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Omo Ranch Road

senpai71

senpai71

Professional troublemaker
Joined
Feb 23, 2016
Location
San Francisco
Moto(s)
2015 Kawasaki Versys 1000LT, 2000 Triumph Sprint ST, 2008 BMW K1200GT
Name
Rory
Anyone got any experience of Omo Ranch Road (North of Hwy 88, joining it at Cook's Station)?

I nearly took it today, but had no idea if a) it was open (still a bit of snow up at altitude); and b) it's suitable for a big touring bike with road tires (no knobbles)...

Not sure if I should have posted this question in the CA Roads thread or whether that's just for people to post good roads to ride .
 
Omo Ranch Road is paved throughout it's entirety.
It might be a bit 'goatie', but any bike can go through.
As far as snow, I think it should be fine. Monitor Pass was open 2 weeks ago and it's way higher than Cook's Station. It might still have some post winter debris to watch for, though.

Now, North South Road might be a little more of an adventure for a big touring bike.

Mark
 
Yeah, I saw Monitor Pass was open and wanted to take a quick side-trip over to 395, but since Ebbett's (Hwy 4) is still closed, it would have been a LONG side-trip - Meyers to Markleeville and over Monitor to 395 and back to Meyers...

Hwy 88 was free, clear, empty and gorgeous. Not even too chilly at the top. Lots of CHP though - thankfully lots of trucks/cars flashed their lights to warn me.
 
I rode Omo Ranch Rd a few times when I lived in Folsom, along with Shake Ridge and Fiddletown. I liked all of them.

You need to change your mindset about roads like this. If you're thinking "I wonder where that goes?", or "I wonder if that's an interesting road?", just go check it out. Nearly all of them have been interesting to me.

The only one up there that I can't recommend is Mormon Emigrant Trail off of Highway 88. That one is too straight and boring.
 
Although, Mormon Immigrant Trail is a great way to make time and get to the high country before anyone else 😉

Mark
 
ScottRNelson said:
I rode Omo Ranch Rd a few times when I lived in Folsom, along with Shake Ridge and Fiddletown. I liked all of them.

You need to change your mindset about roads like this. If you're thinking "I wonder where that goes?", or "I wonder if that's an interesting road?", just go check it out. Nearly all of them have been interesting to me.

The only one up there that I can't recommend is Mormon Emigrant Trail off of Highway 88. That one is too straight and boring.
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Oh I know where Omo Ranch goes... But with 600 lbs of BMW under me, I'd rather find out in advance if it's just a fire road for 30 miles...

More than willing to try new roads (and have done so), but I've also been caught out on the wrong bike for the 'road'...
 
senpai71 said:
Oh I know where Omo Ranch goes... But with 600 lbs of BMW under me, I'd rather find out in advance if it's just a fire road for 30 miles...
Click to expand...
There are NO fire roads through that area. Having both an Adventure Bike and a Dual Sport, I would have found them. I searched all over the Sierras within about 100 miles of Folsom and never once found a road that went from pavement to dirt. Here in Idaho that happens all the time, but they're quite rare in the California hills. There are a few between Kings Canyon and Yosemite, though.
 
I was on Ono Ranch one, maybe two hundred years ago. A small group of us did the loop over Yosemite, up 395 then back down via 88 at a "brisk" pace of KFG riders. My Spidey sense (and then Valentine 1) started going off then pegged at about MET and sure enough, just as we came over a rise there was CHP coming at us.

After a moment's hesitation, we all gassed it knowing he'd have to slow/stop/J turn and get going again- we'd have a mile's gap by then. Everyone was boogying down towards Pioneer, but Steve and I thought that was a mistake. Seemed all the OTHER CHP would be coming from there, so we hung the right turn on Omo since we were out of site of the CHP behind us. Every man for themselves as they say. We went several miles and found a little diner/restaurant looking place and found room to park behind it. Gear off, in we went and had some grub and killed an hour.

We worked our way out, coming out in/near Plymouth I think. A few calls later we discovered the rest of the group did get pulled over, but they'd dialed back quite a bit. Stern talking to, lots of yes sirs/no sirs and after 30 minutes they were back on their way- ticket free except one guy had expired reg. Good times.
 
When going to Tahoe, I normally ride Plymouth -> Fiddletown Road -> Shake Ridge Road -> Hwy 88. Now I'm thinking I should try Omo Ranch Road as an alternate - especially since my K1200GT won't have problems - I can do goaty stuff, but I'd hesitate to take it on serious gravel roads. Which this isn't, so...yay!
 
Well, I took Omo (thanks for the advice, everyone!) and...it was ok. A few sharp corners that sneak up on you if you're being a bit frisky, and some sizeable potholes, but nothing bad at all.

However, I prefer Fiddletown/Shake Ridge - maybe I just know it so well now!
 
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