The beginning of the hill on Mahoney Meadows Road that I'm about to descend.

Yeah, it's steep. Steep enough that I've decided to walk down this short slope before getting on the bike.

A fully loaded bike (or motorcycle for that matter) can be quite unstable. If there's any doubt whatsoever about whether a trail segment here is ridable or not, walk the bike. Cell phones don't work in most of this park, and it might be days before anyone finds your injured body out here after a crash.