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So I had nearly completed the journal entry when the blue screen of death pops up on the computer screen. Damn. So let's give it another go...
So I went up camping with some friends at Humboldt State Park in Norther California, home of some of the biggest redwood trees in the US and I think even the world. So Saturday, I had my heart set on biking the toughest, most brutal, and relentless trail in the park; the Grasshopper Loop Trail.
So I start biking and is inclines sharply. At .5 miles I have to hop off the bike and start hiking with it. At about 1.5 miles, the trail levels out and I start picking up some speed on the gentle inclines and declines of the fire road. Then at 2.75 I reach a bridge (after breaking my bicycle camera mount) and start the relentless climb to the top. So after hiking up hill with the bike again, I reach the peak at the 7.3 mile mark.
Then, it's all down hill. I'm FLYING down the single track and fireroads hitting 30 mph. I hit a fork and hook right and am greeted with even more downhills. I'm lovin every second of it.
Then I hit the creek. This is where the trouble starts. The trail seemingly discontinues. I back track a little to see if I had missed a turn, and it doesnt seem to be the case. I go back to the creek and cross it, and meet a huge incline. I drop back after 5 minutes then start thinking that I must've missed the trail somewhere before(all of the trail markers seemd to have been eaten up or clawed at by park animals). I know which way north is at least. So then I start heading east up a trail which in the end NEVER seemed to stop climbing! I face the fact that I may have took a wrong turn at the fork. So I turn around and head back down. What took nearly an hour to go up, takes me 7 minutes to come back down that trail!
After what seemed like an endless climb with the fear of running out of water, I get back to the fork which says 9 miles to Mattole Rd. So, I get on it and start the trek back. Another backwoods fire road which again seems endless....
Finally I hit a paved road (after getting directions from a lone family in an SUV). Thank God! I'm again greeted with lots of downhills... about 5 miles of windy paved road leading back to my Xterra. On this road I'm consistantly hitting between 30-35 mph on my mountain bike. I even nearly hit 40 mph at one point. OH YEA!
So in the end, what was supposed to be a 17.2 mile ride turned out to be 40.1 miles of heaven and hell. Would I do that trail again? Hell no. But on the brighter side of things, any trail I do after this probably wont compare to this beast.
After being gone for 6 hours, apparently lost on a freakin big ass mountain, I make it back to the campground and am greeted with my friends, bbq, and ice cold beer. The twinkle in my eye is gone for now, but at least my belly was full, I was rehydrated, and didn't have to worry about creating an over-night shelter on that damn mountian. The rest of the trip was good. More bbq, walking through some of the redwoods, and just good times with close friends. But my biggest lesson learned is being sure that all the trails are still there before starting. Over prepare, be ready for anything, and have backup plans and routes!
So, hmmm.... where to go next?! Bwahaha!
**EDIT**
So here's some vids I took while driving through one of the redwood forests after my biking ordeal lol
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-flDDdv-OPwhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXVZS1hVF-A