Mt. Pinos Snow Ride

Ride Name: Mt. Pinos Snow Ride
When: Sunday 1/21/18
Time: 10:00 a.m.
Where: West of Frazier Park
Ride Description or Details:
Up the pavement to the cross country center. Down the trails. Looks like about 1-3" of snow. I like a good snow ride and this may be as good as it gets this year! Trail has a little bit of everything. Should not be icy since it all fell just last night!
~~~~~ Optional Details ~~~~~
Meet Location: Cuddy Valley Road and Tecuya Mountain Rd. in the dirt parking lot about 1 mile before the Y. I like the singletrack that parallels the road. Make a right onto Tecuya mt.
Skill Level: Intermediate, Advanced
Ride Pace: Social Cruise
Type of Ride: Loop
Rider Limit: None
Anticipated Mileage: 15-20
Elevation Gain: Enough to get to the Top
Ride Duration: 3-4 hours
Previous Ride Reports: Many
Possible Bail-Outs: You can always turn around on the road and head back. Trail can be accessed at McGill and Mt. Pinos campgrounds before reaching the top.
Facilities: Port-A-Potties at the top....maybe
Food/water suggestions: As much as you think you'll need. It'll be cold so bring layers to add for the downhill. Food to compensate for cold temp extra calorie burn.....unless Tailwinds works for that too!
Option to Upload:

 

Did that last Sunday. Snow will be deeper after the last road crossing as you’re going up so stick to the pavement.
Hit the big fallen tree roll overs as straight as you can, they are kinda slick.
Have fun.

 

Make sure your hydraulic dropper posts are freshly bled if you ride in sub 40 degrees.

 

@Maddog...
Did this happen?
Hoping for some pics.
I was too fried to ride with you, on top of I was the MC for the Sanctity of Life Dinner Sunday afternoon.
How'd if go?

 

That MC gig was definitely more important! It did happen! Pics???? Surely you jest! Yeah, I called you Surely! I did take a couple pics at Mt. Pinos campground but I didn't want to take my gloves off for any more. Plus I once stumbled into actually posting up a picture here successfully but I haven't found the inspiration for another attempt yet!

The ride was excellent! The best snow ride I've ever done on Pinos! The road was about 50/50 plowed/ packed snow and clear pavement up to the McGill camp. Not very slushy or deep so the traction was good. The only worry on the climb was the car traffic headed up to play in the snow! CHP was enforcing the chain requirement at the Y so I could hear them coming but a few of them didn't give me much space! The worst was a Forest Ranger in an SUV with no chains who blew by me at about 35 mph and splashed some slush on my leg!

By the time I got up to the Mt. Pinos campground (the 2nd one) the road was all plowed/packed snow and looked about 6" deep on the hillsides and deeper in the ravines. I figured the Harvest trail from the XC Center would have some deeper drifts so I got on the trail there at South Ridge. It was perfect! 4-6" with only fox, coyote and rabbit tracks. Felt like I was floating down the trail! A hiker and some 2-wheeled vehicle (maybe a moto mini-bike) beat me to the first tracks on McGill but it was still primo conditions! A few mud patches on the lower end and I had to dodge a some sledders near the Y which was total chaos by then! The last mile was mostly packed dirt which was much better and faster than the thick gravel when it's dry. It was probably in the high 20's when I started the descent but I got some good cold weather gloves in Utah last summer and I have a good pair of Shimano winter shoes so I was nice and toasty! There was more snow than I expected but it couldn't have been much better for a snow ride! Now I just have to clean my dirty bike!

 

Here's the one good pic I took now that I can more efficiently stumble through this picture posting procedure! This is at the Mt. Pinos campground which is the one closest to the top. The snow in the shady parts of South Ridge and McGill was 4"-6" and still cold so there was pretty good traction! Probably the high mark of snow rides for this "winter"!