Lone Pine: Horseshoe Meadows

Discussion in 'Ride Reports' started by obie, Jul 19, 2010.

  1. obie

    obie New Member

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    One big, outsized climb. Gained over 6500' and the climb topped out at 9453'. I was told it goes to 10,024' but I could not find the hookup for the final 600'. It's about 40 miles r/t from the turnoff at Whitney Portal Road. Four bottle ride - there's water at the trailheads up top. The second climb was to have been Whitney Portal but I had to bail. The temp was 105 when I started the Portal climb. My HR was at 90% max on the jump ups before the switchbacks so I turned back. High humidity is tough for me.

    Beautiful climb. Have never seen a bigger, steeper, higher reaching ride. The Jumbotron.

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  2. Salespunk

    Salespunk New Member

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    Holy Schnikeys! That is a monster.
     
  3. proraptor

    proraptor The Bikes & Brew Crew

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    wow thats a crazy climb! Awesome pics
     
  4. JoJon

    JoJon Member

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    Good job!! What time did you start the ride?
     
  5. obie

    obie New Member

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    A bit before 6am - should've done better on that.
     
  6. obie

    obie New Member

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    Sierra locals: here's where I topped out - 9453'...according to my computer. Anyone know what the elevation is at this point? Is there another trailhead around here (paved) that I could take to get over 10 grand? Thanks.

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  7. obie

    obie New Member

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    Did a short recon over on the Movie Flats area. Movie Road looks like a nice easy 15 miler on dirt to Independence. I'm a movie buff and enjoy seeing the locations of so many movies from back in the day. 'Gunga Din' always was a favorite. A great looking area to ride.


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    'Movie Flats' in the 1930's:

    http://www.tcm.com/mediaroom/index.jsp?cid=116180
     
  8. Beowulf Shaeffer

    Beowulf Shaeffer Titanium reinforced!

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    Excellent!

    Did it in 'winter' conditions once, only made it to Walt's Point. The snow conditions were excellent, grippy 'styrofoam' except for a few big drifts. Met some dumbarse dudes in an El Camino trying to drive through one of the drifts, thought they could get up to the meadows to camp. Uh...yeah...

    Those are some serious switchbacks!!!

    BTW, I was lucky enough to travel that road about 1 or 2 years before they paved it. Yes, it was unpaved and ended about 1/4 mile before it's current end. We were meeting a big group for a backpack into the lakes, and I got a ride from some crazy dude in a '68 Camaro, and we were smoking spliff the whole way...made those unpaved switchbacks mighty scary. :O
     
  9. obie

    obie New Member

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    Haha, funny stuff. Yea, these Sierra climbs are a real push for an old goat like me. The descent off Horseshoe is a lot faster than Whitney Portal because the switchbacks are so long and there really aren't too many tight turns. Unpaved? That must've been something.
     
  10. shudder

    shudder no big deal

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    How'd you get down? Some hidden ST mebbe? Or was it an OAB on the road?...

    Love those hills, especially the Movie Flats area. Wicked rocks.

    - shud
     
  11. obie

    obie New Member

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    Road all the way. Fun descent - not too many tight turns. Road cracks off the top and first couple of miles are a bit of bizness tho. Hands were numbed out, that's 20 miles of fast riding.

    Movie Flats I want to connect with an Onion Valley Road climb on the 29'er. Need connector from Onion Valley thru to Movie Road. Know any?
     
  12. Team Smitty

    Team Smitty MVP CYCLE CENTER

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    I love that area; shot a lot of quail between the Alabama hills (movie flat) and Manzanar over the years.
     
  13. Abui

    Abui Active Member

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    You're about 9640' there (if you're the trailhead for the northern trails). The road continues to a parking lot at 9950' and side roads to camp sites above 10,000'.
     
  14. 92se-r

    92se-r Active Member

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    I'm pretty sure the Horseshoe Meadow campgrounds at the end of that road are over 10k. So just keep riding till you are at the campsites. LOL. That's where we go to acclimate before we tackle Mt. Whitney. You are a beast. Keep it up man. You are an inspiration to all us youngin's.
     
  15. obie

    obie New Member

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    OK, thanks. I was riding up/down the different campgrounds asking hikers for alitutude #'s. They probably thought I had a bit much already.
     
  16. obie

    obie New Member

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    Hey thanks. Those guys that can do the doubles & Death Rides out here amaze me. This is high-altitude boot camp for real. What a inspiration these mountains are!
     
  17. kioti

    kioti Active Member

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    "Sweet Home, Alabama (Hills),
    Lord I'm coming home to you."

    Dude, you're bringing back some good memories.

    Now here's a thought.. ride every road on the East side to the pavement's end; stash your bike and run up the trail to the 10,000 foot level. Run back to your bike and ride down to town.. get cleaned up, eat a monster burrito; drink a pitcher of beer. Sleep/ eat/ repeat.

    Good idea?
     
  18. obie

    obie New Member

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    Excellente. That place grows on you real fast.
     
  19. spicolli1976

    spicolli1976 New Member

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    Drove by this climb yesterday on my way back from Tahoe. I was hoping it was dirt, but a great accomplishment nonetheless. Great to see somebody get it. :bang:
     
  20. Beowulf Shaeffer

    Beowulf Shaeffer Titanium reinforced!

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    If you want a dirt monster with that kinda vert, try Silver Canyon (White Mountains) or Mazourka Canyon (Inyo Mountains). Silver is brutally steep, Mazourka is mellow.
     

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