Course Description

Come and bike some of the county’s best trails! We will be on our bikes each day, and in between we’ll learn about bicycle maintenance and repair, the history of mountain biking, trail usage, and controversies over trail access. Geared towards the intermediate skilled mountain biker.

What I Can Expect To Learn

Marin is the birthplace and the Mecca of mountain biking. It has some of the world’s most scenic trails. Jeff and Chip have been riding the trails of Marin for over twenty years and are intimately familiar with the best our county has to offer. In addition to riding a selection of the best trails, we will learn the history of mountain biking, current controversies over trail access and how to prep and maintain your bike.

Faculty Leaders

Jeff Sandler is a grizzled veteran with the stamina of a 20-year old. He has lived the sport of mountain biking since he arrived in the Bay Area in 1988.

Chip Vetter, younger and better looking, nonetheless has years on the bike as well.

Schedule of Activities

Monday, 4/12

• Equipment check at school.
• Ride from school to Rodeo Beach through Tennessee Valley.
• Lunch at school.
• Watch the movie “Klunkerz” about the history of mountain biking in Marin.

Tuesday, 4/13

• Ride Bolinas Ridge (park at Olema trailhead).
• Bolinas Ridge - WHAT a ride! This ride has just about everything a body needs to be happy: cool redwoods, wide open grasslands, great views, neat rocks, long climbs doing double duty as long, sweeping downhills, and a little bit of technical stuff (some tree roots, some rocks). It's a ridge and we will start at the bottom of the ridge in Olema and do an out-and-back. There's enough to hold your interest, but not so much that you're not demoralized if you ain't exactly Hans Rey.
• Lunch on trail.

Wednesday, 4/14

• Ride China Camp Stae Park in San Rafael.
• In the late 1800’s, Chinese immigrants living in San Francisco suffered many indignations caused by the prejudice that was prevalent there at that time. Many of them relocated across the bay to Marin and settled in an area along the shoreline that was convenient for their shrimp-harvesting trade. Today that area is known as China Camp State Park and is a popular destination for overnight campers and mountain bike enthusiasts. While most state parks in California permit mountain biking only along fire roads, China Camp is a notable exception. All the single-track trails in the park are legal for bikes and this is a major factor in the park ’s popularity for cyclists. The route of this ride initially leads up a steep incline along Bay View Trail to get to the higher ridges in the park. While the main climb in the beginning is not terribly high, it is steep. Once up the hill, however, the ride becomes a very enjoyable cruise along narrow and bumpy single-track. This ride consists mostly of singletrack. The trails are well marked and easy to follow.
• Lunch at Taqueria San Jose.

Thursday, 4/15

• Drive to Ross Common, ride the “Lakes Tour”.
• We start at the trailhead in Ross and it’s a short climb up to Phoenix Lake, a little gem in the Marin Muniocipal Water District. Passing the lake, we will head up Shaver Grade and Concrete Pipe Trail to Sky Oaks Rod and ride out to Bon Tempe Lake nestled at the base of Mt. Tam. Next on the Lake Tour is Lake Lagunitas, an easy ride on Sky Oaks Road, or, for those looking for a challenge, a ride over Bon Tempe Dam and a sharp climb up and over the ridge on Rocky Ridge Trail. Lunch at Lake Lagunitas and then a fast descent down Fish Grade back to Ross.

Friday, 4/16

• Morning: All groups work on presentations
• Afternoon: Presentations