Review Date
October 20, 2009

Overall Rating
 3 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 4 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 3 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Ridden Once

Reviewed by: sunnyvaledave ,  Weekend Warrior

Summary:
I recently rode Alpine Rd for the first time in about 10 years.

Parked at the lot at the bottom of the hill near the Windy Hill OSP entrance and biked up to the road to the gate. The road ride is a great warm up, you'll maybe get passed by one car, and it is very scenic winding up next to a stream - you'd never know you're only 15 minute away from Stanford. Came face to face with a deer buck on the road, can't beat that experience.

The dirt road is really separated into 3 rides due to a washout that occurred in the late '80s. The bottom part has gravel laid down to keep it from getting to messy, but not so much that it gets in the way of peddling. The detour around the washout is a much steeper single track - I had to push my bike up much of this. The upper part of the trail to the Crazy Pete's junction and Skyline has really been left to nature to run it's course and has a lot of serious ruts - one section near the top looks as though the trail is about to be washed out again.

Overal my impression was that this is now a much more technical ride than it used to be - ten years ago you could bomb down a wide fire road, now you're liable to get caught in a huge rut and kill yourself. Was definitely worth the visit, but would likely not do this on a regular basis.

Took me about 70 minutes up and 20 minutes down.

Recommended Route:
Park at Windy Hill OSP lot, then just head up Alpine road until you hit Skyline.

Other recommended trails in the same area:
Windy Hill OSP is also an uphill workout, even more so than Alpine Road. Arastradero OSP is a great mix of up and downhill and easy to do in a little over 30 minutes.

Review Date
August 18, 2005

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 3 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 2 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Once a week

Reviewed by: rad1 ,  Cross Country Rider

Summary:
2.5 mile dirt road, moderate grade with a few short, steeper parts on the singletrack section. We used to ride motorcycles all over the place up here, and that's how the singletrack sections were created. There's a monster hill climb off Alpine near the top, but it's overgrown and you'll never find it anyway. This is a great beginner/int. climb, and is also a key connector for loop rides that incorporate Montebello, Russian Ridge, Coal Creek, etc. Also a nice alternative to Page Mill Road for the roadies who aren't afraid of dirt. Not too much foot traffic and horses are rare. Best parking is either Windy Hill on Portola Road by the Sequoias retirement home, or limited parking at Willowbrook/Alpine Rd intersection, or Corte Madera School in a pinch. Don't drive all the way up Alpine to the dirt, most places are too narrow for 2 cars to pass, plus it's weak to drive to the trailhead when you can ride. Start at one of the spots listed above, it's a nice 2.5 mile moderate road climb with shade, a creek, and few cars. Gets a little steeper a few hundred yards before it hits the dirt. This makes it a very nice 5 mile climb with about 1500' of climbing. Comes out on page Mill just 1/2 mile from Skyline Blvd.

Recommended Route:
I like to climb Alpine, go a short ways down Page Mill and go down into Montebello, then climb up to Skyline Ridge, take a quick illegal jump in horseshoe lake leaving all gear on, then climb the steep trail that leads to Alpine Pond, cross Alpine Road (the east side of Page Mill), and either climb to Borel Hill in Russian Ridge (highest point in San Mateo County), or do a loop through Russian Ridge, then either go down Crazy Pete's or Coal Creek back to Alpine, or ride Skyline south (mostly fast and downhill) and drop down Windy Hill. You can make it longer by doing a longer ride through Montebello, for example climbing Grizzy Flat and going into Long Ridge, then on to Skyline Ridge.

Other recommended trails in the same area:
For me, it's either the loop described above or Skeggs Point. Also nice to climb Windy Hill if you want a short but good workout.

Review Date
January 14, 2005

Overall Rating
 2 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 4 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 2 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Once a month

Reviewed by: dstoecker ,  Downhiller

Summary:
No ladder drop as described in summary. Most sections of the single track fenced off and blocked with other barriers. 80% is fireroad (it is the old Alpine Rd), with a brief legal/unblocked singletrack that bypasses a slide. Rangers consistently demolish any hits, and patrol regularly with radar and enforce helmet law from ATV.

Other recommended trails in the same area:
Monte Bello to Stevens Creek Canyon Trail. Russian Ridge.

Review Date
September 12, 2004

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 3 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 2 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Ridden Once

Reviewed by: mtbr4life12345 ,  Weekend Warrior

Summary:
Very fun long ride home but worth it

Recommended Route:
stay away from the roots as best you can, kinda a bumy ride

Other recommended trails in the same area:
all downhill trails in ALpine Hills