Cucamonga Truck Trail from Lytle - trail washed out?

fadingfastsd · Post by **fadingfastsd** » Fri Dec 27, 2013 12:11 am

Hey guys,
new to the forum, but I'm excited to have found this place. I grew up in Upland, and now live in San Diego. I'm back up here at my parents place in Upland 3-4 times a year, and usually bring my dual sport. I spent most of my childhood exploring Mt Baldy and I always ride around there every time I'm up here. I've recently started exploring all over the area on my bike, looking for new roads and trails.

Today I went up Lytle Creek to the very northwest point. I was trying to see if the rumored road existed that went from Lytle to the top of Baldy Ski area. I found the road, but it was gated and closed. Is this ever open? A guy I talked to near the gate said that it's been closed for 20 years or so after a few deaths on it, and it won't be opened again. Any truth to that?

I headed back down Lytle toward the 15. I ended up heading up the Cucamonga Truck Trail dirt road, up to the Savaine (sp?) flat I think? I just found these names online. I was thinking this would eventually connect me up with either Sapphire or Skyline in Rancho Cucamonga. I went through some snow sections on the trail, eventually crashing my KLR (had my street tires on...not ideal for this trip). Finally, just past a campground (whats this camp called?) I hit a gate. The trail looked completely overgrown and washed out/destroyed from then on.

I've found old ride reports saying you could get all the way through from Skyline or Sapphire to Lytle, so I'm assuming this was possible in the past. Is this trail passable by motorcycle? If not, when did it wash out?

Here is my GPS track from today, so you can see exactly where I'm talking about.

http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=dxkvnstwtihrmdjm

Any other recommendations on cool backcountry/mountain trails in this area I can go explore on my plated KLR650? I wouldn't mind taking some overnight trips in this area too.

Thanks!! Really excited to find this forum with tons of good info on my home mountains I grew up exploring.

Evan

Mike P · Post by **Mike P** » Fri Dec 27, 2013 6:45 pm

Hey Evan! Welcome to the board...

Couple of questions:

1) Was the road up San Sevaine Ridge open enough for a 4WD truck? Would I need brush clearing equipment? How about snow depth...?

2) Was the "washed out/destroyed" trail to which you were referring the trail north up to Etiwanda and Cucamonga Peaks?

Pat · Post by **Pat** » Sat Dec 28, 2013 11:10 am

Campground is Joe Elliot.
The road has been closed for quite some time due to washout/rock slide @ Cascade Canyon. The gate @ Sappire is also closed restricting access. Back in the 80s we used to ride from Sapphire to Lytle Creek and then back along the power lines. You could also head the other direction to Frankish Peak and Barret-Stoddard road and come out @ Baldy Road. Nothing but brush, rocks and gates now.

There are lots of roads in and between Devore and Lytle that are legal to ride with a plated bike plus Cleghorn Rd and the little OHV area off the 15.

Mike P · Post by **Mike P** » Sat Dec 28, 2013 12:06 pm

Pat wrote: ↑Campground is Joe Elliot.
The road has been closed for quite some time due to washout/rock slide @ Cascade Canyon. The gate @ Sappire is also closed restricting access. Back in the 80s we used to ride from Sapphire to Lytle Creek and then back along the power lines. You could also head the other direction to Frankish Peak and Barret-Stoddard road and come out @ Baldy Road. Nothing but brush, rocks and gates now.

There are lots of roads in and between Devore and Lytle that are legal to ride with a plated bike plus Cleghorn Rd and the little OHV area off the 15.

Sorry, Pat. I'm confused.

Isn't Cascade Canyon off of Barrett Stoddard Truck Trail?

Or is there another Cascade Canyon off of San Sevaine Ridge? I'm hoping to get up to San Sevaine Flats and Joe Elliott soon...

Pat · Post by **Pat** » Sat Dec 28, 2013 12:29 pm

Yeah, my bad. Just read the TR on Cascade so it was in my head.

Calamity Canyon is the proper canyon.

fadingfastsd · Post by **fadingfastsd** » Sun Dec 29, 2013 10:46 am

Mike P wrote: ↑Hey Evan! Welcome to the board...

Couple of questions:

1) Was the road up San Sevaine Ridge open enough for a 4WD truck? Would I need brush clearing equipment? How about snow depth...?

2) Was the "washed out/destroyed" trail to which you were referring the trail north up to Etiwanda and Cucamonga Peaks?

Hey Mike,
Thanks for the reply. Sorry I haven't checked this forum in a few days. I'm up in the mountains north of Frazier Park now, w/ unreliable internet connection.

1)Yes you can easily get a 4WD truck to the locked gate past (now I know it's called) Joe Elliot Campground. The road was in fine shape overall, with a few puddles but nothing serious. I passed 2 other vehicles. A lifted 2WD Tacoma was having some trouble getting up the steeper grades, slipping and sliding but he made it. A 4WD fourrunner or something similar was having no problems. There is only snow on where the road winds around to the North faces of the mountains. Even then the snow patches are 1-2" deep and only about 40 feet long at most on the trail. You will have no problems. I only had some trouble because I was riding way too fast coming into the snow sections and had my street tires on. I went down pretty hard on the North facing section before the campground, and banged up my knee pretty good. Lost a few bike parts too, but it was fun!

