Los Barriles, Southern Baja. Home of amazing singletrack, but also the home of amazing fish tacos. On the flight home from Baja I was trying to decide which I would miss more. I finally gave up and decided I just need to go back soon to enjoy both again.
My business partner Lev and I have been working on ways to extend our mountain bike season (personally and also business wise). Living in Bend, there are options for winter riding, but they all include bootie covers and many layers.
Luckily for us, a few Cog guides have been spending their winters in Los Barriles, 45 miles NE from Cabo, building singletrack while wind surf guiding their winters away. With over 40 miles of trail now ready to ride, taking our guide’s word that the hotel they were working through is a great place, we put together tour packages for mountain biking in Los Barriles. But we needed to see it ourselves before bringing guests down, so I convinced my husband to travel with me to check it out.
The “highway” enters Los Barriles along the beach, but higher up allowing a great view of town. A long ribbon of beautiful white beach and bright blue ocean greet you as you enter the small town. Men with big smiles are selling fresh shrimp on the side of the main road, foreigners are driving the streets in quads, and kids are skipping home from school with backpacks on. It was a friendly place, full of color and much to look at. It also had a very relaxed feel, the perfect place for a vacation of mountain biking.
We were hungry, so after saying hello to our Cog guide, Todd, and checking out the hotel right on the beach, we headed down the road to his favorite taco spot. El Viejo was full with both locals and gringos (which also many are locals) and we eagerly ordered fish and shrimp tacos. After an amazing meal, we rolled ourselves back down to the hotel to lay on lounge chairs at the pool and relax the rest of the afternoon away (until it was time for margaritas, a fabulous dinner and an evening stroll through town). Tomorrow was a riding day and we were very excited!
One of the best things about the hotel, after the fact that they have a pool, a bar at the pool overlooking the beach, stand up paddle boards and kayaks for guests to use, a restaurant and super friendly staff is that they also have a full fleet of full suspension 2012 Specialized mountain bikes for guests to use. That means we did not have to travel with a bike and still have a great bike to use.
We started the next morning with breakfast at the hotel and then meet Todd to ride. We were able to ride right from the hotel, going South along the beach until we came to a really cool overlook. From here we traveled inland, riding up a few hills on fireroads, passing a few donkeys and also enjoying singletrack that carved through the landscape. Arriving at another awesome overlook that looked south along the coast, we enjoyed a ripping, technical downhill (video coming soon!) past cactus (watch out!) and other desert trees all the way back towards town. We were really impressed – Baja has some serious singletrack! The trail wasn’t sandy, but packed dirt with fabulous views, fun short climbs and lots of fun downhill!! And the best part: we rode in shorts and t-shirts, enjoying the breeze as we flew down the trail and finishing the ride with a dive into the pool – or my other favorite, a beer and some fish tacos. Ahh, life is good!!
The Cog tour will include four full days of singletrack, all different routes. Working with Todd, we came up with the plan – two days of riding straight from the hotel, one shuttle day and one full day awesome adventure. Of course we had to drive the adventure route to make sure the mileage was not too much, which it wasn’t, but it also not really fit for a 4×4 vehicle, much better on bike!
There is a ton to do in Los Barriles once everyone gets back from the ride. You can take the stand up paddle boards out, or use the hotels snorkeling gear and check out the fish life or even go fishing. Walking around town is fun too, there is shopping, photos to take and of course many restaurants and bars to enjoy. The hotel includes three meals a day, with with the town full of great restaurants, we ate some of our meals out and are pretty sure you will want to as well.
We were able to ride a few days, stand up paddle, snorkel, visit surrounding towns, lounge at the pool and meet lots of great people. The town was super safe, even at night when we would wander in the dark to walk off our dinner. I am very excited that we will be offering tours in Los Barriles and look forward to coming here every year to ride and have a great time!
Hopefully you will be with us!
Check out more images from Los Barriles, Baja
El Viejo doesn’t disappoint!!
Gorgeous view!
Bermed turn overlooking Los Barriles
Great location overlooking the ocean for breakfast.
Although winter seems to be “officially here,” as Bend’s esteemed godfather of mountain biking Bob Woodward wrote last week, it doesn’t mean the Central Oregon mountain biking opportunities have disappeared. All those suggestions are worthy. The enthusiasts can get our tires on dirt yearround; it just becomes a matter of clothing over weather. Make sure you head out well prepared, not only for cold, but for darkness as well. Keep in mind also as snow levels fluctuate and trails become snowed in, not only is the biking more difficult, but so is the emergency access. Please be careful out there!
