Tapia Canyon 6-4-07 6:00pm

[jeffj]

OK, I'm going to keep trying to get some locals (or any interested parties) together for rides. Short notice again, but what the heck... again. We have many new members here and a core of relative old timers and I see several groups of one or two riding here and there. May as well get together to meet new people and find some new places to ride while we're at it.

I'll be at the Castaic Sposts Complex Tuesday evening at 5:45 pm and ready to ride at 6:00 pm. We should finish well before dark even if someone flats.

Hotter-n-heck? Sort of. It will be somewhat hot to start, but it's not as bad as you might imagine with the breeze that usually courses through the area. By the time you make it to the far end of the fireroad at the twin towers it feels downright pleasant at this time in the evening.

I'm planning to ride up the fireroad and down the Tapia singletrack which I call the "Two Mile Smile" back to where it intersects the fireroad we ride in on. Total distance is about 11 miles from the Castaic Sports Complex.

The ride up the fireroad is about as gentle a climb as a fireroad can be for most of the way up, but gets steeper for the last mile and a half. The Tapia singletrack descent is a fun 2 mile long intermediate level rollercoaster that is more technical than steep, but something most novices could navigate one way or another because it's not long steeps like you might find on many other trails.

Directions: Exit northbound I-5 at Parker Road in Castaic, turn right from the offramp and 100 yards later, turn right again at the stop sign at Castaic Road. Backtrack along the east side of the freeway for a little over 1/4 mile until you see the entrance to the Sports Complex on your left. The first parking lot right at the entrance by the gym is where I'll park (and where most MTB rides originate here). I'll be in a red Scion tC coupe.

Ride is open to anyone/everyone that shows and no one will get left behind. Fast is not a word to describe me on a bicycle and fun is the order of the day.

I'll be checking in here before I leave work at about 4:30pm, so if you can, post here that you'll be coming so we'll know to look for you.