Tour of the Santa Anas (91 to 74)

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This route is a must-do for all Santa Ana adventure riders. Get dropped off at the Coal Canyon Trail early and get picked up at the San Juan trailhead at the end of the day, 54 miles and 12.5k vertical later. Bag all the peaks as you traverse the entire range South: Sierra Peak, Hagador Peak, Pleasants Peak, Modjeska Peak, Santiago Peak, Trabuco Peak, West Horsethief Peak, Los Pinos Peak. It doesn't count unless you summit them all! Saving the best for last, you finish on the wild and rugged backcountry singletrack of Los Pinos ridge.

This route may take 9 or 12 hours depending.

This route like other big days in the Santa Anas will be best done in March, April or May. Early April is ideal as the days are long, snow is usually melted from the peaks, water is abundant and temps are still cool.

This is a difficult day that requires self-sufficiency and fitness. While on most of the route you can bail out by dropping a fire road east or west, there are sections of the Main Divide where many miles separate a bail option. Furthermore, the finish on Los Pinos is a remote and difficult singletrack with over a dozen steep hike-a-bikes. It is the hardest terrain on the route: the best for last!

Carry all the necessary tools to fix common bike issues, like a chain breaker and a chain link, a spare tube, patch kit, plug kit, a pump AND CO2, duct tape, zip ties, tire boot, etc. A satellite communicator is another must-bring if only for the reason to let your partner know you are ready for pickup at the end.

Water pum

This route is done as a ride through, meaning you'll get dropped off at the start and picked up at the end.

Start at Coal Canyon Trail off the CA-91/Green River Road. Start at dawn, maybe 5:30AM. Ride up the steepening Coal Canyon to arrive at your first summit of Sierra Peak.

Ride south on Main Divide towards your next goal of Hagador Peak, crushing some very steep pitches. Bike up and over Hagador Peak.

Then bag her sister, Pleasants Peak, which requires lifting your bikes over a gate, riding a bit, then lifting your bike over a second gate, and, finally, pushing your bike up the last 50 vertical feet. Descend the gnarly steep other side of Pleasants Peak to return to the Main Divide.

Ride the taxing up and down terrain of the Main Divide toward Motorway (Maple Springs Trail). Enjoy the 2000-foot singletrack descent of Motorway to arrive at the bottom of Silverado Canyon.

From here you get a welcome reprieve by riding the mellow ascending paved part of Maple Springs Truck Trail. You'll pump water at one of these many Silverado Creek crossings. Ideally, you make it all the way to the last crossing (where the pavement changes to dirt) and fill up there, at the highest point on Maple Springs Truck Trail. Your next water fill up spot will be on the other side of Santiago Peak at Bear Spring. If Bear Spring is not running this is your only water until the end.

After filling up your water and eating a sandwhich, you climb up towards the top floor of the Santa Anas. After about an hour you'll arrive at Four Corners, where Harding Truck Trail, Maple Springs Truck Trail and Main Divide all intersect. You'll see the massive West Face of Modjeska Peak looming above you.

Continue on Main Divide. After about 30 minutes you'll turn the corner and Santiago Peak will come into view. At this point, take a rocky doubletrack on your left which brings you to the top of Modjeska. On your way down from Modjeska Peak, don't miss the hard left turn for a bit of singletrack.

Ride over to Santiago Peak and summit. You're now at least half way! It is probably 1PM, so you've still got at least 5 hours of daylight. You can make it!

Break on through to the other side: venture forth on Main Divide. Descend Upper Holy Jim for about 1000 feet vertical of technical descent to arrive back on Main Divide. You may have to double back to find Bear Spring if you're in need of more water. Otherwise continue on Main Divide, stopping only to stash your bike and hike up Trabuco and West Horse Thief Peaks.

Eventually you'll arrive at your last summit: Los Pinos Peak. At this point you only have about a dozen hike-a-bikes and the most difficult technical singletrack ahead of you. Congrats, you're almost done!