New Bootleg Trail on Wooded Hill
Fully Rigid, 8/25/24
Never had I seen so many people biking up Wooded Hill. While it seems that part of the trail system was opened up to mountain biking years ago, the signs at the trailhead make it a little confusing, to probably be a fair assessment. Typically, it’s rare to see riders up there, mostly because it’s a strenuous ride to the top, especially if you’re going straight up the “front” side (and likely because of the signage).
More than a dozen riders were on the hill yesterday in the less than 60 minutes I was up there. The majority were e-bikers, who are not permitted to ride on trails in Laguna Mountain Recreation Area.
No doubt, if you’re local and if you ride Laguna, you at least have heard about the big swoopy downhill off of Wooded Hill on the other side of the water tank. It’s been there for years and is a blast to go down.
Wooded Hill is primarily known as a nature trail/hiking trail. It’s beautiful in every direction you look. A mixed pine and oak forest, it’s mile-high happiness at its finest.
Once up top, the view is spectacular.
As you continue around the loop trail from this point, you enter into a fun section of rocks and boulders, one that if you clean the entire way through, you feel on top of the world.
Well, I guess it’s too hard for some people. Right before you enter into the tech playground, a trail now bombs off to the left, connecting into the switchbacks that take you down to the water tank, from where you then make your way to the big downhill that I guess some people are calling Toboggan, or something like that.
A few points of contention about the new bootleg trail:
When the rains come, it is going to become a washed out ditch. It is entirely poorly built and 100% not sustainable, as a mountain biking trail.
Whoever built it does not understand the precariousness of mountain bike access on Wooded Hill. The new trail is not good for mountain bikers.
It’s 2024 and it seems that riding “tough stuff” might be a way of the past for some people. It’s kind of like, uh-oh, there are rocks and boulders in the mountains and they’re in the way, so let’s build a trail to avoid it all. In doing so, you deny yourself the ability to progress in the sport and your new-fangled bike is pissed at you because it really wants to do what it is designed/built/engineered to do (!).
Here’s a thought, well, actually, it’s two: Ride the tough stuff and stop building illegal trails that have the potential to make matters worse for mountain biking access.
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That would be awesome. However, I don’t have much hope that they would make an announcement like this because it will hurt their bottom end; and I mean $! I hope someone can prove me wrong….
I looked at the trail fest info and unfortunately they do not mention no e-bikes! Buried way down in their FAQ’s it is mentioned but not on the registration page or when registering.
Agreed! I’ve noticed a ton of new trail work arounds to avoid rocks and roots all through the Laguna’s v getting better on the bike.
Additionally, I’ve seen an explosion of e-bikers that are not understanding trail etiquette and scaring hikers and horse enthusiasts by buzzing by them at both Laguna and Cuyamaca. Not sure how e-bikes are allowed at both Cuyamaca and Laguna?