Definitely one of the most fun trails in the area. This secret trail is an unmaintained use trail near Rivas Canyon. It's narrow, steep, crazy, and fun! Most of it is not runnable, but it's a great scramble.
1 The trailhead. It doesn't get much traffic, which is just the way I like it.
2 The "trail" looks like this in places. I always get nervous when I can't see where my feet are landing. The phrase "snake in the grass" keeps coming to mind.
3 A low peak that makes for a great morning destination. Looking down Rivas Canyon.
4 Some sort of marker on the peak.
5 A nice view of one of the prominent rock outcroppings in the canyon.
6 Further up the trail. The hill in the middle is the peak from earlier.
7 There's never a shortage of great ocean views in the area on a clear day.
8 A 360 view from one of the peaks along the ridge.
9 A common section of "trail". I guess you would call this 1/2 track.
10 Tight overhead chapparal in places.
11 A typical section of trail climbing steeply along the ridge.
12 The view from the next peak higher up the ridge on a little hazier day.
13 Looking at the trail heading down the ridge. The hill in the middle way down the canyon on the left is the first peak from earlier.
14 Looking down at the Backbone trail on the other side of the canyon.
15 An sign-in box and geo cache. It's a rather odd location, particularly given how little traffic this trail gets.
16 This little notepad has over four years worth of sign-ins. The last one was two weeks before me, and the one before that was another three weeks earlier. Two humans a month is my kind of trail!
17 Sections of great single track.
18 A scientific research project. Evidently used to capture birds and test the affect of pollution on the local environment. Maybe the scientists are the ones using the trail.
19 The Secret trail eventually intersects with the Unknown Peak trail. I never knew there was another route that led here.
20 Signing-in on Unknown Peak, this time taking a much tougher route to the top. Then it's time for one heck of a downhill ride back to the trailhead.
21 View from the top on another trip as the sun is getting low over the Pacific.
22 Heading back down the trail admist a purple sunset.
