I’m blessed that Dorothy Wong has been planning gravel grinders just for me.

At least, that’s how I feel since all of her rides have been around places I’ve been wanting to ride.

This Sunday will be the 4th edition of this year’s SoCal Gravel Trofee Series that will be taking you deep into the Santa Monica Mountains.

If you’ve been following me even as far back as Tuesday, you’ll notice I’m retracing my steps from my trail running days but this time with a bit more rolling resistance.

The Backbone Trail has always been one of my favorite places to run and I’m quite eager to cover as much of it as I can (parts of the trail prohibit bikes).

My favorite section sprouts off of Carbon Canyon with a landscape that’s unworldly.

There are a lot of other great highlights too, like Big Sycamore Canyon, Rock Store and Paramount Ranch just to name a few.

The long course is 65 miles with 6,600 feet of climbing, so sharing a meal and beer after (included in your fee) with the rest of this grimy bunch is a fun way to top off your ride at the scrumptious Ladyface Alehouse.

This is a super fun course that you’ll be talking about for days after, so if you’ve been wavering about doing one of these rides, now’s the time to commit.

The ride starts out of JRA Bikes and Brew in Agoura Hills and you can still register online or at the ride on Saturday for the variety of routes they’re offering from 30 to 65 miles.

The Santa Monica Mountains are special. Everyone should take the opportunity to explore them.