Want to know if there were any Norcal day trips planned for this week. I was thinking of going on a day trip tomorrow (12/26) to somewhere along Hwy 50 area. Yeah, short notice, but supposed to be snowing tomorrow, think it would be more fun that way. Anybody want to go? If not, I can hold off until some people can make it later in the week. I have a stock (besides 32 inch A/T's) unlocked 80 series and have been on a couple moderate trails and been to Prairie City a couple times. If you can't make it, care to suggest some trails and include directions? Thanks a lot.
Any Norcal day trips planned?
- Thread starter Beretta Vertec
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Snow level is very high right now.
have you ever been to Greenhorn Creek in Grass Valley?
have you ever been to Greenhorn Creek in Grass Valley?
- Thread starter
- #3
Haven't been to Greenhorn Creek. I've only been on a couple of moderate trails. Think it was "Blue Canyon" and "Cody Lakes" or something like that. Don't remember, but they weren't all that hard, unless you bring a Rav4 or CRV. It was somewhere near the area of the Strawberry trail near 42 mile tract. They don't mark the trails too well and I somehow ended up back at Hwy 50 when I thought I was headed the other way.
Yeah, the snow level is something like above 7000 ft, but the trails get pretty high in elevation right? Well over 7000 ft? Weather dot com stated that about half a foot is supposed to come down tomorrow in the Kirkwood area. Better than nothing.
Yeah, the snow level is something like above 7000 ft, but the trails get pretty high in elevation right? Well over 7000 ft? Weather dot com stated that about half a foot is supposed to come down tomorrow in the Kirkwood area. Better than nothing.
- Thread starter
- #4
Just checked the weather and theres a Winter Storm Warning. Been snowing for the last few hours, and supposed to be snowing for the next 24 hours or so, with snow levels dropping to 4000 ft.
beretta vertec: day trip sounds good but im a little late. but if the urge hits you say next year i'd be game. (gotta score some chains) i allready got stuck up off 88 and was confronted by a snowmobile gang, not going to let that happen again. i'm in amador co soo not too far from sac.
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- #6
I went up to Iron Mountain Road today. There was about 1.5 to 2 feet of snow up near the Highway 88 end. Nobody went further than the Silver Fork turn off, as it got bad after that point, and also because a guy that turned back said there was a Ranger further up the road saying its a $1000 fine for being in a snowmobile only area. Most people, including myself, only made it up that far because somebody already made a good trail in the snow. Most likely the Jeeps with the 40 inch tires. I got stuck twice, both due to making way for traffic. Weren't bad stucks, dug myself out. Oh yeah, tip, don't use engine braking in snow.
You were "confronted" by a snowmobile gang?
You were "confronted" by a snowmobile gang?
Beretta,
I'm interested in wheelin' for the day if your up for going this Sat. Don't have any trails in mind as the only ones I've been on are Eagle Lakes, small part of Fordyce and Iron Mountain. Haven't been to Strawberry yet, so that might be a cool trail to hit; of course depending on condition by this weekend. There's also that Auburn trail that the jeeps do their winter snow runs every year. Not sure if there's enough there yet. Whatever is decided I'm game.
Carl
I'm interested in wheelin' for the day if your up for going this Sat. Don't have any trails in mind as the only ones I've been on are Eagle Lakes, small part of Fordyce and Iron Mountain. Haven't been to Strawberry yet, so that might be a cool trail to hit; of course depending on condition by this weekend. There's also that Auburn trail that the jeeps do their winter snow runs every year. Not sure if there's enough there yet. Whatever is decided I'm game.
Carl
- Thread starter
- #8
lc1996, my schedule is pretty flexible this week so I think Saturday would be fine. I haven't been to Strawberry either and I've been wanting to go there. This gives some info on the trail:
http://www.norcalttora.com/trails/strawberry.php
Looks like fun, but I don't know if the trail would be doable or not due to snow. There might be about 3 or so feet of snow up there by Saturday, as theres already a couple of feet there now just guestimating from the Iron Mountain accumulations. I guess we can try though. Do you have more info about that Auburn trail? Anybody else wanna go?
http://www.norcalttora.com/trails/strawberry.php
Looks like fun, but I don't know if the trail would be doable or not due to snow. There might be about 3 or so feet of snow up there by Saturday, as theres already a couple of feet there now just guestimating from the Iron Mountain accumulations. I guess we can try though. Do you have more info about that Auburn trail? Anybody else wanna go?
