Juniper Ridge Trail Report - Very Dry - Sep 14, 2022

On Labor Day I rode Juniper N to S, down Dark Meadow, up NF2324 and Sunrise, and back N on Juniper. First climb was fine. First descent was rocky and loose in a few places, a bit sketchy but fully rideable. I guess the climb up the button in the middle is Devil's Staircase. It sucked to HAB up with deep silt and big rocks kicked loose by Motos. Dropping off that on the other side was steep and silty but not as steep and not as many loose rocks. Not much fun due to the silt but not scary. The final long climb and descent to Dark Meadow were ok. Heading back south from Sunrise the Devil's Staircase was super gnarly. I'd say downright dangerous in fact and not rideable for most riders. The deep silt and steepness down the moto rut meant you couldn't steer or stop. And that's a problem when the Motos have kicked loose tons of rocks of all sizes that are sitting there waiting for you. You can't even see the small/medium ones and they can shoot you off the line unpredictably. The big ones are unavoidable. I'm used to riding steep loose trails and this was a whole new level of scary for me. Ended up walking most of this section. The rest of the trail was fine. I'm sure this trail is better after rain but til that comes I'd avoid it.