Dusy Ershim Trail Ride Report and Photos

[WoodsChick]

Awesome write-up and spectacular pics! This thread makes me want to get a dirtbike so bad.

Those lakes look like they would have some killer fishing too. It would definitely be fun to stop and camp for a night along that trail.

Although there are others that don't share my opinion, I think riding a dirt bike allows you to be a better street rider. I know I've put my skills to use more than once in the last 20+ years, and when the crap hits the fan and traction disappears and bikes are slidin' and terrain gets rough (think curbs, running wide into the dirt, riding over 4x6's and ladders on the freeway, etc) you can just chalk it all up to competing in the daily Urban Enduro. You win your class if you don't fall Go out and buy yourself a dirtbike today!

The lakes in the photos are just the few that were easily visible from the trail. The trail runs between the parallel gray lines and, as you can see, there are lakes all along the trail. I hear the fishing is good...

WoodsChick

 

[redline]

what a cool ride report! Thanks for posting this up!

 

[Motohaulic]

Although there are others that don't share my opinion, I think riding a dirt bike allows you to be a better street rider. I know I've put my skills to use more than once in the last 20+ years, and when the crap hits the fan and traction disappears and bikes are slidin' and terrain gets rough (think curbs, running wide into the dirt, riding over 4x6's and ladders on the freeway, etc) you can just chalk it all up to competing in the daily Urban Enduro. You win your class if you don't fall Go out and buy yourself a dirtbike today!

The lakes in the photos are just the few that were easily visible from the trail. The trail runs between the parallel gray lines and, as you can see, there are lakes all along the trail. I hear the fishing is good...

WoodsChick

I've always heard riding dirt improves street riding ability as well. Trail riding like you did in this trip is exactly the reason I have been wanting a dirt bike. Taking a 4WD/fire/forestry road into the middle of nowhere just to get as far away from civilization as possible with a few friends - priceless! Let alone any killer views and neat places you may discover along the way.

 

[WoodsChick]

Wow, what a great ride! Thanks for throwing up the photos, the scenery is beautiful!

What was the temp like at 8am?

Well, at 8am sharp it was nice and cool. About 5 minutes later when I hit that first uphill boulder field, it got kinda hot and miserable Temps were great all day. It never really got hot at that elevation. I'd be hot getting off the bike, but after sitting in the shade for a few minutes it would get cool. Absolutely perfect for riding. When it was 103 degrees in Fresno, we had low 40's/uppper 30's at night and maybe 80 tops during the day at camp which was about 8300'.


WoodsChick

 

[nazgulnarsil]

 

[slydrite]

amazing.....sorta seems not too terribly fun to me, but an adventure for sure

ps...is that what 'they' mean when 'they' say "that trail's a real Dusy"

 

[grimlock]

ok, call me ingnorant, but ive ridden dirt bikes locally for a while at metcalf, hollister, p.city, but have never gone furhter than 150 miles from my home to ride. where is this place, and how do i subscribe to your newsletter with those great pitures?

thank you

 

[kiltwearinfool]

Although there are others that don't share my opinion, I think riding a dirt bike allows you to be a better street rider.
WoodsChick

You're in good company - I need two hands and a few friends to count all the pros I've heard of that use dirtbiking / mountain biking / supermoto as a training tool.

Thanks for the weather report - I am trying to steal a weekday to go up to the Sierras for some riding, and optimally I want to do it on the last day it's nice. Nice meaning 40s in the early am, 60 tops during the day around 7000'.

 

[1stgear]

awesome!

Thanks for taking the time to post all the great pics. That's a beautiful area and it looks like you had a great time. I'm jealous. I did that ride a while back by myself on my XR650R, it was a blast! The thing that got me, was the elevation. The physical effort was compounded by the lack of oxygen. I've been doing the Rubicon every year for the last 5 years or so... and the Dusy still ranks as being more beautiful and remote and probably more challenging too. Thanks again.

 

[boney]

friggen' awesome.

 

[paroxysm]

Dang, that looks like a blast. Time to get some dirt rims for the DRZ

 

[2strokeYardSale]

Nooo! That trail would suck on a big dual sport.

 

[loriredrocket]

Awesome pics, thank you! Makes we wanna go ride dirt

 

[weak_link]

What a great photo essay Makes me want to learn more about the place, that's for sure.

