Has anyone ridden from Fraizer Park to Santa Barbara?

[KS]

I'm trying to ride from FP to SB on the dirt (mostly dirt)Two years ago I rode the VCMC Dualsport ride and we were back behind Ventucopa on the way to the Tinta Trail (fun trail)According to my GPS I was only about 20 miles or so from the top of the San Marcos Pass (top of the SM pass is my destination)I called the SB district ranger station and they were very nice. However, they said the whole area up there is full of locked gates and I would be out of luck.

Does anyone have any ideas on how I could do this?

Thanks,

Keith

[kiethco]

KS, I thought the same thing when I did the VCMC ride. I knew we were close to the S.B. area. I'd like to do that ride also. Maybe ask this question over on the D-37 website dualsport. www.district37ama.org

[SmallMonkey]

I have....on my street bike ?

But seriously, I'd be interested in going, if you make a trip out of it ?

[T_Reiner]

Well, I hate to tell you this but just about everything between Tinta and San Marco is in the Dick Smith Wilderness until you get to private property, That’s why all the gates are locked, No OHVs, nice huh?

If you want to see what we've "set aside for the generations" you'll need to walk.

Sorry the only way through as far as I know is the Hwy 33 corridor. If you find another way where I'm not going to get arrested, let me know

Check the maps

http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/lospadres/html/rec/recmap_south.htm

?

[rockchucker22]

I ve hiked all the trails between sb and fp and have seen guys on bikes ... but the gates are looked and they do watch. Ive been very tempted to take Quatal cyn to SB cyn to the sierra madre ridge then drop down into the mountains above Santa Maria. That route would only entail about 12-15 miles of closed roads. These aren't trails even the closed fire roads are well maintained it a shame we can't enjoy them. Like I said I've seen people riding these roads and have seem bike tracks in the mud so people do it. I know there is gas in cuyama. I think some people do get past some gates from tinta trail and I have seen SB cyn road open on one side and closed on the other ? I would really want to try and make the same route maybe if we get enough of us we could get a permit to do it once! Above Ojai ther is roads that are locked but if you go to the ranger and get a permit and a key for the weekend!

[T_Reiner]

I ve hiked all the trails between sb and fp and have seen guys on bikes ... but the gates are looked and they do watch. Ive been very tempted to take Quatal cyn to SB cyn to the sierra madre ridge then drop down into the mountains above Santa Maria. That route would only entail about 12-15 miles of closed roads.

Those guys that go around gates endanger our access rights, as well as risk very hefty fines if caught

I'd love to put a ride through there, but it will never happen in the wilderness areas. They are closed to motor vehicles for ever.

OOh fines?? Check the CFRs

Violations of 36 CFR 261 may result in fines up to $5,000 and/or six months in jail.

I've seen othe listings in the CFRs that say up to 100,000 and 12 months in jail ?

Not worth it.

That would ruin your day

http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/08aug20031600/edocket.access.gpo.gov/cfr_2003/julqtr/36cfr261.16.htm

BTW has anyone but me right clicked on that avitar,then copied and pasted the url??Wow ? :cry: ? :cry:

[kiethco]

I'd love to put a ride through there, but it will never happen in the wilderness areas. They are closed to motor vehicles for ever.

Son@%&^*+#ch, The election is just around the corner. Theres a list of OHV friendly, and common sense people that would help protect the environment without being a kook about it. We all want to protect and preserve our open space. But closed space is.....CLOSED! We have to act now to preserve what we have. ?

Holy smokes, I'm doing a Tom rant. I'll put the list up here on TT.

[rockchucker22]

I ve hiked all the trails between sb and fp and have seen guys on bikes ... but the gates are looked and they do watch. Ive been very tempted to take Quatal cyn to SB cyn to the sierra madre ridge then drop down into the mountains above Santa Maria. That route would only entail about 12-15 miles of closed roads.

Those guys that go around gates endanger our access rights, as well as risk very hefty fines if caught

I'd love to put a ride through there, but it will never happen in the wilderness areas. They are closed to motor vehicles for ever.

