Makakoff Diggins

[superjocko]

I took a ride up to Malakoff Diggins this past Saturday. I got a rear flat a few more miles up the road. Luckily, my brother-in-law and another friend don’t live too far away so they drove up and got me. All the more reason to put my new tires and heavy duty tubes on the bike. I know better but pressed my luck. I’ll start carrying some more tools and a patch kit so I won’t need to bother them next time.

[superjocko]

Some pictures.

[J4Fun]

Memories from the pictures you posted are great. Do you still get there from Uren st off of 49 I believe. Do you drive through some homes then down the twisties across the river and back up to the diggens? What about N. Bloomfield is that still there? That area was our favorite haunt back in the early, mid 70’s. I’ll bet it’s changed a lot since then. Back then anywhere you wanted to camp no problem, there was hardly anyone around. Big time memories for me I’ll tell you. Thanks!

[superjocko]

Originally Posted by J4Fun

Memories from the pictures you posted are great. Do you still get there from Uren st off of 49 I believe. Do you drive through some homes then down the twisties across the river and back up to the diggens? What about N. Bloomfield is that still there? That area was our favorite haunt back in the early, mid 70’s. I’ll bet it’s changed a lot since then. Back then anywhere you wanted to camp no problem, there was hardly anyone around. Big time memories for me I’ll tell you. Thanks!

You're welcome! I'm glad it brought back memories. I took Coyote street right off of hwy 49, then North Bloomfield road (although N. Bloomfield changes names a few times along the route). It's paved all the way to the bridge, then graded dirt in good condition on to the actual state park of the diggins. The road is paved again on the other side of the park. I was up on Graniteville road, just about due north of the town of Washington when I got the flat. In fact, here's a picture looking down the canyon into Washington from where I waited for my brother-in-law and my buddy to come pick me up. There was a Toyota pickup that had long ago gone off the road upside down in the brush right at that spot also.

It probably hasn't changed as much as you might think up there. Yeah, there are more people, but it's still really peaceful and has a whole different feel than being in town. The old mining history is alive and well and it's mostly still pretty self-reliant types of people that live out around there. Yeah, you get some of the hippy / weed culture types too, but that's been that way out there for as long as I can remember. Everyone I've ever come across has been friendly.

[J4Fun]

I remember the town of Washington was a motorcycle hangout back then and from there heading east, first dirt roads then to a two lane road to lake Spaulding? My friend had a 68 Datsun pickup and I had a 71 Ford courier, both two wheel drive. No wonder we never got a speeding ticket. Both trucks had camper shells! Those were the days! Just 4 fun I’m here in Cedar Key, FL remembering that area

[2LZ]

Originally Posted by J4Fun

I remember the town of Washington was a motorcycle hangout back then and from there heading east, first dirt roads then to a two lane road to lake Spaulding? My friend had a 68 Datsun pickup and I had a 71 Ford courier, both two wheel drive. No wonder we never got a speeding ticket. Both trucks had camper shells! Those were the days! Just 4 fun I’m here in Cedar Key, FL remembering that area

Just had some buddies do a quadding trip to Washington on the weekend it totally dumped rain a couple weeks back. They spent most of their time in the hotel bar watching it get wet.

[superjocko]

Not a lot has changed other than there being a few more people and some of the roads being quite a bit better than back in the day. And yes, Lake Spaulding would be correct. It's off of Hwy 20. I bet you're enjoying the cost of living of living in FL compared to around here now. I'm going and revisiting some of these places that I remember from my younger days but haven't been to in a long time because I'll be retiring and moving to the south myself before too much longer. I'd like to have the places fairly close to home somewhat fresh in my memory before I do leave. Unfortunately, the politics here have ruined this once great state. The land itself is still beautiful but living here is becoming an undue burden. If it wasn't for the fact that I work for the state, I'd already be gone.

[IdahoRider]

The Sierra foothills and mountains are the thing I miss the most. I left Placer County almost 4 years ago and found lots of other great places to ride along with a lot of other freedoms you've forgotten you should still have! I tried a heavy duty tube on my KPX 250 but the wheel felt so dull riding so I took it out and put regular tube back in. The ride is so much better. I have yet to get a flat in over 10,000 miles on my KPX (knock on wood) but I always carry tools and extra tubes to be able to fix almost everything but a catastrophic failure.

[Zapkin]

beautiful pics!

[2LZ]

Just saw this! I had a bunch of family in the Grass Valley/Nevada City area when I was a kid and used to check that place out. One of my relatives was a "rock hound" and that was a favorite hunting spot for him.
Didn't realize you lived in Lincoln. If you ever make it up to the Jackson area, gimme a holler.

[superjocko]

Originally Posted by 2LZ

Just saw this! I had a bunch of family in the Grass Valley/Nevada City area when I was a kid and used to check that place out. One of my relatives was a "rock hound" and that was a favorite hunting spot for him.
Didn't realize you lived in Lincoln. If you ever make it up to the Jackson area, gimme a holler.

Will do! I'm sure my weekend travels will take that way some time before too long. We used to buy our Arctic Cat snowmobiles from Smalley's Sales and Service just outside of Pine Grove. I'm reasonably familiar with many of the backroads in the area and the town of Volcano. It's been ages been since I've been over that way. I could use a trip to refresh my memory.

[2LZ]

Originally Posted by superjocko

Will do! I'm sure my weekend travels will take that way some time before too long. We used to buy our Arctic Cat snowmobiles from Smalley's Sales and Service just outside of Pine Grove. I'm reasonably familiar with many of the backroads in the area and the town of Volcano. It's been ages been since I've been over that way. I could use a trip to refresh my memory.

The original Smalley's on 88 and Toyon Rd has been tore down. Guy Smalley moved up the road to the middle of Pine Grove doing all the lawn and garden equipment (Lawn tractors, chain saws, weedeaters, etc...). I've bought a bunch of stuff there. He sold it last year after the e-mandate.....but it still bears his name.
https://www.guyssaw.com/

[superjocko]

Originally Posted by 2LZ

The original Smalley's on 88 and Toyon Rd has been tore down. Guy Smalley moved up the road to the middle of Pine Grove doing all the lawn and garden equipment (Lawn tractors, chain saws, weedeaters, etc...). I've bought a bunch of stuff there. He sold it last year after the e-mandate.....but it still bears his name.
https://www.guyssaw.com/

Yup, I think Guy and his Dad, Ed, had some sort of falling out. It was right around the time that Guy opened up his saw shop. Bobby, Guy's younger brother, pretty much took over the snowmobile shop side of things then. That had to have been mid-'80s I think. My dad and Ed got along pretty well. My dad would trade work on Ed's road-going vehicles for snowmobile parts from time to time back in the mid-'70s when I was only about 9 or 10 years old. They'd get tired of me asking questions about things and send me off to putter around some of the trails close to there on the old (well, new then) Arctic Cat mini bikes. It was one of the last of the real family run snowmobile shops. I have a lot of good memories of staying there with the Smalleys when my dad did side work for them.