It's about 135 miles from S'port.Takes about 2 hours,not a bad drive.PM me and you can follow me down.Highlifter,you still in?My bike is hungry.Needs to eat some v-force for lunch.haha

 

I think I'm gona go tomorrow [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img] but my friend hasn't got his atv yet and my HMF pipe I ordered hasn't made it yet eather [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-sad.gif[/img]

 

do any of you north louisiana riders know anything about riding in the national forest "winn district" The kistachie website says claiborne is closed until at least the 5th. I dont know if they are going to change that, and today there is no way to get in touch with anybody.. that really sux. Well they said the winn and caney areas are still open "for OHV use" but I have never seen or heard anybody say anything about those area.. I wanted to camp and ride from today until sunday.. anybody have any info on these areas??

 

"the weekend" in question has passed, but lets keep this thread going as i am getting a bike soon.

im in central/southern louisiana.

-anyone ever ride forest hills? is it worth the trip?
-where in louisiana are dunes? how long of a drive is it from lafayette?
-ive got land in the atchafalaya basin. you can ONLY get there by boat, would anyone be interested in riding in the woods? our land has the works, swamp, fields, hills, just no sand. ive got a boat for my bike, you'd have to bring your own

 

Ok, lets do em one at a time:

-anyone ever ride forest hills? is it worth the trip? >>ABSOFREAKINLUTELY. If you like trail riding, it doesnt get much better than this. Not much mud, great scenery. Drawbacks: The trails can be rough, I lower my tire pressures a little to help smooth it out. The trails can be long, so you need a bike with reasonable range, some water, and we bring snacks and a gps unit. The trails can be crowded at times, and there are some really fast enduro dirtbike riders that ride here alot.. they have always treated my family great, however. The camping is primitive, tent or rv, no water, and no electricity.. (ps, Banshees are not necessarily the most effective machine here.)

-where in louisiana are dunes? how long of a drive is it from lafayette? >> maybe an hour, hour and a half. I make it from BR to the Dunes in 2 1/2 hours. The Dunes are a blast if you are into high horsepower, sand dragracing, and playing on big sand hills. During the summer the creek and the lakes are awesome to swim in. There are a few short little trails, but they are nice. The Campground is freshly graded with gravel and has running water, hot showers, and a snack bar that is open most of the time. The Rv area has water and electricty. Drawbacks: The Dunes used to be a great place. The management used to be more concerned about their customers having a good time, now it is entirely about them making as much money as they can. They have refused to grade the sand. It will beat you to death. Unlike other larger sand areas around the country that have sufficient wind to smooth the sand during the week and in the off seasons, The Dunes doesnt. The high traffic of the bikes makes the whole place one big test of your ability to take whoop de doos.

Hope that helps..

Oh one more thing, I had a trip planned to Camp Claiborne (Forest Hill) for several weeks. The rangers decided on Tuesday the 30 to close the area because it had rained... and they had seen a forecast that said rain later in the week. Of course that never happened, so the closure forced me and my sons to go to Red Creek near Gulfport.. not a bad trip after all. REAL MUDDY. We had fun though.

Shane.

 

How did everyone's Holidays go? Mine were crappy considering that I spent most of that time in the Hospital with phenomnia( if thats how you spell it) and didnt get to ride any. Now that I'm alittle better, everyone in my riding group has decided to put the bikes in the shop for upgrades.

 

pneumonia? you were...almost...in the vicinity

thanks badittude. where exactly are the dunes? i may ride by on a trip soon to scope out the terrain. why wouldnt a banshee be good at forest hills?

also, i dont know if this is against the rules, please inform me if it is, but do yall drink at night when camping? it is definately assumed no one drinks and rides, but if we meet up for a ride and plan to camp that night, can i bring alcohol to sip around the campfire?


oh, and more general riding questions. are wma's or other government controlled properties open to riding? sherburne, red dirt, thistlewaite... (im just getting into this, please bear with me)

 

where exactly are the dunes?
I-49 to the Forest Hill exit then WEST. Proceed to end of that road, several miles, then take a left - SOUTH several miles, then you will see a "The Dunes" Sign, follow a series of small signs down Boy Scout Road to the Gate.. not hard to find at all..

why wouldnt a banshee be good at forest hills?
Well, in the winter, an unmodified Banshee would do fine. I have seen a few do it without problem. I based what I said on a good friend of mine and a frequent riding buddy that said that the generally low overall speeds (1st and 2nd gear most of the time) for really long distances dont agree with a liquid cooled quad without a fan, especially if the motor has been upgraded with higher compression pistons and maybe added displacement. If you are with a buddy that can keep up a good pace, you would probably be fine. There is a guy that frequents Claiborne on a stock Bansee that rides with two guys on dirt bikes, and his bike always seems to be doing fine.

also, i dont know if this is against the rules, please inform me if it is, but do yall drink at night when camping? it is definately assumed no one drinks and rides, but if we meet up for a ride and plan to camp that night, can i bring alcohol to sip around the campfire?
We do. Both places, The Dunes and at Claiborne. Once we are parked for the night, and sitting around the campfire, yes we do. Very often late into the night. Both places are fine spots, however for getting creamed during a night ride, magnify that times 100 if you are on the sauce at the same time.
I saw a guy at the Dunes several years ago, at about 10pm on a Friday night, overrotate a banshee going up the first hill into the dunes just across the creek. I mean he had just unloaded his bike after drinking all the way up there. I $hit you not, his nose looked like it was growing out of his left cheek after that bike landed on his face. He would probably have been killed if he had not been on the soft sand.. He rode the bike back down to his truck, laughed loudly and then pushed his nose over where it was supposed to be, and got in his truck and went to sleep. I was curious how he felt the next morning. I never saw him, though.

Anyways, didnt mean to ramble.. just was a funny story.


oh, and more general riding questions. are wma's or other government controlled properties open to riding? sherburne, red dirt, thistlewaite... (im just getting into this, please bear with me)

 

Bryan, didja get my email at work? I need some more tires for my 9" rims.. the 4 Snows look like they are gonna be ok for sand, but way too soft for any trail riding. .. my right one took several sticks in the bead and one dead center.. miracle I didnt get a flat.. so I emailed you about whether you thought the 24" mud lites for a 9" rim would work on my vforce... input?
Thanks, Shane

 

hey rider4life------i live in woodworth,la and me and a group of buddyies gose to redirt as much as we can when it is open. the trails are nice, and can be tricky at times going down hill. but we always have a good time. and far as camp clayborn is still close. I went out there sunday and the gate is locked and the sign says trails closed. there is a kisatchie number you can call and find out if trails are open. the number is
1-866-830-6467