I find Labor Day a tough weekend to plan for MTB-wise because temps are still scorching down low, and a lot of places are jam-packed with (long)weekend warriors. In addition to being a great adventure, bikepacking presents the advantage of being able to camp pretty much anywhere on the trail you can find a good spot, to get away from the crowds. Big Bear would be overrun with vacationers and 4x4s this long weekend, but not on the trails I would be riding. The plan wasn't finalized even as I set off. I had a bunch of maps printed and some options in mind, and planned to modify the route based on time and how I was feeling. My only commitment was to try to meet up with friends Ben, Tara and Jeremy who were planning to ride SART (Santa Ana River Trail) on Sunday.
Day 1
I parked my truck just above Hanna Flat campground and picked up Hanna Flat to Grays Peak Trail (skipping the summit out and back). This is an awesome 2-3hr out and back ride from Fawnskin if you have not done it.
The trail drops down to Highway 38, which I followed around the lake to Boulder Bay.
From there I climbed up road 2N10 to Cabin 89 trail to Pineknot trail. With epic views and promise of a nice descent to start the next day, Grand View Point proved a perfect place to camp.
A late start limited my ride options for the afternoon and I arrived just in time for sunset. Perfect...
Full moon soon rose. As cool as it is, I normally don't sleep well camping when there is a full moon. I was using a new ultralight tent on this trip for the first time rather than my usual bivy, which did help some.
Day 2
Sunrise came early, and I was trying to get up and get moving to meet up with Ben, Tara and Jeremy somewhere on SART.
Right below Grand View Point starts the trail that would take me down into the Santa Ana River valley, 7 Oaks Trail
This is a fairly new trail, completed in the last year or two. However, it already appears years old with sluffing bench walls, erosion ruts, and little traffic. It is steeper than it should be to be sustainable, and is very loose due to gravelly/sandy soil. Definitely not a trail to try to climb up. Descending was fun though, if not a bit scary in places on a fully loaded bike.
At the bottom of 7 Oaks I had a bit of road to navigate to connect to SART at Glass Rd. Unsure how long it would take the others to get going, I would try to meet them at the bottom of Middle Control Rd where they planned to park to get the initial climb out of the way first. Turned out they were late starting, so I had no need to worry.
Newly built stream crossing on lower SART
We met up at the Post office in Angelus Oaks and then dropped the singletrack back down to Middle Control Rd. It was in good shape with just one token wash out.
Some other riders wisely wear bug head nets to keep the flies at bay. From past experience I had mine with me too, and it would prove valuable all weekend
Climbing SART
Tara tries out a crossing built a couple years ago
SART is a great climb, not too steep but just steep enough to be a good workout (and perfect for singlespeeders if you are into that kind of thing)
Riding the contours on upper SART
A good part of the trail is in the shade which makes it a good choice for summer riding, along with the elevation (5-7,000)
With some serious exposure on the route though, it is not for everyone. I believe horses are not allowed, and wisely they do not ignore that rule like they seem to most other places
Clipping a handlebar here has sent many riders tumbling down the slope. Tara makes it no problem
After a rest stop at South Fork campground, I continued on up SART to Heart Bar while the others returned to Angelus Oaks. The trail above South Fork is horse country, and can be in good shape, or it can be completely thrashed by horse traffic. While loose in spots, it was in pretty good shape today for late summer. I took my time and then crossed Hwy 38 to Wildhorse Rd. I was tempted to camp at Heart Bar but I knew the road climb would be worth it. While a bit of a grind, it offered some great views of San Gorgonio.
Love the trees in the area. I was reading that the forest service has been having problems with people poaching the trees, for sale to local wood carvers who make everything from yard furniture to wildlife carvings. Too bad, as these trees can be up to 900 years old.
After a climb up to 8,600 ft I get a bit of fun descent down to Wildhorse Camp, once again reaching my destination with perfect timing at sundown.
Day 3
Feeling really tired from the prior day I slept in a bit late, and did not get rolling til 10. There is a bit of a climb out of camp but it is not bad. I had heard reports of this trail being nearly impassable with downed trees but it turned out not to be the case - only 4 of them, all with ride arounds, and I am pretty sure none of them are new since last year.
After the climb you contour for a bit and mix great views with some light technical riding
Looking over to Mt San Gorgonio & Wilderness
This is a fun trail that seems longer than it is, eventually transitioning to a section of baby heads and then to an old road that is wide but has some fun whoops. Eventually you are dropped back on Hwy 38 near Heart Bar again.
I decide to take a side detour climb up to Coon Creek Jumpoff, which I had heard offers an awesome view down into the desert to the south. I was not disappointed, and there are some excellent camp sites there too, for future reference.
From this point I had several options: 1) return on SART and climb back over the ridge to Big Bear; 2) take roads around Onyx Summit and then connect in to Snow Summit trail networks back to Fawnskin; 3) take roads around Onyx and then more roads and social trails around the NE side of Big Bear Lake. I chose the latter, none of which I had been on before. The roads were long and boring, with some pavement and much fire road. There are plenty of horse (social) trails off these roads, some of them very nice.
The terrain changes a lot too, to more of a chaparral/scrub environment like we are used to in SoCal
After seemingly too many miles I am nearing my truck, the end of the day's light, and my water. The last mile or two of fire road is in near dark, and while my timing is a little off from the first two days I am able to finish without lights. Tired and sore, I am satisfied at being able to check out some new trail, and some new sights around the Big Bear area. There is a lot of potential for big routes nearby, so I will surely be back to check out more.
Stats for those interested:
Day 1 - 17mi, 2,000 gain, 2,100 descent
Day 2 - 45mi, 8,100 gain, 8,000 descent (now I realize why I was so wiped out!)
Day 3 - 43mi, 6,500 gain, 6,600 descent
Total - 105mi, 16,600 elev
