History is about to be made!!!
After months of negotiations, Sequoia National Park (California’s 1st and our country’s 2nd national park) has graciously opened their gates, allowing 50 mountain bikers access to one of their off-road trails.
This is significant!!!
Never in California has a national park ever allowed an event like this to occur, and with only a strict 50 open slots available, you can be sure these spots will fill up fast.
Participants of this inaugural ride will be able to check in at the Lions Arena between 7:00 am to 8:30 am. Volunteers will be available to direct parking and guide you to the registration booth.
All participants of the ride must be well prepared with enough supplies (their Camelbaks or water bottles filled; plenty of Cliff Bars and other eats; change of tubes and a tire pump...) in their backpack to get them through the 20-mile ride.
Although there will be volunteer riders to assist with bike repairs, there will be no SAG support in the usual sense, as well as no rest stops as one would normally be used to on a regular road ride.
The ride begins promptly at 8:30 am.
From the Lions Arena, we head north along North Fork Drive (which used to be the original road through Sequoia National Park), climbing continuously for the next 10 miles to an elevation of 3600 feet.
During this part of the ride, we will follow the north fork of the Kaweah River, winding along the next several miles, entering into the tiny hamlet of Kaweah Commonwealth (with it’s 480 Souls as the town sign states), passing by the old Kaweah Post Office (the 3rd smallest and oldest, continuously running post office in the country), as we make our way through the old Kaweah Colony (building foundations of which are still present) of the 1890s.
Just before we reach Cherry Falls (at about 7 miles into the ride), we will be turning off road from North Fork Drive, continuing our climb through BLM land and into Sequoia National Park.
The gates through this area will be unlocked, but must remain closed after passing through.
At the 3600 foot elevation (and through the last gate) we will have reached the summit or what is commonly described by the locals as Shepherd’s Saddle (which will be our unofficial rest stop, and a good time to take in the view). From here, it is a 10-mile downhill through the park, the town of Three Rivers, and back to where it all began a few hours earlier, the Lions Arena, for a well deserved meal, along with plenty of time for fun and fellowship.
50-person maximum.. 50 spots available. First payment in; first on the list.
Because of the strict 50-person limitation, it is STRONGLY ENCOURAGED that each rider raise the $250 needed for a child's operation. 50 smiles for 50 children is a great goal to have on this historic ride!!!
Total bike miles... 20
Total hours for ride... between 3 to 4 (back to the Lions Arena by 11:30 am to 12:30 pm)
SPECIAL NOTE For those who decide to stay ovenight to visit the park the next day, the entrance fee will be slashed from the normal $20.00 to $10.00. Make sure you mention this when signing up the day of the event!!!
And now the rules from Sequoia National Park....
Participants for this authorized event is limited to 50 people (50 spots are still available).
Harassment of wildlife or livestock (just below the trail, after the summit, we will encounter horses and mules) is strictly prohibited and all animals will have the right of way. Participants will defer to all animals on or near the road. Participants will wait until the animal has cleared itself of traffic before proceeding.
The barrier gates on Shepherd’s Saddle Road will be unlocked but due to the potential presence of stock animals, the gates may be closed to prevent their release. After passing through each gate, participants will restore the gates to the closed position.
In an effort to reduce the amount of non-native plants, participants will check and remove excess mud, plants, or foreign seeds from their bicycles before entering the Sequoia National Park’s boundary.
Participants will carry all food and repair equipment with them on the ride (we will also have volunteers along the ride with extra food and repair equipment as well). There will be no water, food or repair stations within Sequoia National Park.
Due to the condition of the Shepherd’s Saddle Road (we may encounter goat heads along the trail, and it only takes one to deflate a tire and ruin a ride, thus inner tube liners or Slime will come in handy), participants are encouraged to be proactive in protecting their biking equipment and tires using environmentally friendly methods.
All participants will wear helmets and other safety gear.
When riding on the Generals Highway (once we come off the Shepherd’s Saddle trail and are heading out of the park), participants will ride single file and as far right as is safe. They will pass other riders only when it is safe and then resume the single file status.
For spouses and children who won’t be participating in the ride, there will be plenty of time during the event to explore the town of Three Rivers. Just don’t forget to join the rest of us later on in the afternoon at the Lions Arena when we return from our ride for food, fun and fellowship....