Since COTA’s main trail work activities are also slowing somewhat this time of year, there is a great opportunity to handle some of the planning and administrative duties that tend to accumulate during the summer season. One of these items is planning for expanded “skills areas.” The new Wanoga “Infield” zone will be one such area, and we hope to complete this project next summer. If you have been up there lately, you’ll notice a lot of work happening right now. We want to get a good foundation of dirt and rock installed to take advantage of the natural compaction that a solid snow pack can provide. That, and we have been cleared by the Forest Service to begin this “foundation” phase of the project. Detailed planning for various pump-track and “dual slalom” lines should be complete in the next couple of months. Stay tuned…
Here’s a gentle reminder to exercise good trail etiquette at all times; yield the right-of-way to the uphill rider; control your speed to minimize skidding and going off trail, and always be friendly on shared trails. COTA leaders recently attended a Forest Service Volunteer Appreciation Party and a very encouraging comment was heard from a leader of one of the equestrian groups. He said he had reports that all the equestrian/mountain biker encounters were very positive. It seems the message is out: shared trails are best when trail users have a good attitude toward one another. Thanks for keeping the conflict off the trails!
Hooray for rain! The much-needed moisture falling from the sky over the past couple of days has helped quell the dusty conditions somewhat. It’s amazing how much rain it really takes to bring back the tacky firm soil conditions we know and love.
While this is definitely a welcomed change (as far as trail conditions go) it will still be maybe a month before truly prime dirt is the norm. For now, head out and enjoy the trails, but remember to try to avoid skidding.
Skidding and riding out-of-control can create problems for the trail surface, namely “stutter bumps” and blown-out berms. It’s always good practice to ride in control, but especially when the soil conditions are dry as usual this time of year. Of course some trails are designed for better “flow” (Whoops, Storm-King and Flagline all come immediately to mind) and others are twistier with frequent changes in speed required (such as Mrazek, COD and Farewell trails). Knowing the style of riding you prefer, and therefore what it is you’re setting yourself up for are keys to an enjoyable ride.
If you would like to learn more about how trail design can influence the way a trail is ridden, please join us this fall at a work event in the Wanoga Area. The trails COTA is building there are all designed for maximum flow and sustainability (read – smooth lines, good drainage and few, if any abrupt changes in speed) COTA Work Events are open to anyone with an interest in building and maintaining trails. Please see the COTA website (www.cotamtb.com) for a schedule of events and minimum suggested requirements to participate.
Speaking of joining, are you a member of COTA yet? If you’ve enjoyed the trails around Bend then chances are you’re enjoying the fruits of COTA Volunteers’ labor. To date COTA volunteers have logged over 3,200 hours doing trail work in 2010. Beyond joining us as a member, we also need your involvement with trail work. By helping maintain and build new trails you’ll gain a new appreciation for the trails we have here in Central Oregon. Doing trail work also gives you a new way to look at trail etiquette and riding styles.
Posted by Cog Wild Guide Crew at 11:08 pm:
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The proper way to let uphill riders pass without widening our trails!
As the weather warms and the snow melts at higher elevations, trail users get more terrain to share. With almost 100 cars at Phil’s trailhead at any given moment over Memorial Day weekend, spreading out the trail use is sorely needed. Let your tires and soles explore a little. The Farewell Trail connecting to Mrazek Trail is mostly snow-free but, as of this writing, still has a few trees across the trail. The same goes for trails in the Swampy Lakes Snow Park/Swede Ridge area. Skyliner trail is clear of snow and fallen trees and Horse Butte Trail (east of town) is in prime condition as well.
Beyond trail work, COTA’s mission focuses on trail stewardship, advocacy and education. Stewardship takes many forms and all you need to do to become involved is show up for one of COTA’s Weekly Trail Work Events. This Wednesday, June 9, come to Pine Mt. Sports at 5:30 p.m. to join a work crew. Next Wednesday, June 16, we’ll meet at Webcyclery. For more information on COTA’s trail work events and what’s required, please visit COTA’s website: www.cotamtb.com.
In other trail-building news, the first phase of a new Pump Track has been completed in the Phil’s play zone along the old Shevlin-Hixon Haul Road. This creates a third opportunity for enhancing your skills, adding to the Slalom Play Loop and the dirt jumps installed last fall. For your safety, if you see them working, please give plenty of space to the Pump Track designers—local Pro Kirt Voreis and friends—otherwise, enjoy the new Pump Track!
COTA has recently installed new signs along some trails, road crossings and at junctions in the Wanoga area. You may notice a new kind of sign along the Funner and TiddlyWinks Trails this week. Since this entire area is purpose-built for competitive events, COTA has designed these trails to enable passing while maintaining a single-track racing experience. Some of these passing lanes are merely a trail split in two, while others have a more difficult and/or a longer option. The new signs you will see along the Funner Trail display a “Y” to indicate these passing lanes.
