During the summer, the Sierra Foothills lose a bit of their luster. The days are often uncomfortably hot and the hills turn an ugly brown. The during the fall, things start to get better as the rains come and cool things down a bit and knock the dust off the trails, December we have to deal with rain, short days, and wet trails… But things are starting to green up again… It is this time of year though where the Sierra foothills are truly magical. The wildflowers are in full bloom and the days are moderate and lengthening. Trails are often muddy, but in the Sierra most of them drain well and we get a lot of hero dirt days where traction is amazing and it feels like we can turn on a dime. It is this time of year wh en I really feel like the Sierra Foothills are best experienced.
For those of us who live in the foothills or in the Central Valley, that simply means we get out a bit more often and the trails we ride regularly are just a little nicer than usual. For others, this is a great time to check out what the lower parts of the Sierra offers while we all wait for the snow to melt in the high country and the longer, more mountainous trails open up.
These are some images from Lake Hogan and Red Hills, but Auburn, Glory Hole, San Joaquin River Trail (east of Fresno), and many other great trails are lurking just on the fringes of the Sierra for you to explore.
