Story and pictures by Mark Wilson
Web Editor Barry Wood

The Governor issued a state of emergency due to the extreme cold weather on Friday; there was fresh snow that reached down to the lowest foothills... what a perfect time for a ride up Mt. Wilson! The latest S&M Club Ride was a fantastic experience and more fun than I have had on a ride in awhile.

We were a group of 10 that included a lot of new faces. We began our ride at the Lower Sam Merril trail. We were thankful that the sun was shining in the parking area and we began the stout climb of 2.5 miles with a 1,500' elevation gain. We quickly warmed as the single track unfolded before us. We were challenged by the numerous switchbacks, rocky terrain, and incredible views that soon were before us. The group spread out and Steve jumped to the front to lead us to the Echo Mountain Ruins where we regrouped. We were now warmed up and confident that it was going to be a great day.

At this point, the fast boys (Drew, Calvin and Steve) took off to do an extra credit loop down Sunset Ridge (they loved the downhill but a couple of them whined a bit about the steep uphill that followed... go figure!) and then back up to catch up to the rest of us who continued on up the Mt. Lowe Railway and on to the top of Mt. Wilson. We made fresh tracks in the shallow snow and congratulated ourselves on having such a fine day.

Then the real fun began... time to drop Sturtevant trail. Suzanne declared herself to be the "sweeper". She followed it up with "However, I reserve the right to pass if you cannot PERFORM!" We were off like a bunch of snow boarders as the trail alternated between snow and dirt. Immediately, we dove into the switchbacks and the tight, narrow, rocky trail. The beauty of this trail lies with its surroundings, consistency of difficulty, and variety of terrain. We were ear-to-ear grins as we jostled for positions, harassed each other over our technique and dropped over logs and rocks. Drew labeled Suzanne "The Dabber" as she displayed her switchback technique and worked her way towards the front of the pack (it must be working). After the crux rock garden, which gave everyone a severe challenge, we took a breather. Here, at Camp Sturtevant we reassembled and had some snacks before stripping down for a short but stiff climb over Mt. Zion. This little diversion over Zion was well worth it as we dropped the numerous rock steps and switchbacks on the other side. We finished off the ride with Calvin leading the charge up the last bit of uphill on the Upper Winter Creek trail. This alternate to the usual finish allowed us to cross the creek only once and yet finish on a great last bit of single track. I had the only flat of the day on this section as I nailed a sharp rock trying to keep up with Steve.

After 4,700 feet of climbing and about 25 miles the ride ended and it was long overdue to refuel at a delicious nearby restaurant. We beat the weather forecast and came away with a trophy that will be long remembered. The next Club Ride will be in the Santa Ana range. For those that missed this ride, we plan on returning to the San Gabes again so watch for the announcement!

- Mark