DESCRIPTION

Like to be abused? This is the trail for you! 15 miles of rough, rocky, steep Jeep trails (The 1st 3 miles are fire road and smooth) along Flume Creek Ridge with views to die for (and you might).
We do the ride as a shuttle: We leave a vehicle at the Sweetbriar Exit (#723) on I-5. Then drive up Castle Creek Road (along Castle Crags State Park) to the summit and we leave the 2nd car about a mile past where the road turns to dirt. Ride on down the main road, staying left where the right fork is signed to Mt. Shasta. About 1/4 to 1/2 mile later go right on the nice (unsigned) Twin Lakes Road. Continue another 2 1/2 miles staying left away from Twin Lakes (toward Tamarack Lake). The Tamarack road has a split section, the right side is rough and rock, the left less so, at the top of the right side is a jeep trail heading off north. Stay on this as it switchbacks up and over, to the south of Grey Rocks. Soon after, there's a fork in the road. Left goes steeply up and around a beautiful meadow with Pitcher Plants abounding. Push (just try to ride!) up this until you finally get to the 1st real (rough and steep) downhill. After this there's a climb (push), followed by a down, then up, then down, well, you get the picture. The trail keeps getting less and less used. Finally, you get on a logging road and it's downhill time for real (by then you'll be seeing views of I-5 seemingly 3000 feet straight below). Suddenly..., the road ends, just when you're too pooped to stand up straight. Turns out there was a landslide back in '97 and they abandoned the road. So, portage your bike along, following the flags. You'll feel like you're in a Borneo jungle or something. After about 100 tough yard, there's the road again. Stay on the main fire road until you return to the Sweetbriar exit (or take a wrong turn and come out on the Freeway in Castella, like we did). I suggest a dip in the river, followed by a beer (or vice versa).
The mai attraction of this ride are the views (Mt. Shasta over Castle Crags), the remoteness, and the fact that you survived.