Hey everyone - following up to thank you again for the advice. The trip was great and we were able to squeeze a ride in. More importantly, I was able to get familiar with some of the areas that your referenced in responses, so my next trip will be better planned.

Unfortunately, our ride didn't turn out to be all that great. We rented mountain bikes from the Trek shop in Santa Clarita and were really happy with that experience. The costs, service, and quality of bikes were all pretty great. We decided to ride towards the Trek mtb course but found out it was closed when we got there (the guys at the shop had no idea). Rode back to the shop and decided to maybe give it a shot another day (which just didn't happen).

The weather was certainly a factor. We actually had great weather days, but it seemed the trails had been washed out in some areas. I do think some trails were open, but just too far of a ride from the bike shop. If I had gotten my way, we would be been on road bikes and had a perfect day to ride. But, just tried to make the kid happy (no good deed goes unpunished).

Thanks again - I'll save this thread for my next trip!