Local Ride Leon Creek Greenbelt

Thursday was such a beautiful day. This is a real good argument for living in South-Texas. It is January 24 and the weather forecast was sunny with a high of (wait for it) seventy-nine degrees (790). Can you believe it? We were a hundred degrees warmer than some of our friends who live in Minnesota. Jonathan and I took off for a bike ride of about an hour. We went right after work so we had only an hour until sunset then it would be dark by 6:30 or so. We meet up with the MtBikes. He is on his Grey Fisher Rosco and I was on the Trek X-Caliber. We hit right on to the Leon Creek Greenbelt (LCG) trails at Babcock Road Bridge. We head south along the east bank trails along the stretch called Babcock to OP – DB Challenge. This is a stretch of moderate to easy single track. Much of it is nice riding with just enough rock to keep it interesting. A few places it will reward a fast rider with a quick speed section.
We then popped up the furthest south dirt climbing trail in to O.P. Schnable Park. This bit transitions from the creek bed up in to the park. Most of it is a general clime of single track with the last part from about half way up, it starts to get steep and rocky. I have only been able to clear this section consistently in the last few months.
At the top we swung left to follow the fence line trail to the front of the park. This runs right next to the fence that separates the park from the neighbor’s backyards. This is an old access road so it is mostly double track and slightly downhill. It is one of the best passing areas and will allow a rider to open it up for a short sprint.
Across the front trail is called OP Perimeter Loop Part 1 this blends into OP Northside Perimeter trail. This part is more single track with lots of trees and in the summer the underbrush is so thick you can’t see five feet off the trail in places. It is mostly hard-pack with some loose gravel covered descents.
Next is onto Cell Tower. This is a great climbing trail. The trail is tight single track with lots of varied surfaces. Hard-pack with some muddy spots if it has rained gives way to roots and rocks. The closer you get to the cell tower on top (the highest point in the park) the steeper and more rugged the trail gets. This trail will make your momma walk but it is not if you have been riding a bit. Of course the trick to this climb is that it is technical so the coal is to not to put a foot down going the whole way without a mistake.
Turning left we entered O.P. Cell Tower Southbound Decent. The decent takes the rider back to the corner of the park where we entered. This is some of the more open trail so you can move fast. It is not really a downhill run but it is as close as we have here at home. Watch out “DUCK” the cedar trees have lots of low branches and bows. These things can really ring your chime if you’re not careful. Yes your helmet will help but I have hit them hard enough that my neck was sore for day’s afterword.
Dropping out of the park on to the LCG pathway puts the rider going back down the way we come in. This is a short steep rocky decent to a sweeping hard-pack trail.
Light was fading fast so we called it a day and headed home.