RR: Florida Canyon
 

After waiting for my luggage to arrive a day late, I was finally able to
get a ride in on the new SS. I was concerned about the climbs at
Mission Canyon, so I opted for Florida Canyon. This was about three
miles up from the hotel and comprises two sides of a canyon with I-5 in
the middle.

On the way up there are nice parks, museums, and the world famous San
Diego Zoo. With all the recent rain they've had here (did I mention it
was 74F and sunny today) the canyon was in full bloom.

http://www.schnauzers.ws/public/imag...d/IMG_0036.jpg

A little further up and the first trailhead appears.

http://www.schnauzers.ws/public/imag...d/IMG_0038.jpg

The trail was a little on the wide side, but still a blast going down.
The ruts gave it a bit of technical charm that would have been severely
lacking.

http://www.schnauzers.ws/public/imag...d/IMG_0039.jpg

http://www.schnauzers.ws/public/imag...d/IMG_0040.jpg

Nice view of the canyon and the trails on the other side.

http://www.schnauzers.ws/public/imag...d/IMG_0041.jpg

I did a few loops and figure eights on this side of the highway both up
and down, Out of the saddle but not off the SS!

http://www.schnauzers.ws/public/imag...d/IMG_0042.jpg

http://www.schnauzers.ws/public/imag...d/IMG_0043.jpg

Local flora:

http://www.schnauzers.ws/public/imag...d/IMG_0044.jpg

There were some pretty steep climbs. This one in particular hurt pretty
bad:

http://www.schnauzers.ws/public/imag...d/IMG_0045.jpg

http://www.schnauzers.ws/public/imag...d/IMG_0046.jpg

And then there were the fun downhills. Which line do you think I took
on a fully rigid singlespeed?

http://www.schnauzers.ws/public/imag...d/IMG_0047.jpg

http://www.schnauzers.ws/public/imag...d/IMG_0049.jpg

I climbed out on this paved trail. It was a good way to practice
climbing tight switchbacks.

http://www.schnauzers.ws/public/imag...d/IMG_0050.jpg

Now it was off to the other side of the highway. This side had many
more trails. It was also a bit more technical and washed out then the
west side. The climbs were also a bit steeper too.

http://www.schnauzers.ws/public/imag...d/IMG_0054.jpg

http://www.schnauzers.ws/public/imag...d/IMG_0055.jpg

http://www.schnauzers.ws/public/imag...d/IMG_0056.jpg

http://www.schnauzers.ws/public/imag...d/IMG_0057.jpg

This side (east) was less urban looking too. The trail followed this
canyon for quite a while.

http://www.schnauzers.ws/public/imag...d/IMG_0058.jpg

After finishing a few loops on the east side, I went back across to
make my way through Balboa park and then to the hotel. I did about 12.5
miles of trail, but you have to double some of them up to get that.

http://www.schnauzers.ws/public/imag...d/IMG_0059.jpg

I stopped to look back at the real mountains I may ride next time
although probably not on a singlespeed.

Am I hooked on SS? If the trails were like these and many of them back
home are, then yes I definitely feel something different. Would I keep
the pure and simple rigid? Probably not. Those steps were very scary
without suspension.

--
o-o-o-o Ride-A-Lot o-o-o-o
www.schnauzers.ws

Ride-A-Lot" "mitchel[nospam] wrote:
After waiting for my luggage to arrive a day late, I was finally able
to get a ride in on the new SS. I was concerned about the climbs at
Mission Canyon, so I opted for Florida Canyon. This was about three
miles up from the hotel and comprises two sides of a canyon with I-5
in the middle.

{Snig ol' bip}

Nice pics and writeup. I hardly ever get down there to ride any more; had
some friends who lived fairly close but they moved away, and no one else
ever seems to suggest it.

Glad you got out!

"Ride-A-Lot" wrote in message
...
After waiting for my luggage to arrive a day late, I was finally able to
get a ride in on the new SS. I was concerned about the climbs at
Mission Canyon, so I opted for Florida Canyon. This was about three
miles up from the hotel and comprises two sides of a canyon with I-5 in
the middle.

