2018 Early Winter - 4 Day Ride S. OR & N. CA

[redfjniner]

2018 Early Winter 4 Day Ride S. OR & N. CA
 
For a number of years I have hoped for 4 days of sunshine in the winter time to take a ride to Northern California. November to end of February that is. Doesn't happen that often, but I just logged a 4 Day Ride Nov 7-11, 2018.
 
I live in Vancouver, WA and the ride can go any where from K Falls to Crescent City East West, to get to the great roads between Sierra Mountains and the Coast in California. It really doesn't matter which of these roads are taken, they are all fun. The ride through Oregon is okay and can be sparked up if you get off I-5, but I-5 isn't that bad South of Eugene as it is mountainous all the way to Redding. Down the Oregon coast is great.
 
Day 1, Vanc. WA to Mt. Shasta, CA: This ride started out taking I-5 to Mt. Shasta, with side diversions to Lorain and Elkton, but after passing through Wilsonville I ran into stopped traffic. It took 1:45 hour to travel 6 miles to Ehler Rd exit. I exited and took side roads through the valley and got back on I-5 off Portland Rd. in Salem. That loss of time would put me in Mt. Shasta after sunset. When the sun goes down, so does the temperatures. Temperature ranged between 42-52 the whole day. This was okay as I didn't need to remove any clothing because I was too hot. Pretty much just turned up the heat or lowered the heat on my liner and the grips. I had installed mitts the night before. Did 396 miles.
 

 
Day 2, Mt. Shasta to Nevada City, CA: This day was a little more interesting riding through high country. I got off I-5 and headed for Greenville on CA 89. It was 30 degrees in Mt. Shasta that morning, got cooler climbing up in elevation on CA 89 and then got down to 24 degrees when dropping elevation into mountain valleys, or along rivers. The passes tended to be a couple degrees warmer. This is a very pleasant ride, through forested and high grassing lands. Twisties here and there, but nothing to write home about. I stopped in Greenville to gas up and they did not have power so they couldn't pump gas. I was informed that PGE turned the power off in the area due to a major fire near Paradise that started that same day and was growing exponentially as I waited for them to get up and running with the emergency generator and reloading the computer. It took an hour and half before I could get gas. Again, I wouldn't be getting to my destination, Nevada City until dark. I went on to Quincy and took Bucks Lake Mtn. Rd., which had a 6 mile gravel detour because the road was washed out. Had this detour in June too. On the detour I could see the fire over by Paradise. At that time it wasn't nearly as big as it got later that day. Bucks Lake-Orville Rd. is one of my favorites, but today there was lots of debris on the road from the 50mph winds earlier and the detour. When you can't power through the corners because there might be a large branch around the bend, you're not focused on the line-lean-power-brake etc. but on not hitting something. As I got nearer the bottom, closer to Lake Oroville Res. The debris was missing and I could wick it up. Normally that is a 56 mile ride with some of the best twisty road you can find. I got a good 30 miles out of it. I experienced 73 degrees around Smartville but it was down to 54 degrees just 20 miles up the road in Nevada City. I got dinner at the grocery store across the street from the Nevada City Inn and turned in early. 294 miles.
 

 
Day 3, Nev. City to Yreka, CA: Day started out reasonably warm at 46 degrees and got a little cooler and warmer but not 24. I headed out of town on CA 49, passed a couple cars and three motorcycles and pretty much had the road to my self. This road is really enjoyable when there isn't any traffic in front of you. A mix of corners from 15-35mph suggested, almost continuous for 20 miles or so. Got gas in Downieville and continued to enjoy the road to myself all the way to my turn off onto Gold Lake Hwy. Around 60 miles total of excellent road with lots of twisties. It doesn't stop being fantastic and is another favorite for me. The highlight of this whole ride was this jaunt up 49. I lunched in Chester and had reasonably smooth sailing on excellent pavement all the way to when I turned off on a bumpy ride cutting across back country from CA 36 to CA 44, riding on Lanes Valley Rd and Wildcat Rd. There are a few nice twisty sections with okay pavement, so it worth riding this short cut to CA 44. Turned off CA 44 onto Old Oregon Trail, which took me to I-5 North of Redding. Stopped for the night in Yreka, Motel 6 and dinner at Black Bear Diner. 341 miles.
 

 
Day 4, Yreka to Vancouver: This was the coldest day of all. 28 degrees in Yreka, and going North got down to 23 degrees. Never got over 51 degrees and that was in Vancouver. Highlight today was the alternative routes to I-5: First was OR 227 from Trail to Canyonville, by way of Tiller. Fun road around 50 miles long with some really good twisties and only adds 3 miles to the trip. Second was the Territory Hwy from Drain to Halsey adding 7 miles and some more good twisty sections. 391 miles.
 
The new Pilot Roads PR-5's were excellent. The speedometer read almost exactly the same speed as my GPS. ½ the time it was same, so it must be about only ½ mph off. The odometer turn ove to 72,000 on this trip. Total miles was 1422. My chain is just starting to have a couple stiff links, at 22,750. That's the best performance of three before. Time to put on the new EK Gold chain.
 
 

[koth442]

Wow, that's some serious riding very nice!! You could spend so much time enjoying all the glorious roads around Nevada City / Quincy and beyond.

[betoney]

Ken, I am SOOO jealous, even though I rode that area on 2 different trips this summer. You had the cold and I had the heat, Redding and Red Bluff and surrounding areas were 110 - 113 degrees!!
 
That whole area is FANTASTIC and never disappoints, I am already planning another 6 day trip back down there in late Spring going further South, - Sonora/Monitor Pass area.
 
I hate to see the reports of the wildfires in that area, we were in Whiskeytown and Weaverville just days before the Carr Fire and we rode through CA70 where the Camp Fire is currently burning.

[keithu]

Interesting ride, especially given the tragedy now unfolding around Paradise.
 
I haven't ridden Bucks Lake Road in almost 15 years, I need to get back down there.
 
Wilsonville is always a mess these days, and I-5 in general from Portland to Eugene. It might almost be faster to just take US-97 south.

[fr8dog]

Sweet ride!! Haven't been up North yet.  Waited too long again this year.
 
 

[maximo]

Just now seeing this ride report (I worked the Camp Fire incident and was on duty 30+ days in a row). I live at the lower end of this ride, and take these roads with some frequency. There's a lot of good riding to be had.  We're hoping to have Bucks Lake Rd patched up this year or next. Crossing fingers, that side route is kind of challenging on a bike.