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First ride of the season - Last Chance

Posted: Mon May 26, 2014 10:46 am
by hemingray
First ride of the season - I had to go visit the area of last year's American Fire, bordered by Deadwood Ridge, Foresthill Road, Robinson Flat, the 43 road and Last Chance. I rode down to Last Chance Road - always a fun ride - to Last Chance, then the 44 road back up Cavanah Ridge to Robinson Flat.

The character has changed substantially - on one stub I totally did not know where I was (though the GPS did) because the appearance is so changed. The good news is that it wasn't a complete moonscape - much green remains and there was surprisingly little crown damage. My favorite creek crossing was spared, though the burned hillsides surrounded it. There area is still a nice one to ride.

Click the pic for a gallery.

Image

Re: First ride of the season - Last Chance

Posted: Mon May 26, 2014 11:50 am
by EigerMike
great pics dave glad you got out!!!!!!!!! at least there loging it! what was the cayse of that fire?

Re: First ride of the season - Last Chance

Posted: Mon May 26, 2014 12:05 pm
by hemingray
Human-caused, but they never said more than that a couple of guys came into Foresthill and that investigators interviewed them. Their truck was reportedly burned over and some spokesman said "there's a difference between arson and stupidity". I could not find anything else.

Logging is always a mixed bag - opens some roads, closes others...

Re: First ride of the season - Last Chance

Posted: Mon May 26, 2014 6:29 pm
by EigerMike
just like seeing the logs going to use and not just rotting. what trips you got planed this year ? miyagi?

Re: First ride of the season - Last Chance

Posted: Tue May 27, 2014 8:36 am
by GrizzlyGuy
Great photos as usual Dave!

Yeah, I'm surprised that so much of the timber survived, figured it would be a complete moonscape out there. It kind of gives me hope that the half-assed fuel reduction project I'm doing at my place might make a difference.

I noticed that today there is a red flag warning in place for Modoc county, and it isn't even June yet. Gonna be a nasty year for fires. In case anyone is interested, NOAA has a nifty page where you can go and see all the warnings for this area on a map:

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/firewx/?wfo=rev

Click on the map and it will show the fire weather forecast for the zone you click on.

Re: First ride of the season - Last Chance

Posted: Tue May 27, 2014 7:53 pm
by hemingray
Right now, Miyagi for sure. I might even CAMP! Actually, I really would like to, I need to start getting my s*** together instead of waiting until the last minute. I still have a shell for my truck and a trailer, so if I can get things together enough - why, you never know!

Aside from that - I like going to the same old: Soda Springs Road (Mike, you have to ride this sometime), Yuba Pass, Little Truckee Summit area, and my beloved FR-19 just 'cause it's fun. I would not mind exploring off Henness Pass Road - I was intrigued after that Miyagi Ride a couple of years ago.

And, I would like to try your High Lakes on a day ride too....

Yeah, it's going to be a bad fire year - just because it's so early. Ride early....and often! ;-)

Re: First ride of the season - Last Chance

Posted: Tue May 27, 2014 9:32 pm
by EigerMike
im more worried about the fires and them closeing the forest down where does the soda springs start or area

Re: First ride of the season - Last Chance

Posted: Wed May 28, 2014 7:39 am
by hemingray
The last fire restriction a few years ago was only certain trails closed (e.g.; Fordyce) and complete restrictions on campfires of any kind. The roads stayed open (knocking on wood...) Of course, that varies from Forest to Forest... :-(

I don't know how familiar you are with the area down here, but Foresthill Road takes off from I-80 east of Auburn. It goes about 28 miles east where the pavement ends (Robinson Flat - campground), and continues as a dirt road called Soda Springs Road (a Placer County road, not a FS road) about the same number of miles to near Soda Springs which is a few miles from I-80 (the pavement starts at Serene Lakes, so you can't make I-80 on the quad). Soda Springs on I-80 is just a few miles from Donner Summit. The road was built as The Placer County Emigrant Road, and follows pretty much the same route today as back then. It's obscenely scenic with expansive views of the North Fork American River and the upper North Fork American River basin.

At the end of the pavement mentioned above, if you go right instead of left, you are on the TNF 43 road, and in the area I pictured (I turned on the 44 road). I did an easy 42 miles on the weekend there, but if you explore all the side roads etc. it can be a 60 mile day easy just in that area alone.

Re: First ride of the season - Last Chance

Posted: Thu May 29, 2014 9:18 pm
by Rubicon_Rider
Nice pictures thanks for sharing. I rode the right side of Robinson Flat back in 2006 and the left side last year and we rode to Serene Lakes. I may check it out the right side this weekend, I am itching to ride.