ok not to good at this computer thing

[roon101]

ok trail dad i got it thanks for your help this is me the other quad is my buddy mike i have another post i am sure you see it

i went to fout springs but always called it stony ford and there is a simler place about 45 min from my house called indain valley you would like very much if you ever wanna go let me know

i love it up there that is where my pic is from

[traildad]

All right you got it. I have never been to Indian Valley. Where is it?

If you log on to photobucket then click on the photo you will see a large view. At the top you will have choices. Click on the arrow next to resize. You will get choices to make the image a different size. If you choose 640x480 we will be able to see the whole picture on our screens. It is a little easier to see it that way.

[GrizzlyGuy]

We need a safe place to leave the truck while we ride for at least a couple of days. Trails that aren't too extreme for the trailer, and a nice place to camp. Does anyone have any suggestions?

How about the campground at Gold Lake as a destination? Start from Little Truckee Summit, around 100 miles round trip. I've seen cars left there for multiple days. Easy road ride all the way. Leave trailer at Gold Lake and head into Gold Valley the next day if you feel like doing something rougher. Or bag Mills Peak, could even tow the trailer up there, the turn to it is along the route to Gold Lake. Pictures of the ride:

http://www.grizzlyguy.com/gallery/31942 ... 9932_gRBBq

Or if you want to shorten the ride, start from Yuba Pass on Hwy 49. Maybe 50-ish miles round trip from there.

Or if you want a longer ride, start from Bowman Lake. Ride to Meadow Lake, out to Webber Lake, solve minor ethical dilemma (200-ish feet of paved FS 07) then hop onto FS 12, go to Yuba Pass and on to Gold Lake.

Can also do a longer ride from east-side starting points like Verdi, Dog Valley or Boca Springs. All easy road riding and no ethical dilemmas at all from those points. You can bag 3 more lookout peaks along the way if you want to (Sardine, Babbitt, Verdi):

http://www.grizzlyguy.com/gallery/30621 ... 5088_F7mZs

[roon101]

thanks trail dad

i am getting the hang of this photo bucket thing i enjoy all the info
you guys are great i would love to ride with you

my problem is i have wendsday thursdays off work
so that kinda messes things up

as for indain valley tell me where you live i will tell youhow to get there

[traildad]

How about the campground at Gold Lake as a destination? Start from Little Truckee Summit, around 100 miles round trip.

That sounds good. We once drove our truck up to Gold Lake to check things out. We couldn't go the last mile out the 4x4 trail to the OHV campground. I have wanted to go back and ride there. 100 mile round trip would be perfect. A nice ride in, stay a day or two, and a nice ride out.

Or if you want to shorten the ride, start from Yuba Pass on Hwy 49. Maybe 50-ish miles round trip from there.

First one, then the other.

Or if you want a longer ride, start from Bowman Lake. Ride to Meadow Lake, out to Webber Lake, solve minor ethical dilemma (200-ish feet of paved FS 07) then hop onto FS 12, go to Yuba Pass and on to Gold Lake.

It sounds like that could be made as a multi day trip. Very good.

Can also do a longer ride from east-side starting points like Verdi, Dog Valley or Boca Springs. All easy road riding and no ethical dilemmas at all from those points. You can bag 3 more lookout peaks along the way if you want to (Sardine, Babbitt, Verdi):

Great info.

[traildad]

thanks trail dad

as for indain valley tell me where you live i will tell youhow to get there

Ok I looked it up. Indian Valley Reservoir. We have ridden maybe half way from Stonyford towards Indian Valley Reservoir. There is a spot on road 16N44 that used to be the Pacific Ridge Ranger Station or something. We stopped and ate lunch there once. I have never gone to the lake.

[roon101]

love the trailer but dont' kow about the tent on top
my luck i would go right off the side

trail dad what aera are you from

[GrizzlyGuy]

That sounds good. We once drove our truck up to Gold Lake to check things out. We couldn't go the last mile out the 4x4 trail to the OHV campground. I have wanted to go back and ride there. 100 mile round trip would be perfect. A nice ride in, stay a day or two, and a nice ride out.

OK, the campground I rode to in my 103-mile round trip from Little Truckee Summit was the "normal" one along the northeast corner of the lake, not the OHV campground. There were RVs and cars in there. Nice place, you are camping within about 100 feet of the water. The campground is north of the boat ramp (what I have marked as "GLDBOAT") and my track along the shore up there is me riding through the campground:



Here is the sign as you enter it after crossing Gold Lake Highway from FS 28, along the short dirt road that goes down to the campground:



When you drove there in your truck, I imagine you came in the other paved road that goes to the boat ramp. I rode through the campground to the big paved parking lot at the boat ramp and turned around.

From there, if you continue SW along the lake, you would eventually come to the OHV campground on the route into Gold Valley. I'd think that route is too rough for your trailer, lots of big rocks just before you connect to the trail at the bottom of Gold Valley.

This shot is taken from down in Gold Valley looking up the first section of trail that goes up to the OHV campground and Gold Lake:



Not bad there, but around the next switchback the rocks get larger. They looked about like the rocks on the access road that goes from Indian Springs up to Signal Peak. Would be a fun ride, not sure how fun with your trailer.

[traildad]

I got to take the trailer out for a shakedown ride. We had the whole campground to ourselves. I took a ride without the trailer and ended up on some medium level motorcycle trails I sure wish they would spend some of our green sticker money on more trail signs.

[GrizzlyGuy]

I got to take the trailer out for a shakedown ride. We had the whole campground to ourselves.

Cool, but where were you? I didn't see any snow, so I'm thinking you weren't up here.

[traildad]

Cool, but where were you? I didn't see any snow, so I'm thinking you weren't up here.

We were riding in the Mendocino NF. Started at Davis Flat and camped at Cedar Camp. I took a nice 35 mile round trip ride (without the trailer) over to the back side of Letts Lake. I tried to go over the top but the road was blocked by snow at about 5500 feet. Not a lot of snow but just enough.

[Kodiak]

thats awesome i like the stream crossing good stuff man how did the 450 handle the weight??

[Ken]

That sounds good. We once drove our truck up to Gold Lake to check things out. We couldn't go the last mile out the 4x4 trail to the OHV campground. I have wanted to go back and ride there. 100 mile round trip would be perfect. A nice ride in, stay a day or two, and a nice ride out.

This ride

http://www.atvobsession.com/pictures/do ... index.html

and this ride

http://www.atvobsession.com/pictures/go ... /index.htm

and this ride


http://www.atvobsession.com/pictures/do ... /index.htm

and these videos

http://www.atvobsession.com/video/breakstuff.wmv

http://www.atvobsession.com/video/stevesnakehill.wmv


Are all Gold Lake area.

[traildad]

thats awesome i like the stream crossing good stuff man how did the 450 handle the weight??

No problems. I could feel it back there but it was fine. I used more 4x4 to help spread the extra load out. I figure that would put less stress on the rear end. I also used low gear if I was doing much up hill or down hill. I haven't weighed it yet but I am guessing that the total weight is around 500lbs. I would like to know if it really is a benefit to the quad to run in low range while towing.

[GrizzlyGuy]

and these videos

http://www.atvobsession.com/video/breakstuff.wmv

Aw come on, Ken. You're going to scare Traildad AND his trailer with that one!

Traildad: Don't believe everything you see on ATVObsession TV. Ride in the way I told you and you'll never see that nasty hill. Had that hill been along the route I took, I'd have never seen Gold Lake.