Caw Ridge Questions

[rhmsg]

Hey everyone! Thanks for the acception to the forums!

I had some questions on Caw Ridge Grande Cache, I've looked through the forums and found quite a bit of info but some stuff I'm still missing

-From Hwy 40, onto beaver dam road, which is the preferred entrance? The one further north or the one further south?

- I drive a Tacoma with lift and whatnot and I consider it pretty capable, I've read something's online about Beaverdam Road being a big rough? My idea was to drive the bikes in until the bridge over Sheep Creek, camp the night somewhere here in a trailer, then ride the bikes the rest of the way? Is it possible to drive a vehicle down this road?

-I read someones kid did this on an XR70, My girlfriend has only been riding for 3 years, is this trail fairly intermediate?

Thanks for the help everyone that replies!

 

[ABMax24]

I guess I'm not sure what your refering to as the north or south entrance to the beaver dam road? Are you meaning the sheep creek road and the beaverdam road?

The beaverdam road, the one just a couple miles from the smoky bridge, is pretty rough. People do pull small RV trailers into the bridge over the creek in there, but you won't catch me doing that. Way easier to camp at the highway and ride in from there.

The sheep creek road is easier, it's maintained much better as an active oilfield road, but is gated to all highway vehicles at KM 13.

The beaverdam road isn't bad on a sxs, atv, or bike, just rough in a pickup. The trail up to caw ridge is rocky, the worst part is the sketchy log bridge across the creek not long after getting on the trail. Certainly something an intermediate rider could tackle though.

 

[rhmsg]

Sorry that was my bad, I thought beaver dam road did a loop all the way over, I didn't realize it was called something else, about how long does it take if we start Riding from the highway instead of towing in? I'm just trying to shorten the ride as much as possible for my girlfriend.

And yeah I saw the log bridge, easy enough for me to ride her bike across.

We did ruby falls last year on the bikes and that was too advanced for her, is Caw Ridge as rough as ruby falls?

 

[ABMax24]

The beaverdam road does connect to the sheep creek road and make a loop, you do have to cross a creek at the end of the beaverdam road though before rejoining the sheep creek road.

I've never done Ruby Falls so can't compare the 2. We have done Caw with group members on bikes before and they never had issues. The steeper parts of the trail are rocky from erosion, but going slow you'd make it

I'd say go for it, you certainly could camp at the sheep creek bridge, just beware it'll be a slow drive into there and as long as your only bringing a small trailer. The beaverdam road is a relatively easy ride on a bike or atv.

 

[rhmsg]

Okay cool, I think I'll go for it, do you have any other suggestions of routes you like?

I could also just drive the bikes in with the truck and leave the camper wherever we setup. That sounds like it might be the better option.

 

[ABMax24]

I like doing the Copton Fire Tower, but that's off the Sheep Creek road and the first mile or 2 of trail is very overgrown.

Caw Ridge in itself can be a full day. I have done both the Rudge and Tower before and it's a 180km round trip from the highway up the beaverdam to Caw, to the Copton Tower and back.

Beware your in Grizzly Bear Country up that way, never had issues up Caw, but everytime we do the fire tower tower there are large fresh grizzly tracks.

 

[rhmsg]

Noted to bring some spray with us, thanks for the heads up


We're there for 5 days so we will probably plan a couple days of riding and some hiking potentially.

That's quite the long distance, do you know how far by chance the trip to Caw and back is? From the highway that is

 

[teeroy]

I think it's just shy of 50 kms from the highway to Caw Ridge. It was probably my kid that you saw rode up there on an XR 70, year before that he did it on a Z 50R.

 

[rhmsg]

Okay cool, I'll probably have to find a way to carry some gas on my bike, ol' 2 stroke isn't the most fuel efficient out there...

Side note - good for him!

 

[Shredder]

Going up the Sheep Creek Road is a longer way for sure I operated up there for years and you would likely be lucky to get a trailer to km 8 on that road right now. I'd camp at the mine flats right off the Hwy by the river and just ride the couple kms to the Beaverdam Road. Then up ya go from there. I am at a plant on the Amerada Road now and haven't seen a bear yet; but just go off the phone with one of our guys on the Prairie Creek Road that has a set of grizzly tracks on that road this morning.