Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Since several people have asked, in case anybody is wondering, the Big
Bear 100 ride (upcoming 13 Sept limited to 20 entries) is NOT full.  And
since 20 entries for a 100 mile ride is actually a lot of entries, I am
not expecting it to fill.

Like Swanton Pacific, the ride is on a beautiful trail through the
forest (although it is a pine/juniper forest, not a redwood forest).  In
addition, it also has a beautiful base camp (Heart Bar Equestrian Group
Camp) with excellent camping including fire rings, hot showers (and
flush toilets I might add) as well as a stall for every horse.

However, there the similarities to the trail at Swanton end:

Unlike Swanton, it has no steep hills because almost the entire course
is on a foot trail that is designed to be negotiated by people carrying
back packs for long distances (like 3000 miles :)).  It is not flat, but
rather goes up and down with a few climbs that switchback up the sides
of some hills.  The lowest elevation of the ride is base camp (about
6,00 ft) and the highest elevation is Onyx Summit (which has to be gone
over twice) at 8,400 ft.

Unlike Swanton, the course is almost entirely on single track (~75
miles) with the first 5 miles/last 5 miles on and pretty much unused
jeep road, and a ten mile loop in the middle on jeep roads in Holcomb
Valley.

And unlike Swanton, it has quite a few rocky sections; although it also
has many sections with really good footing and some sections that would
be considered rocky by people who aren't used to rocks but not by those
that are (and it switches back and forth among these quite often).

I am not expecting the ride to be hard on horses because of the many
changes.  None of the climbs is long, none of the decents is long, none
of the rocky sections is long (none of the not rocky sections is
particularly long either).  So, if a change is as good as a rest, then
the horses are going to get to do lots of resting because they get to do
lots of changing.  It is, however, a very technical trail so will
require very attentive riders. There will be plenty of water on the
trail and all the vet checks are easily accessible (although one of them
requires a Forest Service Adventure Pass).

The last 38 miles are a repeat of the trail it goes out on, so the
horses and riders will have seen the technical aspects in the daylight
before having to do it in the dark (actually the light of a waxing to
full moon).  Last month we went out and rode the last sections in the
light of the same phase of moon, and there was plenty of light to see
the trail and we enjoyed a lovely moonlight ride.

Temperatures should be in the 40 deg F to 70 deg F range with very
little humidity.

So, even if you don't make it through the entire course, it is some of
the nicest and pleasurable riding to be had in Southern California.  I
certainly enjoyed this summer of scoping out and test riding the trail
as did all the many friends I dragged along with me (and as I fully
expect to in the two days before the ride when I go out to mark it).
And I certainly haven't had any trouble rounding up volunteers most of
whom seem happy to have an excuse to have a weekend camping on the edge
of the San Gorgonio Wilderness.

I hope to see people there.

kat
Orange County, Calif.
Ride Manager, BB100



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