27 hours in NorCal

[ninja_o]

what a fun trip Ralph
loved the pics specially that sunset is a calendar pic

[Girl O' Flight]

Always love your RR's Mr Pongo! This one is no exception! It sure did look cold up in Lassen.
Wow! And it's July! I finally got to see some of those giant redwoods on the Girly Ride. We went
down Ave of the Giants too! It is so beautiful and peaceful in there!!! SIGH!!
Enjoyed your story and pics very much! Great job!

[bigbull1]

great ride photo I will pass on dinner ! thank you for the ride

[MYF16]

I recommend the following refinement of this route, which I have taken twice this summer. Maybe one of you saw me.

Start at Willows 1 hour before sunset. Head west on CA 162, then the fabulous Forest Highway 7 to the end of the pavement. On FH7 you will see more deer than vehicles.

Go back to County Road 306, north to Newville Rd, east to Black Butte Rd, north to Corning Rd, east to I-5, north to Red Bluff. Get fuel so you don't have to do that in the morning.

Here's a geologist's view of this evening loop out of Willows: http://science.kqed.org/quest/2012/0...-creek-valley/

I stay overnight at the M motel for $41 or so. They have a nice pool and mini-refrigerators in the rooms. The cafe across the road opens at 5:30 AM and had a $4 breakfast special for M motel guests.

Here's the most important part, which is also the hardest part: Get on the road by dawn. Last time I did this and had Highway 36 completely free of westbound traffic for the first 98 miles. I didn't stop, and I was moving briskly. There simply was nobody else up that early. Except a cow and her calf, who were the only other occupants of my lane for those 98 miles.

Incidentally, the traffic that forced me to slow down after 98 miles was two heavy motorcycles moving slowly on the one-lane section. Those guys took several minutes before getting into single file and pulling to the right side of the road so I could pass. I'm not sure why the slow bikers are reluctant to let sports cars pass while sport bikers are as courteous as could be once they realize that I really can move faster than them on a winding road. Although there was that one KTM rider who astonished me and left me in the dust on Del Puerto Canyon Road.

At Alton get fuel if necessary. If you're willing to suffer some bumpy pavement in exchange for 2 hours of outstanding scenery, turn south on 101 about 15 miles to the unlabeled exit for Bull Creek Flats Rd west. After about 3 miles stop at the Big Trees area and walk 1/4 mile to the Giant Tree. There's a nice half-mile loop trail if you don't get lost in the forest. See http://www.redwoodhikes.com/humboldt/Big%20Tree.html

Back on the road, continue west over the hill to Honeydew on the Mattole River. Turn right after crossing the wooden deck bridge. Continue north over the hill, along the shore, and over another hill to Ferndale. Last time I had to stop along the shore while a herd of 200 cattle was driven across the road. It's quite remote.

You should reach Fortuna by noon, or by 10 AM if you wimped out and skipped the Mattole Road loop. Take a break, then return on Highway 36 to Red Bluff. Total trip time from Willows back to Red Bluff is about 24 hours.

The best weekend for this run is during Fortuna's annual Auto Expo (redwoodautoxpo.com) in late July, when you will see hundreds of classic cars and a few very old motorcycles.