FORT SAGE PINNACLES ADVENTURE - Hiking & Possible Off-Highway Vehicles

Our goal will be to hike to the Pinnacles, a rock formation in the Fort Sage Mountains which straddle the California-Nevada border north of Highway 395 near Doyle, CA. Getting there will involve several stages.

1. We will meet at the Raptor Trailhead at 10 a.m. in the Fort Sage OHV area. The Raptor Trailhead is approximately 5 miles North of Highway 395, and is one of three adjacent trailheads with nice restrooms, picnic tables and fire pits, but no available water. We can have coffee there and organize for the next stage. Those who have OHVs can unload them. See maps in the Photos section.

2. We will travel with OHVs or passenger vehicles on a well graded gravel road for about half a mile past the Raptor Trailhead to reach Indian Springs. Passenger vehicles will be parked there, which is as far as they can go. At that point, we will be about 4 miles one way from the Pinnacles. See the maps in the Photos section.

3. At Indian Springs, we will be about four trail miles from the Pinnacles. The trail is suitable for OHV vehicles, as well as hiking, for about two miles, and then transitions to a designated hiking trail for the last two miles. Those without OHV vehicles may wish to hike the whole four miles in to the Pinnacles if they prefer, or might at their own risk hitch a ride with an OHV with passenger capacity for the first two miles. Those with OHVs will park them at the 2 mile point, which happens to be near the site of the "Mushroom Rock" which is a hundred or so yards north of the trail, see the Photos Section. OHVs will park just off the trail in the general vicinity of the Mushroom Rock.

4. From the vicinity of the Mushroom Rock where the OHVs are parked two miles in, everyone will hike the remaining two miles to the Pinnacles, checking them out, and then returning as they came, ultimately gathering again at the Raptor Trailhead.

5. At the Raptor Trailhead, those who wish can have a campfire, smores, picnic dinner, sharing and pot luck style as they wish. Then home!

The Fort Sage Mountains are noted for a network of interesting OHV trails, but less known are the parts that lack designated trails and have intriguing features accessible by hiking.

https://www.blm.gov/visit/fort-sage-highway-vehicle-area

https://www.blm.gov/sites/blm.gov/files/documents/files/public-room-california-fort-sage-ohv-area-map-and-guide.pdf

Cell service in the area is normally good, so we can keep in touch.

Look for our group Flag, a Yellow ATV Flag with a Smiley Face, see photos section below.

The Fort Sage Mountains are a land of mysteries. In addition to the mystery of the origin of the mushroom rock in the feature photo, there is the mystery of the fort bearing the name of "Fort Sage":

https://tipurdy.org/fort-sage/

Description from the first BLM link above: "The Fort Sage Mountains are located east of the managed Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) area trails and are often utilized by hunters, hikers, horseback riders, rock climbers, and wildlife photographers. Visitors are attracted to the area because of its many unusual weathered granite boulders, volcanic outcrops, expansive desert vistas and good opportunities for viewing wildlife and wild horses."

To Bring: Plenty of water, snacks, picnic supplies, warm layered clothing, some firewood if desired. If you have an off road or dual sport motorcycle, MTB, eMTB, ATV, or Side by Side, there are good opportunities for such rigs. But the main roads to the mentioned Trailheads, and to Indian Springs are suitable, with care, for most any passenger vehicle. Use of vehicles by operators and their passengers is solely at their own risk, and not the responsibility of any organizer. Helmets are required for OHV riders per area regs.

LEGAL: Each person who RSVP's "Yes", and/or attends or participates in this posted meetup event, agrees unconditionally to the following by virtue of such RSVP, attendance or participation, without further assent:

1. No organizer or host shall owe any legal duty, or have any financial liability or obligation, or any duty to warn to any member, participant, guest or attendee regarding anything relating to any posting, person, risk, or event.
2. Each member, participant, guest or attendee, and not any host or organizer, shall be solely responsible to determine all aspects of the safety of any event, the safety of any area where any event take place, and the suitability of the event and area for the participant in question in all respects including experience level, expertise, physical condition, and medical condition.
3. The organizers and hosts profess no expertise in first aid, in medical care, in emergency rescue or procedures, and shall have no obligation to render any aid of any kind to any participant, although they may without further obligation or liability render any such aid.