This must be one of the most iconic mountain bike rides in Marin. It's listed in many lists of mountain bike rides in the Bay Area. It's an all-fire-road ride. One description calls this "Marin's most remote ride". I could agree.

This ride is in the heart of mountain biking hallowed ground. It passes right through an intersection with Repack Road, which is where the Repack Race used to be held in the '70s. For those who don't already know, this race is part of what's considered to be the origin of mountain biking as we understand it today, and many of the pioneering local kids who started it for fun are among the top entrepreneurs and gurus of the mountain bike industry today.

This route is also the core of the route of the Appetite Seminar. That is a traditional informal Thanksgiving Day ride that dates right back to those same formative years of mountain biking in Marin. It might just be the only mountain biking event still going on that dates back to those pioneering days in this region.

Another highlight of the ride is passing by a dwarf sargent cypress forest, where this rare tree has grown very little due to the soil character and trees of over 100 years old can be only a few feet tall.

The ride starts out with the very rocky and (in places) steep climb up Pine Mountain Fire Road. I actually enjoy this part quite a bit, because it's right on the cusp of achievability for me, and I therefore find it to be a fun challenge. After turning left and after passing near the peak of Pine Mountain, as the trail gets closer to Kent Lake, it starts a descent that becomes very curvy and surprisingly steep for a short section. Once you skirt a "tentacle" of the lake and climb back up Big Carson Ridge, you find yourself on San Geronimo Ridge Road. This portion starts out as a climb that's similar to that first portion of the ride: rocky and fairly steep. After it flattens out and starts descending, the trail remains rocky in many places, which makes for a fun and (as far as fire roads go) technical descent.

One thing that might be worth emphasizing is that parts of Pine Mountain Road and San Geronimo Ridge Road on this ride are some of the rockiest trails that I know in the Bay Area. There are spots on this ride that would hold up well in comparison to anything you'd find at Annadel, Oat Hill Mine Road, or Eldridge Grade in terms of rocky, technical riding. This is a great opportunity for fun from the point of view of experienced riders. Meanwhile, novice riders needn't be discouraged completely, since most of these rocky sections aren't longer than an eighth of a mile or so, and can therefore be easily walked if need be. However, that still doesn't make this an "easy ride" by any definition.

The route described on this page includes a hike to Carson Falls (off Oat Hill Road). It's shown in blue on the highlighted park map on the left. If you want to do that hike, you'll want to bring a chain and lock with you; you'll find poles near the start of the hike to which you can chain your bike. Note that the stats for the ride do not include this hike portion (but the elevation profile plot does). Including this side trip to Carson Falls will increase your total distance by about 1.5 miles (including the portion on foot) and your total climb by about 450 feet. If you're doing this within a few days of significant rains, it might be worth seeing Carson Falls while you're there. If it's the dry season, it might be better to leave it for another time.

Fairfax could be considered the closest thing to a pilgrimage site for mountain biking and, as such, there are a number of places in tiny downtown Fairfax for coffee, some drinks, or a meal that are frequented by mountain bikers. Some quick suggestions would include the Java Hut right at the suggested parking spot or The Coffee Roastery for coffee, and Iron Springs pub or Gestalt Haus for a quick bite.