Trail Overview
Cline Buttes OHV Trail 45 Loop, a highly challenging motorcycle-only single-track marked with a formidable black diamond rating. The journey begins on an exceptionally tight and narrow dirt ribbon weaving through fragrant, low-hanging juniper trees and high-desert scrub. While the route occasionally opens up to offer a fantastic viewpoint of the distant snow-capped mountain peaks, the terrain quickly demands your absolute attention. This is a true hard-enduro style trail that dramatically drops deep into a ravine, presenting steep descents heavily littered with large rock obstacles. The climb out is equally punishing, featuring highly technical rock sections filled with jagged, embedded volcanic rock gardens and uneven ledge steps. If the relentless, first-gear crawling becomes too intense, there are convenient bail routes along the way that allow you to exit into another riding zone.
Difficulty
Earning a serious difficulty rating of 7 out of 10, this black diamond route is incredibly demanding and requires constant focus. Because the trail features steep ascents and descents combined with severe, technical rock sections, expect to spend almost the entire ride in first gear, utilizing serious clutch work. The narrow single track leaves very little room for error. To successfully navigate the large rock obstacles, you must maintain excellent balance and intentionally place your tires on the highest points of the stones. This technique preserves your machine's ground clearance and allows the suspension to absorb the harsh impacts. You will likely need to come to a complete stop multiple times to carefully crawl and maneuver over the hardest rock gardens and uneven steps. Consistent, precise momentum and exceptional clutch control are essential to conquer this rugged loop.
