Ogre’s Goodbye California Tour

The wheels are finally in motion. Sometime in the next 18 months, we are going to pack up and move to Oregon. This is a big deal for us, we’ve been in the same place for nearly 30 years now.

Northern California is a pretty awesome place, but we’re ready to move on… but before I do, I want to say goodbye to a few places which I think are awesome. So from now until I move, I’m going to be trying my damnedest to ride as many of the great trails I’ve ridden in NorCal. This is a pretty tall order, there are a LOT of really amazing places to ride in Northern California so it’s going to be really tough trying to cram as many of these places in while we’re simultaneously moving to Oregon, and I’m working a full time job.

I’ll be posting my progress and lots of photos here on my blog, but here’s a preview of my checklist. I’ve If you know some really great trails that I’ve missed, please let me know!

Bolded entries are trails I’ve never ridden.
Starred entries are “Must Ride” trails.
Entries with a strikeout have been completed.

Trails listed by region in no particular order.

Highway 4

  • Arnold Rim Trail
  • New Melones (Nice Spring ride with pics for WW)
  • * Cape Horn (or higher) to Spicer Reservoir Road via Wolfsborugh.
  • Ring Trail & the Slabs

    Highway 108

  • * Pinecrest Peak
  • * Eagle Creek
  • * Spring Gap Trail
  • * Glacier
  • * Bell Mountain/ Bell Meadow
  • * Eagle Peak -> Twainharte w/ Spring Gap
  • Red Hills
  • Groveland Trails
  • San Joaquin River Trail (Big Sandy)
  • 007
  • Exchequer (Meh)

Folsom/ Auburn/ Placerville

  • * Stagecoach
  • * Clementine Lake Trail, Culvert, and Confluence
  • * Connector Trail & Forest hill Divide Trail
  • Slammin’ Balls (and the new stuff above it!!)
  • Jenkinson Reservoir ->
  • Cool (I know kind-a boring but it’s got memories)

Highway 80/ Reno

  • * Hole in the Ground -> Short but very sweet slabfest/ technical
  • * Grouse Ridge -> Super techy/ crunchy trails few people know about. See also crashed while stoned “Bam Bam Bam Bam… I’m gonna be sedated…”

Lake Tahoe

  • Toads
  • * TRT -> Rose to Spooner
  • * TRT -> Spooner to Kingsbury
  • * TRT -> Kingbury to Freel Meadow
  • * TRT -> Brockberry summit to Tahoe City
  • * TRT -> Tahoe City to Twin Falls?
  • Dirty Harry?
  • What else is awesome I’ve never ridden here?

Highway 26/88

  • * Silver Lake (The Fuck YEAH Silver Lake Epic Ride)
  • Jackson Trails (Never been there)
  • Lake Hogan (I know easy one here)
  • * Poach the Moke from Jackson to Jason’s

Downieville!!

  • The Main DH
  • * Big Boulder trail is nice.
  • South Yuba Trail
  • * Forest City -> Can’t believe I haven’t been here yet!

Medicino/ Humboldt/ North Coast

  • * Lived in Humboldt for a year, before I rode!!
  • * Talk to ZDub for intel on Humboldt
  • * Jackson Forest near Medicino? I need more intel here!
  • Anything else along the north coast?

Bay Area

  • * Annadel Park -> Any NorCal tour has to include Annadel.
  • Rockville Park -> Hit IT!! Short/ rocky FUN!
  • * Skeggs/ Purisma Giant Epic Loop -> Someone on MTBR said this was awesome!
  • Soquel Demo -> Log rides, jumps and lots of people love it… (I guess I’ll hit it again)
  • Coe -> Lots of stupid steep climbs and stupid steep descents connecting a few really fun miles of trails. (Maybe do Eddies weekender again?)
  • Half Moon Bay/ Pacifica -> Not sure if this is worth the drive.
  • ??? What Am I missing here?

Marin County/ North Bay

  • Chinese Camp
  • * Tamarancho

Napa/ Clearlake