We rode it as a point to point, so after dropping a car at the Hurkey Creek campground, we took the van up to Idyllwild proper and rode the Ernie Maxwell Trail. I'm not exaggerating when I say that trail is one of the most fun that I've ever ridden. Swoopy, a little technical but not too much, it was awesome.
After Ernie Maxwell we had a fairly brutal paved road climb for a while, and then it was time for seemingly endless singletrack. We looped around all over, crossing back every once and a while to a central hub. The trails were a ton of fun, mostly cross country with just enough technical features to keep things interesting.
After we'd had our fill of singletrack we headed down Exfoliator and Tunnel of Love back toward the campground at Hurkey Creek. I had some cramping issues during the final climb, but Brian was generous enough to give me some mustard packets which helped considerably. After a quick regroup we rallied down the paved road to the finish.
During the drive home we were stuck behind a roll-over fatality which closed the freeway, so we ended up taking the scenic route back home through Santa Ysabel.Total Distance: 18.86 miles
Total Time: 5:41:58
Ascent: 1,711 feet
Average Speed: 3.3 mph
Top Speed: 22.1 mph
Bike: Intense Spider XVP
Map:
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