If you’re going all the way to Pine Valley, California you may as well get the most you can out of one day of riding. And that’s why XEN MTB suggests starting Noble Canyon with a gentle ride through the Laguna Meadows. You’ll dodge cow pies on the trail and absorb the beautiful high country views and air. Or if you want just get straight into the (mostly) downhill riding, start your Noble Canyon ride at Sunrise Highway.
It’s so peaceful in the Laguna Meadows that you’ll find yourself wanting to just ride around in circles for hours. And you can if you want: the trail loops around the entire meadows area making it a great place to drop off the family for a few hours while you go down the EPIC Noble Canyon trail. This ride requires a shuttle to the top. XEN MTB arranges the trip up with the guests attending, using our own vehicles.
Noble Canyon isn’t a particularly long trail, nor do you drop a whole lot of elevation on the way down. But what you do experience is three levels of eco system, which means three totally different types of trail surfaces all combined into one ride. Along the way, you may hear about a feature called “The Widow Maker”, an aptly named section of rocks that drops straight into a creek with no roll out. It has claimed many a brave man! A little beyond that is the “Stairway to Hell”. You can either ride it like the devil knows your name or dance and rock hop through it like an angel.
If you like flowy oak lined single tracks, you got it. If you like big boulder sections, you got that too. How about some quick, steep technical ups that will challenge more than just your muscles? Your ego will be on the line as your buddies watch each other try to clear as many sections as possible. And guaranteed, somebody is going to owe somebody a pitcher of beer at the end of this ride.
You can ride Noble Canyon a couple ways. You can go full speed ahead and attack every technical feature like there’s no tomorrow That technique will surely wear you out and you’ll probably crash a couple times. Or you can enjoy the scenery, not risk all those crazy technical sections and still have a great time. Remember, when you ride with XEN MTB, this isn’t a race and you won’t be breaking any records! Also, there’s no shame at all for walking. But just for historical reasons, bring a camera to snap photos of your silly friends doing insane tricks and a whole lot of walking. There’s even a jump section they can try if they want to fly!
