poker flat

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ken2040
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poker flat

Postby ken2040 » Tue Jan 31, 2006 7:10 pm

Was just wondering if there were any places to park my truck and trailer on the road to poker flat .Or is there a campground close to stay at while i am there
thanks
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Postby Ken » Tue Jan 31, 2006 7:13 pm

Poker Flat Campground.


Well. There may be an "easy" way to get there....but coming from Downieville....there's a pretty steep downhill just before the campground.


I've seen people stopped, at the top. There's an open area there to park. Then quad down.

Chadd may know another way.
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Chadd
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Postby Chadd » Tue Jan 31, 2006 7:48 pm

Are you coming in from the La Porte side or downieville side.??
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downieville

Postby ken2040 » Wed Feb 01, 2006 11:57 am

i will be comming up 49 like to b e able to leave my truck at the start and do the trail round trip and end up at the truck ,so damn long its kinda hard to turn around on them roads
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Postby Ken » Wed Feb 01, 2006 3:36 pm

When are you planning on going??
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poker

Postby ken2040 » Wed Feb 01, 2006 3:41 pm

i am hopeing with in the next 2 weeks was up by there last saturday and it was snowing prettty good i dont know how it will be on the trail now i dont mind some snow but that 2 foot deep stuff sucks
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Postby GrizzlyGuy » Thu Aug 02, 2007 11:01 am

I just did a 2-day expedition in Plumas NF and I have some additional info on this trail (the one leading down to Poker Flat from the north, 100% within Plumas NF). Here is a track log/map excerpt:

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First off, let me say this: WOW! What a trail! It was shockingly cool. :shock: 8)

The sign up at the top isn't kidding, 4x4 required and the Most Difficult rating is fair:

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Fortunately I brought a 4x4 vehicle with me:

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So down I went in 4x4 low. The steepness and my big load caused me to have to apply the brakes quite a bit. The trail is rocky. Not big boulder-like rocks that you have to drive around, but plenty of smaller, mobile rocks that are just big enough to whack your bash plates when there is really no way around them (because there are so many). I didn't get a chance to take any pictures on the way down because I was kind of busy riding this monster. :D

When I finally got to the bottom (whew!) I found an old mining town:

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There is also a forest service campground where your vehicle and your nerves can rest up before heading back up (or continuing on into Tahoe NF if it wasn't for the blasted fire restrictions):

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There is a neat stream crossing that you can do. The other side is still in Plumas NF as far as I could tell:

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The picture is taken from the far (south) side looking back toward the main part of the campground. There was a large expedition tent setup on that side of the creek. There was also a modern sluice box down in the creek (forgot to take a picture of either) so it looks like gold mining is ongoing even today. :)

Since I couldn't continue on into TNF (draconian fire restrictions) I decided it was time to high-tail it back up the monster before it got dark. I was sweating this big time because I wasn't sure if my Grizzly would have enough power to pull me and my big, heavy load up it. Only one way to find out. GAS ON. :twisted:

Wooooo-hoooooo! Going up that thing has to be one of the 10 best things you can do with your clothes on. I was standing and leaning over the front rack in full ski jumper position. Good thing I've got power steering on this Grizzly, I think that really made things easier.

I counted at least a half-dozen good whacks on my bash plates as the mobile, not-so-small rocks had their way with me. So flippin' many of them that I couldn't find a rock-less line. One nasty rock managed to high center me. All 4 wheels were off the ground for just an instant, then the rock went mobile again, rolled back down the trail a bit, and deposited me about 2 feet lower than before with my wheels still turning. :lol:

Did I mention that I didn't come off the gas until I got back up to that sign? Yup. I was alone and momentum was my best friend as far as I could tell. Stop midway on that sucker and who knows if you'd get rolling again. So again, no pictures of the actual trail, I was too busy a-ridin'. Rats, I should have brought my helmet cam... :?

When I made it back to the camp site I spotted earlier in the day, the first thing I did was extract my ice-cold bottle of homemade Blue Margaritas and drink a toast to that trail:

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And then another. And... :D
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Chadd
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Postby Chadd » Thu Aug 02, 2007 1:20 pm

good to here you found some good stuff. The boundry of the forests is Canyon Creek which is in Poker Flat.

At the turn you have marked PFLAT17 there is a great trail that goes out onto Skyhigh and down around Table Rock. Also the trail 22n4301 that goes around the south side of Mt Filmore it's really a road but i connects up with the best quad trail up there and continues around the North side of Mt Filmore. It will come out onto the road that you went out on. Next time you head up there let me know.
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Postby GrizzlyGuy » Thu Aug 02, 2007 3:19 pm

I'll let you know Chadd, because I had so much fun out there that I have to go back! I need to get the Grizzlies in for their first service, then survive a week in Utah's Arapeen system, and I'll be all ready to hit Plumas again. :)

I missed the one you describe going around Table Rock, but I did ride 22N43 to get to the top of the Poker Flat trail. At the time, I thought it was just a side road that would get me a closer view of Mt. Fillmore. Son of a gun, it popped out right there by the Poker Flat sign.

