Oaktown Classic: West Ridge/Joaquin Miller/Sausal Creek
by Bruce Nikolai
This ride features a lot of Redwoods, mild climbs, and nice views in the forest. Start at Skyline gate -- West Ridge fire trail is a great warm up. Just outside Moon Gate hit a steep single track -- it's a good, rooty, challenging, 100-foot climb. Ride through the meadow and cross Skyline to a Joaquin Miller, where Castle Park Trail is a fun fast descent. Next there's the steep, downhill singletrack of Cinderella (otherwise known as the faceplant trail where my buddy lost a chunk of his cheek). This is technical at the beginning and end, so keep your wits about you, keep your center of gravity low and behind the seat and be ready to dab or walk. At the bottom, resist the temptation to drop onto Sunset trail a little too fast. From Sunset dive down Palos Colorados, a smooth, swoopy-doop of a trail through ivy, oaks, redwoods and bay trees. When it ends on a steep note at the bottom, cross the bridge and head down Sinawik trail to Lookout Point, with a view that's definitely worth a look.
A few roads and a tunnel under the freeway lead to Dimond Canyon, complete with stairs, creek-crossings, and BTCEB-built singletrack with a fun-but-sketchy switchback descent. The fairly-unused-but-still-fun singletrack under the Leimert bridge has a few technical bits, such as a slippery pipe that wants to dump you over the edge. Once exiting the park double back to JMP. On your way up you will hit a nice challenging wall, which is fun to try a few times with all your buddies watching as your muscles bulge and your eyeballs pop and you tumble off your ride. Back in Redwood Park, you'll sigh with relief when you hit the downhill on West Ridge.
Bruce's turn-by-turn directions
http://www.sausalcreek.org/pdf/Sausal_Trails_Map.pdf
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Start at Skylinke Gate, Redwook Park
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From the parking lot go to right side and take West Ridge fire trail. It is a great warm up for a lot of Redwoods mild climbs and nice views of the forest
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at Moon gate bear right by the fire road gat
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bear left and go up steep single track just out side the gate to the left. Cross Skyline Blvd. It is rooty steep and a good challenging 100 foot climb. Ride through meadow and cross cross walk on to a fire road.
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Castle Park Trail, continue on Castle Park fire road fun fast descent, but watch for hikers on the turns, make the steep climb and bear right on the single track, take a right at the steep downhill singletrack, Cinderella otherwise known as the face plant trail. where my buddy lost a chunk of his cheek at the beginning of the trail. This is a steep (technical at the beginning and ending) trail, so keep your wits about you, keep your center of gravity low and behind the seat and be ready to dab or walk. It flattens out in the middle with some banked swoopy turns which are a lot of fun. Brace your self for the end of the trail, stomach on the seat and pick your line carefully.
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left at the bottom of Cinderella on Sunset Trail(fire road) careful as the temptation is to drop on to this trail a little fast coming off of Cinderella.
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Sunset is a mild climb and look carefully for the next singletrack on the right, Palos Colorados, this a smooth swoopy doop of a trail through ivy, oaks, redwoods and bay trees in ends on a steep note at the bottom cross bridge(left) and make a right after crossing the bridge on Sinawik trail(single track) to look out point
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Check out the view from lookout point then continue down the hill on Sinawik trail(single track evolving to fire road) through the new houses and out to Mountain Blvd.
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Right on Mountain Blvd,
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At the bottom of the hill turn left throught the tunnel under the freeway.
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Turn right at the end of the tunnel go down road 1/8 mile and enter Dimond Canyon(Sausal Creek) park to the left on Bridgeview trail
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decend the trail/stairs to the creek, climb out on the switchbacks and go right once you have climbed out of the creek
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ride around past the driving range, Bridgeview turns into a fire trail and look for Canyon trail to the right. It is not real obvious so ride slow and look for signage.
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This is a single track trail built by BTCEB members and has a fun sketchy switchback descent to the creek. Once you reach the creek make a right turn on Canon trail and climb out, you will need to revese direction, the map shows a dead end trail going east so make sure you stay to the left heading west / downhill once you have climbed out of the creek.
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Continue on the Canon trail single track, take a left not long after passing under the Leimert Bridge. This is a fairly unused but still fun single track, with a few technical bits such as a slippery pipe that wants to dump you over the edge.
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descend and cross the creek, turn right on to Dimond Canyon trail and exit the park.
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go left on El Centro Road the road right at the park entrance.
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Enjoy the Story Book houses in this neigborhood as you work your way to return to dirt.
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go left on Hanly road
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left on Oakmore Place
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right on Oakmore Rd.
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right on Leimert Blvd
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Left on Bridgeview Dr.
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Re-enter Park on Bridgeview trail the same which you descended on go past golf course, through creek and take the tunnel back track under higway 13
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turn right on Mountain left on Joaquin Miller
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150 yards up the hill turn left on Bishop's walk singetrack back up to look out point. Bishop's walk is bit of grind and not very scenic but it gets you there.
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descend and climb on Sinawik trail where you climbed out of creek early, don't cross back over bridge and have a nice time climbing the rooty rocky little but guster.
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Cross over to sunset trail and climb it up to Sequoia Bayview.
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You will hit a nice challenging wall, which is fun to try a few times with all your buddies watching as your muscles bulge and your eyeballs pop and you tumble off your ride.
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at the top Turn left on Sequoia Bayview
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Loop around sequoia arena , pass the top of Cinderella and turn right on Bayview Trail(Singletrack)
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Cross the road, climb up the entrance road to Chabot Observatory and turn left on West Ridge trail near the top of the climb.
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Return to Skyline Gate parking area on West Ridge Trail. You'll sigh with relief when you hit the downhill on West Ridge after the observatory. Watch for hikers/dogs as the trail gets a lot busier near Skyline Gate.