[Ski Pro 3]

An advisory to anyone going there entertaining thoughts of the Butcher Ranch Single Track:
After I described my limited experience to Boarder 255 he decided to take this trail solo on his WR250. By then rest of us were by pretty trail weary thinking of camp and cold beverages.
Several hours later he finally made it back to camp. I was getting a little worried since I know Dale (Boarder255) to be both a superior rider & also aboard a superior machine. Turns out my videoed "easy trail" degraded into something resembling a nasty old eroded miner's mule track forcing a one-way descent ending up in Downieville. Something about being hung on a canyon wall above a roaring river having to leap blind break-overs...not something you're anxious to do twice. When he says something was too intense to turn around & retreat I believe him. Shucks, we shared another of those surprise one-way only trails the next summer with Adam-in-Nevada. I ended up shearing a foot peg, bracket & frame tab entirely off Betty Boop forcing another 50 plus road miles to make it back to camp. So a bunch of trail and 50+ hiway mies were done with my left foot atop the stator cover. Thank goodness we all had larger tanks but that is another story.
Bottom line? Sierra Buttes seems like a good vacation destination.

Good thing he was heading downhill. I know that trail down into Downieville and to meet someone coming up it, even on mountain bikes, is very difficult, if not impossible to pass it is that narrow. Someone went over the edge this year I read. Killed of course. Took 2 days or something like that to get to the body and haul him out.

I love the Sierra City area, stay at the cabins where the fish pond is in the front yard. Good restaurant there. Used to be called Harrington's but they sold it and now I think it's called Sierra Inn? I went this summer, but with the whole CV19 thing, I felt like I was being treated like a leper or something. Ha! I poached a camp spot out of town at Wild Plum. They were logging up the road out of the camp ground and so I rode that stretch. It's usually gated off to foot traffic only but with those trucks, decided to give it go. Nice views from that side of the highway, usually all the trails are on the North side of the 49.
Lots of good stories about that area! Thanks for sharing yours.

 

[Fred]

Sierra Buttes again in 2021 anyone?

 

[Ski Pro 3]

I'm gonna make it my mission to ride at any opportunity I can this year. Keep posting rides and I'll keep marking my calendar.

 

[admiral]

It was neat to re-watch these videos. Really pretty country with great views. I'm fair certain I've never been in this area before. Looks intriguing and will have to keep it in mind. Not sure Mrs. Admiral would appreciate some of the bouldery 2-track or single track but I'm sure there's plenty of variety. We'll be keeping an eye out for this ride.

 

[Fred]

Ski, another suitable destination this coming year after things melt might be the Sweetwaters if you haven't already been there. From meandering single tracks above 7,000 ft to 11,400+ foot passes the place has a lot of variety.
Good for another mini to large group rides or just solo.

Nice colorfull fall destination too.
Located between towns of Walker and Bridgeport on a different mtn range across from the Sierras and Sonora Pass.

 

[Ski Pro 3]

Never even heard of it. Is this the place? Is this Nevada or California?
Sweetwater Mountains
I am soooo ready for a ride though the woods. Those elevations, it won't be much before Labor day! Well, not much snow this year, but you know what I mean. I've bow hunted the Eastern Sierras 8,000'+ in August and still had to deal with huge snow fields.

 

[admiral]

...and what is Thousand Corner Daze?

 

[Ski Pro 3]

...and what is Thousand Corner Daze?

The first post explains the term as referring to the number of twists and turns on the steep roads.

 

[Fred]

Yes indeed you are correct on the location SkiPro. A bit of a hidden gem it has become a favored destination for me. Since it is one mtn range east of the Sierras the orographic effect has already wrung much of the atmospheric moisture out of systems blowing in from the west. Thus snow levels are usually much less than adjacent but lower Sonora Pass. I've had fellow TW riders join me up there as late in the season as November but fresh snowfall then kept us off of 11,600 Mt.Paterson's summit. It is a nice TW destination to make it to the summit's 50 star American flag, but there are always some snow fields to contend with.

Bikes do OK in the rarefied elevations. One can wander a bit above 11,000 to adjacent peaks and cross over dropping back down. Some very long loops can be done, my last one solo I ended up re-fueling in Bridgeport. Last visit with the Admirals, Bananchunks and Echart we also rode from 8,000 base camp through Marine Mountain Warfare School and up Sonora Pass. This last photo is between peaks at around 11,200 ft elevation.

Sorry for the distraction from Sierra Buttes theme located a hundred plus miles to the north and on the Pacific side of Sierras.
Admiral, the "Thousand Corner Daze" title was a poetic license title I used since my first visit was sort of a whirlwind tour of the large number of lakes, fire lookouts, and trails there before heading down to a scheduled Group Ride with the NorCal gang. I would briefly visit each lake or point of interest often pausing just long enough to check map for how to get to next lake and then off I'ld go twisting and turning on seemingly endless blacktop and rocky trails.

 

[Bodi]

I'm in for this ride for sure. I want to get over around Ely and explore. This is close enough to start. I will watch for the planned dates...

 

[MikeK]

This is an area that I would love to explore. So if a ride in 2021 is planned, it would definitely be on my calender. Like so many folks, Mo and I are more than ready to get out a bit. Camping and riding seem like good practices for this Virus era as long as we would not be impacting the local facilities too much.
Mikey