Do Any of You Ride at Rowher Flat?

[Rogue]

I often do and know nearly all the trails. However I am almost always alone there. Is it just because I ride on weekdays and work Sundays? Do you like such technical rides? Anyone want to meet there?

 

[EM rider]

I've never ridden at Rowher Flat and have been curious about the riding conditions there for some time. It seems to be the closest riding area to my home and I'm sure I'll get there in the near future. Is it a good riding area, or just a place to ride that is close to LA? Right now I'm out of commission due to injury and a new baby, but in a month or so I'd be interested in meeting for a ride there. I know a few other riders in the area that should also be interested in joining. If you'd be willing to guide us around that would be super.

 

[KiwiBird]

Rogue, I am moving to Santa Clarita and hopefully will be able to ride from my house to Rowher Flats. I'm hoping to ride there after work while it is still light and then I might get in to night riding in winter, does your XR have a headlight?

 

[Ol'89r]

Rogue, Kiwi. Where is Rowher Flats? All we need is an invitation and a guide.

 

[Rogue]

http://www.bokasmo.com/ohv/california/rowherflt/index.html Is the website for Rowher. It has a lot of hills, most on a 2000 mountain. There is about 60 miles of trails and a open area. Also 3 stageing areas each with a restroom. Most of the trails have lots of tight turns. On top of the mt. it is a little cooler. A "Forest Adventure Pass" is needed for your truck. You can legally ride from Rowher to Hungry Valley on a dirt bike! Two places, one about 2 miles long thru a town, you can ride on the pavement to connect trails. :cool: I do not ride at night, however about any other time is good for me. Let me know if y'all want ta ride. Here is my e-mail: MarkLaura@mediaone.net:)

 

[endoquest]

Rohwer used to be called "Texas Canyon", there are some outstanding technical trails there. About twelve years ago my brother Cornfed and I would crash ourselves silly trying to go up the "downhill only" trails. It's a great place to test suspension for rocks and g-outs, not to mention just going out for a quick rip in the afternoon. One day I witnessed one of the most awesome crashes I've ever seen. Some idiot was out there riding an XR350 with nothing but an open faced, no-visor helmet and tennis shoes (I think they were converse Allstars- the canvas type). At one of the gnarly downhills, he began to get out of control at the top of a rock face that finished off with a couple hundred yards of television-sized boulders. His feet came off the pedals almost immediately and from there on the only thing checking his speed was the bike hitting things. It began about a hundred feet above me and ended 200 feet below me when he finally let go of the hangers, from that point the bike went another 200 feet, cartwheeling quite nicely, almost like a well trained gymnast. I ran down to see if he was still alive, he was. Happy trails!
P.S. Kiwi, I'm jealous

 

[NVR FNSH]

I rode there a couple of times when I lived in Long Beach. I prefer Gorman but you can't beat the closeness of Rowher flats. There are some fun ridge line trails but Gorman (the forest, not Hungry Valley) are better IMO.

Brian

 

[KiwiBird]

Rogue, have you ridden from Rowher Flats to Hungry Valley? I would be very interested in that ride.

 

[Rogue]

Kiwi: I am sorry for not being aroun to answer your question. From what I have read you are a much, much better rider than me. Rather than bore you with a slow tour it might be better if you were to ride with someone more in your class. All the info you could need can be had at the Texas Canyon ranger station. It is on Bouquet Canyon, on the right. You cannot miss it. The route is mostly dirt road. Good views and much cooler( often 4 to 5 thousand feet). It is also a good place for for sportbike type riding with a dirtbike. As for Rowher Flat, I do alright there and can show you hills that I have failed at and you probably will fail at too.(although not as bad as me:confused: )

 

[Dirty Dave]

Originally posted by Rogue
Kiwi: From what I have read you are a much, much better rider than me. Rather than bore you with a slow tour it might be better if you were to ride with someone more in your class. : )

Rogueman, in the military(USAF) they had a saying:"You'll never learn to lead if you've never learned to follow"... After riding with KIWI at the Reno DRN spodefest, I can attest to his being an expert at both:cool:
Set up the ride...

 

[KiwiBird]

Rogue - don't sweat the skill thing, I enjoy riding any pace. I drove up Bouquet and saw the Ranger station, and just past it, a road leading up to the east from Bouquet - do you think that goes to Rowher or do we need to be further up the canyon? I guess I'll ask at the station.

My room mate and I went out of our house today to try and figure out how to get to Rowher Flats (we are west of Bouquet Canyon) but gave it up as it was too hot and the pool was calling. We kept getting on to trails that were very soft and we'd loose momentum on the turns. We'll be doing more exploring there during the week.

 

[placelast]

Originally posted by Kiwi Bird
Rogue - don't sweat the skill thing, I enjoy riding any pace. I drove up Bouquet and saw the Ranger station, and just past it, a road leading up to the east from Bouquet - do you think that goes to Rowher or do we need to be further up the canyon? I guess I'll ask at the station.

