Easter Sunday fun (pics & video)

After several weeks in a row of rain every weekend, we finally got a break in that pattern long enough for the trails to dry out, so I actually got to ride off the pavement for the first time in a month! :D

This time I rode the Salmon Falls trail to the top of Flagstaff Hill and back. Some riders refer to it as Flagstaff Mountain. It's almost a 2 mile climb with plenty of steep, somewhat technical sections.

The last time I climbed this hill was 20 years ago. My, how things have changed for the worse since then! :( What was once a 360 degree view at the top is now gone. You can see part of Folsom Lake to the west, and part of the Sierras to the east. That's it. To top it off, there is a bunch of illegal dumping up there now.

There is an abandoned car at the top that you used to be able to ride past. Now the vegetation has crowded it in and you need to go to the right to get to the clearing.

On the bright side, some of the junk made good noise when dropped and kicked around, as you can see and hear in my ride video. :D I can just picture a group of riders doing some percussion on this stuff, kind of like the recycle bin drummers known as "The Petting Zoo" that I see at the Sacramento Jazz Jubilee every year. :D

I saw some riders in the parking area before and after the ride, but only one rider on the trail.

Salmon Falls, Flagstaff Hill by freighttraininguphill at Garmin Connect - Details

Here's the video. As with all my ride videos, this one is 100% natural sound. That means plenty of suffer sounds on the climbs, as well as some NSFW language when I reach the top and notice that my beloved 360 degree view is gone and there is junk dumped everywhere.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSkC4_3xdQs

Bottom of Flagstaff Hill, which starts out as singletrack.
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5340/6...a7db76f2_z.jpg
Flagstaff Hill singletrack (bottom of climb) by freighttraininguphill, on Flickr

A little further up..
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7058/6...ae788167_z.jpg
Flagstaff Hill singletrack 2 by freighttraininguphill, on Flickr

The singletrack soon changes to rough doubletrack.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7176/6...5b6af0dc_z.jpg
Flagstaff Hill doubletrack by freighttraininguphill, on Flickr

This gate has seen better days. :p
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5333/7...5d54f322_z.jpg
old gate on Flagstaff Hill by freighttraininguphill, on Flickr

Steep section on the last part of the climb
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7092/7...9e1739c2_z.jpg
Flagstaff Hill steep section by freighttraininguphill, on Flickr

What a transformation! :(
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7257/7...8f41b86f_z.jpg
illegal dumping and view of Folsom Lake at top of Flagstaff Hill 4-8-12 by freighttraininguphill, on Flickr

The other side looks a bit better. :)
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5465/6...0194550a_z.jpg
view from top of Flagstaff Hill by freighttraininguphill, on Flickr

Abandoned car
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7232/6...64bbaf26_z.jpg
abandoned car at top of Flagstaff Hill 4-8-12 by freighttraininguphill, on Flickr
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5446/6...feb27c64_z.jpg
abandoned car at top of Flagstaff Hill 4-8-12 2 by freighttraininguphill, on Flickr

Engine in the above car
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5350/6...ea5a1d66_z.jpg
engine in abandoned car at top of Flagstaff Hill 4-8-12 by freighttraininguphill, on Flickr

The best noisemaker out of all the junk at the top of the hill! :D
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5199/6...0b3f8cc8_z.jpg
old medicine cabinet at top of Flagstaff Hill 4-8-12 by freighttraininguphill, on Flickr

Another litter landmark, this time on the descent
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5345/6...a5b50ef6_z.jpg
old signpost dumped on Flagstaff Hill 4-8-12 by freighttraininguphill, on Flickr

More pics here.

Nice!