October 14, 2007: Sierra Buttes Trail

Whenever Jeremy and I off-road together, we're going to plan an extra hour for detours. After the Baltic Ridge Trail, I thought the worst of our navigational challenges were behind us - not to mention I'd been here before! Apparently, you have to look at the WHOLE map to know where you're going. Imagine that!

Jeremy introduced his daughter Taylor and son Josh to the trials and tribulations of 4X4 life in his Jeep Wrangler. Adam and his son Raith joined the boys and I in the LR3. Yes, you've counted correctly - three dads and five kids. We were so outnumbered...

We've typically taken I-80 to Highway 49, but this time we took Highway 20 to Marysville Road which eventually connects to Highway 49. This route ended up saving us about a half-hour off the usual 2.5 hour drive! Marysville Road crosses the Bullards Bar Dam and the massive concrete structure is incredible to see up close. As my co-pilot, Adam was in charge of snacks for the kids and soon perfected the art of unwrapping and handing (or throwing - the back seat is a stretch!) granola bars, fruit rollups, cheetos and Spiderman snacks to the unruly mob behind us. We finally arrived in Sierra City a little before noon and after making a brief stop to let the the kids burn off some energy, we were on our way!

The Sierra Buttes Trail is rated DR: 3 but I noticed that the roadbed was somewhat more rocky and uneven than when we drove it in August - within the next few years, this trail will probably be rated DR: 4. The road climbs through the forest and along some easy sections of shelf road until you reach the intersection with the Columbo Mine Road. This was where we had our only real navigational snafu - we headed straight instead of climbing up to the right and after about 20 minutes, arrived at the Columbo Mine.

I had never seen this site before,
so we snapped a few pictures and decided to head back to the junction. Judging by the incredible number of spent bullet-casings on the ground, it was probably a good idea! Soon, we were back at the intersection, and began the narrow and winding climb to Blue Point and the spur for Sierra Buttes Lookout Tower.

It wasn't long before we arrived at the turnoff for Blue Point and made our way over the small rise and down to a sheltered loop that makes a great place for taking a break. The kids hiked around, threw rocks and explored while we set out chairs and made lunch. One word of caution - keep an eye on any children if you visit this spot. There are some very loose and steep dropoffs so it's good to keep younger children close and do the exploring with them. Older children will undoubtedly be drawn to the rocky ledges and boulders surrounding Blue Point - the rocks are fractured from heavy weathering and can be a bit unstable.



After a liesurely lunch, it was time to load up and hit the spur trail to Sierra Butte Lookout Tower. The spur is rated DR: 5, but to be honest, it seemed easier to negotiate than it was in August. The sunken roadbed had widened slightly making it easier to skirt the enormous ruts left by our 2WD brethren. The road is steep, but it had rained a few days prior and the roadbed was firm without the loose surface we experienced last time. At about 7,500 feet, we began to see small patches of snow and by the time we hit 8,000 feet, much of the mountain was covered with 6" to 12" of fresh powder.


We parked in the "Parking Lot" and the kids immediately bolted for the nearest patch of snow. Jeremy, Taylor and Josh set out for the lookout tower while Adam and I attempted to herd Danny, Jayden and Raith up the steep, icy trail. We made good progress until the trail disappeared completely and we ended up trekking cross-country, crashing through snow-capped manzanita and over fallen logs until we stumbled upon a trail marker and began the slow ascent. The air was frigid and with the high altitude, it felt impossible to catch our breath - it didn't help that Jayden and Raith insisted on being carried the whole way! Danny wanted to walk through the snow - even through the small drifts that bordered the trail's edge and dropped off into oblivion! Yikes!

Soon, the tower was in sight and we could see Jeremy and his kids waving to us from the top. Adam and I set out, each carrying one child while herding Danny in front of us. We eventualy reached the rocky peak, but we were totally spent. Jeremy, Taylor and Josh were already coming back down and it was 4PM, so we decided to return to the trucks and make our way back to civilization.

We headed back down the spur trail, taking our time cruising through the slushy mess. The second half of the trail is far easier than the first and we made good time, cruising at about 20MPH and blasting through large puddles that formed from the melting snow. In no time at all, we were back at FR-93, the final leg of our journey. It was getting late and I decided to lower the LR3 to "Normal Height" and tore down the mountain at over 30MPH with Jeremy right behind me, sending gravel and dirt flying as he drifted through the corners.

As we rounded one corner, I suddenly saw the road was full of cattle! I stood on the brakes and came to an abrupt stop a few yards from the cows (and one very ticked-off cowboy!). We waited until he and the herding dogs had moved the cattle off the road then crept by slowly so as not to spook them. Once clear of the herd, it was back to business!

We sailed downhill and reached Highway 49 at about 6:00PM. After a brief pit-stop in Downieville, five tired kids and three very frazzled Dads made the long trip home.

Directions:

I-80E to Hwy. 49N
Hwy. 49N to Sierra City
Turn left on Butte St. and left again on Sierra Buttes Rd.
The trailhead is on the right by the entrance to the transfer station.
At the intersection with Columbo Mine Rd. and Sierra Buttes Rd., turn right up the hill onto Butcher Ranch Rd.
Return trip is a left turn onto FR-93 which intersects Hwy. 49.

Jeremy's Wrangler poses for a glamour shot...

Some views from Sierra Buttes...