Central Sierra Noob ride

In addition to the poll above, and since I can only make so many options on a poll, I made another poll discussing points of interest and road types. That poll can be found here: Part II

UPDATE (8.21.14):

For Noobs, By Noobs!​

The short version:

Who: Noobs and veteran riders from the Bay Area and from the Central Valley (list below)

What: A get-together to allow noobs to play on a variety of roads/trails/surfaces, and veteran riders to tackle the hard stuff

Where: In the Sierra National Forest, above Shaver Lake, MAP

When: The weekend of August 23rd and 24th. Quite a few will be getting there on Friday

Why: If you gotta ask...

How: Hopefully like this , and not like this

UPDATED DIRECTIONS:

MAP

I figured I'd start the map at "Pineridge" which is pretty much the top of the four lane portion of the 168. It also happens to be where both Auberry rd and Tollhouse rd join the 168. So if you're coming up from the south, down from the north, or just plain up the 168, you're going to go right through "A".

Then you'll follow the 168 until "B", where you'll see this:




You'll make the right turn onto Dinkey Creek rd, and go about 9 miles, until "C", where you'll see this:




Here you'll wanna turn left onto this road:



The road will be rather rough for the first half mile or so, which is about as far as you'll be going. You'll go down hill and cross a stream to "D", and then look to the left for a dirt road like this:



Turn on to that road, and start looking for Noobs.

If you want more details, keep reading:

The votes are in, and August it is. Sounds like the 23rd-24th is going to be the best bet. I know that means some folks won't be able to make it, and I apologize, but I think that was bound to happen no matter which days we picked. Plus, there ought to be enough time left in Sept that we can try it again if we want to. The choice is also for camping. I spoke to a decidedly cheerful girl in the Sierra National Forest offices today to inquire about fire restrictions. As it stands now, campfires are only allowed in designated campgrounds, with stoves/lanterns allowed everywhere. I realize that predicting the future is a bit much to ask for, but we discussed what we'd be likely to find in August, and it all boiled down to "No". She says she has no way to know for certain, but when I asked "If I knew people who were planning to travel for several hours to get to the forest, would you gamble that they would be able to have a campfire even in a designated campground?" her answer was "No, she would have to bet that by then fire restrictions would be even more severe." So that's a bummer, but we can make do.

For those keeping an eye on the weather forecast(s), try averaging these two. We'll be above Shaver Lake and below most of what's considered the Dinkey Lakes Wilderness. Sunrise just before 6.30 and sunset around 7.45

I've decided on camping near Glen Meadow creek. There are no facilities there, but with the community of Dinkey just a short ride away, where such luxuries as flush toilets and pay showers are located, as well as a tiny store for needed items such as beer and It's-Its, we should be covered. Here's a LINK to a map of the area with "A" being near proposed campsite and "B" being Dinkey. He's a pic:


In the very back, behind the Ford, is someone's converted school bus. It was towing a trailer. Space ought to be plentiful.

Dispersed camping, such as Hesaid and Shesaid are used to doing.





SIGN UP LIST:

1) Hesaid/Shesaid, DR650 and TW200, arriving Friday

2) Adrisley, KLR, arriving Friday

3) Mramosc, WR250R, arriving Friday

4) Paredaks (a.k.a. T-Awesome?), 800xc, OUT

5) Cwenger, KLR, arriving Friday

6) WhoisDirk, arriving Friday

7) High Country Herb and Kimberly, DR350 and Aprilia 750, arriving Friday

8) PCVance, with Grinch and Max, OUT, the trails were just too wide...

9) McKay (injured list)

10) Long Tall Sally, "Little bike, not the Pig", arriving Friday

11) Igottool

12) Gebogen, out

13) 01001010 01000011, arriving Friday/Saturday

14) GoSpeed, KTM 690, along with Steve and Pamela, Husky 650, arriving Thursday

15) Thebrassknuckles, KTM 400

16) Optopilot, arriving Friday

17) Fresburg, KLR650, arriving Saturday morning

18) Ironbasher, Beta, arriving Friday

19) Piedralone, arriving Friday

20) Rustler, white XRL, arriving Friday

21) Larrykal, +1, arriving Saturday

22) Coarsegoldkid, arriving Friday

23) Lilgator, orange 525

24) Offlimits?

25) ?

I'm also starting to get some routes formed. As the dates get closer and we get better ideas of who all will be there and on what bike, we can get a little better, but here are some ideas:

Large "Adventure" loop
(scroll to the bottom for the attached GPX file of us scouting the loop)

As mentioned, this is a ~100 mile loopish type route, with roughly half unpaved. Or poorly paved. Sometimes it is hard to tell between a really poorly maintained paved roads with large sections of dirt/gravel, and a nicely maintained dirt road with sections of pavement. At "B", at the beginning there will be gas, just one pump, and higher priced than some city boulevard station, but fine for topping off. "I" would be very close to one end of the Dusy-Ershim trail, which I think some of the "veteran class" riders are going to be doing. Overall, I think it'll be a great Noob Loop. A couple of pics of some of the roads:



Blackrock road


Shesaid on the rocks


Sycamore Springs rd

We rode this loop, save for the trips to each lake on Sunday. I really think it'll be a great selection and let everyone get a feel for what they like. Shesaid picked a good loop.

UPDATE:

This link will take you to a post with the .GPX file for this portion. It will make much more sense than trying to play connect the dots on a Google map.