To delve into a little “education,” I’m sure most mountain bikers have heard the mantra, “Uphill traffic has the right-of-way,” but there’s a bit more to it than that. Most of our local trails do not have passing lanes and sometimes it isn’t clear which way is “uphill.” COTA suggests, if in doubt, the uphill direction is heading away from the trailhead, unless it’s clearly on a hill.
A practical solution for this right-of-way issue is for the downhill rider to stop and put a foot down to let the uphill riders pass. Just because there seems to be “open ground” along the sides of the trail doesn’t mean it’s OK to continue riding off the trail. Soil and vegetation are fragile here in Central Oregon and COTA discourages riding off the established trail tread (that’s where the firm dirt is). Sometimes it isn’t practical to stop, but it is always a good idea to communicate. Let’s work together to prevent trail widening; after all, we want single track to remain single track!
Posted by Cog Wild Guide Crew at 8:21 pm:
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Rewind to 1983 and Hutch’s Bike Shop in Bend. A bunch of employees came up with the idea of riding bikes at night, in winter, up at Swampy SnoPark. There are many more details there, but if we fast forward to now, last night was the 17th annual Ice Crit. Hutch’s no longer puts it on and currently Cog Wild is taking on the task of organizer. On the occasion it has not snowed the day of the event and cement is showing, ice and snow are blown on the road to create epic crit standards. Whew, hard work too!!
But enough of those details. Ice Crit is all about riding bikes through snow, ice and cold cement in costumes, being cheered on by your peers and seeing what sillyness we can all get up to. Last night was no exception and fun was had by all! In our opinion, this is one of the best events of the year and for those who missed in, bummer for you! Good thing it happens every year!!
This past weekend was Cog’s first Women’s Weekend which was a huge success. Although I normally do not go on the multi-day weekend trips since it means being gone out of the office most Fridays, I chose to guide this event since I was so excited about it. I have wanted to have this tour for years, designing the weekend to include great riding, yoga and massage, three things I love and felt many other women would enjoy as well.
We spent three days riding local and less-known trails outside Bend. The first two days we saw hardly any riders and were able to enjoy solitude while taking in the beautiful scenery. The trails were a little dusty, but everyone was able to spread out and ride at their own pace. On Sunday, our last day, we split into two rides on Bend’s close to town trails. There were a few spills and tumbles, but most of the dust was washed away by a short dumping of rain towards the end of the ride.
A huge thank you to the women who joined us this past weekend. Both Lindsey and I enjoyed getting to know everyone, shared some funny stories and trying to stuff everyone with yummy food. We thought the weekend was great, although the mountain biking was hard at times but with an amazing massage therapist along and camping along a beautiful lake the good definitely outweighed the hard!!
It is final – Ellsworth and Cog Wild are teaming up to offer a 3 day camping trip outside Bend this summer for 24 riders. Being an Ellsworth rider myself, I am really excited for the trip and being a possee of Ellsworth riders out on the trail.
The details of the trip can be found on our website at www.cogwild.com/ellsworth, check it out and come ride! Just wanted to share the news, here are a few shots of Ellsworths out on the trails here in Bend.
You can tell bike season is upon us with all the chatter around town about bikes. Not only riding bikes, but much more.
Friday night is the release of local Silver Moon’s Epic Trail Ale – a new Scottish-style ale to benefit Central Oregon Trail Alliance (COTA) as well as the Bend Paddle Trail Alliance and the Tumalo Langlauf Club. The party starts at Silver Moon at 6pm and should be a lot of fun!
Then in a few weeks is the first annual Bend Bicycle Film Festival on May 29th. We are all very excited for the festival, as locals are scrambling around town to get movies made, the rest of us are just looking forward to a night of celebrating our trails and road riding options. Here is a teaser for the night:
See you on the trails!! Or around town talking about riding..
The past fews weeks have been a ton of fun thanks to great trails and new bikes. The hubby and I both got Ellsworth’s this year, myself an Epiphany and the hubby a Moment. Another good friend got an Epiphany two years ago and no one saw her for weeks, well, unless you were on the trails, she spent a ton of time there and no where else until completely running out of steam. Now both of us understand – Ellsworth bikes rock and early season conditions are pretty cool too!
Currently the lower Phil’s trail area up to Lower Whoops, COD and Helipad are all clear and it GREAT riding condition. It is great being back on the bike after a winter of snow and snow sports and the lower trails are lots of fun to ride. It is such a big social hour, it might almost make sense to wear horse blinders as all your friends are also out on the trails.
Here is a fun video I made of building our bikes. We were not able to finish them in one go since our Shimano brakes did not include all the bolts we needed, but we got pretty far. Check it out!
