What is the closest backcountry riding area near Mojave, CA. Is it Mammoth Lakes or are there areas closer? Maybe Sherman Pass? Thanks for any info.
Riding Near Mojave, CA
- Thread starter M-ATE
- Start date
Quick answer DEFINITELY SHERMAN PASS ... On the west side of 395 Hwy north of 395/14 junction West on NINE MILE ROAD.
Long answer below
So March should be pretty set up and ride anywhere snow.
90% of my riding is at Sherman and I approach from Kernville CA and is road plowed to the trailhead (end of plowed road) under contract by NFS on the West side.
The closet groomed trails from Kern County is Kennedy Meadows (Sherman Pass) which is off HWY 395 WEST of China Lake NAS and north WEST of California City. Off HWY 395 Exit NINE MILE ROAD. Drive from 2500 feet (HWY 395) to almost 8000 feet then back to 6500 feet. Can be viewed at http://sugarloafers.com/riding-areas/sherman-pass.html
You can park your trailer at the trail head (end of road by South Fork Kern river http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/5123472.jpg )there for days (leave room for others top pass and turn around) and ride for days with out seeing anyone else. Fuel/food are hours from the trailhead on HWY 395. Expect to see a group or two of riders over the weekend and nonoe else except for Bob the NFS groomer on weekdays. Call Kernville USFS to check
on status of the roads - 760 376- 3781. Nine Mile Canyon Road is a secondary road SO they plow it after more crucial roads are plowed. Usually plowed in the morning so kids can go to school.
Since the area is enforced by TULARE County Sheriff and in the winter time law enforcement must drive 4 plus hours each way to get to the trailhead ... be very respectful cause the only reason they'll drive 8 hours is because someone filed a complaint.
People living up in Kennedy Meadow want to be off the grid so you're not gonna see many people in the winter. There is a summer "store" (someone's front room) open in spring / summer Kennedy Meadows General Store, 3A5, 96440 Beach Meadow Road, Inyokern CA 93527
Here is a "summer" point of view http://www.maturango.org/janetmuseumpages/kennedymeadows/Kennedy_Meadows.html
Next is www.MammothLakes.com. http://www.mammothweb.com/recreation/usfs/usfs.html again off HWY 395. Drive north on 395 and OBERVE THE SPEED LIMIT since these towns make most all money from 395 traffic. Most snow is on the west side of HWY 395 . Snowmobile trail maps are available at the Mammoth Lakes Visitors Center on Hwy. 203, as you enter town. No overnight parking in town anywhere but it is a full resort town with all you need movies, sled shops all that stuff. Can eat at McDonald's or spend $100 at any one of the dozen specialty restaurants. http://mammothrv.com/ is less than 100 yards from the trailhead ... but you cant ride to the trailhead anymore. Most mapped areas are "tracked up" hours after a storm unless you go with a local to areas in the trees. You can get a speeding ticket on the trail here !!! Expect dozens of sledders on the weekend with dozens of cross country skiers and people walkin dogs on the trail.
The population was 8,234 at the 2010 census, up from 7,093 at the 2000 census. During a holiday weekend (with fresh snow) expect the population to tripple.
Any riding between Mammoth and Sherman is FORBIDDEN ... well you can get permission to ride on a closed snow road from NFS or Caltrans ... http://www.dot.ca.gov/
Good source to find road conditions http://www.dot.ca.gov/
Video ! http://video.dot.ca.gov/
I think you have to buy a OSV sticker from the DMV. Any sled store will have the sticker ... think it is $30.
http://www.ohv.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=25669
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Thanks for the info!
How long is the typical riding season around Sherman Pass?
How long is the typical riding season around Sherman Pass?
G
GarlandM8
Active member
We usually get the first ride around now... end of Nov- mid-Dec. At Sherman Vista, below the Peak, there is typically 6-12 ft throughout the winter (depends on the winter of course) and in the good years, we've still been riding well into May.
No snow as of yet this year, just some dustings and the storm hitting now is a bit on the warm side. Hope it turns cold quick!
Sherman is a fun place...... doesn't get crowded (mostly folks from So Cal and Bakersfield areas). The FS folk that groom the trails are OHV friendly... they stock the warming huts with firewood, sign the trails, etc.... with some help from the couple clubs in the area. And if you're like me, and like to camp at the trailhead for the weekend, you get no hassles at all. They even stop and hang out at the campfire at times.
The area is not extreme.... as in Monster hillclimbs, cornice jumps, etc..... gotta head north a few more hours for that....... but there are some fun places if you know where they are.
Well that's really exciting to hear! I've got a job interview for a job in Mojave and was not real interested in living in the desert. But knowing that there is snowmobiling nearby is good. I've also found four motorcycle road racing tracks within three hours too along with plenty of dirt biking.
Mohave is the epicenter of off-road MOTORIZED riding.
Off road everything here ... race tracks galore. Buddy blew up his Viper at 150+ MPH on a track near Mojave. Neighbors go to desert just north of Mojave California City area and ride 50+ MPH in desert creeks !
Some of the most intense motorcycle riding in SOCAL is around Sherman Pass.
People pass thru Mohave to fuel up so they can ride.
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The thing none likes about the desert are the sand storms. Mucks up everything ... including your lungs. So if you do work out here Mohave is a very very small town and get an oversized air cleaner for the house/apt.
Flash floods are freaky ! See thunder in the local mountain and dark clouds. Clear as day 90F in the desert and then a wall of crap ... wood mostly come roaring down a dry creek bed you would swear never had water in it. And yep 2 hours later dry as a bone.
largest populated area is south towards LA ... Palmdale Lancaster which happened with cheap housing and the hopes of a "speed train" "airport" etc. to LA
to the west is Temecula which is small rock ranch community.
To the north is California City ... Can off road to and from your house.
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Thanks for the info, this has been quite informative. And which area has the most pretty young girls?
Thanks for the info, this has been quite informative. And which area has the most pretty young girls?
There are over 10 million people in Los Angeles County and 850,000 in Kern County where Mojave Ca is located.
Plus 220 miles from Vegas
So under an hour from millions of people and 4 hours from what happens here stays here.
Between the two there might be a girl for you.
If I may pick your brain a bit more...How does cost of living compare to other places? I'm assuming Cal is more expensive than say Wisconsin or Minneapolis which is what I'm used to. Are salaries inflated accordingly?
Hmm how to answer about the economy ... www.bls.gov .
http://www.city-data.com/city/Mojave-California.html
Mojave economic cost for housing is much less than California's "average" person. Population under 5,000 is a pretty small here.
As far as economics ... anything that has an exhaust will cost more here. Also anything that may pollute the earth if abused is regulated (thus costing more) here ... paint, solvents , cigarettes, smog certificates for a vehicle.
Even the exhaust for an off road vehicle is very reulated and "inspected" at checkpoints.
Anything accepted in each perspective "community" cost less or is subsidized so all can have access.
For instance off roading in red rock canyon north of Mojave verses walking/bicycling in Santa Monica.
Now with that said the "grey" market is pretty vast in a big city. Counterfeit everything.
I guess the biggest difference is attitude towards your fellow "person"
With so many people ... 10 plus million people here ignore you unless they need something from you. 90% will ignore you politely 10% will try to "piss you off" just to let you know you were in therir way or had/did something they wanted/did not like.
So you create your own friends / relationships and go from there. I look at LA like a bunch of baby chicks. Go with the pack your "accepted" Change direction and "they" complain, get sick (out of sync "accepted norms") and they peck you till you leave or die unless you know how and who and when to peck back.
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Thanks for the Moment of Clarity,that was as good as it gets,awesome!
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