OOh fines?? Check the CFRs

Violations of 36 CFR 261 may result in fines up to $5,000 and/or six months in jail.

I've seen othe listings in the CFRs that say up to 100,000 and 12 months in jail ?

Not worth it.

That would ruin your day

http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/08aug20031600/edocket.access.gpo.gov/cfr_2003/julqtr/36cfr261.16.htm

BTW has anyone but my right clicked on that avitar,then copied and pasted the url??? Wow ? :cry: ? :cry:

thats why I only hike those trails ... let me tell you as a rider how hard it is after hiking 18 miles and to see someone zoom by you? You don't think it would be posible to get a permit for a few sections? Damn Dick Smith. .... I have been working on a dual sport ride that starts in Cuyama and ends in Taft there is open trails and fire roads over that way that are fun. Or you could start in FP and go most the way to bakersfield...?

[T_Reiner]

Or you could start in FP and go most the way to bakersfield... ?

Your issue North out of FP is Private property

WE had a Motor cycle club from Taft (I can't think of their name) area approch D37 about a year and a half ago wanting to put on a charity DS ride, they just couldn't do it, because it's all just private property up there.

Look at this map

http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/lospadres/html/rec/recmap_south.htm

Light green Open Forest

Dark Green Wilderness

White Private

And Kieth that Voters guide link is on the D37 dual sport web site

Link in my Signiture

[rockchucker22]

They were going to make a trail from Gorman to Ballinger but I guess that fell through. What about starting in Gorman and going through half moon and then lockwood valley to cuayama and over to taft? I have that map but its not accurate it shows Apache cyn open to Ballinger but thats been closed . I don't want to do anything Illegal just do some awesome DS rides. ?

[KS]

OK,

I've accepted the fact that I can't ride through the Dick Smith Wilderness area. However, I don't understand something. I'm looking at my map and there are several roads that are South of the DS Wilderness that appear to be locked. If you ride South on the 33 past Lockwood Valley Road there is a FS road that veers off to the West called 6N03. This goes past Potrero Seco Campground and skirts the Left side of the Matilija Wilderness. I see a gate at Hwy 33 and just past FS road 6N17 (which is also locked, 6N17 would be a great road for my trip) and locked again just before 5N01. I see a locked gate near Jameson Lake and near Juncal Campground. There are so many FS roads that could get me to where I want to be. I don't understand this.

WHY ARE THESE GATES LOCKED???

OK, I think I just needed to rant.

Thanks,

Keith

[ktmrider36]

The Santa Barbara Motorcycle Club has been lobbying the Forest Service to connect Divide Peak OHV Trail to Portrero Seco. The head of that committee is optomistic. One of the problems is that two separate Ranger Districts are involved and it requires that they cooperate with each other as well as with us. Portrero Seco is a "by permit" road so a little planning would be required to make the trip. Still, once on Portereo Seco one could then ride From Divide Peak to Ballenger or Gorman without to many street miles. Currently you can't ride dirt from HWY 33 to Santa Barbara or San Marcos Pass unless you can fly over the many locked gates.

[T_Reiner]

You can get from Gorman to Ballinger without that much Pavement pretty easy. From there North, I'm not to familiar with. From what I can tell by the maps once you go north of Ballinger you get into the refuge and private property?? Looks like highway north from there to me.

Why go to Taft anyway? They have gas in Ventucopa.

P.S. if your near Ventucopa, take the Cuyama River Corridor, it's the most fun sand wash I've ever almost killed myself in ?? :cry:

[rockchucker22]

You can get from Gorman to Ballinger without that much Pavement pretty easy. From there North, I'm not to familiar with. From what I can tell by the maps once you go north of Ballinger you get into the refuge and private property?? Looks like highway north from there to me.

Why go to Taft anyway? They have gas in Ventucopa.

