Cerro Gordo! (Swansea Cerro Gordo Trail)
This is a moderate to aggressive 33 mile off-road trail that starts just past the town of Keeler, on the East side of Owens Lake (roughly opposite Lone Pine and Mt. Whitney) and winds its way up through some narrow canyons, forest, and along a mountain ridge. There is an old salt line trestle along the ridge that is a great place to stop for lunch. The trail then winds further North along the White Mountains to the old silver mining ghost town of Cerro Gordo. There, you will find a caretaker who can show you around and even offer a room for the night in one of 2 historic inns. From Cerro, it's a simple gravel road back down the mountain to state road 190, and then to I-395. Could be done as a longer day run or an overnight, staying in Cerro, or in one of the towns such as Lone Pine or Ridgecrest.
I did this about 6 weeks ago and we had an absolute BLAST doing it. With the recent snow, it's probably worth waiting a few weeks, since the upper parts of the trail can be impassable at times. A stock X could probably make it, but a lift and skids will help with the first portion (steep rocky climbs). Recovery gear (front & rear points) and solid tires, are definitely recommended. Lockers are nice to have, but I did this trail in a nearly stock Jeep Liberty (1.5" lift & A/T shoes) and had an absolute blast. Another guy in our group had a Lexus on nearly bald tires and he made it without needing to get pulled out. I'm really keen to take the X once it's lifted (parts on order...)
Any interest around April or May timeframe? I can check trail conditions ahead of time since I am close by. Should be improving as we trend toward spring.
