ATVOBSESSION

Where is everybody? Great spring riding out there!

Took a trip out Soda Springs Road - familiar sights, but always great to be out there! Love these mountains!

Click the pic for a gallery.

I was riding up there today as well. The two of us staged at Robinson Flat and rode to Serene Lakes and then hit a few other trails off Soda Springs Road. It was an excellent day for riding.
The only other quad we saw was Blue in color.

So, that would be me and you were the two guys stopped in the shade! I was riding my blue 660 instead of the 700 today.

Reminds me of the time riding around Jackson Meadows/Meadow Lake......come around the corner...and there's Derrick sitting there on his quad...waiting for a friend. Almost drove right past him.

Wish I had known you guys were who you are- but I would be a total dork stopping at every bunch of quads saying "Hey, are you guys ATV Obsessed?"

The picture is a bit small, but was that up the road that goes over towards French Meadows? (the one that has a Game Refuge sign at the "pass", and a disappointing gate a ways down into the valley)

@Ken - I would be hard put to recognize anyone from the group rides - everyone looks the same in a helmet!

Yes that picture was taken down from where there is a yellow sign that Fish and Game posted about not having loaded guns in the wild life perserve. We turned right after that sign and the trail got very narrow so we turned around then went past the sign in the other direction and ended up on another peak with a good view of French Meadows Lake (water level looked low). We continued down the mountain where we crossed a creek then hit French Meadow Road, the trail ended but my gps showed it continuing. We turned around and headed back the way we came toward Robinson, pulled over for a refreshment when we saw you. I let Phil lead after that stop and he went right instead of left and i had to chase him down to redirect.

I was hoping you where going to stop, it's alway fun talking with other ATVer's and comparing equipment.

it was a great day the weather was perfect and i saw a big ass golden bear running down the trail in front of me.

Wow, cool that you saw a bear! I had the feeling all day that I might - with the close-in brush and being spring and all.

So yeah, I believe that's a horse trail when you turned right. I'm pretty sure I know where it ran to - I was at the other end of it before I went by you guys. It runs along the ridge, and bikes use it a lot from what I can see. GrizzlyGuy and I ran that area a couple of years ago - I remember the views and it's a nice ride for sure.

Going down to French Meadows, was there an open gate? And, did you get here:

Is Soda Springs up highway 50. When's the next ride? Let's plan something for June.

Nope - Soda Springs itself is not far from Donner Summit. But the road we're talking about starts where Foresthill Road ends.

Exit I-80 at in Auburn at Foresthill Road and drive east for 44 miles (all paved). At Robinson Flat, turn left and unload where convenient - it's dirt from here. Soda Springs is 25 miles from here (you can only go as far as Serene Lakes, where the pavement ends). It's a Placer County Road - indeed, it was built as the Placer County Emigrant Road in the 1800's to attract people to the county.

At about 12 miles from your start on dirt, you can look for a left turn - there are a couple - that you can take out to the edge of the canyon for some great views.

we where only on the French Meadows road/trail for a short time before it ended and it wasnt maintained. We must have been at the begining of it.

Thanks Hemingray. I think I'll start following your posts more often. I have added a few rides to my to do list for the summer. 1. Bowman lake Ride, 2. Soda Springs Ride and 3. ...

You're pictures are amazing!!!!!!

Rubicon_Rider wrote:we where only on the French Meadows road/trail for a short time before it ended and it wasnt maintained. We must have been at the begining of it.

If I remember, that's the 51 road - with the big yellow game refuge sign at the top (pass). From there, going straight you begin to descend, you should eventually come to a gate that is either open (yay for you!) or closed (the norm, apparently). If it were open, the road/trail continues down and ends up near Talbot campground. You can connect with the 96 road going back up to Soda Springs Road.

Fitz_Grizz wrote:Thanks Hemingray. I think I'll start following your posts more often. I have added a few rides to my to do list for the summer. 1. Bowman lake Ride, 2. Soda Springs Ride and 3. ...

You're pictures are amazing!!!!!!

Thanks!

For your #3, go up FR-85/Rattlesnake Road from Cisco Grove (pay to park at the campground). When you reach the intersection in a few miles, go straight towards Fordyce Lake and turn left at the obvious junction about where things stop climbing. Then all the way to the top of Signal Peak for some breathtaking views. On the peak, head down the trail towards I-80 to see the old railroad lookout. Ride back down from Signal, turn left at the road again and go see Fordyce Lake. Come back, turn left at the FR-85 junction and ride out a ways to either Mossy Pond or Upper Lola Montez Lake.

Views from Signal Peak are awesome, see pictures below. That road you see is Interstate 80 looking west.

Nice view, huh? Looks like a great day up there!

those pictures where taken in June of last year. it is a spectacular view from up there.