July 1 - 3 Cali Ride

[A DRAGON]

Sorry for being so late Green Machine. I'm in. 

Doing 36 tothe coast is kinda Kool too.  Did it with a friend a few years back. It was really different.  Just really wanna make sure i do hwy 1. Weaverville is always Excellant.

I hear some one wanting to carry gas. I agree with GReenmachine. Don't need the weight. Theirs always a gas station near by. Unless your riding an old Superhawk. If your packing 4+ gallons your good to go.   

[GreenMachine]

  No whining!

By what he wrote, I'm gathering that the three of us will be rolling into Red Bluff around 11:00 AM, fueling and riding to Fortuna via hwy 36, which is about the only way and the most direct way to get there.   He mentioned riding the Lost Coast Highway, which according to Humbolt County is this loop.  Ride up to Fortuna, get more fuel, hop up to Ferndale and over to the coast.

There's also a slightly different path to an area south of this and probably covering a much nicer road, but also to a place less desolate, here.

[GreenMachine]

Whoa!  Dragon's in too!   

I have a four day weekend for the 4th, so I'm not going to sweat the details too much.  Could do this as a 1, 2 or 3 night ride.  Oh man, I'm going to go through some film for sure!!!

[dub]

By what he wrote, I'm gathering that the three of us will be rolling into Red Bluff around 11:00 AM, fueling and riding to Fortuna via hwy 36, which is about the only way and the most direct way to get there.   He mentioned riding the Lost Coast Highway, which according to Humbolt County is this loop.  Ride up to Fortuna, get more fuel, hop up to Ferndale and over to the coast.

There's also a slightly different path to an area south of this and probably covering a much nicer road, but also to a place less desolate, here.

GM, Mattole road is your worst nightmare. If I remember correctly I mentioned riding it during OoBII but you immediately vetoed. Have you forgotten about it's reputation or have you changed your tune?

Here's a recent ride report from BARF:

I just rode the Lost coast this weekend from Honeydew to Ferndale as a day trip from the Redwood Run. You want a road report? Well if you can call it a road in places. It was basically 60 miles of potholes - sometimes you had to choose which one you were going to bottom out on because the others were big enough to swallow your bike. The southern end from Petrolia to Honeydew is a lot worse than the northern end from Cape Mendocino to Ferndale. There's also places where gravel replaces the road, where the road slumps and crowns, and general mayhem. You won't be going faster than 35 if you're smart, and some of the dope growing locals in pickups don't seem too kind about sharing the narrow sections but on a moto that's usually not a problem. All in all it's goaty with a capital 'G' but nice scenery if you're not in a hurry. It took us 3.5 hours in fog, rain, sun, and overcast and we only passed two bikes the whole trip - it's definitely out in the middle of nowhere.

From this thread: http://bayarearidersforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=514762

[GreenMachine]

Up until today I always thought the Lost Coast Highway was literally just the potholed road that comes off the north end of Ave of the Giants.  From what I can tell of 211 in Ferndale, it doesn't look too too bad.  Certainly not the crap storm Dragon, SparkyGixxer and I road once several years back.  We ended up just hanging out in the redwoods, which added nicely to that epic Solstice ride trip.

Be glad you didn't also beat into my thick skull that the IB ride was going to take me 2 hours shy of 24 to accomplish.  I probably wouldn't have risked being so stupid.

[Vegasrider]

Well, I'm carrying fuel, no big deal on my Multi.  What about lunch in Red Bluff? Not too concerned about the road report along the lost coast but that's going to be on Sunday, heading down to the bay area.  I can ride in just about any road condition and most of the time these riders blow it out of proportion.  Most are expecting track like conditions and start freaking out whenever they see gravel or pot holes.  I'm use to riding forest roads. 

And yes, I always reserve a room at my destination, I very rarely wing it, especially over the holidays.

[GreenMachine]

We could use a fourth rider to even things up.

[dub]

We could use a fourth rider to even things up.

But....?

1. Vegasrider
2. Wade68
3. GM
4. rg500nut

[GreenMachine]

5) A Dragon

[rg500nut]

I was just saying, what aboutthe Dragon?  he makes five........

[rg500nut]

Dragon, Give RG a call............

[GreenMachine]

So this looks like the plan for the older more experienced rider bunch.     We can coordinate with Vr and Wade whatever the two groups want to do and where to go and when. 

Saturday, there will be four riders leaving Reno at 7:00 AM.  RG will be overnighting in Red Bluff on Friday.  We'll have lunch there as a group and ride hwy 36 together.  After that, we may split for the second half of the day as far as riding and nightlife goes.  Sunday ride together as a group for the Lost Coast Highway portion and wing it from there.

The older group is going to do a three day, two night ride.  First night we're staying at the Blue Lake Casino on hwy 299, instead of Fortuna, this way we can either experiment with what the Ferndale Lost Cost Highway looks like or just ride north of Hoopa and celebrate in the evening (my first choice).  There are two micro-breweries within a 13 miles of each other with excellent food and night life.

Sunday morning, we'll meet up with Vr and Wade68 at the Casino they're staying at, a 34 mile ride south from where we are, for doing as much of the Lost Coast Highway as we can tolerate...hopefully do the whole road either doing Lost Coast as planned or bank those miles so we can shoot Leggett twice.  Hop on hwy 101 heading south.  Hopefully we won't be on a tight schedule because I'd like to ride the Avenue of the Giants down to Garberville, which meanders along 101, but much prettier.  Lunch will hopefully be in Fort Bragg and hopefully at North Coast Brewing company (which has been closed every single time I've been through Fort Bragg ) and if not, we can use the seafood restaurant in the harbor as a really good alternative.

I'll be good on my curve quote by then, so if we go down the coast or inland, won't matter to me.

The old guys will plan on overnighting in the Willits or on the shore of Clear Lake, literally, on Sunday night and where we ride thereafter is up to the group.  I believe Vr and Wade will probably split off from us in Fort Bragg or ealier, but at least we'll have ridden for quite some distance together.

On Monday morning, I'll ride back NE to Red Bluff with RG and I believe A Dragon will ride SE to explore some roads around Lake Berryessa on his way home to Reno.

Sound good.  Questions?  Comments?

[dub]

Oh now I understand, I forgot about Jerome, you meant a 4th for the breakaway group.

[dub]

Lunch will hopefully be in Fort Bragg and hopefully at North Coast Brewing company

SCRIMSHAW

[GreenMachine]

Lunch will hopefully be in Fort Bragg and hopefully at North Coast Brewing company

SCRIMSHAW

I should rethink that then.  We'll never get Dragon out of there.