The Classic Hunting Hollow » Middle Ridge » Hunting Hollow Ride
Hunting Hollow is bustling with a Meet-Up.com hiking group organizing. Eric S. is there planning to ride to the Kickham Ranch facility for a Coe Mountain Bike Patrol meeting. He thought some others would join him but it is very cold and they've obviously driven directly to Kickham. Feeling abandoned, Eric has an angry speech forming in his mind to tell them that they're such wimps. I tell him that the rant will actually be pretty funny 'cause by the time he gets to Kickham his mouth will be frozen and his speech slurred. We, of course, then switch into slurred speech mode which is always lots of laughs.
I roll out at 8:35am and reach China Hole at 11:15am....it's pretty dry:
...just a few pools of water in the deepest spots.
It is a big climb up out of China Hole and the second part is the long, long, mind numbingly long Manzanita Point Road
There's not much to think about so I'm easily amused by anything....oh!, a chain in the dirt:
Oh!, my new water bottles:
Today's ride was a bit of a mission, I wanted the new 2013 Coe map. I stopped at Park headquarters (12:45pm) and bought a couple copies—one to use and one to keep pristine as an investment/cartography speculation copy. No doubt these will be worth a mint in the future! The cost with tax was $17.01. Of course I had no change. Just a twenty. I kinda couldn't believe it when the Park Volunteer behind the counter counted out exactly $2.99:
Oh great, a stack of coins to carry around!
First report is that several trails have been removed from the map and none added. :-(
What It Was Like Out There™ at the far north end of my route:
Highest point of my ride as well.
That is Hobbs Road. It happens to be right on the border of the Park. Here's a gate to the neighboring ranch:
It is the Los Huecos Ranch owned by Mr. David Packard and Mr. W.R. Hewlett:
I've heard of them.
Next is the fun Middle Ridge Trail. Expecting velco traction, I found that Wednesday's rain V-rutted the loose dirt in the upper exposed trails and the lower section was covered with slippery leaves:
After a bit of traffic, the trail will have a lot more flow.
One last shot, China Hole second time through (3:15pm) coming from the opposite direction:
Down there it seemed the sun was already setting!
I arrived back at Hunting Hollow @ 5:17pm. Sunset was 4:52 pm so was able to get by using just the handlebar light and that wasn't even a necessity. No night riding this week.
Start at Hunting Hollow » Gilroy Hot Springs Road » Coyote Creek gate » Coit Road » Anza Trail » Jackson Trail » Elderberry Spring Trail » Rock Tower Trail » Domino Pond Trail » Cattle Duster Trail » Coit Springs Trail » Cross Canyon Trail » Coit Road » Mahoney Meadows Road » Cowgirls Trail » Mahoney Meadows Road » China Hole Trail » China Hole » China Hole Trail » Manzanita Point » Manzanita Point Road » Park HQ for 2013 map. Manzanita Point Road » Flat Frog Trail » Hobbs Road » Middle Ridge Trail » Poverty Flats Road » Creekside Trail » China Hole » China Hole Trail » Mahoney Meadows Road » Cross Canyon Trail » Coit Springs Trail » Grapevine Trail » Anza Trail » Coit Road » Coyote Creek gate » Gilroy Hot Springs Road » Hunting Hollow. 35.80/6:05/8:42/6,476'
Gilroy:
Cordoza Ridge:
