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Here is one more reason for mountain bikers to torture themselves to ascent the rocky Tomichi Creek Rd. It is not just Tomichi Pass anymore. A single track leaves the Tomichi Pass Road before reaching the top, and leads up the ridge to the south. It goes higher than any of the mining road passes in the area. On the other side of all that walking waits a monumentally long downhill, all on single track.

1.(mile00.0,8930ft)START-END EAST1: jct Tomichi Creek Rd - Old Monarch Pass Rd, north of Sargents 2.(mile03.1,9280ft)jct with single track trail on left 3.(mile09.4,11200ft)profile turns left onto Canyon Creek Trail 4.(mile11.6,12580ft)TOP: Canyon Creek Trail s(u) 5.(mile16.9,10170ft)jct with road, but profile continues on single track towards east 6.(mile22.6,9280ft)START-END EAST2: same as point 2

Approaches

From East.The profile follows Tomichi Creek Rd up to within half a mile of Tomichi Pass. That page contains a more excruciating description of how rocky that jeep road is.

With the top of the pass well in sight, a trail sign, some distance from the road shows the start of Canyon Ridge Trail. The next portion of the trip does not get any easier. The bike has to be pushed, heaved, maybe carried, occasionally ridden by those who think it's worth it for a couple of yards. But this is also the scenically most exciting part of the trip. Tomichi Pass, Hancock Pass, Williams Pass, and other side spurs to mines can all be seen, like lines on a map from above.The top of the trail is also the top of Granite Mountain 12598ft.

From West. (described downwards). The trail follows along the ridge line of this rounded mountain, and then traverses along a giant bowl of Tundra. At the end of the traverse there are two trail junctions in close proximity. One climbs a little and then also descends to the Tomichi Creek Rd, while the option shown here continues west.

The signed Canyon Creek Trail crosses a secondary ridge, that joins the main ridge at about the same elevation, and traverses along another big bowl down to treeline. But there are many more miles of single track left. The trail seems to be well used, judging from all the tire tracks and the rideability.

After about 5 miles, there is a junction with a road. But the road climbs away from the creek, while the trail continues to follow it. Another trail junction after 3 miles allows access over more trails to points north.