Bogley

accadacca · Joined: 02 Dec 2004 Posts: 7057 Location: The Interwebs

Four of use rode mueller last night. Fighting the traffic to get there and then seeing a line of cars at the bottom. Well that made me remember why I don't ride it much. I could have been up any of the SL canyons in less time. Anyway, we decided to try the reverse loop. I had heard it talked up several times. In the past I would go to elephant rock and turn around and bomb down. What I had heard was that the section from the flat on top to the rock had the best down hill. :eek7: Which was hard to believe because from the rock down is pretty sweet.

Doing the reverse loop is 13.5 miles and with more climbing. We rode from the trail head to this other trail head. Which is just up canyon creek road. Getting to it on pavement was not bad, except for the steep climb up canyon creek on hot black pavement. Next time we will drive and park at the top of canyon creek with another vehicle. You could eliminate 3 miles of pavement this way. When you exit the pavement you go on a dirt road for a while ending up on a single track. This backside climb is beautiful. However it is 4 miles of an uphill climb. It has some switchbacks and stuff through the trees. A real good workout! I really like most of it, except for some of the loose rocky sections. It takes more energy out of you.

Well to make a long story short. We had a guy in the group that was struggling for LIFE. He hadn't been for a month and we were waiting for sometime at the flat on top. It was 8:45pm and the darkness was closing in. We decided to send one guy back down that side to get him and the other two of us would go out mueller. We only had abut 30 minutes of light and 45 to complete darkness. Fourtycal and I bombed and hoped for the best. We had some decent light until we got to the rock. I must say this section of downhill is awesome and worth the praise. It just adds to what you are going to get past the rock. I would highly recommend the reverse loop for this reason. :nod:

After it got really dark we just kept the tire towards the middle of the trail and hoped for the best. REALLY dark in places as you can imagine. We made it to the trucks right at complete darkness. Fourtycal drove to the top of canyon creek to wait for the other two. What a ride!!! I took some pictures.....mainly of the area before the flat. (Still light) I would do this loop over the standard (out and back) on busy day. Which is everyday at mueller. We only saw a 4 others bikers on the trail. On the mueller side it would have been gridlock. This could be the biggest advantage to the reverse loop.

Trail info

derstuka · Joined: 16 Jul 2005 Posts: 1275 Location: San Diego, CA

Awesome pictures and write up! :2thumbs: :2thumbs:

Sombeech · Joined: 09 Dec 2004 Posts: 11283 Location: The Rubbish Bin

So, if I understand correctly, you came down from rudy's flat, past elephant rock, and down to the mueller park trailhead?

Then, does this involve a shuttle?

Shan · Joined: 24 Jun 2005 Posts: 786 Location: Cache Valley

Sweet single track! When it cools down here, my hubby and I will have to take our "vacation from vacations" and camp out down there for a weekend.

accadacca · Joined: 02 Dec 2004 Posts: 7057 Location: The Interwebs

Sombeech wrote: So, if I understand correctly, you came down from Rudy's flat, past elephant rock, and down to the mueller park trail head?
Yes. We started at the mueller park trail head. Then pavement to canyon creek road. Then up the dirt road to the single track. Rudy's flat is about 4 miles up from where the pavement ends or 7 miles from the mueller trail head. Which is where we came from.

live2ride · Joined: 20 Jun 2005 Posts: 1069 Location: Riding my bike

Hey I was there last night at the trail head at 6:00 and all I saw was team Pedro's so I just went up the trail and started to ride. But at 8:45 I was already on my way home. Hopefully next time I can find you guys

live2ride · Joined: 20 Jun 2005 Posts: 1069 Location: Riding my bike

Don't be confused by the cars at the base of Muellers. I was up there and I thought about turning around because I thought that the traffic would be crazy but yet I only saw two other bikers on the way up. There were people camping and messing around on the lower trails but the reason for the traffic was a group ride for team Pedro's I was amazed at how empty the trail was and on the downhill from Rudy's flat (which is a 6.5 mile climb up from the base of Muellers) There were no bikers and I held a continuous speed of about 20mph. The trail was great and I do have to disagree with the suggestion to go up the back side. The back side of the trail doesn't even compare to Muellers.

accadacca · Joined: 02 Dec 2004 Posts: 7057 Location: The Interwebs

Yeah my Toyota was there at about 6:05pm. I really enjoyed the backside and you still come out on the mueller side. I guess you only miss the climb up mueller? But I really LIVE for the downhill. So to extend it and try a different trail sounded good to us. I thought the other side was challenging and very scenic. :cool2:

fourtycal · Joined: 13 May 2005 Posts: 826 Location: Midvale

The best part of the ride was when you locked up your brakes on the way down, because of the skunk running down the trail ahead of you :haha: . I wish there was enough light to snap a picture of that. The rest of the gang made it to the pavement just before I arrived to pick them up.
I will do the reverse loop again! That was awsome!(except for the 5:30pm northbound traffic!) :mrgreen:

Sombeech · Joined: 09 Dec 2004 Posts: 11283 Location: The Rubbish Bin

Hey fourtycal, got somethin' for ya.

Play sound clip below.

fourtycal · Joined: 13 May 2005 Posts: 826 Location: Midvale

That is funny! I grew up watching the Dukes. I just saw the new movie and liked it too. I think they missed the boat on the sherrif and boss hog but the rest of the cast was awsome!

JamisJockey · Joined: 16 May 2005 Posts: 1023 Location: Woodbridge, VA

G2G!
:five:

Sombeech · Joined: 09 Dec 2004 Posts: 11283 Location: The Rubbish Bin

Yeah, I could accept the characters not looking like the originals, but Roscoe was way off. I wanted to hear him say "Ooh, we'll get them Duke boys, coo coo"

I loved the movie though. I'm going back.

TreeHugger · Joined: 02 Aug 2005 Posts: 898

I've always ridden Mueller from the Northside (from CanyonCreek road) and down to the trailhead from the flats. I LOVE the single track climb on that side - and, hardly any traffic... the jeep road is kinda bitchy though (can I say that on this bb??), just ugly and silly steep in sections. But, I would definately try it this way if you havent, I think you'll really like it.

Sombeech · Joined: 09 Dec 2004 Posts: 11283 Location: The Rubbish Bin

TreeHugger wrote: the jeep road is kinda bitchy though (can I say that on this bb??)

hmm. I guess I've never heard a road described like that! It's original, and kinda funny, so I'll give it to ya.

Umm, for humor purposes. :lol8: