Mears Meadow area and Sugar Pine Point

[hemingray]

More exploring around Mears Meadow area. The deer hunters (archery) were out and about, so I missed going into a few areas I wanted to explore. I think I should get a red vest so nobody bags a Grizzly!

Anyway, I discovered some new routes and new views - a cool afternoon.

Nice view down, below Quartz Mountain. I'll be back by this spot, this road ends at a log landing... (don't they all!)



But, it's a nice one...



There were a lot of thistles.



A nice view of Monumental Ridge



A look back at the view below Quartz Mountain.



Found a nice cutoff from FR-19 to FR-38 though Big Valley. The creek is dry now, but it must be sporty in the spring and early summer.



No water, but still a lot of color here. The road from here was really brushy for most of the way to the junction.



This ridge that makes up Sugar Pine Point follows down Big Valley and has a nice view of Big Valley Bluff from below.



The road crosses to the other side of the ridge and has a nice view of Snow Mountain. The near ridge is Cherry Point.



Across the North Fork American is the remnant of the Iowa Hill Canal tracing it's way upstream.



Out at the end of Sugar Pine point the road becomes pretty small and it ends at a skid trail.



All day long the clouds made for interesting views. Nothing spectacular, but a lot of moisture was being pushed over us but there weren't enough good dynamics to make for T-stoms.

[traildad]

Very nice. Where about were you riding?

[hemingray]

This is the area of Forest Road 19 on the Yuba Gap side. I unload shortly after it starts (in a wide parking area on the left just up the hill from the pavement) and ride all over from there. A couple miles up, FR-38 breaks off towards Huysink Lake and you can ride out to Sugar Pine Point. Otherwise, FR-19 winds around to Mears Meadow, where side roads lead out to Quartz Mountain and near Monumental Ridge. Keep on going and there are great vistas to the east out to Big Valley Bluff, and then the road turns south to Texas Hill and ultimately Sawtooth Ridge and a bunch of roads here and there (including to Helester Point, and if you keep right there, you can go further west. Much of this area is in the burn from last year's fire.

On the Emigrant Gap side, you can ride Monumental Creek Rd. and some side trips. FR-19 is paved, but Monumental Creek (FR-45) is not, so you can unload at the junction. Also, you can continue up the paved part until the pavement quits, keep right and there is a junction at the top of the hill of several roads that lead to Dawson Spring and Sawtooth Ridge (and Helester Point.) This would also be a good place to unload. Tunnel Mills campground is nearby, and North Fork campground is a little further back.

All in all, one of my favorite areas and a pretty close drive.

[auendave]

nice pics I have been wanting to ride in this area, maybe soon hopefull nice to see someone is riding.

[ACLakey]

Great pictures.

[hemingray]

Thanks for the compliments... A trip is not a trip without a lot of pics!

[RobG]

Nice area!! Much closer for me than, say, Jackson Meadows. I might have to go there next weekend to start breaking in my XP 850. Do you happen to have a tracklog you'd share of this ride? PM me if so... if not, I may have to pick your brain some more for routes and stuff.

Rob

[EigerMike]

great pics !

[GrizzlyGuy]

Nice shots Dave! You da man with the camera: good composition, colors and contrast.

May I second Rob's request:

Do you happen to have a tracklog you'd share of this ride?

I just happen to be working on rev 2 of my "master" GPS map of Tahoe/Plumas NF's, updating it with new trails I've ridden since I made the original. I'd like to add your tracks to my map. I'll trade you a free copy of the finished map.

[hemingray]

I'll email them when I get home.

The good news is I'm getting a 60csx to replace my old 60cs. The accuracy and tracking should get a lot better. Even getting under some canopy makes the old one lose it's bearings, so to speak. I was trying to walk to a marked spring and halfway there (several hundred feet off the trail) the stupid 60cs lost contact with where it thought it was. That is NOT the kind of reliabilty one needs for navigating!