Mystery trail

Does anyone know what trail this is? I was browsing Strava heat map and came across this low traffic trail. Connects Main Divide to Silverado Canyon. Just curious.

 

Smashface.....leads off from Pleasant's Peak.

Drops you out over by the cafe & market.

From what I hear.....it's not for the faint of heart. Makes Joplin seem like child's play.

 

The trail doesn't get much traffic. Usually overgrown. Hard to navigate and follow. Lots of hike a bike. More poison oak than you can shake a stick at.

 

I like how the first little bit gets people on it, then nope!

 

There is some traffic on it, so it’s been done. Anyone here ever ride it? Although I’m pretty sure I’ll never do it.

 

Some members of my mtn bike club, got lost on the trail a long time ago....ended up spending the night on the trail.

From what I understand once you get down into the creek....the trail gets really difficult to find and follow. Then the HAB up to the crosses, horrendous. Doesn't sound fun.

 

Couple of old posts on it. The trail sounds like a doozy.

https://www.socaltrailriders.org/threads/blackstar-to-smashface-aaarrrrr.7660/

https://www.warriorssociety.org/News/LostBoys.html

 

Yup, that's it.

 

Perhaps testing your grit on the likes of "biscuits & gravy" (b&g) would be a good primer? Accessed from top of Harding and Maple Springs, it should have you muttering some obscenities by the time you get to the lower reaches when it just gets stupid steep.
Heck, you might even get religious if you get to the pavement w/o injury or rescue

 

My time has passed for this kind of excitement. Besides my wife would kill me if I sustained another serious injury. But I would love to read a ride report if someone is brave and skilled enough to survive the ride.

 

At the top of the super steep bottom section of B&G there is a beautiful idyllic oak grove and meadow. I tore my achilles tendon hiking up to it which took many years to heal so I'm not in a hurry get back. That being said, on Thanksgiving when I was at 4 Corners, I was trying to find the place where I exited on that hike but I found it to be too overgrown. On that hike I went past a finely crafted stone wall out in the middle of nowhere as I was nearing 4 Cs. I'm still trying to figure why it's there ?

 

Also I would be a little careful with global heat map last I understand it covers 2 years at a time and there is a lot of math in terms of brightness etc... So in short just because it shows up does not mean it is oft ridden.

https://medium.com/strava-engineering/the-global-heatmap-now-6x-hotter-23fc01d301de

 

The comments on this all trails link are telling
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/smashmouth-to-pleasants-peak-trail

 

Might be fun as a hike from the bottom as out and back.

 

It gets ridden and the trail runners use it frequently. calepic rode it not long ago, and It was on my list to try before I moved.

If you want real fun, use google earth to find Biscuits and Gravy. Hint: It’s visible from Motorway. And that’s one I’ll never try... Using the heat map, you’ll find several trails off the Main Divide that drop into the Corona side.

 

It’s going on my list to hike/run at some point.

 

Did you not read the reviews that @Old&InTheWay posted above?


"I can usually find something redeeming about any trail, but this one is just to be avoided. Private property at entrance can be circumvented by starting at the trail across from the market. But from then on it is a hellscape: plants tearing at your legs, and a trail that disappears on a whim. The worst are two stretches of path that are as difficult as any I’ve found in Southern California. The first is right at the start, the second is between 2 and 2.5 miles and gets to 45-degree inclines with lots of scree. Please be careful and do not attempt unless you are experienced, have LOTS of water, and (I’d suggest) bring poles. I turned around at about 4 miles. Miserable hike!"

"Trail was super overgrown. First half was easy to stay on trail just walking through the brush but I lost the trail after the creek. Looked for 20-30 minutes but just couldn’t find where the trail continued after the second creek crossing. Didn’t feel comfortable walking through what could or couldn’t have been a ton of poison oak. Not an expert in identifying the stuff, just didn’t want to risk it. A lot of gnats but that’s just part of being outdoors."

 

Sometimes a person just has to find out for their self...

 

Awesome. Let us know how it goes. I had never even heard of that trail until you posted about it.

 

You are certainly a stubborn one once you decide on a target. Good luck with that. Bring a locator beacon.

 

Yup, read every single review on AllTrails. A bit of a mixed bag. Not much to lose starting from the bottom with a decent GPS device. I can always turn back.

 

You could train for the bottom of B&G by going down Kamikaze

 

I thought that was just from water runoff. It has a name?!?!

 

My eye is drawn to the near vertical line on the right.... Is that where it is?

 

yes..::and it’s steeper and longer than it looks.

 

Uhhhh....
That is usually the starting point for @Voodoo Tom and Mikie rides...

 

Is that the trail you see from Harding that cuts to Santiago Peak? If it is, @Lost Kiwi mentioned it might be a short cut climbing Up it and bypass having to go through 4 corners. You'll have to strap your bike to your back and use all four limbs to climb most of it though.

 

That is the line you see coming off of Modjeska Peak... I'd say Steve took this picture from around mile 6.25 on Harding.

If you jump on Google Earth, though, you can find trails from the closed side of Santiago Peak all the way back to 4 Corners... Upper Joplin is the only one I've ridden, and it got to the point that I was crawling on my hands and knees pushing the bike in front of me. It exits right near the Joplin entrance.

 

Is "Upper Joplin" also called Buckthorn, the singletrack that has the truck parked on it half way down?

 

Yes... Buckthorn is probably a better name, though. White Chevy truck... That was a surprise to see as I came crawling around the corner.