Bikepacking the Lost Sierra Loop

After heaving my heavy mountain bike with bags and gear over approximately the thirtieth fallen, fire-charred tree trunk, I seriously questioned my life choices. This couldn’t be the route, could it? I double-checked, triple-checked, and still came to the same conclusion. This was the route. Instead of a well-maintained forest dirt road, I found myself on an overgrown track, seemingly untouched for years. As it usually happens, it is generally too late when one realizes one’s predicament. I was too far along to turn around, go back to where all of this started, and look for an alternative. I was committed, and the only way was through.

Early Friday morning, I parked my car about three and a half miles west of Portola, a small city in Plumas County, California. I began my adventure at the southern end of Willow Creek Road, a dirt path leading straight into the woods. My goal was to ride the Lost Sierra Loop, a 105-mile bikepacking journey through Plumas National Forest. My surroundings felt familiar to what one would encounter about an hour’s drive south, in the very well-touristed region around Lake Tahoe. Hundred-foot tall pine trees flanked the dirt road for miles and miles at altitudes of 5,000 to 6,000 feet.

Shortly after passing the vicinity of Lake Davis to the east, a scene that would repeat itself over and over for the next three days entered my view. The lush pine forest was replaced by swaths of black, charred trees, stripped of all foliage, without visible signs of life.

Seemingly endless pine forest stretching on both sides of the forest dirt road

Later research revealed that the area the route directed me through was heavily impacted by devastating wildfires in recent years. Most notably, the Dixie Fire (2021), the Fly Fire (2021), and the Claremont Fire (2020). Despite some signs of regrowth, the blackened trees were a stark reminder of the fire’s destruction and would accompany me for long stretches of the route.

Blackened, charred trees for a good third of the route

Signs of regrowth of vegetation on ground level

Streams were flowing in a sea of burnt trees

After reaching the first high point at 6,500 feet only about two hours into the ride – and needing to get off the bike and push to overcome the 10%+ gradient, I puttered along through this scenery into the early afternoon, following dirt roads carved into the eastern flank of Grizzly Ridge. A swift descent through a narrow valley, with Little Grizzly Creek flowing at the bottom, took me way down in elevation and back onto pavement.

Not long after, I introduced myself to a friendly camp host family and checked into Taylorsville Community Campground around 5pm in what felt like 100-degree heat. As I was about to make dinner, a fellow bikepacker, Tom, rolled into the campground. He had followed my tracks and was also doing the Lost Sierra Loop, extending it to explore areas to the south. We swapped stories, and I learned he had completed the Tour Divide in 2021 in an impressive 28 days.

Great facilities at Taylorsville Campground

Taylor’s Market is a must-stop if they are open (which, sadly, they were not early Saturday morning)

I’d rather meet the biggest climb of the day first thing in the morning rather than late in the day. This was the case rolling out of Taylorsville on day two, climbing up steep China Grade Road and eventually reaching the top of Mount Hough at 7,221 feet. The view of snow-covered Lassen Peak in the distance and a crystal-clear lake below the summit was breathtaking and invited to linger for a bit. Tom caught up with me while preparing my lunch and disappeared down the trail after a brief chat.

Incredibly steep China Grade Road at the beginning of the second day

Junction at the saddle before the turn towards Mt Hough

Various outfitters shuttle mountain bikers up Mount Hough to ride the Mount Hough Trail back down towards Quincy. On the way up, Matt from Adventure Monkeys, bobbing down the forest road in his van after dropping off a group of bikers at the top, stopped for me and assured me that going down the trail was no problem on a heavy-laden mountain bike. “Oh yeah, it’s not technical at all, very flowy. I have taken ten-year-olds down the trail, so just make sure your brakes are working and your gear is tightly strapped, and you’ll be fine,” he said.

Snow-covered Lassen Peak from the top of Mount Hough

Crystal Lake just below Mt Hough summit

The ride down was exhilarating, fun, and ideally suited for a downhill chicken like me. My arms were burning when I reached the bottom and made my way into Quincy at 90 degrees Fahrenheit, combined with a hot breeze that made it feel like cycling in a pizza oven. I rested and restocked at the local Safeway with seemingly a half dozen Pacific Crest Trail backpacker enthusiasts.

An unexpected obstacle course on an unmaintained forest road awaited late on day 2

Having breakfast on day 3 next to the fast-flowing waters of the Feather River

Some more mileage had to be gained by the end of the day, so I hopped back on the horse, cruised down East Main Street, and found myself on a forest road not before long. Unfortunately, the road turned into an obstacle course of fallen trees. Labeled Cutler Meadow, the forest road turned from simple light overgrowth into toppled over after toppled over tree challenge. Moving the bike around the natural hurdles was impossible, so I had to lift the bike over a good two dozen trees over 1.6 miles, which took me about 1.5 hours.

With the area that followed, some of the forest roads seemed to have been slightly changed and rerouted during the reforestation efforts from the recent wildfires, which added an additional navigational challenge my slightly exhausted mind and body had to contend with. As daylight waned, I was eager to find a place to camp. A road not marked on the map took me down to Fells Flat, where I found a reasonably flat area next to Middle Fork Feather River to hunker down for the night.

A rare, almost-flat section on the third day on Little Long Valley Road

Pine trees, 100+ feet in height, at the final high point of the route

The final day mirrored the previous ones, with another steep climb towards Grizzly Ridge on the aptly named Little Long Valley Road in blistering heat. But every climb eventually ends, and the final highlight awaited after reaching the final pass at 6,740 feet: a smooth, swift, and fast seven-mile downhill on a wide forest road back to the car.