P.S. if your near Ventucopa, take the Cuyama River Corridor, it's the most fun sand wash I've ever almost killed myself in ?? :cry:

I like Taft because I have been riding a lot of the fire roads up there that are not locked and I even talked to a Sheriff that said its fine to ride those roads You have to stay on the existing roads ..Of course and be real careful through sodalake but it is some great riding that is kind of untouched. You have to be plated some of the fire roads are patrolled. But I have not been hasselled.I want to make a long but fun ride and have been tossing around a lot of ideas. ?

[rockchucker22]

P.S. if your near Ventucopa, take the Cuyama River Corridor, it's the most fun sand wash I've ever almost killed myself in ?? :cry:

Thats the truth I love that wash ...Apache Cyn has some great sand wash thats WFO and its got a nice campground at the end of the road. ?

[EM_rider]

WHY ARE THESE GATES LOCKED???

OK, I think I just needed to rant.

If you really want to know why, it is pretty easy to find out. Just submit a simple FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) request for all USFS documentation related to the closure of these gates. I've done this before regarding Drinkwater Flats and the USFS provided me with a lot of key documents. They also agreed to re-open the area later this month. Doubtful my FOIA request made the difference, but I'm sure it helped because I found out that several others had made similar requests. The USFS must respond to FOIA requests within 20 working days. It is possible that a lot of these closed gates are not properly documented by the USFS or that the original closure orders have long ago expired.

Click here to learn more.

http://www.rcfp.org/foiact/

[T_Reiner]

Chucker,

Sounds like you're pretty familiar with the area already

The VCMC ride in a couple weeks goes through many of the areas we are discussing.

Should be a fun ride.

Cya up there

And Rob,

the I'm pretty sure the FOIA would tell him it's Closed Wilderness Area. You're right thou, it's a good way to find out if the Rangers don't know or give you the run around.

The rangers in Las Padres I've talked to are very cool.

Anyone that wants Info call

Rick Howell (Ranger)

661-245-3731

That's the Lockwood Valley Road station

Very friendly guy to get info from and very knowledgeable

[rockchucker22]

Chucker,

Sounds like you're pretty familiar with the area already

The VCMC ride in a couple weeks goes through many of the areas we are discussing.

Should be a fun ride.

Cya up there

I would love to go do you have any info? sparrowss@aol.com ?

[KS]

Tom, The FS roads I'm talking about are absolutely not in the wilderness areas. They are in the Natl. Forest. I talked to a Ranger again at SB Station and he said I was correct about them not being in the wilderness areas and he also said he has been at that station for 10 years and they have always been locked. He had no idea why. I then talked to a ranger at the Mt. Pinos station and he thought that it was because those FS roads lead back into areas that have small pockets of private property. It seems a shame to close down a 25 mile section of road for an acre of private property that you could easily ride around if all these gates weren't locked up.

Keith

[rockchucker22]

Tom, The FS roads I'm talking about are absolutely not in the wilderness areas. They are in the Natl. Forest. I talked to a Ranger again at SB Station and he said I was correct about them not being in the wilderness areas and he also said he has been at that station for 10 years and they have always been locked. He had no idea why. I then talked to a ranger at the Mt. Pinos station and he thought that it was because those FS roads lead back into areas that have small pockets of private property. It seems a shame to close down a 25 mile section of road for an acre of private property that you could easily ride around if all these gates weren't locked up.

Keith

One of the roads you mentioned I always see hunters on quads going down it ...they might have keys from the PP owners?? I think its 6n03 it goes all the way to Jameson lake and skirts the wilderness. If you get access I would love to go. I have seen it open durring Deer season but I always thought it was Private. I also Know of people getting a key from the rangers using a special application, the guy I know who did it is in Russia right now when he gets back I will get details. If you can get permission for ythe PP owners in Matiaja old man mnt road conects to 6n03 but that right in the middle of the ride ? I have ridden from lake cachuma up buckhorn road but that to is closed now only to open on rare occasion it is also a corridor right between the wilderness area. That is an awesome ride.