Sunday, September 27th, 2009

MTB: Hot weekend? Nah. Not at Skeggs, Wilder, and Kennedy

What happens when the SO cannot go out and play? Well, Jeanne and I rode at Skeggs on Saturday, and Wilder+UCSC on Sunday — we had fun!  I concluded the weekend with a spin up Kennedy Trail (near Los Gatos) on my drive to a dinner party. It was supposed to be a very hot weekend, but the shade at Skeggs made the heat bearable. The temp at Wilder was just perfect. When I got to Kennedy, it was 98 degrees, but the sun was on the other side of the ridge, so again, it was not too bad.

Skeggs:

Despite having ridden there for years, Jeanne still gets lost there. So, I was the guide and the route setter. It was a route we both enjoyed because it covered most of the classic trails such as Steam Donkey, Manzanita, Blue Blossom, Giant Salamander, and Resolution.

Distance (mi) 16.1
Total Ascent (ft) 3302
Moving Time 02h 32m 32s
Stopped Time 00h 06m 15s
Average Speed (mph) 6.1
Average Moving Speed (mph) 6.3

Wilder & UCSC:

This is Jeanne’s territory. I just followed her. I can see why it’s her favorite place to ride now. It’s indeed a fun place to ride with very little mandatory suffering.

Distance (mi) 19.5
Total Ascent (ft) 2144
Moving Time 02h 30m 48s
Stopped Time 00h 07m 46s
Average Speed (mph) 7.4
Average Moving Speed (mph) 7.7

Kennedy Trail:

I had heard so much about this trail. So, when I drove through Los Gatos, I suddenly decided to get off and go check it out. It was not “right off the highway” as I had thought, so when I finally got to the gate, I thought I had to ride it since I had come a long way. I could feel it in my legs the two days of riding, but I wasn’t planning on setting any record anyway although it was my PR because this was my first time on it. Just wanted to get an idea what the trail was about. It turned out easier than I expected — easier than some climbs in Henry Coe that is. I was able to maintain a low heart rate almost the whole way up, and even “the wall” at the top was not too bad compared to some walls else where. But at 3.9 miles long, it can make a great training ride for good fitness. We just live too far.

(I accidentally hit the Stop button instead of Lap button when I got to the top, so the GPS only has the climb part, which is all that mattered anyway.)
Distance (mi) 3.9
Total Ascent (ft) 1832
Moving Time 00h 48m 11s
Stopped Time 00h 00m 09s
Average Speed (mph) 4.8
Average Moving Speed (mph) 4.8

6 Responses

  1. # Patrick Herlihyon 01 Oct 2009 at 1:19 pm

    Good info on Kennedy – also have never done it and wondered how it compared with Coe. Not Kelly Lake, huh? 🙂

  2. # mudwormon 01 Oct 2009 at 1:36 pm

    Definitely not Kelly Lake Trail at Coe! More like a typical fire road at Coe — mostly gradual climb with a couple of short steep (but not too steep) pitches. I probably will not make it a destination ride although there are a few spots on the trail where you can overlook the bay area below, which is kinda neat.

  3. # Charlieon 05 Oct 2009 at 6:34 am

    Thanksgiving Day is the time to go up Kennedy…

    http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=472337

    http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=359615

    🙂

    I hope to be there again this year,
    ///Charlie

  4. # mudwormon 05 Oct 2009 at 9:35 am

    Can they still do it? Low Key had to take Kennedy out of their plan because “timed events” are not allowed. Plus, some people say Thanksgiving Day is the time to go up Hamilton. I don’t know where I will be… maybe in my couch. That’s what the holiday is for, isn’t it?

  5. # Charlieon 06 Oct 2009 at 7:05 am

    The Thanksgiving Day ride up Kennedy is a spontaneous tradition with no organizer, no timing, just for fun. It just happens. mtbr folks are only a part of a bigger gathering. MidPen rangers are there but they are out numbered so they just smile and not be petty with the rules. Did you know that one may have wine or beer with a picnic lunch on MROSD lands? It’s true! So those people you see in the pictures drinking a beer with their turkey aren’t breaking any rules.

    So I think it will happen again this year. It’s mainly social, I see so many mtn bike friends there! Last year I rode up one handed while carrying a bag of Marie Callender pumpkin pie : ) Fun, fun, fun It is no problem to be back to your car by noon so you can then go see family or be at whatever normal Thanksgiving plans you may have.

    ///Charlie

  6. # Jeanneon 17 Jul 2010 at 7:33 am

    No wonder I get lost at Skeggs every time. I’m planning to ride there this morning and looked at this map so I could do the same ride, and it looks like a maze. If you want to join us and be our guide, let me know! 🙂