2)The washed out/destroyed section was beyond the locked gate. My internet is too slow here to load up Google Maps to give you links. Here are GPS coords from the points I saved from this ride. Just type these into Google Maps or your GPS program:

Trailhead to San Sevaine off Lytle Creek:
N:34.201687, W:117.448940

(Closed) Gate to trail/road shown on my map, supposedly goes down to Rancho Cucamonga. This gate was locked and trail overgrown. It's off of a big flat lookout point:
N:34.199149, W:117.481404

This is where there was the most snow on the north side of the mountain, and where I crashed my KLR:
N:34.218239, W:117.541773

Joe Elliott Campground:
N:34.219186, W:117.552770

Locked gate at end of road. The road is washed out and destroyed from this point on. This is what I was asking about, is the condition from this gate on West:
N:34.216536, W:117.557390

I hope this answers your questions!

tarol · Post by **tarol** » Sun Dec 29, 2013 10:58 am

3N06 is closed at the gate above Stockton Flats - and is only opened in an emergency or for admin use - you are welcome to hike it

Same with the gate past Joe Elliott.

Have you tried Gobbler's Knob? Cleghorn Road? Blue Ridge Road? Pilot Rock?

fadingfastsd · Post by **fadingfastsd** » Sun Dec 29, 2013 11:15 am

tarol wrote: ↑3N06 is closed at the gate above Stockton Flats - and is only opened in an emergency or for admin use - you are welcome to hike it

Same with the gate past Joe Elliott.

Have you tried Gobbler's Knob? Cleghorn Road? Blue Ridge Road? Pilot Rock?

Do you know when exactly the road past Joe Elliott was washed out?

I will check out those other places you mention.

Mike P · Post by **Mike P** » Sun Dec 29, 2013 8:36 pm

fadingfastsd wrote: ↑Hey Mike,
Thanks for the reply. Sorry I haven't checked this forum in a few days. I'm up in the mountains north of Frazier Park now, w/ unreliable internet connection.

1)Yes you can easily get a 4WD truck to the locked gate past (now I know it's called) Joe Elliot Campground. The road was in fine shape overall, with a few puddles but nothing serious. I passed 2 other vehicles. A lifted 2WD Tacoma was having some trouble getting up the steeper grades, slipping and sliding but he made it. A 4WD fourrunner or something similar was having no problems. There is only snow on where the road winds around to the North faces of the mountains. Even then the snow patches are 1-2" deep and only about 40 feet long at most on the trail. You will have no problems. I only had some trouble because I was riding way too fast coming into the snow sections and had my street tires on. I went down pretty hard on the North facing section before the campground, and banged up my knee pretty good. Lost a few bike parts too, but it was fun!

2)The washed out/destroyed section was beyond the locked gate. My internet is too slow here to load up Google Maps to give you links. Here are GPS coords from the points I saved from this ride. Just type these into Google Maps or your GPS program:
..... coordinates....
I hope this answers your questions!

Thanks! Your entire answer was exactly the info I needed.

fadingfastsd · Post by **fadingfastsd** » Mon Dec 30, 2013 12:52 pm

No problem! Glad I can help. I use an app called Locus Pro on my android phone and always record GPS tracks for my rides. Cool to be able to share all the points I save when I find interesting stuff.

Mike P · Post by **Mike P** » Mon Dec 30, 2013 10:49 pm

fadingfastsd wrote: ↑No problem! Glad I can help. I use an app called Locus Pro on my android phone and always record GPS tracks for my rides. Cool to be able to share all the points I save when I find interesting stuff.

One slight correction on your coordinates for us Google mappers - purely in the interest of accuracy: The longitudinal coordinates should be "negative" in order to work in Google Maps, i.e. long. coord. should read -117.4487940 for the trailhead and so on.

I'll check out Locus Pro. Thanks for the tip!

fadingfastsd · Post by **fadingfastsd** » Mon Dec 30, 2013 11:06 pm

Mike P wrote: ↑
fadingfastsd wrote: ↑No problem! Glad I can help. I use an app called Locus Pro on my android phone and always record GPS tracks for my rides. Cool to be able to share all the points I save when I find interesting stuff.
One slight correction on your coordinates for us Google mappers - purely in the interest of accuracy: The longitudinal coordinates should be "negative" in order to work in Google Maps, i.e. long. coord. should read -117.4487940 for the trailhead and so on.

I'll check out Locus Pro. Thanks for the tip!

Good to know, that's just how Locus exports the coordinates by default.

Chicken Legs · Post by **Chicken Legs** » Wed Jan 01, 2014 2:11 pm

I just rode this section yesterday, it was great. Beautiful day and a fun ride. The road is definitely accessible to a 4 WD or a High Clearance truck. It gets narrow in a few spots and you may get some "Cowboy Pin-striping" from the brush along side the road. Nothing technical.

We looked but couldn't find the Joe Elliott Tree or the Spring, if anyone has the coordinates please post. The trail head is well marked at the end of the camp ground.

We will be attempting the trail to the summit soon, if anyone has any recent trail info it would be greatly appreciated.

Good day for Hiking...

tarol · Post by **tarol** » Thu Jan 02, 2014 10:27 am

2004/2005 was when the road past Joe Elliott washed out, damaging winter rains after the 2003 Grand Prix Fire

Mike P · Post by **Mike P** » Thu Jan 02, 2014 7:36 pm

Chicken Legs wrote: ↑I just rode this section yesterday, it was great. Beautiful day and a fun ride. The road is definitely accessible to a 4 WD or a High Clearance truck. It gets narrow in a few spots and you may get some "Cowboy Pin-striping" from the brush along side the road. Nothing technical.

We looked but couldn't find the Joe Elliott Tree or the Spring, if anyone has the coordinates please post. The trail head is well marked at the end of the camp ground.

We will be attempting the trail to the summit soon, if anyone has any recent trail info it would be greatly appreciated.

Good day for Hiking...

OK, Chicken Legs, when are we going?

fadingfastsd · Post by **fadingfastsd** » Thu Jan 02, 2014 10:51 pm

tarol wrote: ↑2004/2005 was when the road past Joe Elliott washed out, damaging winter rains after the 2003 Grand Prix Fire

That makes sense. Sounds about right from the dates of old ride reports of that trail I've seen.