Gridley

Ridden 8/17/2024 Up and down on analog bike. This trail is mostly flowy and enjoyable when descending with nice scenery. There are spots with dangerous and potentially deadly exposure, mainly where the trail is nearly washed out due to concentrated flow from the other side or at some of the old landslides the trail was regraded over. In regards those old landslides, there are dozens of them, and they do take a toll on you when climbing them on your way up. To conserve energy, I started walking my bike over them. There is one recent landslide after the 3-mile mark and just past the horse trough that has a long, narrow path graded through it. This path is very narrow and to be safe, should be walked in both directions. There are also stretches of rocky sections that again take a toll on one's energy when climbing. And don't forget the very bottom section of the official trail (Lower Gridley Trail). That should only be ridden down, unless you enjoy stopping and walking your bike up 18" drops. This first section can be bypassed via a paved road (stay off the private roads), which is steep, and then a singletrack trail that has sections over boulder dikes. Once you reconnect with the official trail at the fork with the map-sign (about 0.7 miles from the parking lot), the trail gets more fun. This trail is enjoyable coming down, and riding it once is enough for me. There are better trails out there, but maybe not in the Ojai area. Just make sure you're well rested after the climb up, because you'll need all your mental concentration and balance when coming down.

Flowy trail with fun rock gardens at the bottom. Stellar views from Nordhoff Peak. Don't be lulled by some of the reviews, though. If riding up, this trail is fairly steep, 8% average grade. Soon after passing the horse trough on the way up, roughly half way, it gets steeper still. this also coincides with areas of exposure. Bring your lungs, lots of water and an ebike if you have one. Plan on walking a lot unless you are very fit.

The major slide has been cleared thanks to the hard work of the Get It Done crew.