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| A Mountain Biking Mecca! |
You know what's the funniest thing about the sport of mountain biking? Its a dirty, bloody, grungy sport populated by climber bums and middle aged adrenaline junkies and yet its beginnings were in some of the most luxurious parts of the country. San Francisco's Marin County, Crested Butte, Colorado, and Orange County all have claims on mountain biking's beginnings. There are perhaps hundreds of places that dubiously claim to have started the sport, but there is archaeological evidence to support Orange County's claim. Yes, the fossil record indicates that mountain biking was alive and well in Orange County in the 1970's. Thankfully, we can still ride these ancient trails out in Crystal Cove and several other locations near Laguna Beach.
(I hope you don't mind my weird sense of humor, its a mountain biker thing)
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| Single Track Heaven |
I hope you had a chance to read my last post about Crystal Cove State Park for hikers. All the trails in the park are open to mountain bikers and I would highly recommend hitting them up. Now, people have many different ideas about "mountain biking". Whatever yours may be, biking Crystal Cove is technically challenging and physically difficult. The trails aren't just an off road path; they are tight single tracks with significant elevation changes and lots of rocks. The "Rattlesnake" Trail is one of the premier mountain biking trails in the park and it will chew you up and spit you out! It's quite exhilarating to mountain biking this part of Orange County though. The trails are challenging but still feel like roller coasters. Plus, you have beautiful views of the Pacific Ocean as you're charging down 1,000ft of madness.
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| Spring Mountain Biking |
The aforementioned Rattlesnake Trail is the number one biking trail in the park. If you're looking for a more gentle ride with plenty of shade, check out the El Moro Canyon Trail. If you are looking for a long and epic loop of the park, take the No Name Ridge Trail to the single track Tickerton-Deer Canyon Trail which is going to be a very long uphill. Once at the top, the Fenceline Trail to Missing Link Trail are good single tracks with more gentle elevation changes. I like this area the best because you can see the entire area of Orange County and LA. Then, head down on the Moro Ridge Trail which gives you the best ocean views.
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| Watch for wildlife! |
Read. Plan. Get Out There!
Mountain biking is one of the most exciting sports and it takes a lot of practice to become a professional mountain biker. It is also important to choose the right bike in order to avoid injuries and ride safely on the rough terrains.
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