The Eldorado National Forest is nestled on the edge of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range, an area bordered by Lake Tahoe on the east and Sacramento on the west. The region is blessed with a Mediterranean climate that offers hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters.
Elevation in the forest ranges from 1000 to about 10,000 feet. It's a large area, with nearly 600,000 square acres of public land that host 611 miles of stream and nearly 300 lakes. Add in hundreds of miles of ORV trails, and you have an off-road lover's paradise. However, the forest has been the center of much controversy, and it's best to check the USFS website to get the latest OHV info before hitting the trails.
Early on a crystal-clear autumn morning, I joined Tony Shell at the trailhead. A trim sheetmetal worker with a quick step and an easy smile, Shell and his buddy, Rick Williams, were taking me out to ride the Eldorado trail system. It's a short drive (for California) up I-80 or I-50 from the hot San Joaquin Valley.
Verna Wilbur also joined us, showing up in a black Dodge Ram 4x4 carrying a Polaris ATV. Decked out in a leather jacket, white blouse and sporty red scarf, Wilbur was chipper and cheerful for eight in the morning. By the way, she's a single grandmother. And she's 76 years old, though it doesn't slow her down a bit.
Off we went up into the California hills, a caravan of about a dozen quads, powering through a cool morning and up toward Leek Springs Lookout. The California geography here is a unique blend of sagebrush, gigantic pine trees and dust-coated rock. The trail was broad and open, winding up into the low mountains. The hills are high enough to get snow, and the crew does a few rides each year up into the snowy elevations.
Our destination was Leek Springs Lookout, a 7621-foot peak with a fire tower on top. The tower is manned by a ranger who stays up there all day long. The guy on duty told us he once experienced three lightning strikes in a single evening.
We parked the ATVs near the tower and gathered in small groups to eat lunch and catch up. I had neglected to pack anything but a couple of bottles of water and my camera equipment, so naturally, my stomach was growling as I watched the crew unpacking sandwiches, chips and soda.
"Lee," Williams shouted from across the lot, "C'mon over here! My wife made lunch today, and she was worried that you wouldn't have anything to eat. She made some extra sandwiches for you, if you want one."
I happily wolfed down two slabs of white bread stuffed with turkey and cheese and thanked Rick for marrying such a thoughtful woman.
We rode back to the lot, bouncing down the mountain through pine forest and expansive views.
"We rode 36.1 miles today," Wilbur said through a dirt-smeared smile as she loaded her ATV into her Hemi Dodge truck. "I can't wait to tell my son-he'll be so proud of me." ATVR