 

[WoodsChick]

amazing.....sorta seems not too terribly fun to me, but an adventure for sure

ps...is that what 'they' mean when 'they' say "that trail's a real Dusy"

A lot of folks don't particularly care for riding in rocks, and I can understand why, I guess. It is a lot of hard work. But I'm a big fan of riding as much varied terrain as I can. When you ride stuff like this, it just makes everything else easier. When I hear riders talk about "gnarly rocky sections" at Stonyford or Clear Creek or places like that, I just smile and think to myself
"it can't be worse than (fill in the blank)" And it usually isn't.

And I'd have to say that the Dusy Ershim qualifies as a "Dusy of a trail." Lots of parts were easy, but there were some technical challenges along the way, especially if you aren't used to riding in rocks for long periods of time.

WoodsChick

 

[WoodsChick]

ok, call me ingnorant, but ive ridden dirt bikes locally for a while at metcalf, hollister, p.city, but have never gone furhter than 150 miles from my home to ride. where is this place, and how do i subscribe to your newsletter with those great pitures?

thank you

If you've never been further than 150 miles from SJ, you probably haven't gotten to experience the full true joy of riding a dirtbike. While Hollister can be fun at times, it's sorta like riding in a parking lot when compared to riding on public lands, be they forest lands or BLM. If you have decent riding skills and are able to fix minor problems on the trails (flat tires, stuck float bowls, etc.) then I would strongly recommend venturing out to any one of the relatively nearby national forests to make use of your public lands. So much more fun, a lot less people, and less hammered trails.

As far as a newsletter goes, I don't have one, but thanks for the compliment on the photos. I take tons of photos while riding and have quite a few of them. We rode some other 4WD trails while down near the Dusy Ershim and I've been thinking of posting up some photos and a ride report on one of them.

The Dusy Ershim is in the Sierra NF, just south of Yosemite. Just head south on HWY 99 and take a left at Fresno. There is a lot of wilderness in the area, and I wouldn't consider it a "riding area" as there are no motorcycle-only trails in the immediate area, but it is a great place to explore, especially if you have a plated dirtbike. The Dusy is a much more challenging trail than anything you would find at Metcalf, PC or Hollister, and there are no bail-outs along the 32-mile-long trail, so be aware of that and be prepared.



WoodsChick

 

[WoodsChick]

Re: awesome!

Thanks for taking the time to post all the great pics. That's a beautiful area and it looks like you had a great time. I'm jealous. I did that ride a while back by myself on my XR650R, it was a blast! The thing that got me, was the elevation. The physical effort was compounded by the lack of oxygen. I've been doing the Rubicon every year for the last 5 years or so... and the Dusy still ranks as being more beautiful and remote and probably more challenging too. Thanks again.

By yourself? On an XR650?? Good lawd-a-mighty...
Which direction did you ride it? How long did it take you?
I'd love to hear about your ride, please!

Yes, the elevation made everything a little bit tougher, that's for sure. It was good motivation to not fall or make stupid mistakes that would sap your energy. The Dusy is twice as long as the Rubicon, with no shortcuts or ways to get off the trail and return to camp. There are also no bypasses for the tough stuff, you just have to go through it instead of around it. And, again, the higher elevation made a big difference. I ride down at Kennedy Meadows, where camp is at 7300' so I thought it would be similar. Not so...there's a huge difference between 7300' and 10000'.


WoodsChick

 

[WoodsChick]

Nooo! That trail would suck on a big dual sport.

Aye...I concur. At least, it would suck for me personally. I would love to ride my plated 450 through there as I like the suspension better, but it would absolutely kill me. A small lighweight 2-stroke is the ticket. Hell, at those elevations just kicking over the 2-stroke sometimes caused me to see stars. I can't imagine having to kickstart a big 4-stroke that's getting hot while crawling through boulderfields and what-not. And that's not even taking into account having to pick the damn thing up

No thanks...


WoodsChick

 

[WoodsChick]

Awesome pics, thank you! Makes we wanna go ride dirt

Git on out there, gal!

Glad you enjoyed the ride report. Maybe I'll post up another one.



WoodsChick

 

[WoodsChick]

What a great photo essay Makes me want to learn more about the place, that's for sure.

Thanks, glad you enjoyed the photos. Here's a good place to start if you want to learn more about the area...

http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/sierra/recreation/activities/ohv.shtml

Also, the link to the CA Jeepers site in the ride report has some good information on the trail itself.


WoodsChick