Post by paulshiroma on Aug 21, 2021 1:49:13 GMT -5
Well, not exactly a last trip but Andrew moved into the dorms and starts college today.
A few weeks ago, he asked to go rockhounding so we made arrangements to visit the Clear Creek Management Area in the San Benito Mountains and overnight in Coalinga CA. This trip was special for me as I think he wanted to get in one last rockhounding trip with Dad before he starts classes. While there may be other trips, it was a special one.
For those of you who’ve not been to the CCMA, it’s pretty awesome location. I thought some logistics tips might be helpful if you plan to visit.
Where to Stay:
If you’re a camper, there are two excellent campgrounds with (actually clean) pit toilets: Oak Flat and Jade Mill Campgrounds. This is a great option. This is Oak Flat:
There were only two other parties there that weekend. One camping and another rockhound. The weather may have had something to do with it. It was a shade warm.
If you’re not camping (e.g. like me), then Coalinga is your best option. Just be prepared to make the drive as it’s about 39 miles each way from where we stayed - Best Western Plus 1786 Jayne Ave, Coalinga. There aren’t many other places to stay.
This Best Western hotel is relatively new - according to the front desk staff - it was built three years ago (as of the date of this post) and they did a nice job with the interior decorations and up keep. The lobby is beautiful and doubles as the breakfast area. Pleasantly, they were serving hot breakfasts. When we were in Bishop CA back in July 2021, everything was still pre-packaged muffins and such. This was a welcome change.
King and Sofa Sleeper room.
20210731_154640 by Paul Shiroma, on Flickr
Our room was a bit larger than normal, or at least it felt like it, and the decor was subdued and pleasant. Bathroom was nicely put together, water was hot, and there were enough towels. Beds and sofa sleeper were nice and firm, which I like, but I know mattresses are very subjective. The staff was also pleasant and very helpful. They really rounded out the experience. Overall, should we visit the area again, I would definitely use this hotel (https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g32227-d13511767-Reviews-Best_Western_Plus_Coalinga_Inn-Coalinga_California.html). I drove by the other hotels in Coalinga and I would not recommend any of them. They look like the kind you see on “The First 48” or “Cops”. A good option is Harris Ranch, just a few miles north on Highway Five but the price is a bit higher although it’s fancier.
If you stay in Coalinga, definitely try out Me & Ed’s pizza. It was really good.
The Drive in to the CCMA
So, if you decide to stay in Coalinga, it’s a really nice, if long, drive to the CCMA. Google Maps is correct on the time. The road is a two lane, winding road that follows the creek. Don’t speed as there is a lot of wildlife back there. Take your time and take some pictures, the scenery is beautiful. When you reach the Condon Peak Campground, continue west. Just a bit past the campground, you'll cross from Fresno County to San Benito County. The road changes names from Los Gatos Creek Road to Coalinga Road. It also goes from a well-maintained two-lane road to a sort-of-maintained-about-two-lane road. The road, more or less, follows the creek. Eventually, you'll reach the Clear Creek Road entrance to the Management area. Now, all the roads are dirt.
Here's a Google Map snip of the two campgrounds. The red circle next to Jade Mill is the locked entrance gate. More on that in a moment.
Cell service is non-existent back in the management area and it’s remote enough that you should make sure your vehicle is tanked up and ready to go. Bring food, water, etc., you know … all the usuals.
Permits:
The Bureau of Land Management requires access permits. For our purposes, it was one vehicle access permit (valid for seven days from the date of entry) and two individual access permits, one for each day (four total). From their website: “Each person requires a “Serpentine Area of Critical Environmental Concern” (ACEC) Permit: This free permit allows an individual to access the Serpentine ACEC within the Clear Creek Management Area for the duration of one day. Each person, regardless of age, entering the Serpentine ACEC is required to have a permit in their name and on their person. An individual is allowed a total of five permits per calendar year.” NOTE: You have to purchase one permit for each day you’re there. Andrew and I were there for two days so we needed two permits each. This permit also has the combination for the locked gate. The combination is changed each day.
Go here for the permits: www.recreation.gov/vehiclepermits/250848/registration. You’ll need a login for the site as well.
The first and second permits are what we purchased. The second one is the permit that is required per day per person. I made a mistake on that and had to order again so I’m being a bit anal-retentive and mentioning it multiple times. LOL.
Access:
As mentioned, there’s a locked gate, just past the Jade Mill Campground.
The ACEC permit will have the gate code, shown here. The code pictured is from early August so don’t try using it, LOL.
Gate and Combinations Locks:
The green guard covering the locks makes it a bit difficult to see the wheels. While I was fiddling with the lock another rockhound showed up. We had a nice chat before moving on. He was there for garnets in a specific location. Nice guy.
The location is beautiful. Here’s some pics…
Andrew, 2021:
Andrew, 2010 (Lavic Siding):
There is so much material there, it becomes a question of what NOT to take. For example, this one wouldn’t fit in the bucket:
… not for lack of trying … haha …
For what it’s worth, while the roads are maintained dirt, the grades can be rather steep. While my Forester had no issues, I’d hesitate to use a standard passenger car. I suspect most of us have some sort of off-road capable vehicle so this is probably a non-issue but I wanted to mention it.
We hauled back our finds after lunch and met a park ranger.
He was really great and had some additional intel for us (after checking for permits) which was helpful.
Here’s some early cuts:
We didn’t get very far in and needed to head out before lunch on Sunday. Much of where we ‘hunted, was directly in the creek bed just east of the Jade Mill Campground, shown here.
I’ve still got a lot of material to cut. That was a fun trip and I’m glad we made the time to do that one last trip together before his university career started. Thanks for checking out the thread.
Paul