Coe - Dowdy ride |
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| Overall Rating | |
| Technical Difficulty |  |
| Aerobic Difficulty | |
| Distance (mi) | 40.0 |
| Elevation Range (ft) | 742 - 2528 |
| Total Ascent (ft) | 8424 |
| Total Descent (ft) | -8410 |
| Total Ascent Distance (mi) | 19.2 |
| Total Descent Distance (mi) | 20.8 |
| Moving Time | 05h 38m 33s |
| Stopped Time | 01h 37m 23s |
| Average Speed (mph) | 5.5 |
| Average Moving Speed (mph) | 6.9 |
| Stops | 62 |
| Start Time | 2010/09/19 10:14:44 |
| Finish Time | 2010/09/19 17:30:40 |
| Time Zone | Pacific Time (US & Canada) |
Description
Due to circumstances I wasn’t able to join TahoeBC’s big Tahoe weekend – no riding on Saturday for me and a daytrip on Sunday would be a little hard to pull off. So on Sunday I ended up doing a Coe ride. It was time for a reconaissance mission to the Dowdy sector; after all, I’ve been there only twice.
I set course for Pacheco Camp (fastest way IMO: Lyman-Willson, Wagon, Live Oak Spring, Coit), then the plan was to ride Dutch’s towards Dowdy. I also wanted to check out Phoneline trail. Pacheco Ridge road seemed to have been graded or the Lick fire has been obscuring things but I didn’t manage to find Phoneline, even after bushwhacking at two spots that I thought could be it (now, looking at the track, it seemed I should have tried right between those two spots). So down Coit it was instead, crossing the bone dry Mississippi creek, then up County Line road.
Dutch’s is a favorite of mine, it has real raw, primitive beauty – but also ten thousand snagging branches and shrubs. I wouldn’t mind doing some trail work on it, it basically just needs a good clearing of the overhang. Afterwards, I knew I was in for some confusion: I keep messing up at the intersections of Dutch’s, Yellowjacket and Tie Down, and they are interspersed with a bunch of game trails. I erroneously followed one of said game trails and ran into an elegantly tall, impressive buck. It took a quick look at me and calmly turned away (reminded me of some movie scene but I’ve forgotten the title). I then messed up further by heading up Tie Down; I noticed it when I was moving north, whereas Dowdy Ranch was looming high on a hill behind me in the south. The Yellowjacket – Tie Down (north) intersection is a little tricky: both sides are flagged but the one you’ll notice first is the one going up Tie Down north (which is not what you want to do at this point).
After getting my bearings straight, I noticed I had lost a water bottle (probably during one of the bumpy descents) – my Camelback was empty but I still had the second bottle, which was nearly full, and I remembered there was plenty of water at Dowdy (there are even working water fountains – see photo below – so no need for filtering). I headed down the North Fork trail as my plan was to climb Mac’s Corral instead of doing that grueling Kaiser Aetna stretch. North Fork was easier to track down than I expected, and I took a little break together with a napping turtle at one of the last remaining water holes that I found along any of the creeks in Coe. Then it was time to climb, as I had descended now well below 800ft (lowest point of the park?).
Now, Kaiser Aetna may be bad but it pales compared to the ordeal of climbing Mac’s Corral, which truly sucks the life out of you; now I remember that I told myself to never do this again three years ago when I ventured here the first time. The trail has some sections with a decent grade, which lure you into attempting to ride the steepening ones, which just leave you stranded and near-exhaustion. Repeat this three or four times, with the last part being the very worst. But then I made it to Dowdy, and the pain was quickly forgotten. It is and remains eerie, having this huge unused facility – water fountains, restrooms, picnic tables, grills – all for yourself (and the rodents). Perfect spot for BBQ’ing, but hauling the gear up here would be a bit of a drag on the riding.
After a long break during which I took the time to remove the half million sticky burrs that had attached themselves to my legs and socks it was time for Burra Burra trail – a trail with such a cool name just has to rock, and it indeed features some fun whoopy downhill singletrack – but also its fair share of steep grunts. I hiked up some minor peak to take in the views (I could spot Bell Station in the distance) after which I got too tired to hike up the actual Burra Burra Peak. Instead, I almost ended up descending into the Dormida zone, but luckily I got my routefinding skills back in time and took the ‘safer’ Center Flats route back to civilization. Center Flats was a pain in the rear end as usual and I was very happy to see Wagon road. The downhill du jour back to the lot would be Willson Camp – Bowl – Middle Steer (see how I nicely avoided climbing Serpentine like that?), which was quite fun; on the way I invited a cooperative tarantula that I found hopping along on Bowl for an extended photoshoot.
