I've been meaning to try this.... 👍 Thank you for showing the drop in point... I'm usually on SART and Wild Horse, but I'm gonna hit this next time I'm in AO.
Love the video. I'm gonna ride this next week. Looks like a ton of fun and more my style - something that you could ride on a rigid MTB and not die. Though I'll probably do it on my FS E-bike and park at mountain home and ride up the forest service road.
Nice! I’m in Yucaipa, I’ll have to check this out! I just got into mountain biking and I’ve been going to the wildwood state park to get used to my new bike.
There's also some good trails around Crafton Hills and on the other side of the freeway down in San Tim' Canyon. If you google Redlands Strada Rossa, (A mixed surface ride that the gravel guys really like,) you'll find they have incorporated a lot of the local stuff out there.
Been riding this trail for the better part of 2 decades, and this is the first time I've ever heard to it referred to as "the road of shame", it's always just been "Loch Leven", or maybe "Old 38". So maybe it's just your friends? I can imagine people coming from further away to ride SART (Let's face it, SART is about the only "destination trail" in this area. Doubt anybody is driving an hour or more to ride Crafton Hills.) probably wouldn't normally bother with this one, in favor of riding more of SART. If you're local though Loch Leven + Post Office loop is a pretty standard ride when you only have a few hours and want to get away from the heat down below.
I first heard it referred to that way when doing the Hell Ride and have heard that repeated every year since. Lots of random people on paid SART shuttles also refer to it that way. I do get what they mean even if I totally disagree. Their perspective is that this is the less difficult version of two options when descending from South Fork and you should somehow be ashamed of choosing this one. I think they (Loch Leven and Lower SART) both offer forms of fun that appeal to different riders.
@@outofshapemountainbikersne4243 Huh, cool. I must be out of the loop then. I haven't done the Hell Ride since about 2011, and I didn't even know there were paid shuttles for SART outside of that annual event. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
In addition to Hell Ride, a bunch of us, (that aren't IE locals,) have attended a mixed surface event called Redlands Strada Rossa that includes Crafton Hills and parts of the end of Hell Ride. So there are actually people that drive out there for what might not seem like exciting trails to some. Wildwood Canyon can be a nice place to take a new hiker or new mountain biker, because it's way less crowded than some of the LA and OC stuff, and the Hi up House and Hunt Ranch make for fun, spooky features that's aren't easily duplicated elsewhere.
I wonder when it was a road? Did you come across any patches of old road asphalt? Looks like a fun ride, along with several others in the area - may be worth the drive down next year, *_after Downieville_* of course 😉
Nice ride! I am a beginner in mtb, would this trail be very difficult for me? And i was wondering if there is a connector from crafton ridge trail to this old highway 38 ?
First question: yes. This is a perfect beginner level trail as a descent. However, at 2300 feet of climbing, it’s a bit much as an out-n-back for effort. Second question: technically, yes, but practically, no. You could cross the 38 from Crafton, navigate the wash to the bottom of the Morton Peak section of SART. From there, you could climb the 5000+ feet required to get to the top of Loch Leven and descend from there back to the 38 and get back to Crafton. But I can’t imagine anyone wanting to do that. For most people there are two use cases for Loch Leven. A small number of local riders are probably using it as an occasional out-n-back option. But the vast majority are only descending this as one leg of a larger point-to-point SART ride that starts by being shuttled up to South Fork from the ranger station across from Crafton Hills. Once you have the strength for it, that is the way you want to do this trail. It is less climbing than if you climbed Loch Leven, but a holy crap ton more descending.
If you are climbing it as an out n back, make a left off of hwy 38 at Loch Leven. Follow the road up as far as you can and you will hit the parking area just before the trail head. If shuttling, park one car at Loch Leven and the other in the parking lot of the restaurant in Angelus Oaks.
I've been meaning to try this.... 👍 Thank you for showing the drop in point... I'm usually on SART and Wild Horse, but I'm gonna hit this next time I'm in AO.
Love the video. I'm gonna ride this next week. Looks like a ton of fun and more my style - something that you could ride on a rigid MTB and not die. Though I'll probably do it on my FS E-bike and park at mountain home and ride up the forest service road.
Nice! I’m in Yucaipa, I’ll have to check this out! I just got into mountain biking and I’ve been going to the wildwood state park to get used to my new bike.
