Upper Newport Bay Kestrel
White-Faced Ibis
Bermuda Buttercups
White-Faced Ibis
Egyptian Goose
Bermuda ButtercupsIrvine Regional Park to Upper Newport Bay is another Mountain-to-Sea Trail in Orange County that I think is worth exploring. The last time I tried to ride it (awhile ago), there were too many trail closures to finish the ride. From what I have been able to research, the trail has completely opened and a one-way trip is 22 miles.
After parking in a business park around Laguna Canyon Road and Barranca, we followed the creek downstream on bikes. With the exception of a few well-marked road crossings, the paved trail is separate from the street and is appropriate for walkers, runners, bikers and even bikers on training wheels. Fellow bikers range from road racers in full biking attire to beach cruisers and flip flops. Once we arrived at the Back Bay, we rode the Back Bay Loop trail and then back to the car. Based on my odometer, the entire trip was a long but mostly flat 30 miles.
Wildlife spottings: The Back Bay was teeming with shore birds today but my favorite finds of the day were a kestrel, a white-faced ibis and Egyptian geese. I was able to easily identify the kestrel and the white-faced ibis from Orange County birding sites but the Egyptian geese were a challenge. From a Yahoo! discussion site, a flock of Egyptian geese escaped from a now defunct Wildlife Safari Park in Orange County and are occasionally spotted in the area still. I cannot confirm the story but I like it.
The next ride on this trail will need to start from Irvine Regional Park (mountains). Per the trail kiosk in Newport Beach, I rode right past the trail turn-off to the mountains and then, on the trip back, I missed it again. I guess as long as you remember how to get back to the car, it isn’t too bad.
After parking in a business park around Laguna Canyon Road and Barranca, we followed the creek downstream on bikes. With the exception of a few well-marked road crossings, the paved trail is separate from the street and is appropriate for walkers, runners, bikers and even bikers on training wheels. Fellow bikers range from road racers in full biking attire to beach cruisers and flip flops. Once we arrived at the Back Bay, we rode the Back Bay Loop trail and then back to the car. Based on my odometer, the entire trip was a long but mostly flat 30 miles.
Wildlife spottings: The Back Bay was teeming with shore birds today but my favorite finds of the day were a kestrel, a white-faced ibis and Egyptian geese. I was able to easily identify the kestrel and the white-faced ibis from Orange County birding sites but the Egyptian geese were a challenge. From a Yahoo! discussion site, a flock of Egyptian geese escaped from a now defunct Wildlife Safari Park in Orange County and are occasionally spotted in the area still. I cannot confirm the story but I like it.
The next ride on this trail will need to start from Irvine Regional Park (mountains). Per the trail kiosk in Newport Beach, I rode right past the trail turn-off to the mountains and then, on the trip back, I missed it again. I guess as long as you remember how to get back to the car, it isn’t too bad.
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30 miles? you go girl!
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