RR: Lake Hodges South

With Rachel working hard at her trade show tonight, I arranged to leave work an hour early and decided to hit South Hodges for the first time since the fires. I considered trying to get both the North and South sides in, but got a bit of a late start and wasn't sure when the wife would be home, so I committed to the South side. I was alone and just looking for a fun wind-down ride from a rough week.

I parked in the dirt lot near just off West Bernardo Road across from the retirement home. Since I wanted to see what trails were open, I headed toward the center of the trail section by the kiosk and intended to climb the hill right in the middle of the trails. Unfortunately, to my surprise, that section of trail was closed. I could see all of it, and it looked fine. The vegetation had come back nicely, and the trail was clear. Oh well.


Anyway I took the main trail in the middle toward the lake, and rode that section north toward the narrow singletrack that runs right along the lake. Its a pretty section that I always enjoy.

The one tree canopy that arched over that trail was burned out by the October fire, which was disappointing. But the trail itself was lined with lush, green grass and flowers, making it clear that the recovery was well underway.

I looped back around, up West Bernardo, past my car, and headed toward the southern section of the where the trail crosses the stream and goes toward the waterfall. I quickly discovered, however, that the entire trail south of the stream was closed, probably because the bridge had completely burned. That was unfortunate.

I realized at that point that there were not very many trails on the south side open, and decided it would be fun to ride every single open trail, so that I could "map" the open trails. I did it, and it didn't take long.

I did enjoy the ride, and did three loops around the entire south section, which was fun. I rode the lakeside singletrack in both directions, and reveled in the beautiful temperatures and scenery. I even stopped for a few minutes on a gathering of rocks that jutted out a little ways into the lake.

It was beautiful. There were less than three total miles of open trails, but those that were open were scenic and fun, and I was glad to see how well the area is recovering. With time change, I may do this section more often, but only if I combine it with a ride on the North Side as well.

Stats:
Total Distance: 7.78 miles
Total Time: 1:03:48
Ascent: 619 feet
Average Speed: 7.3 mph
Top Speed: 20.1 mph
Bike: Specialized FSR XC Pro
Map:

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