Pipestone Homestake conditions

**panchosdad** · 05-04-2021, 09:29 AM

Anybody got any recent trail beta on this area? Got any ride recommendations? We're thinking of getting up there for the next couple of days, weather looks good until Friday.

**rideit** · 05-04-2021, 09:53 AM

Brandon Campisi just spent the weekend up there, everything looked dry from pics.
That’s all I got!

**concretejungle** · 05-04-2021, 10:20 AM

I’ve been bouldering out there all winter and the last time I was there around a month ago it was dry. I’d assume that still applies but I’m not certain.

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**panchosdad** · 05-04-2021, 10:47 AM

Originally Posted by concretejungle

I’ve been bouldering out there all winter and the last time I was there around a month ago it was dry. I’d assume that still applies but I’m not certain.

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Thanks for that. Is that in the Pipestone area north of I-90, or Pipestone pass on Rte 2? I get a little confused.

**concretejungle** · 05-04-2021, 10:51 AM

North is where I’ve been but South should be ok. I’ve been out around Toll Mountain Road, but not recently, and it has been dry out there.

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**muted reborn** · 05-04-2021, 12:21 PM

Is Pipestone a destination now for out of town bikers?

A moto friend took me there in the 90's and and i rode two spring seasons in a row there and saw one other MTB track. he told me not to tell anyone because he was afraid his trails would get shut down if MTBers come. I told everyone I could in Bozeman because why not share some fun trails and I thought he was paranoid. It's a long story, but he was right in the end, sorry Kevin. Anyways....crazy to hear people are traveling from out of town to go there. But I haven't been there in a loooong time.

**livefreerdie** · 05-04-2021, 05:22 PM

It's dry right now. The more rain the better to knock down dust. Everything there is fun to go downhill, but some of the sandy, torn up trails suck to climb. I shuttled roughly this loop clockwise last weekend:
https://www.trailforks.com/ridelog/planner/view/215813/
If you can catch a ride to the top of SuicideCabin/Doublebarrel it would be even better. I assume its a little early for Nez Perce trail, but maybe it's OK. I assume some good riding south of the highway too, with snow at the higher parts of the CDT

EDIT: Also make sure to check out ringing rocks. Accessible by high clearance car or just ride from the west.

**panchosdad** · 05-07-2021, 08:12 PM

Originally Posted by muted reborn

Is Pipestone a destination now for out of town bikers?

A moto friend took me there in the 90's and and i rode two spring seasons in a row there and saw one other MTB track. he told me not to tell anyone because he was afraid his trails would get shut down if MTBers come. I told everyone I could in Bozeman because why not share some fun trails and I thought he was paranoid. It's a long story, but he was right in the end, sorry Kevin. Anyways....crazy to hear people are traveling from out of town to go there. But I haven't been there in a loooong time.

It's been in the Montana Singletrack Guidebook for years.

So we ended up riding the Beaver Pond loop, Thompson Park, and the CDT from Homestake Pass North and South of I90. Great trails all, some cut out some not so much. Cleared 15-20 trees off Homestake N., so it's good to go for about 4.5 miles. Occasional snow patches, but zero mud, that soil drains amazingly. Camped at Pipestone OHV but didn't end up riding there. Copper City was super fun too.

**hick** · 05-08-2021, 05:33 PM

Originally Posted by muted reborn

Is Pipestone a destination now for out of town bikers?

A moto friend took me there in the 90's and and i rode two spring seasons in a row there and saw one other MTB track. he told me not to tell anyone because he was afraid his trails would get shut down if MTBers come. I told everyone I could in Bozeman because why not share some fun trails and I thought he was paranoid. It's a long story, but he was right in the end, sorry Kevin. Anyways....crazy to hear people are traveling from out of town to go there. But I haven't been there in a loooong time.

Always listen to Miller time.

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**muted reborn** · 05-08-2021, 09:21 PM

Originally Posted by hick

Always listen to Miller time.

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Ha. After all these years I finally get confirmation that you know that I post here, and yeah often I'm posting like a moron.

**stuckathuntermtn** · 05-09-2021, 12:08 PM

Originally Posted by muted reborn

Is Pipestone a destination now for out of town bikers?

A moto friend took me there in the 90's and and i rode two spring seasons in a row there and saw one other MTB track. he told me not to tell anyone because he was afraid his trails would get shut down if MTBers come. I told everyone I could in Bozeman because why not share some fun trails and I thought he was paranoid. It's a long story, but he was right in the end, sorry Kevin. Anyways....crazy to hear people are traveling from out of town to go there. But I haven't been there in a loooong time.

They shut moto down in Pipestone? The one off i90? That seems kinda lame.
I've ridden beaver ponds. It's nice. Surprised it's dry already. Stupid global warming.

**rideit** · 05-09-2021, 12:46 PM

As usual, I think you read that wrong.

**panchosdad** · 05-09-2021, 01:36 PM

They certainly have not shut Pipestone to motos.

I'm hard pressed to think of single example of a place where the rise in popularity of mountain biking has resulted in closure of access to motorized use.

**muted reborn** · 05-09-2021, 02:03 PM

I remember 15 or more years ago they started kicking off motos on some of those trails but still allowing mountain bikes on them. These were all trails motos built. Certainly motos are allowed in the area still. I don’t remember specifics on what trails changed and certainly it’s vastly different from how it was 1995-ish.

If this is not true at all I’m done with posting my ‘back in the day’ stories as clearly my memory is shot and someone nuked the remains of my brains from orbit.

**lifelinksplit** · 05-09-2021, 02:21 PM

Originally Posted by panchosdad

They certainly have not shut Pipestone to motos.

I'm hard pressed to think of single example of a place where the rise in popularity of mountain biking has resulted in closure of access to motorized use.

While rise in mtb popularity prob wasnt the single cause of it, there are quite a few now very popular rides(emerald, blackmore etc) that got shut down to motos when they reworked the gallatin NF travel plan awhile back.

Also you guys weren't passing through the gravel bar last Friday by chance before the rain moved in?

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**panchosdad** · 05-09-2021, 04:08 PM

Originally Posted by lifelinksplit

While rise in mtb popularity prob wasnt the single cause of it, there are quite a few now very popular rides(emerald, blackmore etc) that got shut down to motos when they reworked the gallatin NF travel plan awhile back.

Also you guys weren't passing through the gravel bar last Friday by chance before the rain moved in?

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Good to know, I just couldn't think of any.

Hit the Gravel Bar in the middle of that down pour. Had to ford a 5' wide river to get to the sidewalk. Crazy storm, super cool lightning show as we were driving toward Ennis.

**lifelinksplit** · 05-09-2021, 05:00 PM

Gotcha. I had just got done fishing and was waiting out the rain with beer and queso. It was a cool lightning show.

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**Bunion 2020** · 05-10-2021, 06:33 AM

Originally Posted by lifelinksplit

While rise in mtb popularity prob wasnt the single cause of it, there are quite a few now very popular rides(emerald, blackmore etc) that got shut down to motos when they reworked the gallatin NF travel plan awhile back.

Also you guys weren't passing through the gravel bar last Friday by chance before the rain moved in?

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Emerald Lake is still open to Motos on the same days as Mtn bikes although I won't ride it much anymore cause it is so fucked up from all the Moto traffic.