I decided it was important to make good on my pledge to try to ride more and improve my fitness, and what better way to do that then head out to a close by trail that was one of the few remaining on my 2008 Ride List: Elfin Forest. I had been putting off this ride for a while because I was intimidated by all of the stories I had heard about the Way Up Trail. A two mile climb out of the gate, climbing about 1,000 feet in around two miles, the Way Up is a pretty gnarly start to any ride.
I figured it wouldn't be too crowded on a Tuesday morning in September, and I was doing the ride solo so I could go at my own pace and HAB if I needed to without guilt. I got to the trailhead at about 9:00, and was surprised at how close the trail was to my work. I figured that if I liked this ride, maybe I would do it regularly considering its proximity.
I parked at the main parking lot, made sure I had my map, and headed up.
The first little bit wasn't that bad, and it felt good to be riding near sea level after riding at elevation all last week. As I started the climb, I was a little surprised that my legs weren't sore or tired from Kernville/Sequoia, but was glad about that.
The trail turned steep quickly, and I lost momentum and spun out on a loose section pretty early on. I HAB'ed for a couple yards, and the re-mounted and grinded on.
The rocky trail and tight switchbacks had me on and off the bike pretty consistently the entire way up, and I didn't perform as well as I had hoped. I ended up riding a significant portion of the middle of the climb, but was HABing far more than I wanted to. The views of Escondido and the Cuyamacas to the east were beautiful though, and I tried to enjoy the climb up as best I could.
There were a couple of "false summits," and since I'd never been here before, I was pretty discouraged a couple of times when I thought I'd reached the end of the climb, only to be confronted with another switchback or steep climb around the corner. Eventually I did reach the top, and headed over to the Ridgetop picnic area to get my bearings and consult my map.
I decided to do the eastern section of the ride first, which meant heading up the Quail Trail. I did take the short Quail Alternate Trail along the way, which was a fun, .2 mile singletrack section that paralleled the Quail Trail itself which was practically fire road.
At the top of the Quail Trail I lost my way a bit, and inadvertently went through the Boundary Gate and north for a bit into some trails that were not well marked. I realized my mistake, and reversed course back down Quail Trail to the east and soon found myself at the Escondido Overlook.
From the Escondido Overlook, I had a beautiful view of the Olivenhain Reservoir and Dam, and it was an incredibly scenic spot. To the east was the Lake Hodges Overlook Trail, and to the south was the dam itself.
I decided to make the trek over to the east side of the reservoir to ride the Lake Hodges Overlook Trail. From the Escondido Overlook, I rode the fire roads for about a quarter mile until I saw a singletrack offshoot and a sign directing me to the Lake Hodges Overlook trail. I stopped for a second on the fire road along the way to take this shot of the dam from closer to the water level.
After connecting with the Lake Hodges Overlook trail, I negotiated some downhill switchbacks and started up another fairly steep climb to the ridge above me. It was tough in spots, and once again I was on and off the bike frequently trying to get my lungs and legs to cooperate.Eventually I reached the ridge, and made my way along an up and down section of trail that eventually led to the actual Lake Hodges Overlook.
I could see all of Lake Hodges below me, including most of the north side trails and Bernardo Peak directly to the east. This entire area had burned during the wildfires last October, and there was still plenty of evidence around me.
After stopping for a minute at the Lake Hodges Overlook, I was faced with a choice. To the south was the Lake Hodges Overlook Loop (I think we need some more creative trail names at Elfin Forest by the way), which consisted of a mile and a half loop that had been recently built by the SDMBA. I considered skipping it, but since I was alone and not on a time schedule, I figured I'd go for it and slow down or rest if I needed to. Turned out I needed to.
The loop itself was very scenic and all singletrack. It wound around near the reservoir, then back up the mountain toward the ridgeline. There were some fairly significant elevation changes, and fatigue began to set in about halfway through the loop. I sucked it up and rode most of it, but like most of Elfin Forest so far, there were portions of HAB for me.
I finished the Lake Hodges Overlook Loop, and then made my way back through the Lake Hodges Overlook Trail, which led me back up to the Escondido Overlook area again. Seriously, people, what's with the trail names.
I was already pretty exhausted by the time I rode back up from the Escondido Overlook to the Ridgetop picnic area at the center of the trail network. I considered riding the Cielo trail, which apparently goes all the way down to the dam and then climbs back up, but I didn't think I had that in me. Instead, I decided to do my best to rally and do the Equine Incline Loop Trail, a two and a half mile trail that is one of the main trails at Elfin.
Even with my map I was unsure how to get to the entrance of Equine Incline Trail, but I had seen a sign for that trail right at I crested the Way Up Trail earlier in the ride, so I headed that direction. I ended up riding a short section of the Me-xal Trail which connected to Equine Incline, and was on my way, riding the Loop counter-clockwise.
The first part of Equine Incline Loop was a fun descent, but as I shed elevation I knew I'd be gaining it back eventually. And did I ever. The trail itself was mostly singletrack lined by standard California scrub brush and chaparral, and as the morning turned to midday, the heat became a factor. I quickly felt as though I was climbing way more than descending, and the ride became a grind. I was off the bike more than I was on it, and was becoming pretty discouraged and frustrated as the ride wore on. As I (mercifully) reached the end of the Equine Incline Loop Trail, I saw signs for other short trails that I would have liked to have incorporated into my ride, but I simply didn't have the stamina or endurance to do them.
I made my way back to the Way Up Trail, and prepared to enjoy the descent back to the parking lot. The downhill was a lot of fun, and after negotiating a couple of tricky sections and the first few switchbacks, I made it a goal to not dab once on the way down.
I built some momentum, and was carrying some decent speed as I rode down the trail. I cleaned a few more switchbacks in a row, and was feeling pretty good about myself when I took one switchback too wide and had to slam on the brakes to avoid going off trail and down the side of the mountain. The quick stop forced me to put a foot down to steady myself, and my mini goal for the descent was officially a failure. I was able to make it the rest of the way down without dabbing, and at least ended the ride on a good note.
I did have some fun on portions of this trail, but I'm not sure I'll be back any time soon. I'm sure people who love climbing and ride for the workout love this place, but I am not one of those people. The nearly constant ascending required throughout this ride made it more work than fun for me, though some of the views were incredible. I'm glad I was alone, because I would have held up anybody else I was riding with for sure.
I could be convinced to come back to Elfin Forest at some point, maybe after the Spider is built and I've improved my conditioning. Until then, if I want a nearby ride with some scenery, I think I'll stick to Hodges.
Here are the stats:
Total Distance: 10.15 miles
Total Time: 2:35:00
Ascent: 2300 feet
Average Speed: 3.9 mph
Top Speed: 20.5 mph
Bike: Specialized Enduro Elite
Map:View Larger Map
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