Now these next two will require a little homework on your part:

What Google acknowledges

And what it doesn't

In reality, the first map is easily made into a loop by passing through the area "B" on the second map, which is between "C" and "D" on the first. Give it a look with the satellite view and I think you'll see what I mean. If you take note of "A" and "C" on the second map, they are both accessible via 4x4 trails. I think they'd be good areas for us noobs to test/try/develop our skills on rougher terrain. Hopefully some of the "veteran class" can guide those of who want to try it out. Here are a couple of pics of the actual trail:


Rockpile on Brewer


Last bit down to the lake on Brewer


Hillclimb on Bald

OLDER INFO:
With a camp area picked for the main camp, this portion seems a bit superfluous, but I thought I'd leave it here to provide the links to some other options for those who would prefer not to camp. So here are some examples of options:

Hotel, such as the Shaver Lake Village Hotel


Cabin/chalet rental, such as the Dinkey Creek Inn has.


Campground, such as the Dinkey Creek Campground.




MV

I don't do hotels unless it's business travel or required for a family vacation.

Dispersed Camping sounds the best, but campground would also be ok. Can't wait!

How bout a group camp site in Bass Lake there is one next to my father in laws on the north west side of the lake.

Sounds like a fun trip. My July is pretty booked and I'm out of town from 7/22 to 8/8. Currently Fridays and Saturdays are my busy days at work, so it may not work out for me to join. Sundays and Mondays are my usual days off. Depending on timing and how long a trip it is, I could possibly leave Saturday late afternoon and meet up with folks Saturday night or Sunday morning.

Oh yeah, should have mentioned before whining about hotels that July is pretty booked for me, but by mid August I'm ready to rock.

So are the noobs moving here from Death Valley?

I'm also free mid august on.

Labor day would allow for a 3 day weekend too 9/1/14 that might allow for a longer trip especially if we took an extra day. That being said this isn't all about my schedule and I'm sure some people on this thread might not have weekends off.

Dispersed camping would be truly amazing, getting fully off the grid would be very refreshing, being out in the woods with just our bikes and some fellow riders would be the perfect escape. Sorry I'll back off on the exaggerated adjectives, I think everybody already gets that I'm pretty excited for this trip

i have been watching the other thread and am interested in going, just hope its on a date I can make it. Camping would be great either camping site or just in the woods. I'm om a klr 650 and I'm up for any kind of routes, this sounds fun

Don't let this guy in...

Nope. This got started with a post in the Bay Area riders forum. Hesaid has jumped on it.

Methinks you are wise to have this fear.

Bass Lake will be a wee bit farther from the area Hesaid is planning the ride. Plus, in less familiar territory for us. Looks like we're hoping to do some dispersed camping somewhere between Shaver Lake and Dinkey Creek (the "town" of, not the actual creek-- although, that too, actually) and do some back-road/dirt road riding with (gulp) a little "trail" stuff thrown in to make me cry.

Be sure to include the Dusy/Ershim jeep trail as an A loop... Lots of fun. Very scenic too.

Should I mount up knobbies for the Dusy/Ershim or will I be OK with the Gripsters on my KLR?

Hi Shesaid,

You guys rock for organizing this!

Hope the dates work out so I can make the campsite ...

n00bs Forever!
-- SFMCjohn

MT 43 is best in the rocks...with low gearing. The Gripster is for street.

I'll bring the climbing gear.

Hesaid and Shesaid do rock.

You volunteering to lead? What truck can the Grinch get back in there to perform recovery with?

Climbing gear, great! I was bummed we got to miss out on the Verplank fun, maybe we can have an encore further from home and higher in elevation! And before you go saying that Hesaid and Shesaid do rock, you might want to talk to Shesaid. Not only will she likely offer you a dissenting opinion on me, but she'll probably tell you that she doesn't "do" rock...



She tells me anyway, whenever we encounter them!

I should do a little searching. Who has done the Dusy on bikes? Easier or harder than 4x4? I hear that on four wheels you should plan on four days for your first time. After that most people make it a three day trip. I've heard that the truly hardcore guys can do it in two, but usually involves a little wheelin' in the dark. A hardcore 3-4 day trip through the wilderness, that'd be a ride!

MV

And stolen from the other thread...

Agreed. I don't mind a nice paved road through the woods, but prefer "the road less travelled".

Yeah, I haven't ridden that trail on two wheels. I just grabbed a pic as an example from my 4x4 files. Pics never look as steep as they really are. Compare:

just the trail by itself


driving down it

note the small child in the background who wasn't able to walk down it

But not to worry, the Forest Service went through and "fixed" that section, so it's much different now. But there are other areas:

Nah... I'm still a little scared of some of it on the bikes. I think it's part of the "noob" thing. And PCVance and his crew? Sometimes reading about their exploits is scary!

MV

Watching this....

1. I will if I can...
theGrinch can use your Xterra for extraction duty.
2.
Yes, you missed out on some real fun on Verplank!
3.
Byron (upinsmoke) did the Dusy on a WR450 solo in a few hours last year, but that guy can ride. JPaccassi and Montibank have done it too I think. It's easier on bikes than 4x4's.

Thanks so much for organizing this and for illustrating the options so helpfully. I'll be there whenever and wherever the group decides to go.
Stuart

Organized camping with showers AT the lake...

Camp Edison


https://www.sce.com/wps/portal/home...nQSEh/?from=communityandrecreation/campedison


PS Perry, I did the Ershim... kind of