Swansea-Cerro Gordo 4x4 trail WOW

[sourdough]

WOW,WOW,WOW! Great trail. I’ve been running trails in the guide to California Backroads & 4-wheel-Drive trails book. This one rivaled Colorado’s pass trails. If it had a water feature this trail would rival any of the High mountain Colorado trails I’ve run. High elevations, mining ruins, sweeping vistas, narrow single track ledge/shelf roads, it had a lot going on. Trail starts out at 3,600 ft. Owens Valley off Hwy 136 in Swansea and climbs up more than a mile to a ridge road between Saline Valley in Death valley and Owens Valley. There is plenty of 4Lo In this 13 mile climb to the 9,000 ft.+ top too. On the 9,000 ft. elev. 19 mile long ridge, Salt Tram road is where the vistas really happen. 4H is all that’s needed but there are many 1,000 ft. drop offs just a foot off the road so stay focused. Sweeping views into Owens Valley a mile below and across to snow capped Sierra Mountain peaks like Mt. Whitney to the west. Looking east Death Valley N.P. and the desolate Saline Valley 6,000 below. A stop at the 1913 Salt Tram ruins is amazing given when and where this was built. A 54 mile long cable hauled salt from remote Saline Valley up over the mountains to a rail line in Owens Valley from 1913 to 1941. While the Cerro Gordo mine and it’s many building are closed to the public(private land) it’s still something to see. I highly recommend this 5 hour trail and get the book too. Cheers.
I was so amazed looking I forgot to take many pictures but here’s a few...
Owens Valley from Salt Tram Rd. near Cerro Gordo mine

Saline Valley

Salt Trams main tower

East Saline Valley side

west Owens valley side

Looking east

Tenders cabin

poster info on Cabin wall

Many very good trails in this guide book

Owens Valley sand dunes off Hwy 190 was a nice quiet camp spot with Inyo Mountains and Cerro Gordo in the distant back ground.

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[Luntz]

Great looking trail, thanks for the nice write up and photos.

 

[Bandana]

Great write up! Did you end up running Mazourka Canyon as well? I ran Papoose Flats to Badger Flats and exited via Mazourka over the weekend. Holy shit, that was an amazing trail too. Nothing technical, but views for daaaayyyyyssssss. Top notch camping up at Papoose as well.

Next time I head out on the 168 I am thinking of an extended Harkless/Papoose/Eureka/Steel Pass/Saline Valley loop. That one's gonna have to wait for DV to open back up and for some cooler weather though.

Here's a pic descending into Badger Flats:

 

[sourdough]

Great write up! Did you end up running Mazourka Canyon as well? I ran Papoose Flats to Badger Flats and exited via Mazourka over the weekend. Holy shit, that was an amazing trail too. Nothing technical, but views for daaaayyyyyssssss. Top notch camping up at Papoose as well.

Next time I head out on the 168 I am thinking of an extended Harkless/Papoose/Eureka/Steel Pass/Saline Valley loop. That one's gonna have to wait for DV to open back up and for some cooler weather though.

Here's a pic descending into Badger Flats:

I did it Wedensday via Hwy. 168/D.V.Rd./9S15

 

[Bandana]

@sourdough looks like the Inyo range is quickly becoming a new favorite playground

 

[sourdough]

Have you done the Reward Mine east of Manzara? If not youtube search it.

 

[Ruri]

Have you done the Reward Mine east of Manzara? If not youtube search it.

The Reward Mine is a fun one. I did this in my Raptor last year; it was a tight fit through the mines but really fun.

 

[steverino]

That looks great. I just watch a video of a group doing that.
I am looking for. Some extra gas like what you. Have. Where is your spare.
I just bought the Arizona guide from the same guy you bought that from

 

[sourdough]

That looks great. I just watch a video of a group doing that.
I am looking for. Some extra gas like what you. Have. Where is your spare.
I just bought the Arizona guide from the same guy you bought that from

 

[steverino]

I knew it had to be somewhere....

 

[Clantongang4]

Great pictures, thanks for sharing. The Eastern Sierras have so much to offer.

 

[mikej]

The Reward Mine is a fun one. I did this in my Raptor last year; it was a tight fit through the mines but really fun.

I loved Reward Mine. Highly recommended if in the area.

 

[Ruri]

Not my JL but shows how tight it is

 

[JimLee]

They give tours of Cerro Gordo mine, you just have to go to their website and call in advance. When I first saw your pictures I was like "how did he get those off my camera", I've done this loop many times, one of my favorites. Once I had to back off about 1/2 mile of the shale shelf road just outside Cerro Gordo as there were 4 Jeeps coming the other way, that'll get your heart rate up.

 

[JimLee]

I loved Reward Mine. Highly recommended if in the area.

I'm avoiding this one for awhile, this area has become very seismically active. Since last summer we've had a 7.1, a 6.4, hundreds of 5+ and thousands of 3+ earthquakes. Imagine being in reward during a major earthquake...

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