Northwest Fall Gathering Round 2 - China Hat / Bend Oregon Oct 2011

[boerbebeop]

China hat is awesome, we do it every year in April and October - about 15 guys (various bikes). Only issue in October is that it is sometimes very dusty with no wind, so the dust just hangs between the trees. Otherwise it is balls out rididng (fast)

 

[oregonsage]

China hat is awesome, we do it every year in April and October - about 15 guys (various bikes). Only issue in October is that it is sometimes very dusty with no wind, so the dust just hangs between the trees. Otherwise it is balls out rididng (fast)

All these things are so true :-) And if we wait until November it may be 15 degrees and snowing on any given weekend, or still hot and dusty, or 20 overnight and 75 during the day...we have wild weather in central Oregon though rarely a tornado, flood or hurricane.

 

[BrandonR]

Well, sometimes in April there's a foot of snow still hanging around on the south end of the network too. Hey Lonnie, did you find out anything about the race that is on the calendar?

 

[oregonsage]

China Hat/East Fort Rock OHV information

Note that hunting season is mentioned (Green Dot areas) as being from Mid Sept to Mid October ... so late October is a good target if we return to China Hat.

 

[oregonsage]

Well, sometimes in April there's a foot of snow still hanging around on the south end of the network too. Hey Lonnie, did you find out anything about the race that is on the calendar?

No word yet, but the OMRA meeting is next week and I can probably nail something down then.

 

[Motosportz]

If someone plans Shasta and it is a date i can do I'll be there. Want to ride something new. Some of these people must not road trip much as i don't find Shasta is really to far away.

 

[Motosportz]

Hello out there. I no all the NW guys and maybe Bills are going to China Hat in the fall. Im going to ride to my famous corner and have a beer for all the downed riders LOL. Maybe Bill will bring a few of the new 2012. I havent been back yet to the crash site. This time Im going to ride in the back of the pack.

Glad to hear your back in the saddle. I have not been back to China hat since "head on day" ether.

 

[oregonsage]

If someone plans Shasta and it is a date i can do I'll be there. Want to ride something new. Some of these people must not road trip much as i don't find Shasta is really to far away.

Yes, I was raised by a truck driver ... Shasta is a day trip from Salem :-)

 

[Xcuvator]

Going someplace new sounds good to me. Is it still pretty hot in October at Shasta?
I suppose the weather is as unpredictable as China Hat?

 

[Coffee]

I've contacted some of the Husqvarna folks and have told them 'probably China Hat, which is near Bend Oregon, in October' - but there are many things yet to be determined... and I've not real input how interested they are yet. Though one individual indicated a desire if things worked out.

 

[BrandonR]

There's nothing wrong with having a couple fall gatherings though, Not everyone can make a particular trip. I'd like to do Shasta too but China Hat is a lot easier to pull off.

Why not shoot for the 29th/30th of October, the race isn't till after that and the hunting closure is over by then?

 

[Xcuvator]

There's nothing wrong with having a couple fall gatherings though, Not everyone can make a particular trip. I'd like to do Shasta too but China Hat is a lot easier to pull off.

Why not shoot for the 29th/30th of October, the race isn't till after that and the hunting closure is over by then?

I remember last year the hunting closures ended a couple of days before our get together.

 

[oregonsage]

In addition to Coffee, Bill has been talking to the Husky people about this evejt. Late October at China Hat seems to be the tentative plan. Like Dean says there are a few things yet to be determined, but that should clear up shortly and we will likely see some Husky NA participation.

I agree that the last weekend in October sounds like a good target.

 

[BrandonR]

I remember last year the hunting closures ended a couple of days before our get together.

True, last year it was in the middle of the month but I have a prior engagement the two weekends prior to the 29th/30th so I was hoping to get first dibs on the date

 

[Coffee]

Could someone compile a list of all the China Hat things to consider in 1 post?

• Hunting dates
• Racing dates
• Expected weather conditions between Sept 15th and November 15th (my impression is that is the time frame being considered)
• Anything else that would affect when we go dates.....

Once someone does that I've got a couple of phone calls to make.

 

[BrandonR]

USFS Website

Restrictions:
"Fox Butte Green Dot Area (late September - mid October)"

"About half of the trail system is within the Fox Butte Green Dot Area which restricts access to designated roads during the general deer hunting season. This is roughly a two week period from late September to mid October. Any roads or trails within this Green Dot area will be subject to the Green Dot restrictions."

General Rifle Season Runs October 2 - October 14th as far as I can tell, last year the area was closed thru the 13th.

