EISPIRATEN

Who's been to "Stone Cabin Flat"? What's the road/trail like past White Saddle? I am wondering if I could bike all the way or should I plan on changing to hiking at some point. Enthusiastic but not very strong biker. I'm familiar with getting to White Saddle. Thanks!

I've hiked/walked to White Saddle from Monrovia Canyon Park. The road is a steady but somewhat gentle climb (an average 420 ft/mile gain from park entrance - 915' up to 3220' in 5.5 miles by my best estimates). There is a really steep part at the very beginning to get up and over Sawpit Dam - so don't get discouraged by that...it gets gentler once you're past the dam. Maybe walk the bike up to that point?

Once at White Saddle I've hiked/walk south to Mt. Bliss. Road and short off trail up to peak was easy and clear. The road down to Stone Cabin Flat was extremely overgrown (this was back in 2008!!! - see my pictures).

A bike would not have made it more than 10 feet is my best guess. At that time the road down to Stone Cabin Flat was unpassable without excessive cross country or on old road bed bushwahckery. Since then there have been further updates on the conditions. Search this forum for "Stone Cabin Flat". I believe AW posted some info. There also was a bit of discussion when that area burned a year or 2 ago. I don't think the fire got as far north as the Flat but it got to near Mt. Bliss and maybe a bit north of that - so maybe some of the raiod was cleared by the fire.

Picture 24 shows a glimpse of the top of the road that heads down to Stone Cabin Flat - to the left of the water tank.

Found the link AW provided...

http://centerlinerule.blogspot.com/2016 ... chete.html

Yikes! I'll plan on a bike-n-hike, or perhaps a bike-n-bail.

The final fire ops map indicates it didn't burn. Looks like part of the road was cleared for fire line, but not the whole length.

Thanks!

The final fire ops map indicates it didn't burn. Looks like part of the road was cleared for fire line, but not the whole length.

Good update. Have fun!

HikeUp wrote:

The final fire ops map indicates it didn't burn. Looks like part of the road was cleared for fire line, but not the whole length.

Good update. Have fun!

About a year and a half ago I rode down the first few hundred yards of the road from Van Tassel Ridge junction then stashed the bike and hiked about a mile and change down to where the road switchbacks around the ridge overlooking the lower canyon. It's totally fine to hike, but it was borderline bikeable/not bikeable. Seems like after each thorny or rocky obstacle, a new section that was wide open and pleasant for biking would open up making me wish I'd soldiered through with the bike, but then you'd hit another slog section. Depends on how gung ho you are about riding through brush and debris and then pushing back up through it to get out again. The roadcut itself is still quite wide and relatively intact, at least it was before last winter. Wouldn't be too bad to restore the trail, the only trouble is you've got to have the time and energy to get to white saddle first with your tools then start working your way down the trail. The distances are such that it's a great bike destination, but pretty far in to get to on foot unless you're Elwood. The remoteness of the area is definitely impressive, even from the margins like the first mile or so that I got to see. It's also nice to continue on your bike past white saddle up towards Rincon/RedBox road. There are some fantastic views down into the stone cabin flat area from above, some incredible old stands of pines in the side canyons above there too. Might want to wait for the fall though, the bugs in those woodsy sections can be maddening.