We are newbs to the dezert - our gps was broken - great intro to Nevada dual sporting - we will be going back for the summit before winter - a few pictures from last sunday 22 august <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CHP_ADM%7E1%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" name="place"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" name="address"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" name="City"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" name="PlaceName"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" name="PlaceType"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" name="Street"></o:smarttagtype><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <wunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <wontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id=ieooui></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <o> </o> 515 am, Chevron, <st1:city w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">Sacramento</st1lace></st1:city> <o> </o> 515 am, Chevron, <st1:city w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">Sacramento</st1lace></st1:city> <o> </o> 515 am, Chevron, <st1lace w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Sacramento</st1:city></st1lace> <o> </o> Our morning in the Pine Nuts: <o> </o> Immediately lots of options. The guessing regarding which way to go started here - no more than 5 minutes from where the pavement ended. <o> </o> <o> </o> <o> </o> <o> </o> <o> </o> <o> </o> The highlight for me was the 10 mile wash we rode - challenging but fun - I only wiped out twice. We entered the Pine Nuts at <st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Johnson Lane</st1:address></st1:street> and road south from the vicinity of <st1lace w:st="on"><st1lacename w:st="on">Brunswick</st1lacename> <st1lacetype w:st="on">Canyon</st1lacetype></st1lace> - mostly double track, some singletrack, a strenuous wash, and some gravel road for 40 miles. We wanted to drop over into <st1:city w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">Wellington</st1lace></st1:city> but without GPS decided that could wait unless it became obvious which way to go - which it didn't. We exited the Pine Nuts at Bodie Flat and rode south on Hwy 395 to <st1lace w:st="on"><st1lacename w:st="on">Topaz</st1lacename> <st1lacetype w:st="on">Lake</st1lacetype></st1lace> for lunch. The second half of the day started from there. We wanted to summit <st1lace w:st="on"><st1lacetype w:st="on">Mount</st1lacetype> <st1lacename w:st="on">Patterson</st1lacename></st1lace> but didn't want to enter via #31. We went in <st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Topaz Lane</st1:address></st1:street> to #120 and then took various washes, double track, jeep trail, ridgelines up to Patterson.
<o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" name="place"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" name="City"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" name="PlaceName"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" name="PlaceType"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" name="country-region"></o:smarttagtype><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <wunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <wontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id=ieooui></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <o> </o> <o> </o> <o> </o> <o> </o> <st1lace w:st="on"><st1lacename w:st="on">Topaz</st1lacename> <st1lacetype w:st="on">Lake</st1lacetype></st1lace>, this was the view from where we ate lunch. The mountains off in the distance are part of the <st1lacename w:st="on">Sweetwater</st1lacename> <st1lacetype w:st="on">Mountains</st1lacetype> - one of those peaks is <st1lace w:st="on"><st1lacetype w:st="on">Mount</st1lacetype> <st1lacename w:st="on">Patterson</st1lacename></st1lace> - our destination for the afternoon. <o> </o> Opening up <o> </o> Out of the wash <o> </o> Yes, those are the mountains we are going too - today. Not exact on where this picture was taken. <o> </o> Views to the west. <st1lace w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Walker</st1:city></st1lace> is down in the valley somewhere. <o> </o> Getting there. <o> </o> Taking a break. Mount Patterson in the background <o> </o> <st1:country-region w:st="on">Chad</st1:country-region> - <st1lace w:st="on">Sierra Nevada</st1lace> in the background. <o> </o> The mountain is getting closer. <o> </o> <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">Chad</st1lace></st1:country-region>. <o> </o> Just when you think your getting closer. <o> </o> <o> </o> That is the canyon the trail goes up. <o> </o> For me - this trail was intense.. I was literally sweating, not in hot sort of way. Consider I've been fishtailing