RSM to Cooks/Luge

Just moved to Rancho Santa Margarita (RSM) near the lake. is there any dirt route that would take you from RSM to Cooks area?

I really don't like riding Live Oak road section on the bicycles.

Thanks for any input...

 

Go through O'Neil, up Live Oak Trail, drop down the backside....it'll drop you out by the tunnel/bike path on El Toro.

https://www.strava.com/routes/22137298

 

awesome... just what i was looking for. i see those trails when i'm viewing the area but never ridden them so didn't know if they were rideable. seems like a perfect connector to ride from the house.

 

YOu can also take the ST that parallels Live Oak Canyon Rd to Monastary, up Monastary to Live Oak Trail....climbing might be a little less on this one.

 

Um... Where near the lake? Should I be looking out my window?

Go around the lake to the Los Flores end... Continue on Camino Montana until you come to the open gate. You're now in O'Neill... Take the Mesa Trail (scaring the soccer mom dog walkers in the process) to Twisted Tire. Drop down, go straight across the road, and the creek. The newly groomed end of Live Oak is about 200 yards straight in front of you at the far side of the traffic circle.

You can also skip the tough climb in the beginning and take the road for a bit and get on Live Oak farther down... Still a legitimate climb, but the beginning is really legitimate. I always feel bad taking Hoffman Homestead and going up Monastery (the road is off limits to bikes)... I don't usually take that route. Only when it's at the beginning of a death march.

There's also Hal's Place, The Arroyo Trabuco Trail which takes you quickly down to LAdera Ranch. There's no, uh, trails there, though. You also have Tijeras Creek, Bell, Caspers, Cadillac, Ding Dong...

Edit: I forgot the Vista DH... It's the only fun legal trail in O'Neill... Two entrances near the towers at the highest point on Live Oak. It used to be more fun, but they added switchbacks to the bottom and made it climbable...

Double edit: A Luge loop from the RSM Lake is only 17/2100... That includes the climb up Live Oak Trail to the top of Vista.

 

I don't know you and yet *I* don't want you riding up Live Oak...

@mtnbikej routes are better..

 

we just moved to Via De La Mesa... off Las Flores and Camino Montana.

im off bike with broken shoulder for now. will be back on bikes by xmas hopefully. need to get out and explore the trails around here.

 

Welcome back @Dirtrider.... not to be confused with @Dirtrider

Well not all the way back. Heal up soon and get out there!