Virtual Ride: Harding to Joplin

Join us for a virtual two-wheeled exploration of our local Santa Ana Mountains via Harding Truck Trail, Joplin and The Luge — a challenging and scenic route.

This ride is best suited for solid intermediate and advanced riders who aren’t afraid to push the pedals for anywhere from 3 to 6 or more hours, on remote and rugged terrain.

Ride the route anytime March 26 through April 4, on your schedule and at your leisure!

About the route:

There is no shortage of great routes in the Santa Ana Mountains, and this is one of the classics!

Harding to Joplin is a challenging loop, but well worth the effort. It starts off with an 11-mile fire road climb followed by a 2-plus-mile rowdy descent on technical singletrack on remote and rugged terrain. The fun continues for four miles along Santiago Truck Trail to the top of The Luge, for a final fast and fun descent.

Be prepared to spend several hours climbing, and be aware that you may not have cell reception in some places. Bring plenty of water, food, emergency gear, extra clothing, etc.

If you're riding this route with friends, you may consider leaving a car at Cook's Corner to avoid the road climb back to Modjeska Canyon. Please respect Cook's parking rules if you leave a car in their lot. And if you decide to ride Santiago Canyon Road back to Modjeska, please use extreme caution on this busy stretch of highway.

To see the full route, follow this link:

https://www.trailforks.com/goto/route/27257/

Save the route to your Garmin, or open it in the Trailforks phone app for real-time navigation as you ride.

Also check out our Strava event for this ride:

 https://www.strava.com/clubs/7365/group_events/916232

Use #pathvirtualride2021 on your social posts so we can see your ride!