We went up to our cabin over the weekend to close it up for the winter and as always I brought my bike with me. Didn't have time to do much riding up there in Johnsville but I always make a point of hitting Downieville or some place I wouldn't normally drive to. This time I decided to check out the Fiddle Creek Trail which is right off Hwy 49 a few miles down the road from Downieville and connects to the Hall's Ranch Trail, which is part of the Downieville trail system. I've read little snipits online about this trail but given the fact that it starts right at the Indian Valley/Fiddle Creek Campground about 100 yards off 49 it was very convenient. I didn't get there til after 2:00 pm and was just counting on doing a quick, easy little ride as I was riding solo didn't feel like getting into anything really technical. When you're riding anything in the Sierra Buttes (Downieville) area there's no such thing as quick, easy singletrack. This was one of those trails that once you commit to it there's no turning back because immediately it takes you way up on this mountain top where the majority of it remains. It just runs along the top of this mountain until it finally splits off into two choices. One way takes you back down to 49 and the other connects to Hall's Ranch Trail. I chose to go down to 49 as I was worn out but the trail descending down was pretty hairy with lots of very tight switch backs and high pucker factor moments. The clip I'm putting up is not quite as hairy but as always the camera doesn't do it much justice. I might post the other clips although there are some kind of not so flattering moments of me trying to deal with these switchbacks on a very tall 511 and steep terrain where you can ill afford the slightest mistake. View from up on the mountain. The token cabin pic View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqoN5bx4wVU
Haha! Hey, man, nothing to apologize for. I feel your pain You do what you gotta do to stay on the trail sometimes. I love that area up there! I say we do a Husky meet at your cabin late next spring or summer. Only hard core singletrackers allowed as that area is Gnarly. Yeah, that's right...Gnarly with a capital G. Lotsa rocks Thanks for posting up, as usual
Sounds like pretty demanding riding up there ... Seems higher the elevation, the steeper climbs get ... I'm not so keen to commit as I once was ...But, I can still do it when needed (I think) .. Guess I'm never gonna be a switch-back guru ... Seems to be a commitment type move also ... I'm more of a switch-back-walker ... Only saw 1 minute of the video and it is starting off very cool ....
Yeah, I'm not a switchback guru either but a lot depends on what bike you're riding. Although I think the 511 handles unbelievably well for a big-bore DS, it is very tall and not ideal for steep downhill switchbacks. Why they made 1st gear so tall is a mystery. In fact the close-ratio tranny on these bikes is a mystery. Here's another (shorter) clip from that same trail. View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTwL9IF0yPY&feature=youtu.be
Man, it's so pretty up there! The leaves changing always makes me happy, if a bit wistful for the loss of summer. I love the sound of your 511, too. It's so...so...purr-ish. That's a word, right?
"me trying to deal with these switchbacks on a very tall 511 and steep terrain where you can ill afford the slightest mistake." Beautiful trail! I rode an enduro once where I went off the trail on a steep switch-back section. I must have been only 15 feet down from the trail but it took me a good 45 minutes to get it back up
That is my worst fear when riding solo. About 15 years ago I went off the side of the mountain on a narrow goat trail on my KLX 650. Long story short I had to get help from the Rangers and it took three of us to get that big ol' tank back up onto the trail. They were pretty cool about it and actually took a pic of me and the bike after we got it back up I'm covered in dirt and sweat and said they were going to post it on the El Dorado County Website. It's funny because when I'm riding alone on trails like this Fiddle Creek one I don't think about anything but concentrating on getting out of there without incident. The terrain on that trail was very steep but when I go back and watch the vid I can't help but think man I'm slow. The downhill switchback part of the trail I'm not going post but I do have another clip from the same ride but this one has some cool music playing along. View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aqzfuXYa8o
