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SCHEDULE
Updated May 7, 2024
EXCITEBIKE - MAY 10-12, 2024
FRIYAY, MAY 10
2 pm - Arrivals and check-in - If you plan on riding Friday, please shoot to arrive by 2pm to check-in, mark your territory for camping and get ready to ride.
3 pm (sharp) - Ride #1: Oink and Double Oink - This ride will be in the 2-2.5 hour range and will actually be entirely outside of Demo Forest (which is now closed on weekdays for timber harvesting and tree work). We’ll ride up Highland Way, Buzzard Lagoon Road and the Aptos Creek Fire Road to the Santa Rosalita Mountain Overlook. Here we’ll jump on Upper Bacon singletrack for a little downward facing pig, then have an option for Lower Bacon, which doubles the DH fun, but also double the return uphill. In my book, there’s no such thing as too much bacon, but you can decide if you want a single or double helping. Once back up to the overlook we’ll retrace back to camp (with maybe a surprise detour or two).
All Day - Make-Your-Own-Merch
5:30-ish - Camp Set-Up and (Cook-Your-Own) Dinner
7 pm - Ridiculousness
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SATURDAY, MAY 11
8-9:30 - Roll-Your-Own Breakfast
10 am - Ride #2: Demo Sampler - This ride will be a minimum of two hours, but can basically be as long as you want to make it by doing additional loops within Soquel Demonstration State Forest. We’ll start with the same ascent to the Santa Roaslita Overlook, then hang a right onto Ridge Trail which accesses all the main downhill runs within Demo. Our first lap will be down Flow, with subsequent laps on Sawpit and Braille. You can choose to do as many as you like–a typical “one-lapper” checks in at about 2500 feet or climbing and a 2-2:30 hour ride. Additional loops can up those totals significantly.
Lunch - You can bring something with you to eat, or decide to eat when you get back, but know that returning to camp mid-ride isn’t really an option without adding significant time and climbing. Snack it up, for sure, and consider making a PB and J for your pack. Significantly, there isn’t anyplace to get frsh water once we’re out in the first either, so chose your water carrying capacity-to-estimated ride length ratio carefully. And remember the forecast is for very warm weather.
6 pm - The Huffy Toss - While it’s actually a beat-to-shit Roadmaster we’ll be throwing, Huffy Toss rolls off the tongue better. She, he or they whom fling said POS bike farthest win not only an equally shitty trophy, but the adoration of Excitebikers worldwide and an intestinal massage at the hands of EB organizer Chris.
All-Day - Make-Your-Own-Merch
7 pm Extended Ridiculousness - As the sun starts to set, it’s time for the nocturnal party animals to strut their stuff. Get your groove on and BE the party!
SUNDAY, MAY 12
8-9:30 - Roll-Your-Own Breakfast
10 am - Ride #3: Demo Finale - By now you’ll know all the trails on offer and we can mix-and-match to make the perfect exclamation point on an awesome weekend. Want that Flow lap with a side of Bacon? How ‘bout the Full Monty Lite? The trails are your oyster and you are a hungry starburst anemone (Sea life analogies anyone? No?)
Lunch - Same as Saturday–pack yer own!
4 pm - Camp Break Down - We need to be ready to leave at 5pm, so plan on being back at Camp Loma by 4 pm so we have plenty of time to pack, clean, load-up, say some long goodbyes and bug out!
DIRECTIONS
Camp Loma is located on Highland Way along the crest of the Santa Cruz Mountains between Silicon Valley and Santa Cruz. From Highway 17, exit on Summit Road and go east for 5.5 miles, then take a quick right/left after the stop sign to continue on Highland Way. Camp Loma is another 4.6 miles down Highland Way on the right-hand side. A half-mile before camp you’ll pass the main parking lot for Demo which should be your cue to start looking. Be aware that Highland Way is narrow, has two-way traffic, and generally poor sight lines and road conditions, so just take it slow. Camp Loma has also posted some directional signage in the form of painted saws, so look for those as confidence markers on your way. Again, if you need to pick up anything on the way, Summit Store will be on your left 3.5 miles from Highway 17 along Summit Road—use caution in this area (whether you’re stopping or not) as it comes after a blind curve and can have slow traffic entering and exiting.
COMMUNICATIONS
Cell signals along Summit Road, Highland Way, at Camp Loma and in Demo Forest are spotty. Don will have his van with Starlink internet available if needed at camp, but generally speaking texts and voice communications via cell phone should not be counted on. If you have any difficulties or need to communicate anything to the organizers or the group on the way up, text Don (whose number you will get upon registration if you don’t have it already).
SAFETY AND RESPONSIBILITY
Above all else, we want everyone to have a good, safe time at Excitebike. With that in mind, we’re taking a communal approach toward safety both in camp and on rides. Please look out for each other and take an extra moment to check in regularly with your co-participants to make sure they’re OK, especially in the event of a mishap or exhaustion. We’ll have people trained in first-aid (with supplies) on the rides, and fully-legit medical personnel in camp, but given the semi-remote nature of this event, it’s important that we all ride within our capabilities, and that we’re always looking out for each other. The CalFire station on Highland Way has long helped with emergencies at Demo, but we’d really like to not need that assistance. Knowing that shit happens, however, we should not hesitate to seek assistance if needed. Along with the map and schedule we hand out in person (and electronically), will be a list of emergency numbers and cell phone zones known to get signals.
Please review the statement of responsibility on the registration page and do not attend if you don’t agree with it.
LAND ETHIC AND CAMP MANNERS
We are infinitely privileged to recreate and ride in Demo Forest and equally fortunate to have access to a wonderful facility like Camp Loma. We aim to leave both places better than we found them, so we’d ask that you follow and encourage other attendees to follow the Seven Leave No Trace Principals. Additionally, we are required to pack out all our trash, so let’s make it easy on ourselves by cleaning as we go, and reducing consumables to begin with. Please bring reusable cups, dishware and the like so we can keep trash to a minimum. Thanks!
WILDCARDS AND THE UNKNOWABLES
The month of May used to be a dependably good time to ride Demo…rainy season done but trails not yet blown out from dry summer heat and overuse. But with the dramatic shifts in weather we’ve seen over the last decade, nothing is certain in these regards anymore. In fact, storms the last couple of years have wreaked havoc not only on the trails at Demo (which were closed for nearly all of 2023 as a result), but the roadways getting there, and the forest canopy itself. It’s likely roadwork to repair Highland Way will still be ongoing by the time Excitebike comes around. These same storms are also partially responsible for the weekday closures at Demo, delaying and compressing timber harvest plans, and creating hazards within the forest that need to be mitigated.
All of this is to say that we’re likely gonna be fine, but there’s still some risk that weather or wildfire could affect our plans. We will (obviously) keep our eyes on the conditions and continue to hope for the best. We’ll let you know if any adjustments are necessary.
