Oat Hill Mine Road

Oat Hill Mine Road

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	Oat Hill Mine Road
Location:	California - Bay Area
Nearest Town:	Calistoga
Directions to Trailhead:	The corner off of Lake st. and Silverado Trail.
Trail Description:	perfect and beautiful.
Trail Length:	10 miles
Trail Type:	Singletrack
Skill Level:	Trails for all skill levels
Submitted By:	Shane Hastings

john mcdonald from livermore,ca Date: June 23, 2003 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: Out and back! Who needs another route? Other recommended trails in the same area:
Review: This ride was nothing short of awesome. A true ‘MUST RIDE’ for serious mountain bikers. I concur, with the reviewer below, who said that this ride is both physically and mentally demanding. It’s very physically demanding on the way up. Many spots are like riding up a dry riverbed over large river rock. You have to really keep the cranks moving if you don’t want to get stopped. A reviewer mentioned that it was 6 miles to the top and about 5 miles before you encounter REALLY technical terrain. Our odometers may have been off, but ours showed a 5-mile ride to the top and the super-technicals at about 4 Ľ miles. The downhill is nothing short of incredible, and very mentally demanding. You really need to concentrate and pick your path so you don’t end up over the bars. Full body armor and full suspension would not be out of line here. Although the three of us rode on hard tails and two with no armor or padding I would have enjoyed the trail more had I been clad in full armor. In some areas the rocks are so sharp and rough, they literally tore the knobs from our tires and ripped the rubber cleats, on our riding shoes, to shreds. My shoes looked like they’d been through a meat grinder when we were done! Bring plenty of water(100oz +) and at least a couple of power bars, depending on how long you want to be out. It took us 3 hours to summit and an hour down, but we really took our time. I think we could have summited in two and come down in 45 minutes. By the way, once you get ‘to the top’ the trail branches into two trails, both of which are about 3.5 miles long. They looked like a nice, easy, ride but we were so exhausted and out of water, we decided to just head down. I CAN’T WAIT to go back! This trail is for intermediate to advanced riders. Novices will not appreciate this trail and it’s quite dangerous in areas.	Overall Rating:

Marc from novato,california Date: December 16, 2002 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: out and back---- so go out and back Other recommended trails in the same area: Skyline Park-Napa
Review: Really fun trail. There are some parts that you'll want to do twice, both up hill and down hill. Very rocky so full suspension is a plus if not a necessity. I sugest bringing pads for the downhill, they saved me and made it more fun. Fat tires will help avoid pinch flats.	Overall Rating:

Chip from Vacaville Date: July 23, 2002 Trail Ridden: Every few months
Recommended Route: One way in and one way out! Other recommended trails in the same area: Skyline in Napa, Rockville in Fairfield (Cordelia) and Pena Adobe in Vacaville(home of the Rockhopper North)
Review: If your'e a technical rider, this whole trail is do-able! Excellent ride coming and going! You must do this ride!	Overall Rating:

John from Napa Valley Date: April 20, 2002 Trail Ridden: Once a week
Recommended Route: Out and back, for now. Maybe some alternatives will be legalized soon and open up the Rollers, the hunting preserve north of the trail, and the Aetna Springs shuttle. Other recommended trails in the same area:
Review: The only place in all of the California coastal valleys that you'll find grade A geography is Calistoga. It's not Moab, Sedona, or Crested Butte. But it's excellent, with sheer rock exposures and vertical features all around. And Oat Hill Mine is the only place you're going to get right up against it. Small amounts of highly technical terrain, difficult but rideable most of the the way. The only drawback is the one-dimensional out-and-back quality, but this place is so special, and the trail unique, that it warrants the highest rating. Note: Calistoga is a real town five days a week that turns into a Bay Area hellhole on the weekend, so ride this M-F to get the best experience.	Overall Rating:

Randall from Roseville, CA Date: February 5, 2002 Trail Ridden: Once a year
Recommended Route: Out and back Other recommended trails in the same area:
Review: The previous reviewer talked about the "rollers". What he didn't mention is that it goes downhill, at times very steep downhill. Fun, smooth doubletrack as it descends down into the valley below. Some bike n' hike sections coming back. A 45min detour (2 1/2 miles round trip). Don't attempt when it is hot out.	Overall Rating:

shane and rebecca from fort rucker alabama Date: September 5, 2000 Trail Ridden: Once a week
Recommended Route: we like to start at the bottem, the intersection of hwy 29 and silverado trail, and head up to the minor's camp. Or for a change of pace, start at the bottem like usuall, but about half way to the top, on the right, look for an old dry log,on the outside of a corner. There will be a scarce trail directly behind it. The begining is thin, but after a few yards the trail opens up to single track. Ourselves and local friends call this section off oathill, "the rollers." For even more routes on this ride, go into the local bike shop Palisades Mtn. Sport, a great shop with down to earth people who will give you some great riding ideas. (You can tell them Shane and Rebecca recommended to go in, it will make them smile.) Other recommended trails in the same area: Annadel State Park, Boggs Mtn., Mt. St. Helena, Los Pasados, Lake Sonoma, Bale Grist Mill.
Review: This ride is both physically and mentally demanding. As you reach the top the rocks and boulders can make a person really test their patience. But after the climb the downhill adrenalin rush makes it all worthwhile. But, be careful some areas are not forgiving in a crash. We know from personal experience. We are former locals of calistoga, and have ridden this trail more times than we can remember. We have tried a number of other rides and only few even come close to the challenge that Oat Hill offers. One more thing about the ride, as your heading up to the top, about half way, you'll climb an incline that about 10 feet high and almost staight up. Well about 50yards or so past this, on the right hand side, there is an immense chunk of rock that just juts right out of the trail. Well, climb on top and you'll have a view that words cannot do justice. So, before you head up the hill, make sure you have your camara, plenty of water, and some goodies. This trail is for the intermediate rider and is more comfortable with a full suspension ride, but if your a hard-core hard tail rider you'll love it as well. Happy Riding.	Overall Rating:

