Adventure Cycling Association: Utah Cliffs Route Report
Chumash Conejo Loop
This overnight loop features 80% dirt roads, trails, and some pavement on Pacific Coast Highway along the ocean. Starting in the town of Newbury Park you then drop down to the camarillo planes on Potrero Road which is a very fun and rowdy descent. After an exhillerating downhill you snake through CSCI College and end up on a Jetty that forms the Colleagues Creek. Enjoy the gravel on this natural flowing channel, smell the carious vegstables that are growing beside you, and marvel at the wildlife that calles the creek their home.
The ride along PCH is best enjoyed on a Friday afternoon as the weekends can make it quite busy as people seek refuge from the heat on the beach. After an enjoyable 4 miles on PCH you arrive at Sycamore Cove Beach and Sycamore Cove Campground. See the camping attendant and let them know you would like to purchase a hike/bike site. Hike./Bike sites are unreservable and availible on a first come first served basis. Almost every time I’ve ridden this route and gone camping at Sycamore Cove Camoground there has only been one other person at the campground. The cap sppot is away from other cameras and can feel like you have the place to yourself.
Day two takes you through Sycamore Canyon, a 9 mile mostly-paved fire road through the Santa Monica Mountains and back to Newbury Park. This section of Point Mugu State Park features over 60 miles of trail including some fun singletrack(backbone trail and Two Foxes), long slow climbs, and plenty of creek crossings during wet years. To end the route you’ll meet the locally famous Blacktop Hill climb that takes you from the valley floor up 500ft in 3/4 of a mile. During the spring you’ll enjoy plenty of wild flowers while sharing the trail with walkers, hikers, and descending bikes.
Catalina Bikepacking Adventure
Visiting Catalina is something I have wanted to do since I was a kid. Once I took the time to look into the campsites I was motivated to finally book a trip- 6 months in advance. When planning a bike trip on Catalina there are a few major things to keep in mind and I’m going to cover those items in this blog post.