I know this is a very popular off road and dual sport route. There are on ton of photos and videos of this ride all over the internet! Start in Wellington, Nv, gas in Lee Vining, overnight in Mammoth Lakes, Ca. then go back. Does anyone have the track to share?
We do it all the time. Never go to Wellington, we start at Topaz just down the road. However the Bridgeport Ranger district jsut released their travel management plan and they are closing every single track in the district. There is single track on west side of 395 almost all the way. See tracks on GPSXchange.com
first did you find my files in Private Libraries? It is in CA SMTS and/or NV SMTS and Lee Vining to Gardenerville
There are some great routes between Wellington and Topaz that you will miss if you start in Topaz, if you are riding the right kind of bike. A few of them will be closed when they start to enforce the Travel Management Plan........or at least they are supposed to be closed. Tell me what you are riding and when you plan to go and I can dig up some tracks that you might like. Jerry, just downloaded the map from the T/H ROD, sorry to see that the comments to the USFS regarding the loss of single track fell of deaf ears. After they start enforcing the TMP I will have to "virtually" ride the single track in Mapsource and Google Earth. Do you have a .gpx file of the ST on the West side of 395 so I can "virtually" ride those trails too?
I'm riding a YZ450...dirt bike...not street legal. I know there is an almost all dirt route.....I have been flying over the area a few times and have seen parts of it and I know there are even groups of people who run multi day commercial tours on this route....I just wanted to get something to put into my Garmin before I go get my self helplessly lost in the desert!
Starting in Wellingtonyou will have to ride on quite a long strech of pavement to reach dirt unless you first go north towards Lake Artesia. I would recommend starting in Smith NV a few miles east of Wellington. I can get you as far as Bodie on some great dirt with a couple of very short stretches of pavement (Stay on the gravel shoulder and the NV LEO will leave you alone.). Have not done much exploring south of Bodie, we always ride out of Smith and Bodie is the half way point of a 10 hr/160 mile ride. You can ride almost to the 395/120 intersection on dirt on the west side of the Sweetwaters but there are no dirt trails to my knowledge after that point. Countdown knows that area pretty well also, maybe he can suggest something. I'll post up some tracks this weekend. Biggest obstacle on your trip will be the lack of a license plate, the NV LEO's are pretty tollerant but the CA LEO's are not. Are you riding alonE? When are you planning to go? Have much desert experience (are you comfortable riding in rocks, lots of baby head size rocks)?
I'm a super experienced former desert racer. I will probably go with a group...but I want to have a reasonable grasp of where I am going before I drag any friends into it. I'm not really scared of "riding the stripe" on some roads....I've never really had any problems. I understand I will need to "road it" into some towns for fuel....not a problem...I am very familiar with the towns on the route. I really appreciate your help....I have been dying to do this ride for years. By the way...if it matters, I have a Garmin gps. Thanks!
