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Freeman Creek
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Author:  GP_pilot [ Fri Jul 30, 2010 12:52 pm ]
Post subject:  Freeman Creek

Our third and final day was to check out the grove of Sequoias Freeman Creek. This ride also starts from the Quaking Aspen campground and is a pretty short distance to the trailhead.

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While everyone was digging the downhill flow at the start of the ride, pictures weren’t on most folks minds.

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Hiking around a large deadfall uncovered this giant Sequoia log ride

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Everyone was enjoying it. I then decided to work on this much smaller log ride, but someone else will have to post up an action shot.

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Near the bottom of the descent is the George H.W. Bush tree,

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Of course this provided a perfect backdrop for a group picture

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Back on the trail we headed further east to Forks of Kern

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With a moderate amount of horse traffic, this section of trail definitely takes the energy to keep moving through the sandy ground. A bit of slab riding breaks up the grind.

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The trail firms up towards the end.

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Forks of Kern trailhead is used for folks accessing the Kern river for fishing or rafting/kayaking. The trail heading down is accessible by bike up to the wilderness boundary.

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While the rest of the group headed down for a better view point of the river, I snapped a panoramic

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Not having a much better view, everyone slogged back up just as it started to shower.

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After eating lunch and waiting for the rain to stop, we passed the singletrack way we came and took the dirt road back to the George Bush tree, picked up the trail for the climb out.

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This climb wasn’t easy at the end of the ride

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The humidity from the passing shower and warming temps weren’t helping either

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On the way there’s time to check out what wasn’t seen bombing down the trail at the start

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18 miles later we finished back at camp with some 2,550’ of climbing logged for the day. While we ran out of time for a finishing run down to Camp Nelson, it was definitely a great weekend showcasing the 4 main trails and 3 accessible Sequoia groves.

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Author:  boone29er [ Fri Jul 30, 2010 1:05 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Freeman Creek

Great write ups of some awesome trails, thanks for the trip there was alot of great rides and good times.

Author:  EMFC [ Fri Jul 30, 2010 1:18 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Freeman Creek

I just realized how close this is to where I am moving :bang:

Nice TR!

Author:  406 [ Fri Jul 30, 2010 2:55 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Freeman Creek

The humidity almost killed me on that climb. I dipped in the creek at the bottom and if I hadn't don't think I would have made it. I think the highlight for me was sprinting past kreechan and gman as the trail turned into road near the end on the climb out. :flame: :lol:

Author:  evdog [ Fri Jul 30, 2010 7:14 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Freeman Creek

MTB Bill's described the complete sanitization of this trail on his site a couple years ago. I never rode it to experience what it was like before - I'm sure it was sweet singletrack that was tighter, twister, and more technical than it is now. I have to say though, I think this trail is a fun ride the way it is now. It also seems that its "growing back" so to speak. While it may never regain the same character it had before, the forest will re-take it eventually, especially given the low traffic volume it sees. For now, its a great ride for a beginner (until they have to climb back out, that is :wink: ) It also has some jump potential if the lips on a bunch of the undulations awoke one day to find themselves a bit steeper.

GP_pilot said it right that taking pics wasn't a big priority on the way down. I still managed to get a few.
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Flowing the descent
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Around the next corner
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It took me 3 tries to get up our ruffshod work and onto the log
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Bankerboy had to steal kreechan's bike to be able to ride.
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BKJ gives it a go
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GP_pilot cruising back across
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The original exit is at the very top end of the log, none of us pulled it off
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GP_pilot cleans up the entrance to this log
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Even with that, it took a few tries to get on it cleanly




Success! Nicely done


406 rides past the only 2 hikers we saw above the GHWB tree
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Another monster
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One more for Baja
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My bike looks awfully small now
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you hug that tree, hippy
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We ran into one of the locals on a rock outcrop. Both Boone and I almost walked right over it
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My camera went away with the rain, and I was too busy suffering on the climb out to take many pics, but I had to capture one of Bankerboy in his own world of pain
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Things start to look up as we near the top
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I did take a pic of this on the way down, but lighting improved so I stopped again on the way back up
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This trail is definitely worth riding at least once, and I'd probably ride it again at some point. But you pretty much have to do an out and back given how long it would take to shuttle it and how little time it takes to ride down. I'm glad we did it, though, and it was a pretty easy ride to end the weekend with.

Thanks to Sean for organizing another great trip!

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