Lead Draw, Walker Creek, Bell Marsh Creek, Crestline Trail
Level of Difficulty: From 4 Advanced Beginner - 8 Advanced intermediate
Elevations: 5161' to 8127'
Starting Point Coordinates: N42°44.275' W112°23.052'
Length of Trail: 25 miles
Approximate time: 3 hours
Date of Ride: 7/2/10
Description: I rode some of this the other day posted under
Lead Draw-Walker Creek, but my son came into town and a friend loaned him a bike so I thought I would explore a bit more. We started in the same place but took the left fork after crossing the small stream. We came to a another fork. Right took you through a gate and left went up the mountain. I decided the left fork was a more likely way to get to Crest Line, but it turned out to be a ride, billy goat style! I'm not sure it is an official trail, but there had been a few riders and a definite track. It was steep and very rocky. It followed the ridge until it came dropped down to Indian Mountain Pass. We took a left on to that trail and into Walker Creek. From there we went to the bottom of Walker Creek and then took the newly plowed trail over to Bell Marsh, a four-wheeler trail that isn't very packed down since it has just been redone. Bell Marsh is one of my favor trails in the whole world. Deep down in a canyon with a nice stream running through it, you get to cross the creek about 10 times on the way up, through a mostly tree canopied trail. It pops out just below the Crestline trail on the road that leads to the top of Scout Mountain. We took Crestline trail on the return and then took the trail from the bottom back to Lead Draw. It turned out that the right fork
through the gate was the trail to the base of Crest Line. But we ended up with a loop and got back to the loading site anyway. It sure was fun to ride with my son again.
Google Map
(By clicking on the "View Larger Map" it will open in a larger window in Google Maps. Then if you click on "View in Google Earth" located at the top right of the map you view it in Google Earth and get the full effect of a 3-D view in which you can turn and spin.)
Elevation Profile:
Summary: Some great riding, but some of it very steep and rocky. Certainly not for a novice. Other than a short piece at the bottom of Lead Draw and the Walker Creek Trail, it is all single track. I don't believe the portion of the trail that runs on the ridge to Indian Mountain pass is an open trail. Although we didn't ever see a trail closed sign, I don't see it on the forest service map. That was the hardest part of the trail.
The best way to ride this trail would be to go to the bottom of Crest Line from Lead Draw, drop down Bell Marsh, take Walker Creek trail to the trail head that takes you back over Indian Mountain pass and back down to Lead Draw. (or the reverse would work fine, but it is a bit more challenging coming out of Bell Marsh Creek Trail. Especially challenging for a smaller two stroke as it is difficult to get any speed due to the very sharp turns and deep trail.)
This page was last modified on Tuesday, July 06, 2010 05:46:33 PM