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I'm going to Wrights Lake.
Beretta Vertec said:
Beretta,
The only info. I found on the auburn trails was from 4x4wire.com called the Winter Fun Festival. Here's a link to a few of the trails:
http://www.4x4wire.com/events/2002/ca4wd/wff/index.htm?
I also saw a message somewhere on pirate forum that it's off of Forest Hill Exit off I80.
Carl
- Thread starter
- #11
lc1996, from what i skimmed it looks like its in the Greenhorn Creek area that NorcalSam mentioned. Somewhere near Grass Valley. I'll try to dig up some info on it later on today. Or, do you want to go to Wrights Lake with FJ40_owner?
FJ40_owner, any details about that trail? Suitable for a stock 80 series (mine)?
FJ40_owner, any details about that trail? Suitable for a stock 80 series (mine)?
Beretta,
As long as the trail/s at Wrights Lake is/are suitable for an 80; haven't been there either.
Carl
As long as the trail/s at Wrights Lake is/are suitable for an 80; haven't been there either.
Carl
Wrights lake
I am not sure what the conditions will be. Certainly not for a stock vehicle. I expect to shovel and winch at a minimum.
JB
Leaving Friday AM
lc1996 said:
I am not sure what the conditions will be. Certainly not for a stock vehicle. I expect to shovel and winch at a minimum.
JB
Leaving Friday AM
- Thread starter
- #14
Conditions might not be too good as theres just storm after storm rolling in. Going to be several feet of snow up there. So Wrights Lake is out for me. I'm going to dig up some info on Greenhorn Creek.
- Thread starter
- #16
lc1996, here's what I got so far:
* * * * * Option 1: Greenhorn Creek
Got this info from NorcalSam:
Interstate 80 to Highway 49
north on 49 to Nevada City
take the Broad st. exit with is just pased Sacramento st.
turn rt onto Broad st.
Go straight at stop onto Boulder st.
then vear rt onto Red Dog rd
Red Dog turns to dirt class 1 road
go about 1/2 mile and it dead ends into Banner Lavacap I think
turn rt on Banner Lavacap
go about 1/4 mile
turn LT back on Red Dog rd. class 1 road
stay on Red dog until you get to creek water could be very high at times this time of year. Greenhorn creek is not a trail its more of a OHV area or like a river bottom however there are class 3 to 4 sections to play on and there are some class 1 and 2 dirt roads to explore.
* * * * * Option 2: Plummer Ridge
This is an "easy" trail when dry. It's in the general area of Iron Mountain Rd and Pipi Valley. Relatively long, about 14 miles or so? Think it used to be posted on a map at the Visitor Info area at the beginning of Iron Mountain Rd before somebody took it down. Some motorcycle riding guy took a pic of the map, but his site is down right now.
Directions:
www.fs.fed.us/r5/eldorado/documents/rogs/rog_ohv_elkins.pdf
Theres a map of the general area. Its road 9N16 according to that map. It doesn't show on that map (I'm remembering this from the pic), but I think the best way to get to Plummer Ridge would be to take Bonetti Rd off of Iron Mountain Rd. That'll take us to North South Rd and on to the trail. Hopefully, Bonetti Rd would go down far enough to bypass the beginning of North South Rd, which is a pretty long and steep grade. When dry, I was engine braking in second gear and hit 50mph (and still going up) before I started tapping the brakes. Don't know if you want to be on that with a couple feet of snow on the road.
* * * * * Option 3:
Any other trails you got in mind?
I haven't been to either place, so whatever is fine.
* * * * * Option 1: Greenhorn Creek
Got this info from NorcalSam:
Interstate 80 to Highway 49
north on 49 to Nevada City
take the Broad st. exit with is just pased Sacramento st.
turn rt onto Broad st.
