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[RC] [RC] Training for rides in Auburn area - Lucy Chaplin TrumbullLaurettaI read RC via the archives, so your email address is xxxxx-ed out, so I can't reply to you directly. Please feel free to contact me directly if you have any questions. You can buy a map of the whole Auburn Rec. Area from the Park HQ half way down the canyon on hw-49 (on the Auburn side). It's about $8 but well worth the money. You can also pick it up at local mtn bike stores. I really like this map because it's shows topo lines, so you know what you're getting into before you get there. It shows ALL the trails (horse/hiker/bike/multiuse), including the WST all the way from Michigan Bluff to Auburn. You're unlikely to get lost with this map in hand, although there are other trails I am aware of that are not shown (notably trails within the Auburn Lake Trails gated community to the east of Cool, and the new Coffer Dam trail back to Auburn - it shows the old route). The nice thing about riding these trails is that - eventually - you'll either get back to hw-49/193 or you'll hit the river, so it's really hard to get completely lost. From your point of view, to lengthen/change the loop you're currently riding while continuing to use the Overlook as your start point, you could make use of the network of trails east of hw-49 on the Cool side/ south bank of the Middle Fork American River. You access these trails either by crossing hw-49 at the bottom of the canyon about 1/4 mile past No-Hands, or by crossing hw-49 at the top of the canyon near Cool through Cool Cave Quarry. Once you cross the road (at the bottom of the canyon) the river road along the south bank (the Tevis trail) continues for about another 7 miles until you get to Maine Bar (recognisable by picnic tables). The footing is really good right now, so you can work on (my personal weakness) continuous trotting, which you don't get much chance to do following the singletrack Auburn > Cool > Auburn route you're doing right now. There are 3-4 side trails going up the side of the canyon from the river road. They lead to the "High Trail" or "Wendell Robie Trail", which parallels the river road but follows the contours of the hillside (so is longer) and is singletrack. You can incorporate these into your ride to make loops and add interest/technical difficulty/hill climbs/hill descents/rocks/etc They range from relatively simple singletrack, to ridiculous stuff - like following the trail UP from Maine Bar (most people get off and lead up and down because it has gotten so washed out. I was down there last week and both the horse and I finished up sliding the last 3'... I was thankful she didn't slide into me), or the goat hill section just west of the top part of Browns Bar (don't forget your breast collar!). All these trails are marked with the standard brown lathes you're used to seeing and some have half-mile markers (the High Trail). If you want to get more adventurous, you could start using different trail heads. An easy one to get to is Driver's Flat Road. From there you can access the (multi-use) Foresthill Loop (10 miles of varied, mostly singletrack), or combine that with following the dirt road 1000' down the canyon to the WST - then either branching downriver to Poverty Bar River Crossing (only attempt in summer/ fall) or upriver. Upriver is dirt road (and good footing) for the first few miles and then turns to singletrack - this time of year, I'd avoid the singletrack as it's pretty slippery with bad drop offs. I live 20 mins east of Cool, so tend to ride from Third Gate, a trailhead about 7 miles east of Cool along hw-193. From there you can access the same network on the south side of the river - without the worry of having to get all the way back to Auburn in time for dark. Anyway - hope some of that helps. Let me know if you have questions. * * * Please Reply to: Lauretta tikitiki69@xxxxxxxxxxx or ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ========================================== I trailer my horse over the Auburn Staging area by the fairgrounds every 2-3 weeks and do a loop from there to the Cool firehouse and back. It gives him a fairly good workout, but I would like to 'up' his degree of trail difficulty to prepare him for more difficult terrain that may occur on some of the rides, as well as longer distances (I estimate the loop to be @ 16 miles). What sections of the Western States trail in that area have the most challenging terrain, and would it be a good idea to try these sections with someone who knows the trail the first time? Also, where can I get a detailed map of these sections?? Appreciate any help..... * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Lucy Chaplin Trumbull elsietee AT foothill DOT net Repotted english person in the Sierra foothills, California * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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