Caliente Ridge
Route Review
Cassie, Steve, and I biked the Caliente Ridge Trail from the trailhead to about a mile and a half before the actual peak of Caliente Mountain.
The bike trail was mostly hard-packed dirt, which was nice. Unfortunately for us, there were also parts with super soft powdery sand, as well as two technical sections with rock shelves. There were also a few sections where overgrown bushes aggressively swiped at our legs as we biked by.
There was almost zero shade on the trail, which led to me feeling very hot, even though the actual temperature was in the low 80s.
There was a large parking lot (with no amenities) at the trailhead, with plenty of parking. We saw only four people during our bike ride, all being hikers.
What I Learned
Cassie learned again that she has to eat enough food to be able to bike confidently, especially the downhill parts, where one has to maintain balance and on the uphills, where she needed to constantly supply energy to her legs. It also turned out that her heart rate averaged around 140 during the ride, which was very high. We think it was high due to how uncomfortable she was with the trail.
Steve and I carried two water bottles, with Cassie carrying one large one. Cassie drank most of her water before we turned back (she was probably dehydrated as she started conserving water halfway to the turn-around point) and Steve generously shared his water with us. Before we do a similar ride in the future, we should get Cassie another water bottle holder.
Compared to my previous bike, I am missing one lower gear and it really bothered me today. I think next time I perform a major bike maintenance, I’ll install a smaller chainring in the front. This is because my current bike is a “commuter” gravel bike, and thus has 44 teeth in the front. What I would like is 36 teeth.
I had biked 59 miles the day before, and my thighs were pretty tired. Surprisingly though, my butt did not complain about being on the saddle after such a long ride the day before.
Friends
Steve joined us for the ride and we had a grand time in the downhill parts where we felt liberated. We had dope conversations and the outing was a great one.
What Happened?
13.8 miles, 3 hrs 58 mins, 1801 ft of ascent
When Steve talked to us about this trip to Carrizo, he asked if we could bike once and hike once. While I originally had planned to hike this trail, I found out that it was bikeable, so we planned on that since we wanted to meet up with Mercedes after lunch (hiking would take a lot longer).
We met up with Steve at Selby Campground and we moved his bike into Ramona so we could just take one car up to the trailhead. At the trailhead, we put on sunblock and started on the trail.
The trail was a double track trail that we found to be pretty and welcoming. The trail was a hard packed dirt trail, the views were jaw-dropping, and the inclines were not-too-hard. Still, we went at a steady pace and took a long break at the point where the double track turned into a single one.
Thanks to Steve for this picture!
The single track portion was a lot gnarlier. There were more downhills and the uphills were punishing, especially on dirt that was sometimes as soft as the sandiest beaches in the world. Some parts were downright scary, with sections where it was all rock and steep. I held my breath more than a few times hoping that I (or Cassie/Steve) would not fall and that we would be a-okay. For me, the worst was on a downhill section where I was probably going at about 20 mph where I hit a soft sandy patch and went off trail. I thought for sure I would hit something and fall, but I somehow stuck on the bike and made it back to the trail after 20 or 30 feet—I had such an adrenaline rush!
At a certain point, we noticed that we were moving quite slow and we were unsure that we would make it back to the visitor center by 2pm, as that’s when we were going to meet Mercedes. So, with our pace getting glacial, we made the decision to turn around.
On the way back, Cassie had her scariest moment when on a downhill section, she fell off her bike. It was a good thing that she wasn’t going too fast, as she was able to fall in a graceful way where she did not get injured. But it did spook her, and it took a bit for her to get her confidence back. She did get it back though, and that helped us get back to the trailhead in good time.
We made it back to the visitor center about 15 minutes later than planned, but Mercedes (and our new friend Chris) were patient with us. We shopped, had lunch, and snacked while catching up.
