Sunday morning’s ride through Sycamore Canyon started out innocent enough. The canyon offers a dirt road that contours the base of the valley, making for a relatively flat, scenic ride with mountains on either side.
But as I always like to say, what goes up, gets to come down! Gravity is a cruel mistress in this way. To reap the benefits you have to pay with pain and sweat. So instead of riding the ‘beginner’ route we had intended to ride, we ventured up one of the Canyon’s steeper, more challenging climbs that rewards you with a long downhill with numerous ocean vistas.
From a distance, Outlook Trail looks harmless enough. It’s also referred to as “Backbone Trail” but I feel sorry for any living creature with a backbone that snakes left and right the way the trails does.
As if to tease you, it levels out here and there for about 20-30 yards at a time, usually just before a blind corner that’s concealing yet another stretch of grueling climbing.
Once in a while you can catch a glimpse of the base of the canyon and this is when the sense of accomplishment kicks in – seeing how much elevation you’ve managed to gain.
Reaching to top is always cause for celebration – though unfortunately the climbing doesn’t end at the top of Outlook Trail and there’s still a mile or two of fire road climbing.
If you’re looking for photos of the downhill portion – forget it! I was having too much fun trying to hit 35-40mph on the straightaways!