Go straight at stop onto Boulder st.
then vear rt onto Red Dog rd
Red Dog turns to dirt class 1 road
go about 1/2 mile and it dead ends into Banner Lavacap I think
turn rt on Banner Lavacap
go about 1/4 mile
turn LT back on Red Dog rd. class 1 road
stay on Red dog until you get to creek water could be very high at times this time of year. Greenhorn creek is not a trail its more of a OHV area or like a river bottom however there are class 3 to 4 sections to play on and there are some class 1 and 2 dirt roads to explore.
* * * * * Option 2: Plummer Ridge
This is an "easy" trail when dry. It's in the general area of Iron Mountain Rd and Pipi Valley. Relatively long, about 14 miles or so? Think it used to be posted on a map at the Visitor Info area at the beginning of Iron Mountain Rd before somebody took it down. Some motorcycle riding guy took a pic of the map, but his site is down right now.
Directions:
www.fs.fed.us/r5/eldorado/documents/rogs/rog_ohv_elkins.pdf
Theres a map of the general area. Its road 9N16 according to that map. It doesn't show on that map (I'm remembering this from the pic), but I think the best way to get to Plummer Ridge would be to take Bonetti Rd off of Iron Mountain Rd. That'll take us to North South Rd and on to the trail. Hopefully, Bonetti Rd would go down far enough to bypass the beginning of North South Rd, which is a pretty long and steep grade. When dry, I was engine braking in second gear and hit 50mph (and still going up) before I started tapping the brakes. Don't know if you want to be on that with a couple feet of snow on the road.
* * * * * Option 3:
Any other trails you got in mind?
I haven't been to either place, so whatever is fine.
Beretta,
Option 3 would be Tundra Trek Trail which the staging area is the Nyack Rd Exit off I80. Never been there before and don't know the exact starting point of this trail. This is the only info. I got from 4x4wire. So this would only be a choice if you are up for exploring. Option 1 sounds good to me since I've never been in that area before and we have exact location. But Option 2 is ok too; only been there during dry season, so I imagine it's more fun with snow.
Now we just need a meeting point and time....
Carl
Option 3 would be Tundra Trek Trail which the staging area is the Nyack Rd Exit off I80. Never been there before and don't know the exact starting point of this trail. This is the only info. I got from 4x4wire. So this would only be a choice if you are up for exploring. Option 1 sounds good to me since I've never been in that area before and we have exact location. But Option 2 is ok too; only been there during dry season, so I imagine it's more fun with snow.
Now we just need a meeting point and time....
Carl
You can get to No So road direct from Iron Mtn. Its just farther up the road. Watch out for ice if you do go down No So. If there is ice you may not be able to make it back up. You could go out through Grizzly Flat.Beretta Vertec said:
JB
- Thread starter
- #19
FJ40_owner, thanks for the heads up. Thats why I wanted to take Bonetti Rd, so that I can bypass the beginning of North South Rd.
lc1996, lets go to Greenhorn Creek then. I read about it on a Jeep site and it seems like there should be a variety of trails there. A potential problem could be the creek level, but I'm guessing there are other roads to explore in the general area. I'm heading out from Davis, so meeting place and time is up to you. I'm going to PM NorcalSam and see if he wants to go also, he lives in Grass Valley and has been there before.
lc1996, lets go to Greenhorn Creek then. I read about it on a Jeep site and it seems like there should be a variety of trails there. A potential problem could be the creek level, but I'm guessing there are other roads to explore in the general area. I'm heading out from Davis, so meeting place and time is up to you. I'm going to PM NorcalSam and see if he wants to go also, he lives in Grass Valley and has been there before.
How 'bout we meet at the Chevron station off Eureka Rd. In case you haven't been there before, go right on Eureka Rd. after you exit. You'll pass 1 or 2 stoplights and you'll see the Chevron station on your left at one of the intersection corners. I'm flexible on the time, but I prefer early mornings so we can have a lot of time to play while it's daylight. I'll pm you with my contact number.
Carl
Carl
