so that trail is good to go; there was a tree down on Snow Forest last week, I haven't been back to check on that one yet.

Plantation is super-fast although annoyingly short. The top of Wet Dream sucks but it gets better as you descend; keep going across the fire road onto the Canyon Trail to extend the fun on that one.

Lower Pineknot has some loose corners but it firms up higher up and it doesn't matter anyway if you're going downhill.

Skyline, as always, kicks ass all the way from Fern to Clarks and beyond, in both directions!

Have a great weekend, watch out for the F'in tourists

[Hawg]

Everything we rode (stayed away from SS side) has blown out corners, too. It's just too dry (everywhere).

[GGR Girl Wendy]

way awesome! thanks for the trail tips!

[Hurricane Jeff]

I just haven't come to terms with Skyline. From Plumbers to the Heliport, I love it, from HP to Grandveiw, I like it, from Grandveiw to Wet dream(Forest Dream) I hate it.
I think someone created a Strava segment with the name "Jeff's Jolly Jaunt" based on my dis-pleasure with it, although I have not confirmed this.
To me, and a lot of other riders and trail builders feel the same way about Skyline, while 10x better than riding the fire road, it just doesn't have any flow, seems your constantly shifting and breaking, lots of high speed sections going into tight blind corners and such. I used Grout Bay trail as a reference to how a multi-use trail should be built and have been helping building trails and putting my input in with the BB trails foundation.

[sdcadbiker]

I just haven't come to terms with Skyline. From Plumbers to the Heliport, I love it, from HP to Grandveiw, I like it, from Grandveiw to Wet dream(Forest Dream) I hate it.
I think someone created a Strava segment with the name "Jeff's Jolly Jaunt" based on my dis-pleasure with it, although I have not confirmed this.
To me, and a lot of other riders and trail builders feel the same way about Skyline, while 10x better than riding the fire road, it just doesn't have any flow, seems your constantly shifting and breaking, lots of high speed sections going into tight blind corners and such. I used Grout Bay trail as a reference to how a multi-use trail should be built and have been helping building trails and putting my input in with the BB trails foundation.

I feel the complete opposite; Clarkes to GVP, in either direction, is an awesome trail, with tricky climbs over rocks, switchbacks with rock obstacles and a very "flowy" section though the woods just east of Clarkes. From GVP to Pirates is good too but not in the same league from a technical perspective; east of pirates the trail is too new, when it beds in it will be great.

Grout Bay has been there for years and has had time to mature; I can't argue with the fact that it's an outstanding trail. I live on the south side and don't get over to Fawskin as often as I should.

[Hurricane Jeff]

That seems to be the consensus, you either hate it or love it. There are certain sections on each segment of the trail that have great sections, its just that in between, there is no flow what so ever, maybe I'm spoiled, having ridden such great trails all over, I expected more.

[sdcadbiker]

That seems to be the consensus, you either hate it or love it. There are certain sections on each segment of the trail that have great sections, its just that in between, there is no flow what so ever, maybe I'm spoiled, having ridden such great trails all over, I expected more.

Fortunately for me, after suffering all the San Diego trail BS for the last five years or so, Big Bear is like MTB heaven as far as I'm concerned. Maybe I'm just easily pleased

I'm looking forward to riding tomorrow to see how the rain has firmed up the gravel.

[Hawg]

Fortunately for me, after suffering all the San Diego trail BS for the last five years or so, Big Bear is like MTB heaven as far as I'm concerned. Maybe I'm just easily pleased

I'm looking forward to riding tomorrow to see how the rain has firmed up the gravel.

It did in fact rain up there today???

[sdcadbiker]

It did in fact rain up there today???

We had rain and thunder on Friday afternoon and more today, along with a 4.8 earthquake. I was on the Trick or Treat descent at the time and didn't even notice the earthquake...

The rain has had the desired effect and firmed up the trails nicely; more rain would be welcome though.

[GGR Girl Wendy]

Saturday the lifts didn’t open until 1pm due to the storm and earthquake. I can report that we road from 1pm until 6pm and literally closed the mountain. It was empty! The trails were in perfect tacky condition! The park sweepers came after us while we were sessioning Miracle Mile and were so wonderful letting us take our time to complete the trail. It was an epic afternoon!
Sunday we rode Fawnskin. Hanna Flats, Grouts Bay and all the way to the top of Grey’s Peak. Gosh that’s a brutal climb but totally worth the view and the long descent!
Was full of epicness and awesomeness! Can’t wait to go back!

[GGR Girl Wendy]

Yup, we rode for 5 hours! I have never ridden in such PERFECT conditions! No dust, no sliding it was perfect! Everyone went home so we practically had the mountain to ourselves. It was a great time for me to give MM a try with no one there too!

[Klurejr]

Glad you got some runs in with all the rain and Lift Closures. Sounds like the dirt was epic in the afternoon.

[Hawg]

Sunday we rode Fawnskin. Hanna Flats, Grouts Bay and all the way to the top of Grey’s Peak. Gosh that’s a brutal climb but totally worth the view and the long descent! Was full of epicness and awesomeness! Can’t wait to go back!

Ahhh, you rode one my favorite jewels up there. Did you see my tire tread marks on the trails?

[GGR Girl Wendy]

it's such a little epic isn't it? The entire route is only 13 miles and it felt like we did 25 with 4K of climbing! The summit is 7525 feet. It was rough..had to rest a handful of times....will rest less next time....

[Hawg]

it's such a little epic isn't it? The entire route is only 13 miles and it felt like we did 25 with 4K of climbing! The summit is 7525 feet. It was rough..had to rest a handful of times....will rest less next time....

Sometimes it kicks my butt (like it did a week ago) and sometimes I can just blast through it non-stop to the top at the lookout. I guess I didn't adjust to the elevation very well this last visit.

We guided a guy named Jay from "the OC" through there with us. He loved it.

[Hawg]

There is no way I could do it without resting...especially my knee, but my lungs struggled too....the elevation for sure is tough...my buddy who rode with us just cruised on it...he was talking and riding at the same time...really pissed me off! Ha ha ha ha..who can do that on that climb??

I've done it like that before but not anymore.

[GGR Girl Wendy]

There is no way I could do it without resting...especially my knee, but my lungs struggled too....the elevation for sure is tough...my buddy who rode with us just cruised on it...he was talking and riding at the same time...really pissed me off! Ha ha ha ha..who can do that on that climb??