Distance: 14.6 mi. out and back
Elevation gain: 2225 ft
Kaiser Pass is not my favorite ride in the area. In fact, I’d say it’s only pretty good. But when I was preparing to ride in the area, everyone I talked to said it was the premiere ride east of Fresno. So, because it’s likely that you’ll hear the same, I’m going to describe it so you know what you’re getting into.
Kaiser Pass Road is a 7.3-mile climb from the east end of Huntington Lake to the summit. Its consummate virtue, in this area, is that it isn’t burned. The maps of the Creek Fire show it burning all around Huntington Lake, and in fact the south shore is largely burned once you get away from the shoreline, but KPR itself is entirely, sweetly lined with healthy conifers. Still, the bulk of the ride I find slightly monotonous Green Wall riding. On the return, the descent is long, straight, and fast, so if you like such things this might be the ride for you.
Start at the intersection of Hwy 168 and Kaiser Pass Rd. The climbing begins immediately—if you want to warm up, the 6 miles of Huntington Lake Rd. along the north shore are easy rollers and totally pleasant riding.
Tthe first 5 miles of KPS I find tedious—Unvaried moderate climbing on a big, wide, relatively straight road without distinguishing feature or variety. About 2 miles from the summit, the road completely changes character—from big to small, from straight to meandering, from an unvaried pitch to up and down, from smooth road surface to sketchy. The landscape improves, because you get above the green wall and start seeing some nice granite. Now you’re IN the Sierra instead of riding past it. I like those last 2 miles a lot. Near the end of the ride there are some nice vistas looking westward over the terrain you’ve just traversed, all unburned forest.
The pass itself is easy to miss. There is a false summit and some signs for turn-offs to Badger Flat just before it, but there is no signage at the summit itself—only two outhouses, a dirt parking area, and a slight downhill to the east. Of course Kaiser Pass Rd. continues on, but the road surface becomes even sketchier (see Adding Miles below).
Once back to the wide, smooth road, the return ride is that sort of thing you may love and I don’t: a 35-45 mph rocket-sled descent without much to do except sit there, in a straight line or on the occasional curve so gentle it might as well be straight. The road surface consists mostly of those little vertical grooves cut into the pavement to aid car traction in the snow, and it’s just disruptive enough to be a slight flea in the ear.
Shortening the ride: Depending on your taste, you might prefer the first 5 miles or the second 2.
Adding miles: As I mentioned, the miles along the north shore of Huntington Lake (Huntington Lake Rd.) are a pleasant, pretty way to add 12 miles (out and back), with some classic, unpretentious Sierra mountain lake resorts along the route. Fire damage is nil until the very west end.
You can continue riding east past the Pass. The road runs for c. 17 more miles, mostly moderate descending, and becomes rougher and smaller, until it’s little more than a track. It takes you to Mono Hot Springs, a locale of considerable interest, and then on to Edison Lake, where it dead-ends just past the Vermilion Valley Resort, which offers you the possibility of overnighting before the ride out. I hear good things about it. Streetview will let you preview almost the entire route.
You can continue riding west from our starting point, but both alternatives have their drawbacks, Hwy 168 has some nice contour but can be very trafficky (especially on weekends), and Big Creek Rd. (discussed at length in the Million Dollar Road ride) is a dauntingly steep descent.