On the way up there are nice parks, museums, and the world famous San
Diego Zoo. With all the recent rain they've had here (did I mention it
was 74F and sunny today) the canyon was in full bloom.

http://www.schnauzers.ws/public/imag...d/IMG_0036.jpg

A little further up and the first trailhead appears.

http://www.schnauzers.ws/public/imag...d/IMG_0038.jpg

The trail was a little on the wide side, but still a blast going down.
The ruts gave it a bit of technical charm that would have been severely
lacking.

http://www.schnauzers.ws/public/imag...d/IMG_0039.jpg

http://www.schnauzers.ws/public/imag...d/IMG_0040.jpg

Nice view of the canyon and the trails on the other side.

http://www.schnauzers.ws/public/imag...d/IMG_0041.jpg

I did a few loops and figure eights on this side of the highway both up
and down, Out of the saddle but not off the SS!

http://www.schnauzers.ws/public/imag...d/IMG_0042.jpg

http://www.schnauzers.ws/public/imag...d/IMG_0043.jpg

Local flora:

http://www.schnauzers.ws/public/imag...d/IMG_0044.jpg

There were some pretty steep climbs. This one in particular hurt pretty
bad:

http://www.schnauzers.ws/public/imag...d/IMG_0045.jpg

http://www.schnauzers.ws/public/imag...d/IMG_0046.jpg

And then there were the fun downhills. Which line do you think I took
on a fully rigid singlespeed?

Hopefully the stairs. Fully rigid never stopped us in the 80s.

GT

G.T. wrote:
"Ride-A-Lot" wrote in message
...

After waiting for my luggage to arrive a day late, I was finally able to
get a ride in on the new SS. I was concerned about the climbs at
Mission Canyon, so I opted for Florida Canyon. This was about three
miles up from the hotel and comprises two sides of a canyon with I-5 in
the middle.

On the way up there are nice parks, museums, and the world famous San
Diego Zoo. With all the recent rain they've had here (did I mention it
was 74F and sunny today) the canyon was in full bloom.

http://www.schnauzers.ws/public/imag...d/IMG_0036.jpg

A little further up and the first trailhead appears.

http://www.schnauzers.ws/public/imag...d/IMG_0038.jpg

The trail was a little on the wide side, but still a blast going down.
The ruts gave it a bit of technical charm that would have been severely
lacking.

http://www.schnauzers.ws/public/imag...d/IMG_0039.jpg

http://www.schnauzers.ws/public/imag...d/IMG_0040.jpg

Nice view of the canyon and the trails on the other side.

http://www.schnauzers.ws/public/imag...d/IMG_0041.jpg

I did a few loops and figure eights on this side of the highway both up
and down, Out of the saddle but not off the SS!

http://www.schnauzers.ws/public/imag...d/IMG_0042.jpg

http://www.schnauzers.ws/public/imag...d/IMG_0043.jpg

Local flora:

http://www.schnauzers.ws/public/imag...d/IMG_0044.jpg

There were some pretty steep climbs. This one in particular hurt pretty
bad:

http://www.schnauzers.ws/public/imag...d/IMG_0045.jpg

http://www.schnauzers.ws/public/imag...d/IMG_0046.jpg

And then there were the fun downhills. Which line do you think I took
on a fully rigid singlespeed?


Hopefully the stairs. Fully rigid never stopped us in the 80s.

GT



I gave it away at the end of the report. Yes, it was the stairs, but I
thought long and hard before I took the plunge.

--
o-o-o-o Ride-A-Lot o-o-o-o
www.schnauzers.ws

"Ride-A-Lot" wrote in message
...

Thanks Ride-A-Lot.
Interesting trail.
Thanks for the photos.

Trentus

"Ride-A-Lot" wrote in message
...



Nice write up. I liked the picture with USNH San Diego in the background.
I was stationed there in the 90's. I loved hitting those trails at lunch.


TJ
www.fatboy.s5.com