Zach Mason from Angwin, CA, USA Date: May 27, 2000 Trail Ridden: Once a month
Recommended Route: Start in Pope Valley on the other side of the Palisade mts. Make friends with the vietnam war vet biker that owns the property at the trail head, and ride through to Calistoga. Other recommended trails in the same area:
Review: Awsome ride. Very fun if you have full suspension. The trail is very technical in spots and will beat you up if you only have front susp.	Overall Rating:

Manny from napa Date: April 19, 2000 Trail Ridden: Every few months
Recommended Route: Only one way. Up! You can do this as a shuttle. The trail comes out off the back side at Aetna Springs. Most ride it as an out and back. Other recommended trails in the same area: Skyline
Review: This trial is way fun. It climbs about 5 miles to an old miners camp. You can see old wagon wheel ruts in the rock. Very technical in places, especially the last mile. The trail is mostly single and double track, lots of rock. It used to be a 4-wheel drive trail till a bunch of people got killed trying to drive it. It is not maintained so it gets more beat every year. All but the last 1/2 mile or so up to the miners camp is rideable. The last 1/2 mile is tough and if you are really good is probably rideable too. From the miners camp the trail goes for about another 8 miles or so and will come out at the old resort town of Aetna Springs (so I am told, I have been to whipped to try it by the time I get to the top) I have ridden part of the trail though for about 3 miles from the miners camp towards Aetna Springs. It is also pretty technical, but mostly rideable. It starts out as singletrack for a few miles then widens into a fire road. Most people turn around at the miners camp and head down. It is ALL downhill. Watch out for hikers, especially on weekends. I do this ride occasionally early AM during the week and have it pretty much to myself and can really bomb it. This trail can be brutally hot in the summer and the surrounding area is home to lots of poison oak, rattlesnakes and the occasional mountain lion.	Overall Rating:

Brad from Napa, CA Date: February 24, 2000 Trail Ridden: Every few months
Recommended Route: Up and back, unless you have a friend that knows the other ways down.... Other recommended trails in the same area: Angwin, China Camp, Skyine, Annadale, Mt Tam, etc...
Review: This is a SERIOUS climb. Near the top, it gets really rocky. But once to the top, enjoy the Miner's Campgrounds, built way back in the day. Very hard to ride the entire thing, and look out for hikers. Bring water and food. 4 stars because it is so rough. Maybe i'm just a wimp...	Overall Rating:

B from Santa Rosa Date: January 23, 2000 Trail Ridden: Once a month
Recommended Route: Because there is only one, there really isn't any choice here. Only shortcoming is the fact that you come down the same way you came up. Making it a loop would either require getting permission from a local gun club to ride on the old jeep trail seen on the USGS map or riding on trails that are off limits to MTB. Other recommended trails in the same area: Annadel-Santa Rosa Bogg Mountain
Review: I have ridden this trail a number of times and it is tough!!! Here are some facts of interest: 6 mile distance to top 2100 feet elevation gain Technical ride no water available and it can be hot as hell up there in the summer. And my description.... The trail starts climbing immediately from the trail head and continues for about six miles. At the base of the trail you can see the termination point of the ride. Its the biggest escarpent in the area. WAY UP! The first 5 miles are on the old Silverado Trail that once was the same path that the stage coaches used to use. In some places you can see the grooves cut into the lava flows from the wagons(At least that's what some of the locals have told me). Anyway, the trail is not maintained very well and consequently there are alot of areas where the trail has either narowed to a fat single track or a normal fire road with the resemblance of a creek bed. There are a few locations in the first 5 miles of climbing where you will be challenged by the eroded trail's more resistant rocks which is where the ride resemble the creek bed. After getting through those 5 miles it gets even more technical and this last stretch is the most challenging. The surface of this portion consists of loose rock, smooth unlevel lava flows and nasty drop offs of about 12-18". I have ridden this trail about 30 times and have yet to get through the last leg without being stopped by a loss of momentum or having to stop to lift my bike up and over a nasty drop off. You can continue on the trail once you pass the escarpment and old camp/house foundation but I think it leads further northward and down the backside of the hill into a different valley(away from your origin). I have gone down about a mile further but its really desolate up there. I usually just turn around and head back to the car because I am totally spent by the time I get up there. It sucks having to come back down the way you went up, but it is challenging and that makes it a little more tolerable. Its a great ride and I highly recommend it!! Feel free to email me if you need further details. Happy trails B	Overall Rating:

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