"The trail system is open all year, however hot, dusty conditions normally inhibit riding from mid July through September and cold, snowy conditions restrict riding from mid December through March."

Late October Expected conditions: highs in the 50-60's. lows possibly in the teens overnight, expect at least 32° or less overnight. Expect it to be "generally" dry that time of year but rain/snow can happen, I've seen 6" of snow overnight then blue skies and perfect conditions by mid-afternoon. The "rain" season starts around then end of September so the worst of the dust is gone by the time the hunting closure is over.

The nearest weather station is Pine Mountain, unfortunately there's no 2010 data but you can go back to 2009.
http://www.wunderground.com/weather...ND17&graphspan=month&month=10&day=7&year=2009

Pine mountain is higher than the trail system so the temperatures are lower there but it catches the same weather.

There is a race scheduled on the OMRA calendar for November 5/6 but no more details than "2011 Enduro/Race November 5-6, 2011"

 

[PC.]

I've gone to China Hat during big events and there were still plenty of open trails to ride. It would be advisable to avoid the race weekends, but it doesn't necessarily make it a deal breaker IMO. Hunting... I have no idea. I've been there Sep thru Nov numerous times and never saw or even heard about hunters. Weather can be an issue later in the year, but is usually great up into mid Nov (if you've gota heater at night!)

I dont think I'd make a Shasta trip. I've been road tripping all summer (in Mammoth again right now) and I dont have another run across OR in me.

 

[Coffee]

USFS Website

Restrictions:
"Fox Butte Green Dot Area (late September - mid October)"

"About half of the trail system is within the Fox Butte Green Dot Area which restricts access to designated roads during the general deer hunting season. This is roughly a two week period from late September to mid October. Any roads or trails within this Green Dot area will be subject to the Green Dot restrictions."

General Rifle Season Runs October 2 - October 14th as far as I can tell, last year the area was closed thru the 13th.

"The trail system is open all year, however hot, dusty conditions normally inhibit riding from mid July through September and cold, snowy conditions restrict riding from mid December through March."

Late October Expected conditions: highs in the 50-60's. lows possibly in the teens overnight, expect at least 32° or less overnight. Expect it to be "generally" dry that time of year but rain/snow can happen, I've seen 6" of snow overnight then blue skies and perfect conditions by mid-afternoon. The "rain" season starts around then end of September so the worst of the dust is gone by the time the hunting closure is over.

The nearest weather station is Pine Mountain, unfortunately there's no 2010 data but you can go back to 2009.
http://www.wunderground.com/weather...ND17&graphspan=month&month=10&day=7&year=2009

Pine mountain is higher than the trail system so the temperatures are lower there but it catches the same weather.

There is a race scheduled on the OMRA calendar for November 5/6 but no more details than "2011 Enduro/Race November 5-6, 2011"

What happens in these events people start drifting in on Thursday, then there are a few remaining until Monday... for the most part.

I see no reason not to (at least tentatively) pick Thursday October 27th through Monday October 31st.. At China Hat.

 

[Coffee]

...I thought Mammoth would be the bees knees, but I haven't found anything even worth mentioning yet. It sure is beautiful here, but the alpine riding is a myth, the land is on lockdown (especially to OHV'ers) and the USFS rangers are straight up assholes (no offense to any non-USFS assholes )! I'm nervous Shasta will be more of the same.

Some So Cal people came up to ride Stonyford. They said it reminded them of Mammoth Lake.

But Stony welcomes riders and at least I think it is fun to ride.

Might want to check it out at some point.

LINK

The south end of the Grindstone Ranger District offers over 200 miles of some of the most enjoyable and challenging OHV routes in the nation. The "Mendocino OHV Corridor" is a designated 40 mile, east-west route across the south end of the Forest connecting the Stonyford OHV Staging Area and the Upper Lake OHV Staging Area.
The riding area varies in elevation from 1,700 feet (at Fout Springs), to almost 6,000 feet (near Goat Mountain). Vegetation varies from low elevation chaparral to tall pine and fir forest in the high country.
The Grindstone Ranger District is not an OHV "park". Off-highway vehicle recreation is just one of the many uses allowed on National Forest lands. Please be considerate of others you may encounter in the forest.

And that is just one of the places in that area, there is also Upper Lake, and a few others.

 

[oregonsage]

What happens in these events people start drifting in on Thursday, then there are a few remaining until Monday... for the most part.

I see no reason not to (at least tentatively) pick October 27th - 31st.. At China Hat.

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