RE: Best places for trail riders

[Karen Sullivan <greymare@jps.net>]

-----Original Message-----
From:	Karen Schwartz [SMTP:karlar@flash.net]
I hope
some of us will be willing to talk about the riding benefits of favorite
locales. My area, for instance, has about 10 great public parks offering
great conditioning within an hour's drive. And our weather is pretty good
9-10 months of the year. But the urban sprawl and the freeway traffic in the
East Bay are really horrendous. We're also lucky to have several well run
endurance rides within less than an hour's drive.
>    What's it like where you are?
>    Karen Schwartz
>    Livermore, CA
> [Karen Sullivan]  -------Hi Karen,  I live up in Lake County, which is about an hour and half north-east from Santa Rosa.  We moved up here to get away from the crowds of the Sf Bay Area and find affordable horse property.  Downside is that my husband commutes once a week down to Stanford U.

We do have lots of riding options, from county dirt roads, to thousands of acres of BLM.  Roads are great for riding in the winter, when trails are muddy.  The BLM includes both North and South Cow Mountain, and increasing property and trails out at Cache Creek.  The trails are generally VERY rugged, steep and rocky.  It is great for conditioning;
and awesome climbs and views.  HOWEVER, it does make me appreciate more and more the terrific parks and trails in the Bay Area.
The trails on the Penninsula are much better maintained and groomed, with better footing.  I regularly haul down to Pt. Reyes to ride the great trails there, and even onto the Penninsula to go to Jack Brooks, Rancho
San Antonio or Rancho del Oro.  Probably our options in the winter are
better, but it gets too darn hot here in the summer, hence our trips to coastal areas.

But, pretty much great access to rides-2 1/2 hours over to Sacramento
area, 3 to 4 to Bay area, and best of all, NO TRAFFIC in Lake Co.
Another benefit up here is lots of access to inexpensive but quality hay.
Still, I greatly miss the Bay Area trails......

Karen Sullivan