Saturday, September 11
Hike or ride in the beautiful Santa Cruz Mountains at the 5th annual Ridge Trail Cruz. Enjoy the trail you've helped build, and raise funds to complete the vision of a 550+ mile trail along the ridgelines around the Bay Area.
The Cruz has a variety of hiking & riding options, some new in 2010, including a special family hike, and all offer scenic trails with gorgeous scenery.
Help Raise Funds to Complete the Ridge Trail
Participants can join the Cruz-a-thon and support the Ridge Trail. Ask your friends & colleagues to sponsor you at $1, $5, or $10 per mile. Top fundraisers will win prizes donated by REI.
Volunteer
It takes many people to make this event run smoothly. Contact
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for more informaiton on how you can help
Registration
The Cruz is a supported event with light breakfast, rest stops with snacks, full buffet lunch, route leaders, and maps provided. Hikers & cyclists are transported by bus to start their day on the trail.
Advance registration is required and attendance is limited. Early bird registration of $40 runs until August 14. Registration is $50 beginning August 15. Start times, detailed below, vary depending on which event you choose.
Confirmed payment is your official confirmation. Detailed information and directions will be emailed to you around September 1.
For more information, please contact the Council at
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, or call 415-561-2595, ask for Dena or Joel.
Hikes
Longer hikes are challenging with at least 1500 feet of elevation gain with many ups and downs. Please choose your hike based on your conditioning and skill level.
26-mile: Arrive 7:00 a.m Hike from Sunnyvale Mt to Rapley Ranch Road, then loop back to staging area. 26-mile hikers must start loop back by 3pm, or take shuttle back to staging area.
19-mile: Arrive 7:00 a.m. Hike from Sunnyvale Mt to Rapley Ranch Road, with shuttle back to staging area.
13-mile: Arrive 8:00 a.m. Hike from Saratoga Gap to Rapley Ranch Road, with shuttle back to staging area.
8-mile: Arrive 8:00 a.m. Hike from Saratoga Gap to lunch/staging area.
5-mile: New in 2010! Arrive 10:00 a.m. Hike from Rapley Ranch Road to lunch/staging area.
Family Hike: New in 2010! Family hike includes short bus ride to Daniels Nature Center. After a tour with a trained docent, families will have a choice of hiking ~1.8 miles from the Center to lunch, or taking bus back for a short hike (~.5 m) around Horseshoe Lake to lunch. $25 fee for entire family. Arrive 10:00 a.m.
Horseback Rides
Equestrians will have a choice of rides, from ~10 miles to ~ 23 miles, with varying amounts of climbing. All routes have a mix of fire roads and singletrack riding. You must register for the horseback ride, but can choose your route the day of the event. Arrive 9:45 a.m.
Please note, horses not provided, rides are for equestrians bringing their horses.
Mountain Bike Rides - New Route options in 2010
Cyclists will enjoy a unique opportunity to "preview" the Ridge Trail in Sanborn County Park as part of this one-day special event before the park’s official opening to bikes. Riders MUST be registered for this event to ride in the park. Thanks to Council partner, Santa Clara County Parks, for supporting the Cruz with permission for this special opportunity. To view a video from last year's ride, click here.
All 4 rides arrive 9:00 am for shuttle to start and are challenging, with a mix of fire roads & singletrack, plenty of climbing and a short bit of riding on Skyline Boulevard. Please choose your ride based on your conditioning, experience, & skill level.
35-miles: ~4800' of climbing. Ride the full length of the Ridge Trail between Sunnyvale Mt. and Rapley Ranch Road, with two additional loops, including a long 1300 foot climb and challenging technical sections.
25-miles: ~3500' of climbing. Ride the full length of the Ridge Trail between Sunnyvale Mt. and Rapley Ranch Road, with one additional loop back to the staging/lunch location (same route as 35-mile ride, but bypasses the loop with the 1300 foot climb and more challenging technical sections).
19-miles: ~2500' of climbing. Ride the full length of the Ridge Trail between Sunnyvale Mt. and Rapley Ranch Road. Riders are shuttled from end of the ride to the staging/lunch location.
13-miles: ~1000' of climbing. Ride the Ridge Trail between Sunnyvale Mt. and the staging/lunch location.
The Bay Area Ridge Trail Council thanks Ridge Trail Cruz partners Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, Santa Clara County Parks, California State Parks, Responsible Organized Mountain Pedalers, Equestrian Trail Riders' Action Committee and sponsors REI, Black Sheep Adventures, Clif Bar and Peet's Coffee & Tea.
[photo credits: hikers, Frankie Smillie; Hiding behind Pine Spring, Council Archives; Equestrian: John Kimball; cyclists, Joel Gartland]
View Ridge Trail Cruz in a larger map
