Stagecoach 400 - Day 1 - Alpine, Descanso, and the California Riding and Hiking Trail
Date: March 9, 2024
40.94 Miles
5,722 Feet of Gain
Rancho San Diego to Thousand Trails Oakzanita Springs
Two years ago I made an initial attempt to ride the Stagecoach 400 in 2022 as a solo bikepacking trip. I made it five days in but abandoned the desert due to temperatures well over 100 degrees; after living and biking for years in triple digit heat, I didn't have the desire to experience Anza-Borrego under those temps. Instead, I twisted the route into a spiral and made my own tract around the San Diego area. But, the beauty and diversity of the route hung heavily in my mind. All I wanted to do was show Janna how incredible of a route it was. Mountains, Deserts, Ocean. Truly, a spectacular tour of SoCal spread. We thought about doing it last year over Spring Break, but the blizzard conditions that hit the route that year made it unpalatable. So Spring Break came this year. The temperatures warmed up enough to beat back the worst of winter on high but abate the onset of summer heat down low. Perfect. I planned out the route deciding to start the ride in San Diego which afforded easier opportunities to park the car as well as a push to get the desert done first before it had any more chance to heat up. That, and we loved Idyllwild as the optimal trail town to take a zero-day in during a mid-route rest day. Janna agreed. After a rough and tough end to quarter 3 of the school year, we were hankering for some backcountry adventure to shake the hold that work had on both of our constant waking thoughts. The Stagecoach 400 ended up delivering on everything.
We drove to San Diego the day after school got out. The temperatures were a little cool but significantly warmer than at the Canyon. Janna and I had stayed in San Diego for the past several years at Vineyard Hacienda, a local place right next to the route just inland of the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge. Vineyard Hacienda agreed to watch our car on-site for the week we planned to spend bikepacking; they ended up not charging us anything for the parking with a paid night's stay at the beginning and end of the ride. Morning came quick with the palpitations of spring. We strapped gear on our bikes ready to just completely lose ourself in the ride. My head was swimming with stress from school and my body wanted nothing more than to just move across the land under my own human power. By 9:30 am, we were ready to head the mile or two down the road to intersect with the official route. Janna and I turned right onto the Sweetwater River Trail that hung as a brown strip across the lush neons of spring. Literally, the ground was bursting with new-growth-grass. Man did it feel lovely to bathe in those warming temps.
Dirt transitioned to neighborhood asphalt and the miles felt easy. We careened along bike shoulders while weekend road cyclists passed us. We soon swung a right onto some truly stellar dirt on a climb up Sloane Canyon. The surface was hero-quality, and we just soaked it all in. A woman came walking down the road with a stroller full of two twins while also walking two horses simultaneously on leashes. Super impressed, we stopped to talk. Turns out she lives along here and called this area a slice of heaven. I agreed for the beauty of spring green and the lulling rush of water in the creek below. Janna and I pedaled on, crossed Sweetwater River a couple more times, and then got off our bikes to push up some steeper climbs. I was completely unconditioned after a winter and third quarter of little consistent working out. My goal on this route was to ride far by going slow and steady with frequent hike-a-biking to save my knees/legs.
The road began to desiccate and crack from the effects of runoff and heat. A quick left brought us onto the California Riding and Hiking Trail. We opted to HAB instead of actually riding. The path quickly narrowed in and became all pushing to the top. But the views were utterly spectacular around us as I gazed back down the mountainside. The CA Riding and Hiking Trail popped us out on top of a ridgeline in the spill-sprawl of rural neighborhoods. Flowers were blooming orange and yellow across sandy slopes. Janna and I sped down the blacktop along a backcountry highway with views down to Loveland Reservoir on our rights. The descent was fast and smooth before a turn along busy shoulderless Tavern Road that carried us easily into Alpine, CA. I was shocked how quickly we got here; I've driven by Alpine many times on the way to San Diego along the I-8 and always thought it would take forever to bike up here from the coast. We immediately saw a local grocery store, parked our bikes out front, grabbed some fresh fruit, and sat in chairs in the shade to eat a lunch. We both felt utterly relaxed knowing the first half of the climbing was done for the day.
The Stagecoach 400 continued through a stretch of urban storefronts in Alpine before skirting over the I-8 and entering the Viejas Indian Reservation. It was easy pedaling once more across the rez before entering the Cleveland National Forest by jumping on dirt at Viejas Grade Road. Again, hero dirt and hardpack met our tires under blue skies. The climb up the side of Poser Mountain was everything we wanted on Day 1 of a trip. We stopped to eat some snacks and take a rest when two bikepackers came riding down in the opposite direction. They quickly stopped and the four of us got to chatting. Turns out they were doing a reverse ride of the Stagecoach 400 (along with some alt side-routes) and they were heading to San Diego to finish. I've always felt a sense of awe when talking to someone at the end of a route or trail I'm just beginning. You dream yourself in their feet wondering if the scope of your hopes will actually happen. They sped on and Janna and I continued our climb up towards the railroad house. The ride careened along curves, merged with pavement once more, and carried us into Descanso.
Descanso had a POI on the maps mentioning excellent burritos as Veronica's Kitchen. It was shortly before 4 pm, and Janna and I were buoyed by a beautiful day's riding, so we stopped to grab some food. It was fantastic and hit the spot. We left Descanso and joined some dirt trail in Cuyamaca Ranchero State Park. This turned out to be the most beautiful portion of riding of the day. The sun, golden, hung low, casting dramatic shadows and light across boulders and scrub that blanketed the green mountainsides. The Sweetwater River ran adjacent to our trail up a ravine. I just biked basking in that glow. But the sun was now dipping towards evening so we picked up the pace. The trail turned right up a more-rutted way. We started pushing our bikes before cresting a hill and descending to a creek crossing. We crossed the creek and intersected with Route 79. It was pretty busy with people driving into the mountains for the weekend. We had sun still, albeit it on the cusp of the horizon, so Janna and I made haste to use it for own visibility/safety. Only a few miles and turns later we arrived at Thousand Trails Oakzanita Springs Campground where I had made a reservation to camp for the night. The campground was beautiful, quiet, and had dream showers for a touring cyclist. We both showered and air-dried despite the 40-50 degree temps before crawling into the tent for a solid night's sleep.