it around all day - now we are on a trail maybe 4'-5' wide, sandy, off camber with 180 degree switchbacks - all on the side of a mountain of rock - i felt the exposure here more than any ride I have ever been on. <o> </o> We came out here. <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">Chad</st1lace></st1:country-region>. <o> </o> That's me contemplating if I can actually ride down what I just rode up while at the same time thinking are we really going to try and ride up THAT. <o> </o> <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">Chad</st1lace></st1:country-region>. You can't ride up the road for various reasons (I couldn't) - you have to angle up on the right to almost the top and then cut left across the road gaining less steep ground and the ridgeline. I think we are at about 11,000' here. My carbureted bike had maybe half of the 40 HP. I went for a pass on the road with the throttle wide open - the motor would just die. I knew it would take 2nd gear wide open to get over this obstacle but wasn't ready to risk it at 4pm on Sunday evening 2-3 hrs from pavement - 6 hours from home etc..etc...I know, the bottom line is we failed. <o> </o> We didn't summit but took a little side trip down a canyon off the main plateau and found this neat little structure. <o> </o> <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">Chad</st1lace></st1:country-region> <o> </o> Mount Patterson in the background <o> </o> <o> </o> Back up to the plateau and then down the trail - heading for the lake. <o> </o> Found the lake. Looking back up where we came from...amazing place. We will be back this year to summit. <o> </o> Amazing you can ride to the top. <o> </o> The road home. (Hwy 395 south of <st1:city w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">Bridgeport</st1lace></st1:city>). <o> </o> Surprise water crossing. <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">Chad</st1lace></st1:country-region> hit it at about 10 mph and got soaked. <o> </o> 395 is down there somewhere. We were told by a hunter it was about 5 miles. Turned out to be about 20. <o> </o> Rolled back into <st1:city w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">Sacramento</st1lace></st1:city> at 10 pm - 14 hours ride time - over 120 miles dirt - 225 tarmac - going back for the summit ASAP - before winter.
So close. You were at 11,181' with about another 480' of climb to go. Just pass that switchback you are looking at it gets easier. The switchback isn't that bad, the worse of that one is being on shale rock. Those two switchbacks just below this plateau are much more technical. You will need to give it another try. Unless it's gone missing, there is a 50 cal ammo can beneath the America Flag (if it has been replanted this year) that contains the summit book - I've got multiple entries. When you got back down to Lobdell Lake you were still at 9,265'. On your way back to 395 you were overlooking Bircham Flat Road. Back in January 1844 John C. Fremont, Kit Carson, Broken Hand Fitzpatrick and twenty-three other men came up Bircham Flat. They had circled in along the east Walker into the Bridgeport Valley, come up a route that parallels the modern 395 and then up Bircham Flat, along the east rim of the Walker River before dropping down onto the Walker River about 5 miles south of Walker and camped not far from Walker Burger. The had pulled a 250 lb mountain hopwitzer that far before abandoning it on the top of the Deep Creek Canyon. Their next stop was the Carson Valley before following the Carson River up into Hop Valley and continued on to Sacramento, arriving on March 8. You crossed paths with history on your way out.
One of my favorite rides in NV. To ride from Sac, do the loop and return home in the same day, wow that is a lot of seat time. Trying to figure out where you went through the Pine Nuts, since Brunswick Canyon ends at Sunrise Pass Rd and goes north from there. Did you take the Rd/trails at Lebo Springs and head south? Did you encounter any gated/fenced indian land on your ride through the Pine Nuts? The final climb up to Mt Patterson can be a challenge. We jet our bikes for 5500ft elevation so they have some power but I still attack the hill in 4th gear (Honda XR400 and CRF450X) and downshift on the way up to the first switchback and ride it to the edge to maintaion momentum for the second switchback. I have tractored up the hill before FROM the switchbacks but traction is very poor and the rear end will step out alot because of the loose rocks. Going down the backside does have a few challenging sections, you drop quite a bit of altitude very fast. The trail into Belfort/Fryingpan Creek is steep but smooth. After Belfort it runs along the side of the mountain, switchbacks and lots of babyhead rocks and one loose down hill. All fun stuff.