Adventure: Coast to Crest Trail Bikepacking
Location: Julian to Del Mar, CA
Distance:74 miles
Date: October 12-13, 2016
Adventurer: Tim Stempel

Epic views, ripping fire road descents, twisting singletrack climbs, and all with no flats! One Wild Life recently organized and held an overnight bikepacking trip on the Coast to Crest Trail in San Diego County. This system of trails starts at Volcan Mountain near Julian and stretches all the way to the ocean at Del Mar. 

The trip was hatched as a benefit for the San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy, the advocacy group working to protect the watershed and continue development of the Coast to Crest Trail. We thought it would be sweet to travel the entire length of the trail by bicycle documenting the experience to create a film that could be used to raise funds for the Conservancy. 

I had the pleasure of riding this route with a really great crew, led by San Dieguito River Park Ranger Dave Hekel. Dave has been a ranger with the park for 20+ years and has a wealth of knowledge about the development of the trail, the various land use issues, the stakeholders involved, the political implications of trail development, as well as knowledge about the local flora and fauna.

We learned so much about the area and the trail by riding with him. One thing Ranger Dave made clear was that this trail and conservation effort is not just about people having the opportunity for outdoor adventure on a longer trail, but perhaps more importantly it provides habitat conservation and a travel corridor for animals, allowing them to live in a more natural environment.

At the halfway point we set up camp. The Adventure Lab was already there with all of our gear, food and liquid refreshments courtesy of Saint Archer Brewing. We ate and told stories before turning in early with the sounds of coyotes echoing off the canyon walls around us. 

I also got a chance to put my new rig to the test. Recently I was visiting my friend Mark who owns Saturday Cycles in Salt Lake City, UT. Mark offered me a deal I couldn’t refuse for a new Salsa Pony Rustler (MTB). This beast boasts a full suspension carbon frame and 27.5 x 3” tires. It handled the test like a champ! The wider tire platform and tuned suspension soaked up the bumps and chunky sections with aplomb, and even in the fully open mode it climbed like a mountain goat up the hills.

A couple modifications would have been nice for this longer route (70 miles): 

1. Put my Brooks saddle on. I am a believer in the Brooks and not sure why I forgot to swap it beforehand.
2. Seatpost adjustment – either a dropper post or quick release would have been nice to be able to drop the seat for some of the long descents on the ride. Otherwise this bike scored big!

In the morning it was coffee, and back on the the trail. We hit the beach in Del Mar mid-afternoon. Most of the riding was on old fire roads, but also included some great singletrack as well as some pavement. The long-term goal is that the entire trail will be singletrack and fire road. It is about 65% complete right now. All total the ride was 74 miles completed over two days with a campout in between. It was amazing to see the large tracts of open space in the Eastern part of San Diego county and very satisfying to end the ride by diving into the Pacific Ocean. We plan to continue to support the work of the San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy to complete the Coast to Crest Trail as it is such a unique conservation and recreational opportunity for our local communities and beyond.

For more photos check out our One Wild Life Co. Instagram. Stay tuned to our Field Notes & social media for future updates on the Coast to Crest Trail film project, or for more information on the Coast To Crest Trail or access to trail maps check out their website: http://www.sdrp.org/wordpress/trails/