That whole area around Mt. Fillmore and Mt. Etna (County Route 900 and 22N43) has some outstanding scenery:

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Yikes! For a second there I thought I spotted a dinosaur:

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22N16X is another little scenic gem. It takes you up past PCT on the way toward the peak of Mt. Etna. Unfortunately, it peters out and doesn't go to the actual peak:

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There is an active mining claim right at that spot. Here is a close-up on the sign that you see at the right edge of the last picture:

Image
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Postby Kendo » Thu Aug 02, 2007 10:22 pm

This is THE trail we want to check out next week!! My main question(s) are these:

Is there a place where we can camp/park a 26 foot toy hauler and stay the night? Close (i.e. legal riding) to the trail? And is the Tahoe side really closed?? I saw on the map that the OHV trail is, but it looks as though the FS roads are open.

THe Dad in law is in town and loves the idea of checking out old mining towns and structures. I think this is perfect for both!

Any info would be outstanding!

Ken
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Postby GrizzlyGuy » Fri Aug 03, 2007 7:50 am

Ken,

All of the Tahoe NF routes that you can ride to from that area of Plumas NF are closed. They had even posted warnings up at A Tree stating that. The warnings were the same as the ones they have out at Indian Springs. Too bad, because that is some really pretty country. Here are some shots taken on the way to Tahoe while still in Plumas, out past A Tree:

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As to getting your trailer in, you might consider going in through Plumas Eureka State Park and driving out to the Ross campground that is just past the park. The state park won't let you ride ATVs within it at all, not even to drive out the dirt road to the national forest. I called them thinking I'd go in that way, and that is what they said. But if you are camped at Ross, no problem, and you are close to where I shot the pictures above. Maybe only a few hours to ride from there to the top of Poker Flat.

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Plumas Eureka State Park is supposed to have mining exhibits. I didn't go in there, so I don't know for sure. Here is their web site:

http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=507

I came in via 23N37 that heads out from near the Beckwourth ranger station. That road is too narrow and rough for a trailer in some spots.

Hopefully your dad-in-law is an experienced rider because the trail in and out of Poker Flat is pretty challenging. My wife would divorce me if I tried to take her down it.
:lol:

I think I'd just skip Tahoe NF this year due to the fire restrictions. But the big roads are open.
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Postby Kendo » Fri Aug 03, 2007 9:24 pm

Thanks for all the info!! Looks like I need to do some more homework now. I like your suggestion of the Ross camp, we really want to just plant the trailer nad ride out from there if at all possible.

I'll report back when we return!!

Thanks again!
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Postby Kendo » Wed Aug 08, 2007 9:03 pm

Well, we're back!! What a trip!

First of all, the road going to Ross Camp is TIGHT!!! We literally had inches on either side of the trailer in spots. I had to have help extracting myself from the drivers seat! We did not camp at Ross Camp, due to the ominous "shelf road" about 1/2 mile before the camp. Instead, we found a nice cozy spot just off the "road" and set up there. We were about a mile in from the south side of the Plumas Eureka State Park.

We rode about 50 miles yesterday and saw a lot of nice scenery and some cool historical stuff. Stopped at the Potosi Cemetary and town site, neat but a little eery too.

Trailer is absolutely great! How nice it is to return after a long ride and wash the dust off, cook some good food and sleep in heated comfort. Makes the experience all the more enjoyable.

I have a few pictures, spotted that same dinosaur (LOL) and had a great time. We rode everything from smooth dirt/gravel, to semi challenging 4WD trails. It was a good mix for the Dad in law and wife on their new Hawkeye's. I even had more fun on my 700 now that we figured out some moron worked on the carburator before and neglected to put all the pieces back in. :roll:

I'll see if I can upload the pics somewhere and put them on here.

Ken
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Postby Ken » Thu Aug 09, 2007 6:04 am

Cool Kendo....so you got the carb working and the battery replaced?
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Postby GrizzlyGuy » Thu Aug 09, 2007 4:56 pm

Kendo wrote:Well, we're back!! What a trip!
First of all, the road going to Ross Camp is TIGHT!!! We literally had inches on either side of the trailer in spots.
Sorry Kendo, I didn't mean to send you up the Road from Hell. :oops:

I didn't ride down past Ross CG, I just figured that it would get even wider and smoother as you went that way, but I guess not. If it's any consolation, that 23N37 road that I parked on (heading out from the housing/golf development that is behind the ranger station) is worse, practically a trail in some parts. Good thing I stopped and parked where I did. :lol:

I came back in part way on that big/gigantic 23N10 road, so that might be a better entry point for next time. The signs said it goes on out to Sloat, but I didn't ride it all the way out to the highway.
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