Downieville Trails, Gold Lake camping, July 17-21, 2014

Thanks, I'll check it out.

Can anyone recommend a good campground? Car camping with wife/kid
There seems like a lot of choices. I'm going in blind on Friday

A friend and I rode that exact hill on KLR 650's loaded with camping gear, on a multi-day dirt road ride to Lassen. Tree roots, rocks, never-ending, just an awesome ride. I cleaned the section.
OK, maybe I dabbed once, but that's it, I tell ya!
We were talking to a local about Poker Flats and his description of the route was "They smacked a crazy donkey in the ass and followed it up the hill and called it a trail".

Edit: That said, you could tractor up the hill pretty steadily last time I tried it.


Where exactly is this camp going to be? Gold Lake?

Cool route, but I'd add in Eureka Lake if headed thru Plumas-Eureka State Park. Beautiful lake & view up there. The road up to the lake is gravel.

http://goo.gl/maps/Lb9mZ

Fletch, thanks for the local info. Is the north-to-south direction the easier way thru Poker Flats?


Catfish ...

Yes, that's me on the husky. Yes, that was a motley crew!

Do you need running water? If not, any of them. Just a few have water. This campground list gives some details. Non-camping options are here.

Gold Lake CG, unless we change our mind! You thinkin' of riding up or truckin'?


Catfish ...

Riding.
Thought I'd stop by for a day or so on the way to a rally in Oregon.

Fletch, thanks for the local info. Is the north-to-south direction the easier way thru Poker Flats?


Catfish ...[/QUOTE]

As far as I know there there are only 3 ways into poker flat that I know about. One is down in from the Downie side which isn't bad, the other is in from the Laporte side which is the one I was referring to, and there is the Gibralter st from the top of empire. Well there is one more, called grizzley, but the FS said no go on that one. It comes down from the top of the Rattlesnake trail and is very steep in parts.

Riding down the jeep road from the Downie side and then back out the Gibralter st is a fun ride, but Gibratlter can be a work out. It has a couple of tougher sections.

I should add that the jeep road out of Poker flat towards Laporte is really not that bad on a regular dirt bike. Actually it a blast cause it forces you to be on your game for a good stretch.

The other thing that makes riding up that way is there is an old cemetery up at the top which is cool to walk thru and and old mining town. I can't think of the name of it off the top of my head. I bet Juan knows.

This one?

I took this pic (you can see 2 KLRs in the background if you look), but Google maps Pine Grove Cemetery near Poker Flat...

Howland Flat Cemetery is up there as well as St. Louis Town Cemetery. The Road from Poker Flat toward La Porte up the hill is dirt bike friendly, not so much big bike, IMO

Mike

Stu I'm trying to leave all my SoCal history behind me, seeing you again will just be too hard. . .

You da man, Dave.

I would agree that North to South thru Poker Flat would be easier. Here's some trouble we had going South to North trying to climb out of Poker Flat on the bush pig DR650, not long after some knee work...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xt5xmv3FbQI

Better yet is a fantastic singletrack that departs Poker Flat and heads back towards Downieville, the "Sunshine Trail" it goes to the Gibraltar Mine and connects to the east end of Chimney Rock Trail. It's on that Downieville singletrack vid, and it's a workout!

Juan
Nevada City

Upper Salmon Lake

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/81557443225262849/

PM'd you yesterday on some camping, they might be full but you could call directly.

Brent

That is a good vid showing what it is like going north out of Poker Flat. Viewers don't be fooled though, that vid could have been 4 times longer. It is a long hill. On a light bike it is fun.

Hey Juan, is Sunshine Trail the official name of that single track. We always called it Gibraltar.

I would recommend Sand Pond campground. Nice camp spots with water. Sardine lakes are just up the street and you may even be able to put a toe or two into Sand Pond by now. Probably a little cold still. If you get bored around the camp take a drive down to Sierra City for a ice cream. It is a cool little town to check out. On the way back to camp stop by Love Falls. It is just off the road coming back from Sierra City. Google to get the coor. there is no sign for it, but it is where the PCT goes over the river. I should add that it is close to the road, but the trail down to it is a little steep. Watch those knees.

Yep!
That's it- same thing. The Sunshine Trail (Gibraltar) name is what they call it now on the local Trail Map, avail in Downieville at the mountain bike outfitters. Great map!



Howland Flat, that's the cool pioneer cemetery above Poker Flat to the North.

We've had good luck dry camping just East of Pack Saddle above Packer Lake, right off the pavement.
Nice and quiet and private. TONS of stars at night. Good parking/camping spots. Close to enough trails without a plate.

Juan

What I found most interesting at the Howland Flat cemetery is that there are people buried there that are fairly recent relative to most of the graves. I can't remember for certain, but I think there are graves from 1940 or even later.

So I'm pretty much off the fence on this one and looking forward to it. Do I need to make a reservation at the camp ground or are we piggy backing on sites already reserved and at which camp ground. I'll probably be tent camping as opposed to bringing the camper. Thursday-Sunday. (maybe show up Wed. night to maximise riding time.) I'm going to bring my WR450f and maybe the XR for road use.

Can't make this work for the end of the month but I will get up there!!!!