Santiago Oaks long time ago

And only right after a big storm or in a wet winter

 

Exactly

 

3x7 Deore LX on my Nishiki Cascade...

Bummed that the video ended when it did, it would have answered a question... 2004 was a wet winter...I’m pretty sure that’s when the creek widened. Guys were fly fishing Santiago Creek—Irvine Lake had just planted a massive amount of trout when the lake crested the spillway and sent them into the creek.

 

i think it was around that time 2004 when we did the creek crossing.. not the first crossing right after chutes ends but further down near in irvine park after the flat single tracks.. the wider crossing.. it was common to see water there during the winters.. albeit a trickle most times.. what was uncommon was the pass our knees crossing and carry our mtbks over our head... never seen it that wide and deep before...

But now even after rains/ wet winter/ the water pretty much stops flowing a day or two after...
I havent encountered water there in at least 10 years... same as Carbon Canyon on telegraph...

 

back then after you did chutes, you either had to go back up where you came down, or go all the way around, pass the dam and go up 3 B's ..

 

Thats a great video and fun to read all your experiences. I'm only a newbie to Irvine Park and Santiago Oaks. 2014 was my rookie year in this area i believe. time flies!!

 

I remember on the "upper" trail from the entrance near IP to the dam, you could barely see the tops of some trees. An amazing winter. Also, some acquaintances on Maple Springs got caught in one of the storms, had their bikes washed away getting back and never found them.

 

I wholeheartedly agree 100%. i nearly cried when i went down the first time after the tragedy. I just started going back to oaks after a long hiatus. Man i love that place. No matter what the trails are like, best bang for your buck.

 

I agree. I was horrified when they first did that. The good thing is that it is now pretty clear all they did was bulldoze dirt over the rocks. Much of Barham is back to its former glory. It really does not make much difference on the downs, but I do remember the climb being much more technical.

Barham is an oddly fun trail for what is basically a fire road ... I love taking the options off to the sides while coming down from the top of Deer.

 

It was better back when I shot that video.....it was a 1 way trail....yeah, a few would climb it, but they were few and far between. You could fly without worrying about uphill traffic.

People used to not ride at the Oaks because it was a hard climb....which kept the numbers down. However once they dumbed down the trails....well, you know what it's like now.

 

I felt the same when they emasculated the "B's".

 

I'm just thankful for the many years before it became a subdivision of Irvine Park.

 

Do any of you remember the whole scene with “the mad pooper”? That guy was crazy! For those that don’t know, there was a guy who took care of business at a certain part of a trail there. Every day, same spot. People were going nuts, and he was almost caught one day. He escaped, and it never happened again. To this day, there is still an official “No Dumping” signpost at the spot. Makes me laugh

 

The Phantom Pooper. It was definitely a running joke/tragedy.

I miss the old Chutes. It just had better flow.
Things change. The Luge was better too.
‘back in my day....’

there used to be a vid of Tim Commerford (RAtM) doing some big drops at Oaks.

 

Yup.....we found out who he was. Turns out, a brain tumor was causing some irrational behavior.

 

What??? I’m so sorry, I hadn’t heard that. I wouldn’t have brought that up in a joking manor. Shoot, sorry

 

Oh, it's still a joking manor. And the ranger put that sign there because of the problem.

 

Let's not become old farts that only remember the good old days...
But I still can't understand why people climb barnam? Flying down barnam is one of the great joys in life.. esp if u don't stop and continue down cactus ...

 

He was one of a few people that could ride up from the bottom without stopping (there was one nasty hill before they put in a "ride around"; my daughter and I were descending once many years ago and encountered him; turned her into an MTB'er) AFAICR.

 

the old alignment would just encourage the transition to ebikes.

There are good loops that include a climb up the ridge, especially for the riders who prefer to skip Cactus (I’ve now broken an ankle and a clavicle on that trail ). I’m not an advocate of the folks that try to PR down Coachwhip with skids and such, but it is a good option for the less adventurous.

in the old days, if I was short on time I’d skip the Bs, HAB up Waterfall and pedal up the ridge a ways before dropping in to chutes.

 

i just biased b/c I start off the mabury area entrance... not irvine park entrance.. And always start w/ the B's...
I guess if you start w/ chutes climb..

 

Maybe it would encourage an "e" for some, but I always enjoyed the challenge. Anything on an e-MTB is the motor's accomplishment IMO. Not that it isn't fun or exercise, but let's not kid ourselves.

 

Hab up waterfall instead of the 3 B's??? That's like hab up motorway....

 

Didn't want to start a thread just to ask: anybody ride there this PM. If so, how were the water crossings? Thanks!

Added after --- Meant to ask about Maple Springs.

 

????? Please tell me you were hoping to go fishing. Oaks is a mud bog after light rain.

Oaks won’t be rideable by non-douchebags for 2-4 days. Douchebags will be able to ride it by tomorrow. I haven’t driven by, but typically we get knee deep ruts at the entrance and trail of mud on Jamboree from the guys who just can’t get a clue.

What does it matter anyway. Horses are probably already out there making 2 foot deep postholes.

 

Exactly! I hope he was trolling. Oaks is super muddy and closed.

Monday or Tuesday ... maybe. Not that it will stop the "equestrians" and the 1,500(?) pound horses from digging giant ruts. Mountain bikers are the problem though.

 

Sorry, I meant Maple Springs; I hardly ever go to Oaks because these days too many people, and never ride where it's muddy or where I could compromise the trails.

 

I saw this on an Intense Facebook group yesterday ... his enduro bike identified as an electric. The appropriate attachments were added.

Well Sh!t, I thought it was funny.

 

I'm not. Can't tell if people are referring to him positively or negatively(?)

 

Hopefully positively. Hans is a mountain biker who's been maintaining and building trails for over 30 years.