A Cool Relief from the Summer Heat
California’s Bowman Lake Offers Riders a Chill Spot to Explore
Words & Photos: Betsy Fessler
Summertime is often a hard time to camp and use our UTVs. The temperature is blistery hot in many of our favorite ride spots. Also, summer is boating season for many UTV enthusiasts. But for those of us looking for opportunities to dust off our cars for a ride during the summer, the Sierra Mountains check all of the boxes.
One of our Meetup groups posted a ride that was not far from our home. The plan was to camp for a few nights in the Tahoe National Forest and ride in the Bowman Lake area of the Sierra Nevada. We had not been riding since the winter and riding season was still months away. We were excited about the opportunity to go.
We had other things going on that weekend, but we wanted to make it to the main ride on Saturday. The tires on our Can-Am were pretty worn after hundreds of crazy fun Arizona miles last winter, so we decided to fit it with a new set of rubber. We then removed all of the half-drunk bottles of water and many rocks I’d collected, charged the battery, washed it up, and drove it onto our open trailer.
Our gear is normally stowed in our RV and enclosed trailer, so we made sure not to forget anything. I made some sandwiches and stowed them in our fridge until morning. Lastly, I grabbed my tablet which was loaded with Gaia along with my camera and spare batteries. The next morning couldn’t have come soon enough. I was excited to be out exploring nature, taking photographs, and riding with people who I missed.
Morning came all too early. We got up and got ourselves ready. My husband fed the dog and made sure our shop was locked up as I grabbed our lunch box out of the fridge. Soon enough we were on the road. Our next stop was to gas the Can-Am and truck, grab some breakfast burritos from the convenience store, and then head out on Highway 80.
Our trip to our group’s camp spot remarkably only took an hour because we had little to go on. The Meetup description said, “The plan is to go from Highway 20 to Bowman Lake Road and go in until the pavement ends and find a spot.” Thank goodness for Google Maps!
To complicate things, there was no cell coverage once we exited the highway and drove into the woods. Despite all of that, we managed to find everyone. Better yet, we got there in time to reacquaint ourselves, offload our car, and get suited up without rushing.
The ride started promptly at 9 a.m. after a brief meeting. It was decided to use the drop and sweep method with no passing during our ride. I am a big fan of that method. To explain it, the only video I could find is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsZ_Y1Of0as. The explanation begins at minute 1.4.
That day a group of 8 UTVs of all sizes set out in the Sierras. There was an 800 cc Polaris and 1000 turbos. It was sunny and expected to be in the 80’s that day. It was forecast to be over 100 degrees where we all live.
From the beginning, I was taken by the beauty around us. All day we were surrounded by Jeffrey, Ponderosa and Sugar Pine forests. We also passed several meadows still flowering because of the abundant snow this area received last winter.
The trails were groomed forest roads well suited for riders of all levels. There were rocks in the trails, but only enough to make our ride bumpy, not difficult. The sun was shining through the trees, and our group’s dust made sun rays in the trees all day.
Our first stop didn’t seem like much. At first, I thought that our leader had made a wrong turn and that we were going to turn around. But he stopped and got out of his car, and told us that there was a hike there that was worth the trek. I suffer from FOMO (fear of missing out), so I grabbed my camera and eagerly followed along.
We hiked for about 10 minutes following a creek until the woods opened up. I felt like I had arrived on Fantasy Island! In front of us was a beautiful plunging waterfall that was an estimated 50 feet tall. Surrounded by impressive granite walls and lush greenery, we hiked the trails around and behind it while it misted and cooled us. My photos did it no justice. It was the highlight of my day.
We hiked back and got reseated into our cars for stops at several different lakes, including Tollhouse, Meadow, White Rock, Faucherie, Sawmill, and Bowman. I was amazed at how many people were camped at these lakes because they felt so remote. But all of those lakes are also accessible by passenger car via dirt roads, so they were all busy with people camping, fishing, kayaking, and paddleboarding. Despite all of the people, the lakes were all calm, quiet and clear. The lakes also reflected the beauty of the surrounding forest and still snow-tipped Sierra Nevada Mountains.
On our way back to camp, clouds began to surround us, and there was an unexpected rainstorm. It didn’t last long, but the drops were huge. We got wet. I made a mental note to keep rain gear in our box if we ever ride there again.
After returning to camp, we were all pretty dusty. We cleaned up a little and loaded our car. The group began preparing for a potluck dinner. They graciously invited us, but our dog was at home, so we couldn’t stay much longer. However, before we left, we all had a few minutes to debrief while our trail boss Jason broke out a small propane stove and fried lumpia for us. What a treat!
After our fill of lumpia, we said our goodbyes and hit the road for home. We were full from a day of camaraderie, nature, and an all-around good time to propel us into the following week.
Often we want to look for like-minded people we can ride with on an adventure to places that we have never explored. Or sometimes we are looking for someone who can host at a destination that they are familiar with and we are not. Meetup offers just that – off-road groups that you can join for little or no money.
Most of the people we have met through Meetup are friendly, safe and knowledgeable. I have hosted Meetups. I have also gone to Meetups that were planned by others. Both are very rewarding. If you’re interested in checking out the Meetup site, go to http://www.meetup.com. Maybe someday our paths will cross at a future Meetup!