Nearby trips
| Distance to (mi) | Name | Created by | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | Dutch's Trail Ride 11-22-08 | plymmer |
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| 0.0 | Dutch's Ride 8-14-10 | plymmer |
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| 0.2 | Coe - Dutch's brushing expedition | dirk |
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| 0.3 | Dutch's Trail Ride - 2-4-'11 | plymmer |
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| 0.3 | Dutch's Trail Ride 7-26-08 | plymmer |
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| 0.3 | Dutch's Trail Ride 9-12-09 | plymmer |
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| 0.3 | 2011-04-16 Henry W. Coe State Park | Skyline35 |
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| 0.4 | Deer Camp Trail Ride 11-15-08 | plymmer |
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| 0.4 | Coe: Operation save the kittys | turtleboy |
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| 0.4 | Dowdy Hershman Woodpecker Ride 8-8-'09 | plymmer |
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Map
Show markers and layers:Printable Maps
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Terrain 1024x768 1600x1200 Street 1024x768 1600x1200 MyTopo new! 1024x768 1600x1200 OSM 1024x768 1600x1200
Pictures
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Snake on a Trail
2010/09/19 11:16:06
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Pacific gopher snake, probably
2010/09/19 11:16:36
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Dutch's!
2010/09/19 13:16:51
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Napping turtle
2010/09/19 14:25:08
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A little withdrawn...
2010/09/19 14:26:14
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Agua at Dowdy Ranch
2010/09/19 14:58:23
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Dowdy Ranch
2010/09/19 14:58:32
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Burrrrrrrs!
2010/09/19 15:10:07
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Nice cloudscapes today
2010/09/19 15:22:53
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2010/09/19 15:40:23
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Burra Burra
2010/09/19 15:46:31
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Tarantula
2010/09/19 17:11:44
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Looking for a mate...
2010/09/19 17:12:47
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Bowl
2010/09/19 17:20:11
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Low sun creating some interesting effects on Bowl
2010/09/19 17:20:21
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2010/09/19 17:20:43
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Comments
Great ride and fantastic report! Thank you for posting this. Skyline35 directed me here. I empathize completely with your description of Mac’s Corral Trail, a one-way trail for me (and now for you). I did it 3 times before swearing it off thinking that it wouldn’t be that bad every time I attempted it. I gladly ride up Kaier-Aetna Road now every time.
Maybe someone (perhaps me, dunno) should get out there and flag sections of Yellow Jacket Trail and Dutch’s Trail to give remote rider’s a hand in finding the correct trail. Phone Line Trail has needed this for some time. It has been a couple of years at least since trail work on that one.
Great photos also!
Roy.
Holy moly, did you toss the socks??? Nice ride, Dirk!
Great ride and fantastic report! Thank you for posting this. Skyline35 directed me here. I empathize completely with your description of Mac’s Corral Trail, a one-way trail for me (and now for you). I did it 3 times before swearing it off thinking that it wouldn’t be that bad every time I attempted it. I gladly ride up Kaier-Aetna Road now every time.
Maybe someone (perhaps me, dunno) should get out there and flag sections of Yellow Jacket Trail and Dutch’s Trail to give remote rider’s a hand in finding the correct trail. Phone Line Trail has needed this for some time. It has been a couple of years at least since trail work on that one.
Great photos also!
Roy.
Thanks plymmer; I was thinking like you indeed, how bad could Mac’s Corral be? But I think I’ll settle happily with Kaiser Aetna too from now on…
@mudworm: no, I took my time and picked them clean at one of the picnic tables in Dowdy Ranch. As you can tell, these are socks I like!
Great report! It makes me wish I still lived near there. Probably worth a visit next time I head to Santa Cruz. Are trail maps available (and, for that matter, worthwhile)?
@pauljolly65: the best map is the one for sale in HQ… there are also smaller maps/printouts that used to be available at both HH and HQ for free that were decent. With an iPhone (probably also other smartphones) there are apps that can download the excellent OSM (open street map) which has all the trails listed here too. Note however that even though trails are indicated on maps, it doesn’t mean they will appear as such (i.e. there are many overgrown, near-hidden, zero-track trails)...
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