Trail Report: some OC fun

[brokenujoint]

I moved down to Irvine about 5 months ago from the IE and although I have hit big bear a number of times it is just a pain in the butt to have to drive all the way up the hill to get any fun time
I asked a room mate if there were any decent areas around Irvine proximity to have some fun. He said that he got his truck stuck up in trabuca canyon before. I didn't think much of it since his truck is a street truck. So I said let's go check it out.241 toll road to Santiago. Go left and then a left on trabuca canyon road I believe. It's much like lurked creek with some fun sections. Nice rock gardens too. Not a hardcore trail but if you don't feel like driving 100 plus miles to get dirty I recommend u check it out. Sorry no pics this time. I'll snap some come next rain fall. Should be interesting up there then

[spearheadbill]

are you talking about main divide road... takes you up to santiago peak with all the radio towers?

[xthread]

main divide

lots of late afternoon runs .great to sit back and watch the sun set .real fun when it gets wet .

[spearheadbill]

The views from the top of santiago peak are really spectacular. maybe the best vantage point in all of so. cal... you can see mt. palomar and all the way down the coast to mex and catalina san clemente and santa barbara islands... palos verdes up to malibu and maybe pt. magu really bitchin 360 deg views... us teenagers did a bit of partyin up in blackstar and those areas back in the 20th century

[dirtman13]

Sounds like you went to Holy Jim Canyon. Just past O'neil Park. That's a nice area.

[Mitch]

Holy Jim is cool with the spring running down the falls, lots of poison oak out there. Blackstar had some real strange residents that put up signs about wild guard dogs and trespassers being being shot on sight. Ah the mountain biking days....... Would like to go back one day in the Jeep.

[Reedster]

Blackstar had some real strange residents that put up signs about wild guard dogs and trespassers being being shot on sight.

I think his name is Tuttle and I think there is still sporadic trouble with him. I've also heard more than one story of people running into speed freaks and other recreational drug users who were acting way crazy and making other folks fear for their lives.

Holy Jim is pretty fun and so is Horsethief and Trabuco Canyon Trail, all of which can be reached from Trabuco Canyon.

~R

[brokenujoint]

thats exactly where i went. holy jim.. the fire road is boring but theres some fun off shoot stuff. We ran into a "land owner" as soon as we started to go in and he started cussing at me real bad and i asked why he was yelling. he said i just want to get my point across.There is a big sign that say's private property stay out....I honestly did miss that sign and went over to look at it. it said just that. but it also said that there was a remote control airplane range one mile ahead. Screw it, i'll take the fire road one mile to that business. his point was that he didnt want me in there. problem was, i was on the public access fire road. he was a young 30 something yuppy in a new benz suv. guess he thought he could talk to anyone/anyway.... when i snapped back and challenged him politely, asking why he is talking to me so aggressively and so harshly he apologized but my blood was raised. we carried on. i know my rights and i am respectful of private property. for once it was a case of the (alledged) land owner being a prick and not the offroader. He was either the owner or affiliated somehow to the Parker's. whatever that is. its the 1st lil land ownage on the left after you get in. some sort of horse stable/coral type set up. real douche.

i can imagine that area is super fun once the seasonal water comes through. It's only about 15 miles from my house and I didnt think that stuff existed in the OC.

[TipsE-Z]

Can you post up accurate directions and what trail name is on the map? I've been over there a few times as I live in HB but Main Divide is boring, specially after my past weekend in Big Bear. I'd love to find some rocks and such here in OC that could be fun.

Thanks

[dirtman13]

Put these in Google and it will show you where Trabuco Creek Road is. Take that up to Holy Jim.
33.65921,-117.585468

Nothing like BB though.

[brokenujoint]

Turn right to merge onto CA-241 S
Toll road From Portola 6.5 mi
Take exit 19 for Santa Margarita Pkwy
Toll road 0.3 mi
Turn right at Santa Margarita Pkwy 1.8 mi
Turn left at Plano Trabuco Dr 0.6 mi
Plano Trabuco Dr turns left and becomes Trabuco Canyon Rd 0.8 mi
Turn right at Trabuco Creek Rd
Destination will be on the left 43 ft
From here, you just turn into the wash and get out there and have fun. As soon as you head in, to the right are some cool twisty mounds that you can play on. Don't as a nearby property owner is a real jerk. just keep going about 1/4 mile down the road and then there are plenty of turn off's to play in the rock beds and stuff. If you even wanna play out that way on a thurs,fri,sat.. just hit me up.

Trabuco Creek Rd

[Roberto Miranda]

I know the place, from the I5, take el toro road, at cook corners (bike bar) take Live Oak Canyon, pass the Oneil Regional Park entrance and the playground will be there at your left, before small bridge…
Live Oak Canyion Road becomes Trabuco Canyon Road, that is really close to one of the Coto de Caza gates…
With a mountain bike, you can explore the area way better …
Look for Whiting Ranch, The Luge, and some other MTB trails…

[TipsE-Z]

Thanks! I'm thinking next Friday I'm going to head out and have a little fun; this weekend is going to be spent cleaning the Jeep from last weekend.

[brokenujoint]

next friday i'll be in indiana for work.

[Roberto Miranda]

when you are done playing, the next question is:

Where is a car wash close by? hmmm

I had hard time searching for one, so we created this database that could be helpful... if you know of any other, please let us know to up-date it...

http://www.cv4w.org/info/carwash.aspx