planing a ride, June 1 the Sierra Nevada range accross to the red wood

[bmw ktm 0]

I am leaving on the night of June 1st for a two week loop ride through California. The plan is Oceanside to Ridge crest, Mammoth, Yosemite, Tahoe, Bassetts, Indianan falls, Big Bend, Mt Shasta, Red Wood National park, Napa, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, Pismo beach, Home.

Anyone have a recommendation for a great map that shows the service and back-country roads in the Sierra's?

It is 2 f800gs so far. If anyone wants to come along or do part, let me know. We will be camping most nights, ridding dirt whenever possible. We are not really on a set route or schedule other than leaving on the 1st of June and returning by June 16th

If anyone has gone up that way and knows any of the things "you can't miss" fill me in.

[kkug 147]

I am leaving on the night of June 1st for a two week loop ride through California. The plan is Oceanside to Ridge crest, Mammoth, Yosemite, Tahoe, Bassetts, Indianan falls, Big Bend, Mt Shasta, Red Wood National park, Napa, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, Pismo beach, Home.

Anyone have a recommendation for a great map that shows the service and back-country roads in the Sierra's?

It is 2 f800gs so far. If anyone wants to come along or do part, let me know. We will be camping most nights, ridding dirt whenever possible. We are not really on a set route or schedule other than leaving on the 1st of June and returning by June 16th

If anyone has gone up that way and knows any of the things "you can't miss" fill me in.

I use a Benchmark Atlas -Will not leave home without one. You can get en online or at Boarders.

[kkug 147]

Go to around post #30 to see where I went last summer.

[bmw ktm 0]

Go to around post #30 to see where I went last summer.

Wow that was very cool, that's what I want to get into.

[cattledog 0]

Sonora Pass is beautiful to ride across. Tioga pass is fantastic too of course. Some mountain passes are not open by June 1 each year - check out this page-

http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/roadinfo/clsdlst.htm

[KTMrad 512]

Hey BMW KTM, I've done many trips thru the Sierra and know a lot of places to go on your bigger bikes. I have all the forestry maps necessary...you can borrow them to plan your trip.

Another valuable resource is the book I've used called "Sierra Nevada Scenic Byways", 50 dirt routes in the Sierra Nevada. I've done over half of the routes so far on my 950.

I also have all my Sierra Trip write-ups posted in the Ride Reports Forum...here's a few....

High Sierra Adventure Ride LINK

ADVrider White Mountain Rally & My Solo Ride LINK

Lucky Explorer Nevada Ride & Beyond to the High Sierra LINK

I'd be happy to meet with you over a beer to help you plan your route if you'd like.

[Driss 0]

I am so happy to be part of this community, there is never a shortage of ideas and help from everyone, anywhere and anytime. I am still planning to do the continental devide one of these days and I am sure I will get all the help I need from all of you. Again thank you for allowing me to be part of this great camaraderie.

[KTMrad 512]

Hey BMW KTM, here is a link for the Sierra Nevada Byways Book by Tony Huegel.....

LINK HERE

[bmw ktm 0]

Thanks for the tips, the Benchmark Atlas is what I am using to plan my trip. I went to AAA and got 12 maps of California the Benchmark Atlas is better than all of them combined. I still have not got a copy of Sierra Nevada Byways, but I will try looks like it could be good.

Both bikes are packed and almost ready to go. One more tkc80 on the rear and that's it. Only 2200 miles on the last one and it was thrashed, Thanks Desert Dash . I will post up the picks and the actual route we end up taking when I get back.

[KTMrad 512]

Just curious, does the Benchmark Atlas show locked gates and wilderness areas ? Does it give you points of interest to check out when riding off-road ?

If not, you're going to miss a lot of cool stuff that's in the Tony Huegel book.

Good luck on your trip, looking forward to hearing about it !

Hope you take a lot of good photos.

[Afry 1]

I compared the Benchmark to the Delorme @ Boarders and bought the Delorme

Here is a neat trick since either of the atlas's are sooo big

http://www.procycle.us/info/articles/maptrick.html

[bmw ktm 0]

Well we made it, 1 TKC 80, 2630 miles 14 days.

It was an epic journey. We had 100 deg to 29 deg weather rain and ice. The goal was to find as much dirt as possible and we did, some days we would only get a 150 miles but a 120 of them would be through the mountains on dirt roads and trails. We ran the bikes into reserve many times up in the mountains.(always carry gas)

The amount of wildlife I ran across and in my cousins case into was amazing. We saw more deer than I can remember, my cousin had one stick its head in between his front wheel and motor going 45 mph on the Trinity river and took him down. Luckily the deer was the one pinned under the bike and my cousin got away with only minor damage. About 60 miles from Lake Davis I was on some very overgrown single track and came face to face with a large bear. As I came around a bend he was there head down in the bushes. I slammed on the brakes and started yelling he looked at me for a second (felt like an minute) and jumped up off the trail into the bush. In the redwoods we had Elk twice the size of my bike grazing outside our tents in camp for 2 days.

Really the whole experience was amazing. We meet some cool people flipped off some not so cool people and saw this great state of ours. I cant wait for the next one.

[Afry 1]

Good for you! Any pics and routes to share?

How was the venison?

[FuzzyNugs 0]

bmw ktm, that sounds like an epic trip. I'm looking forward to seeing some pictures and the route you ended up taking.

[bmw ktm 0]

I had no phone, gps or camera on the trip only a couple of maps. I got tons of maps for the trip only used two 1. AAA eastern Sierras 2. benchmark California. They where great for the road but not that good in the dirt. I want a set of forest service maps any suggestions on where you get that?

My route was

1-2. Ridge crest to Toms Place in the sand and rocks my cousin hated me the first 2 days.

2-4. Rock creek camping fishing exploring Mammoth area.

5. Mammoth to Mono all off-road in the rain we ended up camping in a freezing rain storm that night.

6. Bridgeport to Carson city via Nevada high desert off-road this is some great riding.

7-9.Carson city to lake Davis.

9-10.Lake Davis to mt. Shasta

10. Shasta to the Trinity river

11-12.Trinity to red wood N.P.

13. San Fransisco

14. home

.