Camp Roulette 2013
Ride postponed Dates TBD:
6 Day Dual Sport Ride in the Forests
of California's Sierra Nevada Mountains
Status: This ride is currently open to new riders joining us, see the ride description below
This will be a 6 day Dual Sport motorcycle ride. The ride is in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the middle of California. The ride will include a mix of Dirt Roads, ATV Trails and some Single-track (motorcycle only rated trails). There will be some pavement connecting routes, so a street licence is required. There are 8 separate routes to choose from for the 6 riding days, your choice will depend on factors like Scenic or Challenging. The ride includes camping each day, you are welcome to bring anything from a tent to an RV. We will be group camping in two different location during the week. The rides start from camp each morning and very in length from 100 miles to 150 miles. Mid week we will move camp and have a shorter riding day. The riding and the camping will be awesome. This is kind of an explorer's ride, the routes will take us to new places that are not well traveled. The ride will have maps and GPS but it will be up to the riders to find their way. In some cases the routes may be spectacular and in others it may be an adventure. I have found some new single-track trails that I will we wanting to explore myself. This is a Roulette so it will be a gamble.
This is the time of year that there is mostly great weather in the mountains, so any any kind of camping will work well. This is "Car Camping" meaning some will bring pickups with tents, others will bring RV's , and some may even just sleep out, almost anything will work and be fun. A few may even cook on the campfire.
Two stage camp locations are:
Location 1: Elkin's Flats in Eldorado National Forest
Location 2: Crandall/Deer Creek OHV Area in the Stanislaus National Forest
On Wednesday morning we will pack up camp and move to this next camp location.
Some riders will want to share RV's or toyboxes, or just carpool to the site, I will start a distribution email a couple of months before the ride.
About the Roulette
"My dream is to be an explorer (an intelligent explorer using all technologies) and discover all the best rides and places. As an explorer, I strive to not repeat any rides from year to year. While it may be tempting to repeat some of the great rides, it is my goal to just discover new and better rides. I study all the areas intensively before developing the ride plan and the GPS tracks. I use all the different technologies available. I study maps, satellites, ride stories, and the internet. So, each year I try to create an entirely new set of rides. In doing so some of the rides that I create will be great and some may be not so good. Rides are always a gamble. This ride is about being an explorer and discovering new places. You may repeat any of the great rides on your own as you have the GPS tracks for all these rides. So join me for this Roulette adventure." gpsKevin
Are you ready for good motorcycling?
I have found what looks like some awesome routes in the forest, the new Forest Service Motor Vehicle Use Maps (MVUM) have enabled me to build some great routes and have a high degree of confidence that the routes are approved. What's fun is that there are even some single-track sections and some ATV type trails. All this in a scenic forest should be too much fun.
Are you up for the camping?
This is camping in the woods. Wow, can be way cool! Come prepared to use pit toilets and bathe in the river! OK or use your RV? When I make the final campground choices, I will post the details of the services in the camp. It could be dry camping.
Is this ride right for you?
This is an explorer's ride. The nature of exploring is that much is unknown, so things can go wrong. The routes are unproven and sometimes don't work due to obstacles or just plain errors. The day can turn long and test your abilities and patience. You will find yourself in the mix of many rider's opinions that know how to fix the problem. You need to be able to find the fun in that. The riding can be fun, challenging, fast, slow, scenic, and hard. It is all about the riding.
Are you right for this ride?
When something goes wrong on a ride, would your riding friends say that you are more likely to need help or more likely to give help? You should be in the more likely to offer help camp. This ride is filled with riders that are more likely to give help, so most of the time the riders never need help. Additionally there is all the normal stuff: come prepared to maintain your bike, fix your bike on the trail, repair flat tires, deal with bad weather and rain and make a joke or two.
How does the ride Navigation work?
This is a self-led GPS ride; all riding is on your own. You are responsible for your own riding. You will be given a GPS map file and instructions on how to use your Garmin GPS unit. People will hook up in small groups of less than 6 riders and tend to ride together. You are not encouraged to ride alone. You are responsible for your own riding and yourself. (see my ride Navigation Video)
Camp Roulette Eldorado 2013 Signup
So cool, sign up and join the ride!
Remember every time you say no to a ride that's one less ride in life.
Questions, Just email me: gpsKevin@gmail.com
Who has signed up for the ride Below
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OK, so I know that many of you get passionate about these rides and some of you love to study the ride in detail. Below is a ton of info about the plan and routes. You could spend hours dreaming about the ride, I did!
First the link to the detailed planning document is below. This is my working plan so it will continue to evolve as the ride gets near. (This link is the really cool details of the ride so CLICK IT!)
Ride Plan Maps
I put these ride maps on the web page because I know a few of you love looking at the ride detail and dreaming about the ride. At first glance these maps do not look so impressive, but they are way cool. If you click the Earth or Satellite tab and start zooming in, you can see the ride in incredible detail. I have spent a ton of hours sorting through the details of the ride for each day, so for those of you that enjoy this sort of thing, well enjoy!
Legend:
The Red lines are Motorcycle Only legal trails (Singletrack)
The Dark Cyan lines are ATV trails
The Blue lines are dirt roads
The Green lines are a mix of easy and paved routes
FAQ's
Q; What do I do if I don't have a Garmin gps?
A: Buy one, you need it. We will show you how to use it. You can get a great one for $100 bucks. ( See gpsKevin's gps recommendations).
Q: Is the riding really on my own?
A: Yes, it is own your own, but not by yourself. Everyone hooks up and rides with a friend or a new friend and rides together. I do not encourage riding alone.
Q: Do I need a street licensed bike?
A: Yes, there are areas where a licensed bike is required. You must also have a motorcycle class drivers license.
Q: Do I need insurance?
A: Yes, you must carry proof of medical insurance and liability insurance for yourself/motorcycle.
Q: Are the trails legal to ride on a motorcycle?
A: I work hard to be sure that the trails are motorcycle approved. Many of this year's trails come directly from the forest service and their new motor vehicle use maps.
Q: Will there be water in camp?
A: Yes, just a faucet, it may be hard to try and fill up an RV. You should bring your own drinking water.
Q:Why is this years Camp Roulette called Eldorado?
A: The ride is mainly in the Eldorado Nation Forest, ok and some is in the Stanislaus National Forest
Q: Is this a Family Camping trip?
A: You are welcome to bring your family for the camping part of the trip, but the riding is serious and for licensed drivers only. I ask that each rider pay the ride fees. But each camping location is a good location for kids riding. You are on your own with this.
For Fun here is the slideshow from last years Camp Roulette in Utah and Nevada