MacDuncan

That's good stuff Dave, Well done... for exploring and zipping around in the back country!!

Thomas Mountain is a pleasant ride, but has gotten a bit more busy with many more overlanders roaming about in SUVs, so watch for oncoming traffic... especially as you begin to have fun on the windy road and may want to go "fast" . The route from Warner Springs to Thomas Mtn mentioned here has been a popular one and worth taking. Many folks use the destination to practice overnight moto camping, as Thomas Mtn is a nice destination with great views and the road from Warner to there is bumpy enough to help evaluate whether you should have used straps instead of bungees After navigating Anza, and 371, and then turning west on 74 at Paradise cafe, it is only a short distance to the entrance through a small community. Some folks only use the NF-6s13 and wind up and then down to 74 early, but if you add HF- 5s15, you can extend the Thomas loop further west and enter 74 at a lower elevation..... And, for a bonus, you will be very close to Bee Canyon, where you can climb back up to Idylwild on dirt. Don't be alarmed if BIG guns are being fired not far from where you will be riding. Cheers.

Well done Dave, super cool that you guide a bunch of folks new to DV to all of the great roads and spots to see! I am sure it is appreciated by many 👍

Dress for less, maybe correct about that "pretty" as it has been fun thinking about that if I was buying a bike, what would I get this week, and Husky isn't out of the consideration. Do you know which Husky shop is most customer friendly in this town? Still also crossing fingers that someone might know of someone thinking about selling a well kept almost new bike.

Wow, That looks like a great loop, with some great action too! Well done.

Well, one of my main riding buds asked me to post the following: Not long ago he had 2 great bikes to ride as he wished, a dr250 suzuki 04? that sits super low, (mostly offered to out of town guests or young-uns as an extra bike), and a 2013? plated yamaha 450. A couple years ago, he had a top end put on the dr 250, so good to go, but he seemed to always grab the 450 when we rode, so the 250 sat too long and likely needs a carb overhall. The 450 was recently used as we roamed death valley, but a couple weeks ago out in borrego it seemed to have a fuel issue and kept stalling. When he took it to a dealer, they said it was the engine as diagnosed with low compression and they wanted a few grand to fix it up. Hence, he is selling it in non running condition. You can PM me if either bike interests you so you can chat with him to find the fair deal for both parties. Suggested prices if he goes to craigslist are welcomed. Consequently, he wants a well loved used bike only a couple years old (450 or 500), or he will buy new in a couple weeks. At this point, he is considering the Honda 450rl from Ridenow San Marcos, or a KTM 500 exc from Powersports (seems like the best price), or the Husky (450 or 501) from ?? strange that the husky seems to be the most expensive of the 3. I have helped him research, but although he likes the Honda, there seems to be a major concern that the mapping is rubbish and it stalls all the time. Not cool for a brand new bike. Not sure if the '21 issue was fixed for the '22. If anyone has a 22 and knows of this issue well, please let us know. The third bike is mine. A 2013 v-strom adventure with hard case side bags. It is in perfect condition, better than new. I had a sign on it out front of the house for $5600 for about 15 minutes - haha (I think they are a bit more on cycletrader), but, I don't really want to sell it, you all know the feeling...... Yet, it seems to be too similar to my T7 (if I wanted a third bike, it should be a grom or a 1250 GS I am also thinking about selling the 11 ft 1983? boston whaler with 5hp honda motor soon (that I bought from a SDAR friend a couple years ago) around $3200. Later. Mac.

Thanks Zubb, nice to know as I always like to learn! Cheers.

CRFxer, as PB shared, closed at the top, but even an up and over, and even back up and over again, without going to the top gate is a nice add-on to a desert roam around (as it takes you out of the sand for a while and offers some rocky terrain, at least on the south side). I apologize that I may not have the clarity needed for using the names of the mason-rodriguez loop, vs the oriflame ride loop vs the California riding hiking trail loop. In case folks don't know that route, I am only talking about a couple of 10-30 yard sections that make me jump into alert mode. PB, yep, much has been graded, and sometimes it bums me out as it invites more traffic, but the smooth compacted tire lines seem to be more prevalent these days. Don't take your cooper there, use crfer's jeep.

Zubb, Is level 1, 2, etc a national norm or a Moto38 scale? Is the implication that down is easier on a big GSA, or even mid-size bikes (as you wrote in the Pokey post....hence the reason you put "down only" on Mason ... as that implies going up is a harder level? Cheers.

Zubb, can you remind us of the scale you use as you guide Pokey? Pokey, safe travels and have fun! Actually, I will start another post for Zubb to use to respect Pokey's post.....

Great read. Thanks. hmmm, Jasper trail near culp and grapevine are out that way - so wonder if that is where James Jasper lived..... so much good info!

ECDave, If your whereabouts as posted on this site was Northern area of ABDSP, that is still a lot of ground to search. And as you mentioned, good logic that you were glad that you saw other folks on the way to fonts. I had similar thoughts when I passed 17 jeeps just a mile south of Banner, but I didn't pass many others on the other 70 miles of dirt I rode alone. Even fantastic riders go for a tumble and bif occasionally. My bike and its rider took a nap or 2 saturday as well. 😕 As you contemplate safety and communication, there are a bunch of knowledgable riders on this site that are kind and wise and will offer pointers. Feel free to PM me and I will be happy to share what I use as I ride solo a bunch. Or.... Maybe take notes from this recent event: There are experienced and excellent riders sharing good info there, and you can research what will work best for you. Wishing you a quick recovery. Mac

Golly Gee, that sure is a bummer. My loops were near by and I wish I could have helped. I was probably out of ham radio range, but I will share my phone number with you once you are up and about in case we are out wandering around in close proximity again. All the best.

ECDave, I saw what looked like recent single big bike tracks on much of my route, was that you?

ECDave, Odds are good that I will be casually riding a Black T7 to see what feels comfortable in dirt, rock, and varied deepness of sand (old guy, new experience, agenda dependent upon number of bifs ) on Culp, Mason, rodriguez, Blair, mud caves, old borrego valley pole rd, both out n backs eastward of Bow willow, etc. Very likely that I will be at the Ranchita yeti at 10 for any who want to wander and laugh (although this mornings rain may delay arrival a bit). Mac