For a while now Roger and I have been trying to get together for a ride out at Hidden Falls, but one thing or another prevented it. Last time we had a date set Roger caught Covid. The time before that Jenn had a conflicting appointment, and since we are currently sharing one car (my Camry now lives in Los Angeles with the kid), I had to postpone.
Today the planets finally aligned and we got it done.
I took a look at the map to familiarize myself with the area, but I didn't learn much except there were many trails and they ranged from easy to difficult.
Hidden Falls Regional Park is about eight miles north-west of Auburn. It took me about 50 minutes to drive there from Folsom on winding country roads. I arrived a little high on nostalgia because these roads were part of our vast training grounds when we were younger. The flashbacks were vivid and frequent. Every twist and turn brought a new "this is where" memory, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The roads and countryside have changed very little except for one important facet: The traffic. Back in the 1980s we could ride 30 minutes between cars passing. Now we would be lucky to get 30 seconds.
I arrived at the parking lot to find the temperature was 12 degrees colder than at my home in Folsom. I forgot about the elevation change, and I was horribly underdressed for 46 degrees.
We took off and started on a long downhill and I was very cold. After a long summer of heat it was shocking. We probably could have started later and at least let the sun come up a bit more.
The trails are mostly smooth and fast, with just enough turning to make it fun.
Hey, look, sunshine!
We took a side trip to the namesake falls, and I was surprised there was any water flowing at all considering the time of year.
Towards the end of the ride I was starting to blow up, and we had only gone 12 miles. Roger was on his eBike and I felt compelled to peg it on every climb so I wouldn't slow him down. I was in a heart rate zone I hadn't visited in a while, and it cost me. I usually ride about 25 miles on my mountain bike rides, and I always climb at a good pace, but not like this.
I opted out of a longer ride and made the last climb back up to the parking lot.
In the end we only did 14 miles but with a solid 1700 feet of climbing. Again, this is significantly less than the 2500 feet I do on my local ride, but not at race pace.
We had a nice lunch at a drive-in burger place in Lincoln after the ride.
It was a great introduction to a new trail system and I look forward to doing it again and not killing myself to prove I am just as fast as an eBike.
Later.