Hi there, can anyone tell me about riding in the Bishop and Eastern Sierra area? My friend just came back from a weekend of fishing on the Owens river and up near June lake and said he says there are alot of trails up there. I'm going to call up there to get maps but it would be nice to hear from someone who has rode there. Thanks

 

Great place!!! We are headed there this weekend! We try to ride up there and in the San Bernardino Mtns. and Kennedy Meadows during the hot months, when we can't ride the deserts.

The good rides out of Bishop are Coyote Creek, Buttermilk,
Silver/Wyman Canyon, Sand Canyon/Wheeler Ridge, and Laurel Lakes which is up around Mammoth. Helps if you have a 4wd utility, but we have done all these rides on sport quads many times. (Wheeler ridge is fairly technical in spots.)

There are also some good rides out of Lone Pine, like the Swansee/Cerro Gordo loop. And Kennedy Meadows further south.

There are four guide books you need to get, and all the rides are in there...and lots more. I think you could find them on line somewhere:

California Desert Byways, by Tony Huegel

Sierra Nevada Byways, by Tony Hugel

High Sierra SUV Trails, by Roger MItchell

Inyo-Mono SUV Trails, by Roger Mitchell

Also get a national forest map, and maybe a set of BLM maps.

We have not explored much north of Mammoth, but no doubt there are hundreds of rides up in that area as well!

 

This will get you started. Great Site!

http://www.gbr.4wdtrips.net/

 

A couple more things. At the present time, all Inyo NF forest service roads are "open unless posted closed". There is a national movenment however to make all forest roads everywhere "closed unless posted open", so take advantage of this while you can...it may not last! Resist the urge however to ride anything (even trails) that is not an established road!

What I do is just get a forest service map, and find roads I have not ridden and go out and explore them. You can order maps here: http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/inyo/


The low valleys are hot this time of year, but at altitude it is always cool. What we do is camp in the valley, and the head out on different high altitude rides during the hot part of the day...and don't return until evening when it has already cooled off.

 

Thanks Wayne, boy you do get around I want to try that ride over by Silverwood also you were talking about with The Hun I think sounds like a good ride also. Thanks again for the links .

 

You are welcome to ride with us this weekend. Going to be pretty tame...lots of newbs and kids going. We'll save the rock crawling for another time....

 

Coyote: http://www.ripleysghosttowns.com/coyote.html


Laurel Lakes: http://www.ripleysghosttowns.com/bloody.html

 

Thanks for the invite, I have some wife list's to work on but we will hook up. Thanks again

 

Very very dry winter! Usually this time of year there is still lots of snow at high elevation....it is looking more like late September rather than May. The meadows are already brown and there are no spring wildflowers. Going to be a long, dry summer....

If you are planning to go up there, go now rather than waiting until later! Hopefully the summer thunderstorms will help out....

 

Hey recon,
Long time no post huh....Sorry I could make it the last weekend @ millers from the pic is was a nice ride. I had the best intentions to make it but the night before a friend and his wife should up at my house with their kids for the weekend, Yeah.

That Mammoth ride sounds great too.
When are you hitting the local Mts. again.

Have a great weekend.
Attila