Riding The San Andreas 300

For a while, it looked like group trail rides over some distance were an endangered species. Access to public lands was dwindling, and private property owners grew wary of liability issues. However, Exit Tours of Colorado, among others, has carried on regardless. 

The San Andreas 300 ADV and dual sport ride traces its roots and routes back more than 40 years. Created by enduro rider Peter Hughes in 1982 with support from the Central Coast Motorcycle Association (CCMA), it was originally called the Trick-or-Treat Two Day. 

Starting in Pozo, CA, in the Los Padres National Forest, the 250-mile ride ran through a mix of fire roads and single-track trails, crisscrossing the San Andreas Fault and across the Carizzo Plains. It then ascended back into the mountains, following trails and jeep roads into Ballinger Canyon outside the hamlet of New Cuyama. 

“Flyin’ Mike” Brown (not the former motocross pro) is an off-road rider in his own element. While it was commonly thought his nickname referred to his speed on the trails, that wasn’t the case. The sobriquet was really earned by the frequency with which he flew off the trail as a novice. 

It was either that or (although this remains undocumented) his ability to go flying by without being on the motorcycle. His skills, needless to say, improved with time.