This trail's destination is purely and simply Van Patten Lake. The brook trout fishing is excellent, cliff diving exhilarating, backcountry skiing fantastic, and scenery is rugged alpine--and the trail is fun to ride too. VPL is short enough for a family hike yet remote enough for a backpacking overnight experience that feels remote. By bike, it is a moderately steep but consistent climb up a road and then some steep singletrack that is challenging and fun to descend.
The Little Alps Ski Area used to be here before the operation was moved higher up the hill to Anthony Lakes. The lodge is still present, which serves as a work station for the plow crew that keeps the road open in the winter. Ideally, the old ski runs can be cut out again for a more compelling fall-line descent from the old trailhead to the new one. It would make for some really fun downhill rides with that one could loop by climbing the road. The old ski runs are still somewhat discernible and probably wouldn't be to hard to establish as downhill bike paths.
Normally I wouldn't think of featuring a trail as an out and back but there really is no other way to do this trail unless you have a badass very high clearance vehicle to get you up to the old trailhead. Even then you would be creeping so slow, I bet a fast mountain biker could beat you there. It wouldn't even be fair if the bike was racing you down. While people still do drive to the old trailhead, it is very rutted and difficult so most everyone parks at the new trailhead just off of the paved road up to Anthony Lakes. The trail is marked clearly with signage from the road.
