The "10k B.A.R.F. Ride"

OTE Ratings: O6/T6/E10+
Distance: 65 - 70 miles
Time: 8 - 10 hours
Climb: 10,000+ feet
USGS 7.5’ topo: Mindego Hill, CA

Description

This is the route plan of the annual 10k B.A.R.F. ride held every August by the Bay Area Riding Fanatics. It is meant to be a ride where you can get 10,000’ of climbing in on dirt, with a minimum of pavement (less than 10 miles) and route duplication (only the Canyon Trail is done twice in the same direction). Epic proportion ride - allow all day (and then some) to complete it. Brings lots of food and water.

Directions to the start

(N 37° 22.5’, W 122° 13.4’)
Alpine Road west from 280. About 3 miles up, make a right at the stop sign on to Portola Road. Park at Portola Valley Library which will be about 2 miles up on the left. Park there. Bike back towards Alpine Road (maybe a half mile) to the driveway with the mailbox number 555. Ride down the driveway and you will see the Windy Hill trailhead on the left.

The ride

Here is the route plan.

Up	Windy Hill ("Spring Ridge" fireroad) to Skyline Boulevard	1200’
Up	Skyline Boulevard (any pavement climbs are ignored in regards to finding 10k’ total)	0’
Down	Crazy Pete’s Rd. to Alpine Road. The top of Crazy Pete’s Road is where the emergency (blue box) phone is.
Up	Up Alpine to Singletrack through Coal Creek O.S.P. (Meadow Trail?). Cross into Russian Ridge O.S.P. and go down fire road to Ancient Oaks. Left onto Ancient Oaks. Another left onto singletrack and go up to Borel Hill	1050’
Up	Down to Parking Lot, across Alpine Road and head up and over Skyline Ridge Hill, Loop around lake to edge of Xmas tree farm	500’
Down	Back to Skyline Ridge Parking and cross Skyline Blvd. Down Stevens Creek Nature Trail to Canyon Trail; left on Canyon
Up	Bella Vista Trail	600’
Down	Left on singletrack at top of Bella Vista, continue past water tanks and down fire break to Page Mill Road
Loop	Loop through Los Trancos O.S.P. (enter at parking lot, make 2 lefts onto Log Creek Loop trail, right at end onto Page Mill trail to end)	400’
Down	White Oak Trail, left on Stevens Creek Nature Trail, right on Canyon Trail
Up	Table Mountain/Charcoal Road	1000’
Across	Saratoga Gap trail to CDF station[*]	250’
Across	Long Ridge O.S.P.; Peter’s Creek Loop	500’
Down	Grizzly Flat fireroad
Up	Canyon Trail; Indian Creek Trail; do loop out at top of Montebello Road through Waterwheel Cr., back to Backpackers’ Camp	1600’
Down	Bella Vista Trail; Canyon Trail
Up	Grizzly Flat fireroad	900’
Across	Skyline Ridge O.S.P. (take new singletrack paralleling road)	600’
Across	Russian Ridge O.S.P. (Borel Hill and Hawk Ridge Loop)	600’
Down	Coal Creek, Alpine Road, Windy Hill, and back to start

[*] - possible water stop

The topo map I worked off of only had 200’ increments, so even though this doesn’t quite reach 10,000’, I am sure the 800’ difference was made up on the numerous small hills that are climbed.

Peter Donohue

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