In SoCal we have a few mountain ranges that are perfect for bikepacking with tons of route and re-supply options. And good weather for most of the year. My friend Andy was interested but with new baby has not been able to get out. I put together a route with an appropriate mix of riding and hike a bike to give him a proper introduction to bike packing.
We started at the bottom of the hill and were soon up top a scenic ridgeline
There are even some fun rocks and jumps to play on.
Fun trail
Andy cleans a tight squeeze first try
Views are awesome on this trail
We rode the trail all the way west, descended and then headed east to a ski hill lodge to get something to eat.
We were starting to feel a bit whooped but were just gearing up for the hardest part of the ride - the hike
A few years back I explored a connector from the ski hill over a high peak to connect with some trails on the other side. We hiked it that day, and I have ridden it once since, and ever since I have been thinking of the bike pack possibilities it opens up. While it is possible to link the two sides via fire road I would much rather be on singletrack, even if it is a tough hike a bike. 4 years later we were back on the connector and it is barely changed.
No recent traffic of any kind, and maybe just a new downed tree or two
And still a helluva hike a bike
Looking back
Getting to the shoulder of the peak the trail disappears. Topo maps show a route but it runs too low across a steep rocky hillside and was obviously drawn in sight unseen. We have never found a trace of the trail until today, and I had assumed it was long disappeared. This time we spotted a line of intermittent blue ribbons and cairns marking a route up, connected by a faint path. Half a mile later that all disappeared and we were again left to find our own route up to the summit. It is steep, loose scree, rock outcrops and downed trees.
We reached the peak at sunset, a bit later than hoped
There is a trail camp part way down the trail off the far side we had planned to camp at, but we found it occupied by a boy scout troop so we pressed further down the trail until we found a flat spot, past dark. Not a bad view to wake up to.
The next morning it was up and on the trail. We filled up water at a campground and continued on
Despite some carnage from horses the upper part of the trail was in ok shape, mostly deteriorating from dis-use. The lower trail was good as always, except for this exposed squeeze. I have always made it past this spot cleanly before, but dabbed as my front wheel slid, and then bumped shoulder almost getting bounced over and down the hill. Its a lot sketchier than I've seen it in the past. You can slide a long ways down the slope if you go over.
Flowy goodness
I always think of SART as one of the more overrated Socal trails but it is actually really fun from South fork to the bottom.
The only poor part of the plan was going up Clarks grade mid afternoon towards the end of the ride. The views were good though
Its not a horrible grade but it gets sandy, and steep enough that we walked a fair bit
We didn't really need water but stopped to fill up anyways
Happy ending back to the truck
Ending up with around 30mi and 5,500ft per day this wasn't an easy overnighter especially with the hike a bike on day one. I can't say I'll go up and over the peak again soon on a bike pack but it is nice to know the connector trail is still there and passable. There are plenty of options that are a lot more rideable. And while SART isn't my favorite trail it is a great one to bike pack and fun to throw in as part of a bigger ride.
A couple setup notes. Andy didn't have any specific gear so I lent him my revelate sweetroll. It set up in about 10 seconds on his bike and worked perfectly over 2 days. I wanted to try out a heavier pack rather osprey + seat bag so I would be able to use my dropper post. The bigger pack was uncomfortable at first but seemed to settle in - my shoulders were sore the first day but didn't notice them much on day 2. Might work if I can get used to it, and it was nice on the rocky descents to be able to lower the seat. I can only do so about 1" with the viscacha on the bike. This setup will definitely be under consideration in the future if there are steep/technical descents in store.
