Anyone Up for Palomar on Saturday?
 

Not a road ride! Thinking about riding this route from the 76 across to the 79. (Clicky)
Has anyone else done it? Are there any gates or barbed wire not visible from 30,000 feet?

Going to bring the Camelbak for this one, but there is a water fountain up at the observatory. And if it becomes an ordeal, we can always take the paved road to Mother's Kitchen.

Saturday's forcasted high in Valley Center is 90, but it's a cooler 81 up on the Mountain. Anyone game? Anyone have any info?
This will be a site-seeing pace, and I don't imagine there's too much single-track/rock-garden gonzo nuttiness for you hardcore dirt bikers.

http://www.calamarichris.com/images/110305-stumpy.jpg
(The spot near Lake Hodges where this was taken.)

Have not been there, but the national forest map reports at least two gates, one about a mile north of Nate Harrison / S7 and the other past the observatory just before the "high point". I can't see the first one in google. You can climb over the second one unless it's been improved since 2009: https://ssl.panoramio.com/photo/21781198 There may be one or more gates in the immediate vicinity of the observatory.

I tried to go the other way some time ago and made it about a mile from the 79 (on a road bike!) About half of the road from the observatory to the 79 is supposed to be paved. The rest is sand/dirt/gravel. MTB is optional but recommended.

This is on my todo list but I haven't dusted off my MTB for a while, so I'll have to pass.

I don't think your truck is going to make it!

Thanks for the intel, Ham. I'll bring my camera and hopefully repay you severalfold with pics & report.

And no my truck won't make it Trojie. After 20 years I finally traded her in on a new Scooby-Roo Outback with the big engine and all the trimmings. (Paid off my mortgage in July, and felt pretty unAmerican being completely debt-free.)
Going to park down at the Lazy H, and ride up from there. Really looking forward to this ride, even if alone. :)

Oh, one more thing. Your route drops you on 79 @ Holcomb Village. Forest map has more gates that way. The legit way out is the trailhead 1.5 miles further east on 79.

No shiet, you missed the ride with the cool kids last week, now ride by yourself! :p And what's up with that mountain bike? Do you really expect decent people to bust their arses on a trail like that? :eek:
Have fun, boet! Hope to see you soon. Maybe a GMR ride? This way you can show off your new car to the whole world between Carlsbad and Glendora. ;) :D

Yes, but please put some rustoleum on it or something and for crying out loud, your bike goes on the back, not the front. No windows... I like it.