dryfj.com / drycyclist.com (kevin cook)

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I just descended 1000 feet in 1.7 miles down the steep Poverty Flat Road to the bottom of the canyon.

05268-coyote-creek-poverty-flat-550px.jpg After 0.6 mile, I reach the Rooster Comb Trail and I've already drank 1.5 litres of waterThumbnailsRolling terrain on Long Ridge Road between Orestimba Creek and Jackrabbit Lake.After 0.6 mile, I reach the Rooster Comb Trail and I've already drank 1.5 litres of waterThumbnailsRolling terrain on Long Ridge Road between Orestimba Creek and Jackrabbit Lake.After 0.6 mile, I reach the Rooster Comb Trail and I've already drank 1.5 litres of waterThumbnailsRolling terrain on Long Ridge Road between Orestimba Creek and Jackrabbit Lake.After 0.6 mile, I reach the Rooster Comb Trail and I've already drank 1.5 litres of waterThumbnailsRolling terrain on Long Ridge Road between Orestimba Creek and Jackrabbit Lake.After 0.6 mile, I reach the Rooster Comb Trail and I've already drank 1.5 litres of waterThumbnailsRolling terrain on Long Ridge Road between Orestimba Creek and Jackrabbit Lake.

At the bottom of Poverty Flat Road is this dry-at-this-time-of-year crossing of Coyote Creek. I had a minor crash coming down Poverty Flat Road last year on a slippery (from powdered clay) switchback, and I was careful not to repeat that again this year!

There are five campsites down here at Poverty Flat, and I've camped here a few times. On a hot weekday like today, there's nobody around anywhere, which suits me fine.

Poverty Flat is only a third of a mile long (flat areas in Coe Park tend to be very short) and I ride across it to begin the climb out the other side of the canyon.

I stop briefly at the modern concrete outhouse for a potty break (it's extremely hot inside) and then stand outside for a minutes in the shade of the outhouse, hiding from the sun.