Carrizo Plain Ridge Riding Last Weekend

[WoodsChick]

The lure of the Plain was simply too strong to ignore. I'd planned on riding at Stonyford last weekend but the rain and snow would have sucked all the fun out of it. Instead we headed south to ride the dirtbikes at Ballinger Canyon. We brought the big bikes, too, since we wanted to see how the legendary Carrizo wildflowers were coming along. If you're interested in the dirtbike ride at Ballinger the ride report can be found at http://www.bayarearidersforum.com/forums/showthread.php?p=6486932&posted=1#post6486932

After riding the dirtbikes at Ballinger on Friday and half of Saturday, we unloaded the big bikes and headed out to the Carrizo Plain. But first we needed some lunch...

Gee...I guess I shoulda ordered the large ice tea...

The Carrizo Plain was as beautiful as I've ever seen it. Much like Nevada, I find it easy to breathe deep out here...

The road we came in on...

The Plain doesn't need much narration, does it? It speaks for itself...

More to come...




WoodsChick

 

[WoodsChick]

The famous Carrizo Plain mud rears its ugly head. It got me, too, but luckily Eric was too busy getting his bike on the sidestand to notice...

I've always thought of myself as outstanding in my field...

We made it back to camp right before total darkness. After a perfect campfire and a tasty dinner we were prepared for a good night's sleep, but the bozo in the toy hauler that had just arrived had other plans for us. He turned his generator on at 7:10pm, about 7 minutes after he arrived, and it was still on at midnight when the first of the 2-stroke quads were fired up. We awoke at 3:30am, generator still rumbling, when the Staging Area 2-stroke Quad Hare Scrambles began. We decided then and there to leave at sun-up. Good thing we'd loaded the bikes the night before!

We headed out towards the coast and had our breakfast/lunch in this little town...

With a whole day ahead of us and nothing to do, we decided to soak away the day, but we had to climb this staircase first...

Aah...relaxation awaits...

Our view from the tub...

We soaked away the day while reveling in the fact that we surely had to be the luckiest people on the planet. We headed home, wondering when we'd be able to come back down here to enjoy all that cental California has to offer
Soon, I hope!

Thanks for coming along with us!




WoodsChick

 

[luckett]

Nice pics!

Where is that? Can you send me a google maps link, gps tracks, paper copies of all maps you used, phone # and contact person at the nearest BLM office, locations of the 4 closest gas stations, a list of all hotels within a 50 miles radius sorted by price, and names of all flowers currently in bloom. Thanks!

 

[Oh My Sack!]

Sycamore and Avila Beach! Woot!

I've been in that hot tub! Gotta love the stench! I smell it a few times a week. arty

As a matter of fact, I've been in every one of those hot tubs! Good friend used to work the night shift there back in our Cal Poly days. I can't even begin to tell you the number of gallons of alcohol that we used to consume there or the number of chicks that I.......

...never mind, I won't go there.

Hell, I even got married there!

Anyway...great Pics of the Plain and nice report, as usual. I have to get out there this week to check things out.

 

[Map8]

@ luckett.


I love that area in March. Thanks for another Carrizo write-up.

 

[SikMoto]

the chick that I.......

...never mind, I won't go there.

Dude... you beat me to it! LOL

Nice pics as always WoodsChick!

 

[Oh My Sack!]

I said chicks, man! :boobies

 

[WoodsChick]

Nice pics!

Where is that? Can you send me a google maps link, gps tracks, paper copies of all maps you used, phone # and contact person at the nearest BLM office, locations of the 4 closest gas stations, a list of all hotels within a 50 miles radius sorted by price, and names of all flowers currently in bloom. Thanks!

Hey, no problem! I'll get right on it! When you're ready to ride it just let me know and I'll come with you and hold your hand all the way through it so you don't get lost

Sycamore and Avila Beach! Woot!

I've been in that hot tub! Gotta love the stench! I smell it a few times a week. arty

As a matter of fact, I've been in every one of those hot tubs! Good friend used to work the night shift there back in our Cal Poly days. I can't even begin to tell you the number of gallons of alcohol that we used to consume there or the number of chicks that I.......

...never mind, I won't go there.

Hell, I even got married there!

Anyway...great Pics of the Plain and nice report, as usual. I have to get out there this week to check things out.

Yeah, fun place, ain't it? I know all about those late-night hot tub antics; I used to work at a hot tub establishment in the very early 80's, got hired right before the big AIDS thing. I worked at the Hayward, Berkeley and SF locations and it was a total eye-opener for me at 18 Those were good times arty

@ luckett.


I love that area in March. Thanks for another Carrizo write-up.

Yeah, it was a little early for the full wildflower bloom but it doesn't really matter...it's breathtakingly beautiful even without all the flowers. There were some flowers over at Ballinger, too...

