Chorro Grande trail off Pine Mountain north of Ojai?

[1000-Oaks]

Was camping up on Pine Mountain last weekend and saw the Chorro Grande trailhead, anyone ever ride it from Reyes Peak down? Didn't see any "no bikes" signs.

[Zark]

Ahh, I've always wanted to check that trail out. I think it part of a proposed widerness area, but not official yet ( i think) It is supposed to be rocky and technical and next to a clifside in spots. I'd love to check it out some time, if its still open that is.
Something like 4 miles long.

[1000-Oaks]

I'd be down for that this fall, after my knee is back up to speed!

[1000-Oaks]

Looks like MTB is okay:

http://activities.wildernet.com/pages/activity.cfm?actid=050701IO*53594hw&areaname=Ojai%20Ranger%20District&rectype=Aeronautical%20Sports&fromPage=rectype&startrecord=1&cu_id=157

[T-Dog]

Yep....it's open for bikes. I've ridden it from the highway up, then back down, or you can do it as a loop on the pavement. All the trails around Ojai are open for bikes unless in one of the wilderness areas. Directly across the highway from the Pine Mountain camp road is a fireroad with gate that's good too....Potrero Seco road. It will take you back to many other options.

[1000-Oaks]

Yeah, I want to check out that permit road sometime. Guess flood damage closed it past Potrero Seco campground, which sucks. Looks like it used to go back quite a ways.

[|S2|]

Chorro Grande is definitely open to bikes, although word has it that it will become wilderness (no bikes) if the Cal. heritage wilderness bill passes.
It's a fun trail, not super technical. A good option is to do it as a point to point. Start up on Pine Mt., go down Chorro Grande to Cherry creek fire road to Ortega trail (orv - rutted and loose rocks). You end up just above Wheeler campground, approximately a 20 mile ride.

[1000-Oaks]

How much uphill pedalling on the Ortega trail? Could you go all the way from Pine mountain to Wheeler on a heavy single-ring DH bike?

Also, will the land on either side of the Cherry Creek fireroad become wilderness if the bill passes? Hope not.

[|S2|]

Cherry creek is all up hill, not bad until the end when starts to get steeper. The Ortega trail has a few up hill sections not really steep, but it might be a drag on a single ring.
I'm not sure about the status of the Cherry creek area other than I believe it already borders a wilderness area on some sections. IMBA's site should have links to the maps regarding the proposed wilderness areas.

[1000-Oaks]

Yup, whipped out the topo software and checked it out. Plenty of climbing. Lots of wilderness along the side of the route, but the trail itself isn't wilderness.

[|S2|]

Rode the long version a couple of weeks ago. I'm glad I had a dual ring set up on my bullit for the climbs. It's really overgrown, but otherwise the trail is in excellent shape. It looks like hardly any motos are riding it. If you could get together half a dozen or more people with saws and lopers it would be a fun ride. All told 18 miles (12 mi. of singltrack) 1800' of climbing and 5700' of downhill.

[1000-Oaks]

It's really overgrown, but otherwise the trail is in excellent shape.

Chorro Grande or Ortega is overgrown?

[|S2|]

Chorro was a little overgrown through the oak camp area, but not bad. Ortega needs to be cut in a big way. It would be a much faster trail if you weren't busting through brush all the time.