Sierra Sidewinder 2026 - Ride to El Dorado [CA]

Friday, August 28

Meet up in Mariposa, then north on 49 through Little Dragon, to 108 at Sonora and east on 108 to overnight at Wildwood Inn in Twain Harte. All 21 rooms at the Inn are currently being held for COG. Call them at 209-586-2900 to book your room and be sure to tell them you're with COG - quoted rates of $140. They will hold the rooms for COG until late July, then any unbooked rooms will be opened for other travelers. Dinner at El Jardin (Mexican) a short walk away. Gas is available about 5 miles either side of the Inn on Hwy 108. 

Ice House Reservoir

Union Vally Reservoir 

Saturday, August 29

Breakfast at Sportsman Coffee Shop adjacent to the Inn, then KSU and NE on 108 over Sonora Pass to north on 395 through Walker, west on 89 over Monitor Pass and SW on 4 over Ebbetts Pass. Turn north at Avery on Sheep Ranch Road to Railroad Flat Road to West Point on Hwy 88. Lunch will be at Gibson's Roadhouse Cafe in Pioneer. From there we're looking at some narrow-road options. We'll do some pre-ride scouting of Forest Roads, all paved but promising a bit more adventure than the major routes. Either way, there will be some tight corners and epic views before we join Hwy 50 at Pollock Pines. Overnight at Westhaven Inn in Pollock Pines. The Inn is holding all their rooms for COG, with room rates of $110. If you call to book your room at 530-644-7800, tell them you're with COG. Also, shoot Dan Breeden a note at danbreeden@icloud.com so he has a record of your room reservation. The Inn is prioritizing Dan's reservation list over calls to the Inn (Inn's preference, not ours). Dinner nearby at The Forester - German fare - which is 4 miles down the road. Several gas stations are near the Inn. 

Sunday, August 30

Breakfast at Sportsman's Hall, then more forest roads today as we head west on 50 to Riverton, then north on Forest Roads potentially past Ice House and Union Valley Reservoirs. Details will be worked out ahead of the ride, but the preliminary route will take us past Stumpy Meadows Lake to Georgetown, then south to Placerville and civilization. Lunch at Poor Red's BBQ in El Dorado. Homeward from there. 

Registration & Fees 

There is no registration fee, but we're asking everyone to register online so we have an idea of how many people are coming.  

Questions & Additional Information

Please check the COG Forums for additional announcements and conversations. 

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