Biking in the Inyos Can Take Your Breath Away

As we carried our bikes across a narrow rock ledge, falling stones echoed from the canyon below.

We were following an ancient mining trail along a strip of southeastern California’s Cerro Gordo Peak, and the steep slope beneath our perch fell away nearly a mile into the Owens Valley.

We had been pushing our mountain bikes over terrain too rough to ride. What had started as a Jeep road quickly degenerated into a sagebrush-and-cactus-choked patch.

The Inyos are desert mountains, with no flowing streams, few springs and little vegetation. Joshua trees dot the rocky slopes in lonely isolation. A few scattered ridgelines support tenacious stands of pinon pine and mountain mahogany, adding the only touch of green to an otherwise dry, dusty landscape.

Due west of the Inyos rise the high peaks of the Sierra Nevada. The two ranges run parallel for about 80 miles, separated by a scant 15 to 25 miles across the trench-like depths of the Owens Valley.

While checking out a topographic map of the Inyos some time ago, I came across the crest of the range that began at the ghost town of Cerro Gordo and ran north for about 15 miles at an average elevation of 9,000 feet. If it could be ridden with mountain bikes, it would surely be a haute route extraordinaire.

Only one way to find out.

Back at our narrow ledge, we decided to continue across the eroding slope and follow the old mining trail. The only alternative was to backtrack to a road we could see snaking far below.

The low road dropped at least 1,500 feet. We dismissed this option. The high trail at least remained level. Finally, we carried our bikes across the mountainside, hoping the old trail would eventually become rideable again.

We turned our attention to spectacular views across the valley to the Sierra and the table-flat floor of the Owens Valley, 5,000 feet below.

Eye-level across the void, the jagged crest of the Sierra climbed 10,000 feet in a single frozen wave of granite to its zenith at Mt. Whitney, the highest point in the continental United States, at 14,494 feet.

Our trail followed a disintegrating pipeline once used to supply spring water to the mining town of Cerro Gordo, where we’d begun our trek. Ahead, our trail at last joined a Jeep road. It was a wearying ride. Pedaling bikes fully loaded with camping gear and extra water was a workout at 9,000 feet in such thin air.

Once we gained the true crest of the range, the road leveled off and improved tremendously. We were now riding long stretches of several miles interrupted only occasionally by short, rocky sections where we had to dismount and walk our bikes.

Incredibly, the views grew more breathtaking. To the west, the sun shone across granite walls along a 60-mile stretch of the High Sierra. To the east, we gazed 8,000 feet to the salt-encrusted floor of the Saline Valley. Beyond the Saline, dark rows of dry desert mountain ranges rolled away into a blue haze across Nevada.

We set up camp on the summit of Peak 9,437 (few of the peaks are named in the seldom-visited Inyos), just as the sun dropped behind the Sierra. It commanded a 360-degree view.

The vegetation was sparse, and while we unpacked, a low moan quickly became a screaming gale across the bare summit. We built a small, U-shaped rock windbreak and laid out our sleeping bags.

The night was fierce, but dawn broke with an icy calm as we pedaled away on the last nine miles of the crest route, rounding a bend to face the summit of Mt. Whitney.

Back at Cerro Gordo, we agreed that the Inyo Crest was about as spectacular a route as we’d ever ridden. We also agreed that it was one of the most demanding. High altitude, up-and-down riding with full panniers is much more difficult than day-touring at lower elevations.

The route could have been ridden without gear, fast and light, in one long day, but camping out proved to be at least half the fun.

There are several less-taxing mountain bike routes in the Owens Valley. The Buttermilk area, just outside the town of Bishop on U.S. 395, offers dozens of dirt roads that wind through fantastically shaped granite boulders and spires at the foot of Mt. Tom and Mt. Humphreys.

A challenging four-wheel-drive track climbs from sagebrush desert all the way to Horton Lake, an alpine gem cupped in High Sierra granite at 10,000 feet. You can set up a base camp at your car just off one of the area’s many dirt roads, and ride out on day-trip explorations.

The Alabama Hills at the base of Mt. Whitney is another great spot. Just above the town of Lone Pine on U.S. 395, the Hill’s mazelike tangle of roads and “boulder forests” would take weeks to explore fully.

The views of Mt. Whitney on one side and the Inyos on the other are outstanding. The Hills are mostly administered by the Bureau of Land Management, so you can camp anywhere you like.

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Choosing the best time of year for a mountain bike tour of the Owens Valley depends on how high you’d like to ride.

The Inyo Crest is snowed-in for the winter. Generally by mid-March or April, temperatures will have moderated and most of the snow will be gone. Spring is a good time to ride the crest because remnant snow patches make reliable sources of water along what is an otherwise dry route.

The Crest and other high-elevation routes in the area are good choices for the hot summer months, too, when valley-bottom temperatures can soar into the 100s. You can ride through Inyo Crest, typically, through November.

The Alabama Hills and Buttermilk areas can be explored year-round. Both areas are sagebrush desert, and for the most part remain snow-free.

Each season has its own special appeal in this area. A spring tour will allow you to cruise through blooming cactus gardens while looking up at the still snow-covered High Sierra. Summer months are for those who like it hot and sunny. Fall offers warm days, cool nights and an impressive display of color as the valley cottonwood and aspen turn from green to gold.

The town of Lone Pine lies about 210 miles north of Los Angeles via California 14 and U.S. 395. Either way it’s about a four- to five-hour drive into the Owens Valley. If you’re headed for Bishop, stay on U.S. 395 past Lone Pine for 60 more miles.

Accommodations in Lone Pine include the Dow Villa Motel, which has a view of Mt. Whitney and a year-round outdoor hot spa (rates: $48 double/$42 single; toll-free (800) 824-9317), and the Frontier Best Western ($38 double/$34 single; (800) 528-1234).

Recommended restaurants: the Sportsman’s Cafe, 206 S. Main, and the Bonanza Family restaurant, 104 N. Main.

Bishop has dozens of motels, including the Best Western Westerner ($45 double/$40 single, (800) 356-3221), and Bishop Travel Lodge ($40-$47 double/$36 single, (800) 255-3050).

Try the Firehouse Grill at the northern end of town if you’re in the mood for an elegant dinner, or Jack’s Waffle Shop for good coffee shop fare.

For general information on the area, including weather updates, call the Interagency Visitor Center at (619) 876-4252. It’s a mile south of Lone Pine on U.S. 395, and is open every day.