I recently revisited the connector route between and the La Costa trail system and the Elfin Forest recreation reserve as well as little bit of exploration along the way. Here are few thoughts and pictures from along the way.
I had not been on the Escondido Creek single track in a really long time. When I was helping with the early phase of constructing this trail, I got my worst case of poison oak I have ever had. There was some PO along this trail on this ride but it was not really encroaching into the trail.
I tinkered with a few offshoot trails as long the way. When I got to Elfin I thought about putting together a loop using a series of trails a dirt roads to the north. I opted to check out a few more along the route I came out on. All together I put in 21 miles and change along with 3,000 feet of climbing. If you rode all of the Elfin and La Costa trails along with the connector you could pile up about 40 miles. I am going to tinker here some more for sure.
last time I rode that connector I came out with ticks all over. But I took the lower route to elfin which kinda follows the creek. We used that path one time for the Arch ride and never did it again. It was pretty sketchy. Have you ever taken the trail that is near that yellow gate that goes east I think? I took it pretty far hoping I could hook up to back side of elfin but it kinda ran out. I didn’t realize that there used to be a trailer park either, makes sense with some of the stuff that is out there
I have been all of in that canyon. It has been quite a few years ago. It does die out as you get close to dam. Lots of hike-a-bike. I stopped messing around in that canyon after I started getting really sensitive to poison oak.