NorCal Coast Tour Route Feedback

[Stephen]

Hey All,

This week I've been fantasizing about a tour route from Eureka to SF that follows the PCH but avoids riding on it as much as possible (within reason). So I've been playing around in rwgps and Gaia Gps maps to make some route drafts, trying to stay close to the coast but choosing alternate roads and dirt roads as much as possible to avoid traffic. 

For the beginning of the route I used part of a Lost Coast tour route that ends and begins in Eureka. As for the end, I've done a fair bit of riding in Marin and have familiarity with the roads and trails up to Sir Francis Drake Road. Will probably make two different route endings, one for east bay and one for SF. (the route draft I have now is for eastbay) 

I was wondering if anyone on the list had experience in the other areas up the coast, or has done a similar ride, or been on any of the roads I've routed or had recommendations? Sometimes you see a road on a map and in reality its private access or washed away. Would appreciate any thoughts or feedback or anybody who wants to nerd out on maps and routemaking.

Playing with the idea of riding this on my appaloosa in April.

ROUTES:

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45561107

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45561484

Let me know if theres trouble accessing those.

Thanks!

[Andrew Letton]

Hi Stephen,

Looks like a great ride!

I grew up in the Lost Coast area (Whale Gulch), so your first route goes right through my home turf.

One thing that I find suspicious is that RWGPS seems to show some paved road between Four Corners and Dutchman's Flat, and I don't believe that's true. The Usal Road is pretty remote and depending on the time of year, not well maintained. I believe the county only maintains it during summer months, so in winter it is sometimes unpassable in a car. That shouldn't stop a bicycle, but you may find areas pretty rutted. YMMV! I've ridden it only once, in summer, and my problem was not bringing enough water, so plan accordingly. It's only about 26 miles, but as you can see from RWGPS, it's a pretty intense 26 miles! Don't let that scare you off, just be prepared. You will be rewarded by some spectacular country.  You can probably fill water bottles at the Whale Gulch School, just before you get to Four Corners. After Four Corners, you'll be heading off into truly unpopulated areas and are unlikely to find much water. (Filter what you do find!) Oh, and if it is dust season (June-Sep), you may want to have a bandana around your neck, ready to pull up over your mouth/nose for when cars (very occasionally) pass. Ah, I just saw that you're thinking of April, so dust will not likely be an issue, but rain may be; you'll be riding through one of the wettest regions in the whole state! ;-)  https://www.eldoradoweather.com/calprecip-full-size.html

Have a great ride, and I look forward to your ride report...

cheers,

Andrew, from Whale Gulch; now in Sydney

(Image from Google Street View at Four Corners)

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/b85ef52c-9455-42b7-9303-d53ffdb8067dn%40googlegroups.com.

[Stephen]

Thanks for the input Andrew! 

What a place to grow up! I've been up along the Usal Road to camp once before and I remember it being pretty rugged.. Don't mind a little extra dirt. I am curious just how wet it will be up thataways, and if itll be so muddy as to be problematic. Hard to say I guess, April is apparently the tail end of the rainy season. I always think of california as such a dry place I kind of forget that this whole route is basically riding through a rain forest.

[Andrew Letton]

Hi Stephen,

Yes, when one sees the "Golden rollin' hills of California" in the summertime, it is hard to remember the North Coast rainforests! The hotter it gets inland, the foggier the coastline. It can be 100F thirty miles inland and a foggy 58F on the coast in July.

As for mud, the dirt in the Lost Coast region is pretty rocky and drains well, so aside from low areas where rain washed silt (that fine dust of the summer) may accumulate, mud probably won't be a big issue. I've certainly never experienced the peanut-butter-mud that I've heard of in other areas.

cheers,

Andrew in 31C=88F Sydney, wishing for some North Coast fog!

https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/a2d7946f-4bc9-4a15-9fd2-0c9341318555n%40googlegroups.com

.

[Zac]

Hi Stephen,

I did this years ago and had a blast, despite one full day of rain on our way to Leggett, which also coincided with stretches along Hwy 101. People have different comfort levels regarding riding with traffic, but if—and when!—I do this trip again I would probably look for side routes along that stretch, say, between Garberville and Leggett; and maybe around Fort Bragg, unless folks there have changed their attitude towards bike touring since I last rode through. Other than those areas, I have fond memories of weaving down Hwy 1 with barely a soul in sight for miles and miles. So I would stick to the coast mostly, as in your second itinerary. Also, in my experience, many of the roads that head inland in that area are significant climbs, have little to no shoulder and lots of twists and turns that some drivers like to race through. 

You're gonna love it.

[Drurad (Sacramento)]

My cousin and I did Eugene to SF a few years ago.  Eugene is nice because you can take the amtrak there with your bike to start the tour.  We bought the Adventure Cycling Maps.  $30 well spent.  The maps provide a number of quiet side roads that keep you off the freeway as much as possible, and they also include detailed information about bike shops, food, and hiker/biker camps along the way.  Here is the link:

https://www.adventurecycling.org/cyclosource-store/route-maps/?p:current=7

You may need Pacific Coast #2 and #3.  I may be able to dig around and find my old maps, but mine may be out of date. 

-Andrew

[Stephen]

Thanks for the input Zac and Drurad!

I forgot to list that those routes are part 1/2 and part 2/2. My intention would be to skip 101 entirely on the Lost coast detour. Also, part of my intention in all of my reroutes that parallel hwy 1 were partly to make the route a little more of a 'dirt tour.' The elevation change does look wild on the rwgps plot but the nice thing is you can always detour back onto hwy 1 if it isnt working out or gets too tough. 

Drurad, thanks for the recommendation on the maps and starting in Eugene. The motivation for making this route was that I have a friend living in Eureka that I'd like to visit before starting a new job in the bay. If I end up doing it I'd take the greyhound up there directly. I'll look into those maps. The info on shops, foods, and camps sounds quite helpful and I am partial to having a physical map when I can.

-stephen