You should check that this trail is still rideable/open before you go. It sits within in the affected zone of the recent fire in that area.
There's also some good trails around Crafton Hills and on the other side of the freeway down in San Tim' Canyon. If you google Redlands Strada Rossa, (A mixed surface ride that the gravel guys really like,) you'll find they have incorporated a lot of the local stuff out there.
SART is hard to beat! Also from Yucaipa and try to hit SART at least once a week (bike or hike)...
Been riding this trail for the better part of 2 decades, and this is the first time I've ever heard to it referred to as "the road of shame", it's always just been "Loch Leven", or maybe "Old 38". So maybe it's just your friends?
I can imagine people coming from further away to ride SART (Let's face it, SART is about the only "destination trail" in this area. Doubt anybody is driving an hour or more to ride Crafton Hills.) probably wouldn't normally bother with this one, in favor of riding more of SART.
If you're local though Loch Leven + Post Office loop is a pretty standard ride when you only have a few hours and want to get away from the heat down below.
I first heard it referred to that way when doing the Hell Ride and have heard that repeated every year since. Lots of random people on paid SART shuttles also refer to it that way. I do get what they mean even if I totally disagree. Their perspective is that this is the less difficult version of two options when descending from South Fork and you should somehow be ashamed of choosing this one. I think they (Loch Leven and Lower SART) both offer forms of fun that appeal to different riders.
@@outofshapemountainbikersne4243 Huh, cool. I must be out of the loop then. I haven't done the Hell Ride since about 2011, and I didn't even know there were paid shuttles for SART outside of that annual event. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
@@trevorwalton yes. Until covid came to visit, Crazybearbikes.com was running weekly shuttles in the summer.
In addition to Hell Ride, a bunch of us, (that aren't IE locals,) have attended a mixed surface event called Redlands Strada Rossa that includes Crafton Hills and parts of the end of Hell Ride. So there are actually people that drive out there for what might not seem like exciting trails to some.
Wildwood Canyon can be a nice place to take a new hiker or new mountain biker, because it's way less crowded than some of the LA and OC stuff, and the Hi up House and Hunt Ranch make for fun, spooky features that's aren't easily duplicated elsewhere.
Isn't this the old 38? That makes it cool in itself...
It is! And yes, that's cool.
"68 to "73 I lived in Angeles Oaks. Know the trail well. But never got to the bottom this fast.
Unfortunately a utility company bulldozed the trail recently. It is basically a fire road now, no single track left.
I wonder when it was a road? Did you come across any patches of old road asphalt? Looks like a fun ride, along with several others in the area - may be worth the drive down next year,
*_after Downieville_* of course 😉
Nice ride! I am a beginner in mtb, would this trail be very difficult for me? And i was wondering if there is a connector from crafton ridge trail to this old highway 38 ?
First question: yes. This is a perfect beginner level trail as a descent. However, at 2300 feet of climbing, it’s a bit much as an out-n-back for effort.
Second question: technically, yes, but practically, no.
You could cross the 38 from Crafton, navigate the wash to the bottom of the Morton Peak section of SART. From there, you could climb the 5000+ feet required to get to the top of Loch Leven and descend from there back to the 38 and get back to Crafton. But I can’t imagine anyone wanting to do that.
For most people there are two use cases for Loch Leven. A small number of local riders are probably using it as an occasional out-n-back option. But the vast majority are only descending this as one leg of a larger point-to-point SART ride that starts by being shuttled up to South Fork from the ranger station across from Crafton Hills. Once you have the strength for it, that is the way you want to do this trail. It is less climbing than if you climbed Loch Leven, but a holy crap ton more descending.
Out Of Shape Mountain Bikers Network thank u so much for that information!
@@malakangel9322 You are most welcome!
Is this Mountain Home Trail?
I've not heard it referred to as that. Only Loch Leven or The Old 38. Maybe that's a local name for it as well?
Yes it is.
I’m trying to get to this trail but could use further clarification? Where do I park?
If you are climbing it as an out n back, make a left off of hwy 38 at Loch Leven. Follow the road up as far as you can and you will hit the parking area just before the trail head. If shuttling, park one car at Loch Leven and the other in the parking lot of the restaurant in Angelus Oaks.