Drop the Jop

I was gonna post the same thing Jim. Kinda sucks if people don't ride it, it's going to go away into weeds. Maybe that's what octa wants... Used to be a heck of a lot of fun to drop from STT to Live Oak Canyon. Now only Luge or Cadillac are options off of STT.

And "upper joplin" starts on the backside (east) of santiago peak and main divide, and cuts over near the top of Joplin. That's a fun flowy fast trail

 

Jim, thanks for clarifying the legal Lower Joplin strategy.

@herzalot: I'll be on a rigid post, hehe. Come join us, pal. No rush up the hill, and you would destroy Joplin with the widest grin ever. It's good right now. Other than ducking under two trees, it's all rideable. A lot of variety in two miles.

Holy shite, I just put a 120 Pike on my Czar...hello, Jop Drop

 

I could barely do one loop while you guys do two. Enjoy the cookies and have fun riding.

 

I am typically quite tentative on new trails, but I am willing to grin widely!

 

Right on : )
Reference: if one has a handle on Stairsteps, Joplin will be well in hand. Failure penalties are lighter overall on Joplin.

 

I'll be on the SS without a dropper or seat QR.

 

Thanks for the intel, all. I am SO excited about this ride! Gonna be cold. Maybe if we have the watts in the batteries, we drop Jop from the top?

 

That adds another 20 mins of climbing for about 2 mins of DH that really isn't all that great.


That bumps the stats up a little more:

 

Agree 100%.

There may be some snow accums hanging around from the current system. Looks like ~5" of accum on the summit; the rain afterward will knock a lot of it down.

I'd say extra energy would be best spent adding the Lower spur as kioti describes. It's fast and furious fun.

 

I am just along for the (most fun) ride (possible).

There is so much intel flowing on this thread. Thanks dudes!!

 

@Faust29 suggests 10am as a target for rendezvous after the Motorway loop. Lemme know if you guys reco any different.

Meet you at the bottom of Motorway

 

Makes sense to me!

 

Well if you guys are outdoing each other, maybe I'll show up with no chain, no brakes and my seatpost already jammed up my a--! And I will loosen not just my lever bolts but all of my bolts so that all parts will give way if I crash!

Tough crowd.

 

Hey @Cougar ... let's set a shuttle at Wahoos, then take the other car to meet them at the bottom of Motorway, slog up Maple Springs, drop Jop, climb out, do STT-Luge, Whiting and finish with Wahoos for lunch - oops, make that dinner.

 

Popcorn eating emoji

 

Some of my Laguna amigos want to meet us for loop 2, any suggestions for telling them the location of the bottom of motorway? TIA.

How about a prelim headcount? (So I know how many cookies to bring).

 

I am in for loop 1... Hopefully, my head will open up, and I can give loop 2 a shot, as well.

As far as parking... There is a tiny lot (about 6 cars) at the Maple Springs trailhead- adventure pass required. You can't miss this lot... It's 5 miles into the canyon where the road dead ends at the forest gate. I usually check this lot, find it full, and turn around. There is parking off Silverado Canyon in quite a few spots- with the exception of a few areas that have no parking signs. I believe @mtnbikej had a map with arrows for some of the parking areas... He's good at the illustrations. Hint, hint...


There is also parking inside the forest gate (no pass required) when the gate is open... Unfortunately, it's been closed for 2 weeks and I don't imagine it will be open soon with the rain.

 

I'll get something tomorrow.

 

@StrandLeper find Santiago Canyon Road. Find Silverado Canyon Road. Go up Silverado Canyon until you can't. However, don't trust my directions. I haven't been there in 14 years.

Try this: https://www.google.com/maps/place/S...2f52acec97888!8m2!3d33.7476139!4d-117.6139663

 

The forest gate is a pretty decent landmark, whether or not it's locked. For those of us mildly foggy on exactly where Motorway drops in

My plan is bike only from Trabuco Cyn, up HJ, down MS (meet), up MS, down Jop/Caddy. Anything to avoid starting a car...

 

90% in for this. Just ran it by the wife and she gave a thumbs up... however, I remember her saying that she might want to do something else on Monday that she might not remember her saying. So I'll give it till about midday tomorrow before I lock in for sure-sure.

 

Okay @herzalot I'm in.

It looks like it's 24mi and ~4k gain for our shuttle version.

0915 at Wahoo's - aim to be at the bottom of Motorway at 1000? It won't take us 45min to get dressed and shuttle ready... but I do remember the drive down the canyon to be a LOT slower than I thought it would be. I originally was thinking 0930, but that feels like we'd miss our rendezvous with the slightest of time mishaps.

 

This is the closest parking to Maple Springs. Keep in mind that parking up here will require the ride back up Silverado Cyn unless they do a shuttle.
There are other places to park along the canyon. Just find an opening on the side of the road. Be respectful of the residences(don't make a bunch of noise).




Otherwise they can park out at the Tree Farm....and pedal in. It takes me about 40 mins/5 miles to pedal to the Maple Springs Gate. Figure 1 hr at a casual pace.

 

@Cougar I have a few health issues in my household that keep me from saying I am 100% in for this. Sorry I cannot commit 100% right now. You might start thinking of a plan B if I have to bail out. I do have an Adventure Pass, however!

 

Text me later tonight. I'll just need to know before 0700 tomorrow so that if I go solo, I can park at the tree lot and get to the base of Motorway by 1000.

Also, sorry about the health issues.

 

Chances are that Whiting will still be closed tomorrow. If so, we can set the shuttle at Cooks. Knock off about 700' of climbing as well, but miss the swoopy icing on the cake.

Wife just got a Z-Pack, so we will see if that knocks down the gnarly lung infection.

 

See ya at the Tree Farm @ 7:00

 

Have a good first loop, guys. I'll see you at the Maple Springs gate at 10am. If for some reason I'm not there and everyone else is, just head up and I'll connect with you on my way down MS.

 

Sorry guys, gonna pass on this. Had a long day today and I'm not really looking forward to the drive by myself.
Enjoy your ride. See ya on the next one hopefully.

 

See you at 7 J and Faust. I will be bringing a buddy who is a strong rider.