For anyone interested, we rode up Cucamonga Truck Trail from Sapphire in hopes that we could go over to the Deer Creek wash. From the gate to the top of the switch backs is good to fair single track. Beyond that is completely overgrown (at least as far as we could see). Does anyone know if the trail is accessable from the Deer Creek side? Can't help but wonder what it would take to reclaim the trail.
I've been meaning to get back up there since I live a stone's throw away from the trailhead....... I'd be in to help with the trailwork needed to get it back in shape. I haven't ridden the deer creek side in a while, but I would venture to guess that that side would be worse than the CCTT side. it was bad enough around the waterfall area. anything beyond that wasn't ridable a few years ago.
Been many years (2007) since Painfreak and I climbed up there. We went up maybe 8 miles and the road gets progressively more over grown. There where moto tracks part way up but they ended at some large trees across the road that we where able to get threw. Rumor is that there is a big washout before you get to Joe Eliot Campground. There have been a couple of ride reports of folks coming up from the other end...off Lytle Creek. I do not know where Deer Creek Wash is. But I am pretty sure we went by Deer Canyon Wash. I do not believe there are any bailouts along the way unless you hard scramble down one of the washes. You need to prepare to ride all the way to Lytle Creek. I am thinking I need to give it another try. Pic is where Mike and I turned around, it seemed like we topped out and did not want to go down and then have to climb anymore...it was a tough ride. Dean
Dean, Let me know if you're considering doing this soon. I'd like to part take in this sure to be adventure.
After climbing up to the top of the switchbacks we werent too interested in bushwacking our way through. It may have cleared up further down the trail. To the right of the sign is a small knob (hill). We walked up the foot path to the top and it connects you back to the trail. Beyond that did look a little better. If you decide to go, you can avoid some of the bigger snags at the top by going over that knob at the top of the switch backs. Let me know how it goes. You can check it out on Google Earth. The images are pretty current. 34°11'05.27" N 117°36'09.22" W Heres a picture of the view of the trail from the other side of the "knob"
My last adventure up there... http://www.socaltrailriders.org/forum/ride-reports/58128-san-sevaine-strikes-back.html
That's an epic journey! We had hoped to go from Sapphire to Deer Canyon but the trail looked like it was just going to go from bad to worse. It would be nice to take it back. Maybe overly optimistic but if we could take back San Savine all the way through to Barett Stoddard and Baldy road that would be a nice trail. A lot of work though.