My room mate and I went out of our house today to try and figure out how to get to Rowher Flats (we are west of Bouquet Canyon) but gave it up as it was too hot and the pool was calling. We kept getting on to trails that were very soft and we'd loose momentum on the turns. We'll be doing more exploring there during the week.

Kiwi: the turnoff to Rowher is off of Sierra Hwy. as you are going north east out of Canyon Country, 2.9 mi. past where it intersects Vasquez Canyon Rd. The access road is paved for 1 mile in, then graded dirt 2 more miles to the 1st staging area. Take an Adventure pass; they check the bike over, too, but only during the w/e.

It's definitely has your kind of riding; a few launch-over-the-stair-step, pick-up-bike-and-repeat radiator-boils-over type of climbing (Thank & Spank?), along with the smoother, more common trails.

There are three staging areas, one mini track and several types of trails, from graded roads to the aforementioned stair steps & much in between. One trail goes trough "Texas Canyon", as stream bed lined with oak trees - beautiful. They do trial events there. One of the trails goes to the north: up and over the ridge, then down into Bouquet Creek; it's part of the trail to Gorman (we've done ~10 miles of it; most of it is graded, so I'm told.)

Any Angeles NF office should have a map of Rowher, along with the trail leading to Gorman.

 

[ktmboy]

The rangers at Green Valley did not have maps. I would love to get my hands on one. Kiwi, if you find one, let me know where you got it, as I work in that area. Thanks!

 

[Rogue]

This week I am free on Teusday and Friday. I know the Rowher Flats area pretty well. E-mail me or call 818-951-8178 and we will go. I have done the Rowher to Gorman trip a time or two, and Rowher to Action. I think Staying near Rowher is most fun.

 

[KiwiBird]

I've been to Rowher by the Sierra Highway entrance but want to ride from my house and hook up from the Bouquet Canyon side.

Today is out as I have to organize the garage so we can fit all the bikes in and still work in there. Friday after work is a maybe.

 

[Rogue]

I know the Bouquet entrance. In hot weather it is better since you can park in shade.

 

[endoquest]

Hey Kiwi, did I mention that this was the first place I ever rode a CR500? I think it was '93, Cornfed and I still had our XR500s but an '89 CR came up and I bought it (sold the XR for more than I bought it for). This was just a month or so before I met you at Jawbone. We had only scratched the surface of professional lunacy at that point and, yes, I admit I was the PERFECT VICTIM. The stock CR boingers were horrid at "Texas Canyon" but, OH!, that instant hit! Besides, I didn't know any better! I flipped that thing over so many times. At one point I gashed my forearm and it bled onto the "blood red" frame, I thought that was kind of cool 'cause it was the same color. Shortly after that, Cornfed saw the light and bought a KX500, just to be "different", you know, the twin thing and all. Good times, for sure. Get the killer loop going and I'll fly down, thrash Alco's 450 and then fly back as if nothing ever happened. Cheers

 

[Rogue]

I had a good ride at Rowher today. Since my rear tire is about shot I only clumb to the top of the mt. and then switched to dirt roads tath led to the edge of the Mojave near Palmdale. Saw several deer and roadrunners. Practiced slideing the rear. Great views!:D

 

[EM rider]

Ride tomorrow?

I need a break from the ugly events of the past two weeks and am taking a day off to ride up at Rhower tomorrow (Friday the 28th). Anyone out there interested/able to join me? I'm flexible on time.

 

[Rogue]

E M Rider, sory I missed your post. I was riding on the high roads from Gorman to Lake Hughes. If it had hot been so hot I would have been at Rowher.

 

[ghunter]

I wanna' go!

Hello all, I recently moved to Santa Clarita as well and ride the Drinkwater --> Rowher trails every few weekends when my 2 kids will let me ride without them. Drinkwater Flats is on the left side of Bouquet where Rowher is on the right, assuming you are heading toward the Ranger Station from town.

The Drinkwater entrance is only about 3 miles from my garage, and all the riders in the 'hood just take their bikes down San Francisquito Canyon to get to Drinkwater. While not as many acres in total as Rowher, you can do a fast loop from the beginning of Drinkwater, cross Bouquet Cyn, and to the top of Rowher in about 4 hours, roundtrip. It's a great experience filled with plenty of fast fire roads, technical hills, some single-track, and lots of great views.

I actually prefer the Drinkwater side as there are fewer riders (there's only one staging area) and due to the terrain it lends itself to more experienced riders who normally display better trail etiquette.

Never been all the way to Gorman or even to Palmdale from Rowher but I'd love to follow someone who knows the way. Let's go!

Gregg

 

[Rogue]

Today, Wedensday, I was at the Drinkwater entrance and it was closed! I suppose because of the fire. Almost any day I am up for a ride in the Rowher/Drinkwater area. Let me know when and the odds are I can and will make it. By the way, how do you like the climb from Drinkwater to Del Sur ridge? I get a real kick out of it. I think at least the main trail up will be closed soon since that is where the fire crews stopped the fire. On Teusday I rode past a lot of them still working on the burned area.