WoodsChick

 

[skunky56]

Boy that sure is a pretty place, thanks for the pics.

 

[flying_hun]

Hey WC, I always assumed you ran 17's because it made it easier to match the bike to your stature. However, it appears that Eric runs them too. Why do you prefer 17's for your DS bikes?

 

[WoodsChick]

Boy that sure is a pretty place, thanks for the pics.

Hey, thanks for checking them out!

Hey WC, I always assumed you ran 17's because it made it easier to match the bike to your stature. However, it appears that Eric runs them too. Why do you prefer 17's for your DS bikes?

Well, you're right about the SM fitting my stature better I originally wanted a TE610 (dirt wheels) but couldn't find a new `07 anywhere and didn't want the `08 model. I laid eyes on a new `07 SM, found out I had a serious crush on that front brake, and voila'...SM in the dirt Eric's got dirt wheels for his KTM, too, and if we're going to be doing any serious riding he'll switch `em over or we'll ride the plated dirtbikes, but for alot of the stuff we do the SM wheels are fine. I kind of consider my SM the "adventure" type bike, and the plated dirbikes (KTM450 and WR426) the true dualsports. Besides, the 17's are way more fun on pavement arty




WoodsChick

 

[flying_hun]

Thanks for the clarification.

 

[SFMCjohn]

Hi WC,

Wow, super pictures ... thanks for posting!

I'll have to explore a bit next time I'm down there to find some of these places in your pics ...

see you around the campfire,
-- SFMCjohn

ps: After a couple of experiences like yours in the two Carrizo campgrounds, I've since enjoyed the fairly liberal camping rules in the National Monument and camp out far away from the established campgrounds ...

 

[WoodsChick]

Hey, John! How's married life treating you?

We've never had any issue at Selby or KCL, but the kwad-riding crowd down at Ballinger is a whole `nother ball of wax. We had the place to ourselves for awhile, though, so it was pretty sweet!

Yeah, the Carrizo is a pretty cool place to explore. No map needed, just pick a road and go. I really like it there. It reminds me a lot of Nevada when it comes to solitude, but it's a lot closer.




WoodsChick

 

[Z3n]

WoodsChick, how difficult is the offroad there in general? I'd like to do it with my wife someday...she's an experience sumo rider but has no offroad experience....how much should she get under her belt before we start taking that on?

 

[WoodsChick]

WoodsChick, how difficult is the offroad there in general? I'd like to do it with my wife someday...she's an experience sumo rider but has no offroad experience....how much should she get under her belt before we start taking that on?

Well, there is no actual "off-road" there, in that there are no trails and there is no off-road and/or trail riding allowed. All the roads in my photos of the Carrizo Plain National Monument are open to vehicle travel. I've been a dirt rider for more than half my life so I think it's easy-peasy on my +300lb supermoto with streety tires. Someone that has no dirt experience whatsoever would probably freak out on some of the uphills and downhills featured in this report. They were very slidey and I had a moment or two on some of the steeper downhills. There are lots of roads that are much easier than the ones pictured here, though. The main road through the plain is the wide Soda Lake Road and it's about as easy as it gets. There's a lot of stuff in between, too. I say go for it...what's the worst that can happen? Just stick to the main roads through the National Monument (Soda Lake and Elkhorn, although Elkhorn can get sketchy for someone with absolutely no dirtroad experience) and see how she does. If she's comfortable, start checking out some of the sideroads

I know you didn't ask, and I'm sure some will vehemently disagree with me, but I would not call someone a truly experienced sumo rider if they have no dirt experience...especially on their sumo bike. I'm thinking more like an experienced street rider that rides a supermoto bike...does that make sense? I don't necessarily think that there's anything wrong with not riding a sumo on dirt, but I feel bad for those riders that totally neglect the dirty side of the sumo experience. They're missing out on half the fun of owning one! I think that riding in the dirt will make her a better street rider, too...especially on that sumo that has dirt in its blood



WoodsChick

 

[Z3n]

Thanks for the input, and I do see your point on the second part. Some of the most fun I've had on my sumos has been on dirt roads. I'll be picking up my KTM soon, and then we'll be saving so hopefully she can get one as well...from there, the world is our oyster

She has ridden some fire roads when she had her DRZ but nothing major yet. Baby steps!

 

[SFMCjohn]

Hey, John! How's married life treating you?

We've never had any issue at Selby or KCL, but the kwad-riding crowd down at Ballinger is a whole `nother ball of wax. We had the place to ourselves for awhile, though, so it was pretty sweet!

Married life is great, so far ... thanks for asking! We spent four days at Sears Point last week, between track days and AFM racing ... Cary's runnnig a Honda VTR 250 in 250 Production ...

The references to quad riders in your RR should have tipped me off that you did not find that noisey ball of wax in the Carrizo Plain ...

see you around the campfire,
-- SFMCjohn