Cool Ride El Corte de Madera: Resolution to the Leaves This ride report appears on Trail Head Cyclery News. Images are hosted there. At El Corte de Madera, the fun begins almost immediately after you leave your car. You cruise through the gate, spin along a short dirt road then dive right into long, swoopy singletracks. You turn around trees and hop over rocks as you flit and flutter from Skyline Road to the bottom of the drainage. The temperatures are comfy, and the fall moisture should keep the dust down. The only bummer is, you have to climb back to your car. One of the best rides in "El Corte de" is to drop Resolution to North Leaf, then climb Methuselah. The climb takes a while, but the quality of the downhill makes up for it. Resolution is quick and twisty, with switchbacks to switch, trees to turn and a few rocks to hop. North Leaf twists and traverses along a steep canyon wall. It's flowy, but the negative camber and steep rises definitely reward traction touch and pedaling potence. From the paved parking lot at Skeggs Point (this lot has stone walls, picnic tables and porta potties), turn right on Skyline. The trail head is 100 yards down on your left. Warning: Skyline is chock full of idiots driving fast. Be careful. From the trail head, climb the paved road to your left. Follow Fir Trail fire road 1.2 miles Right on Resolution Trail. Descend 1.1 miles Left down El Corte de Madera Creek Trail. Descend. When you cross the creek, climb to North Leaf Trail. 0.9 mile Left on North Leaf Trail. Descend and traverse 0.7 mile Left on Methuselah Trail. Descend 0.6 mile Cross the creek and climb Methuselah Trail. 3.2 miles Left on Sierra Morena Trail. Climb and traverse 0.6 miles to Fir Trail near the entrance. Distance: 8.3 miles. But don't be fooled: This is a quality 8 miles, with almost no flat ground. Allow one to two hours. Bonus miles! South Leaf Trail adds some technical descending and some very serious climbing. Warning: The first section of South Leaf from Methuselah is brutally steep. If you can clean it nonstop, consider yourself studly. South Leaf side cuts along a very steep, wrinkly canyon. The result is a narrow, weirdly cambered little vixen with short, rooty, rocky climbs and drops. It's great fun but not exactly smooth or easy. After South Leaf, Virginia Mill hauls tail down to the creek (If conditions are perfect, you might get close to the 15mph speed limit.). From there it's Climb Fest 2003 back to Fir Trail and the Skegg's parking lot. The route from Methuselah Trail: Right on South Leaf Trail 1.4 miles (The toughest 1.4 miles of the day) Bear left down Virginia Mill Trail, across the creek and up to Lawrence Creek Trail. The climb from the creek is serious business. 2.5 miles Stay left up Virginia Mill to Timberview Trail and climb all the way to Methuselah. 3.4 miles Total distance: 13.3 miles. This ride is flat divided by -1, which is to say it's not flat at all. Allow yourself 2-3.5 hours.

Lars hops a tricky root at the beginning of Resolution. "Hmm, left or right?" Definitely right. ... Lars on Resolution. Turn after turn after precious turn. Lars grooves it on Resolution. Lars' warrior spirit floats down Resolution. Like a red, green and yellow thread through a bark needle. Lars on North Leaf. Lars rails the chicane at the top of Methuselah. Lee overbakes the same chicane. Note the concerned expression on his face. "My tires last longer when I turn in the air." Lars boosting the amazing transition on Methuselah. Lars sets up to dodge the photographer. That same tranny. Another angle on that rad Methuselah tranny. Lee's interpretation of the Transition of the Year. Low and racy, eh? Watch out for the Ewoks! Lars on Methuselah. Did you enjoy all that sweet descending? Good, 'cause it's time to climb. Lars ascends from El Corte de Madera Creek on Methuselah.

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