Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Brown Mountain (El Prieto Loop) Trail Ride -- Sun February 2

http://unitedadobo.com/index.cfm?action=gallery.details&photo_id=133737&album_id=10437
A rider on the El Prieto Loop
Time: Sunday February 2, 10AM

Length: 8 mi (with an option to do 14 miles)
Duration: About 1-2 hours (for 8 mile loop)

Meeting Place: We will be riding from the east side of JPL. Meet at the parking lot at Ventura and Windsor (http://goo.gl/maps/GBLBj)


Aerobic Difficulty: Moderate
Technical Difficulty:
Moderate (with a few difficult maneuvers, walkable)  (with an option to bail out of technical descent for beginners)


Map of the longer option (14 miles, basically this involves climbing another few miles to an upper saddle and coming back down)

We will ride the Brown Mountain El Prieto loop in Altadena.  Starting from JPL it is a few mile ~1000ft fire road climb up to the first saddle. This is a moderately strenuous but not not technical climb. From the saddle beginners can turn around and return the way they came.

More experienced riders go down about a 1mi narrow fire road descent to the top of the El Prieto single track.  El Prieto is a little under two miles of single track with somewhat technical switchbacks into a wooded canyon.  It is ride-able for a first time mountain biker who is otherwise confident on a bike but challenging enough for advanced riders (I've ridden it well over 50 times and it is still a challenge).


Additionally, anyone interested can climb to the top of brown from the saddle adding 6 miles and another 1000 vertical feet.  Depending on interest and the number of ride leaders this may be led by me or someone else.


Reminder: This is a mountain bike ride, so you will need a mountain bike. Full suspension is not required, however you will need something that works well, can shift, and most importantly stop.  Walmart bikes may be able to make the fire road climb and descent, but would not be advised on El Prieto.  Bring spare tubes for your bike and anything else you will usually take on a ride.


If you have any questions feel free to contact Reeve (reeve@caltech.edu). See you then!