NE Cali/NW Nevada

[ericande]

Hello,

My friend and I are planning a trip from Seattle down to the LA area and back. The first 2/3 of the trip or so look pretty good, we're taking 101 most of the way with side trips on 299, 36 and a few others. Between Vegas and Reno we are taking 120 to 140, 49, 50. Past Reno I need help with some ideas to get back towards WA. I'd like stay around Eastern Cali or Western Nevada on the way back up and I've got some ideas for roads in OR depending on where we come out.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

[bosozoku]

When are you going?...the heat in a lot of your potential ride areas is a little too intense from early June until mid-September.

There's no point in putting you on a nice road that's hot enough to bake cookies on.

[kluts]

Originally Posted by ericande

Past Reno I need help with some ideas to get back towards WA. I'd like stay around Eastern Cali or Western Nevada on the way back up and I've got some ideas for roads in OR depending on where we come out.

Any suggestions? Thanks!

....49, 120,...50.....

Looks like you are coming up 395 to Yosemite, then over Tioga to 49, up 49 to 50 back to RNO.

May I recommend if it is not too hot, follow 95 up to Benton Hot Springs by White Mt., turn left towards Lee Vining on 120, find camping on the east side but at 7000+ ft. to be cooler (even COLD) at night .

49 and Sonora West of Yosemite can be 102 on a midsummerday from July 1 to Sept 1. Just follow your weather predictions. If it is like that, then once you come down from Yosemite on 120 turn right to Cherry Lake, cross north up to 108 and return to high country above TwainHarte. Rejoin 395 to Walker area.

From Walker you can choose to hit 89 over Monitor to Markleeville and camp near the hot springs. You are within striking distance of Tahoe.

Avoid 50 west of Tahoe, because it has really stupid goober-brained traffic. If you want, use 88 in lieu of 50, and if you must head to the Sacramento or Placerville region use Mormon Emigrant Trail (AKA Alternate 50), it turns right off 88 just after Silver Lake, westbound. Very much quieter, pretty, and rideable than 50. Avoid the temptation to go 100+ on its open straight grades, you WILL buy a midsummer's ticket and that won't be to no Shakespeare festival play.

North of RNO, you can take 395 to 70 and over to 89, taking it north to Almanor. This will keep you at 4000+ ft most of the way, and Almanor at 5000 rarely gets over 90 midsummer. From there you can opt to go north on 139 N. out of Susanville over Eagle Lake and into Klamath via Alturas or Tulelakes, 44/89 NW out of Almanor to Redding/Shasta.

You can also do 139 (quieter road than 395 and more interesting) and then saunter over to Cedar Valley, a place that the Old West (and the rest of us) left alone. It's magic, although it might be in the mid-90's or even hotter. Nice folk there.

West Nevada and Central Oregon have a lot to offer, but I tend to like Central Oregon just east of the Cascades through Bend Redden/Three Sisters and the Deschutes River region. Higher, cooler, and prettier than Nevada. Eastern Oregon does have a lot to offer in its eastern hills below the Snake region (Hwy 26 area).

Central Washington suffers the same problems as Western Nevada and Eastern Central Oregon--- where do you hide from the heat?

Maybe on the way home you can stop in the Icicle Creek area just SW/W of Leavenworth, up the Tumwater Cyn from Leavenworth. A beautiful creek off HWY2, Icicle was hit a few years ago by a fire so ask the locals if it's worth camping there any more. If they say yes, DO IT, because the granite there is some of the prettiest in Washington with a great view of the NE couloirs and peak of Colchuck (9000 ft Granite peak that looks like Whitney).

Hope this helps.

[wbunning]

Originally Posted by ericande

Hello,

My friend and I are planning a trip from Seattle down to the LA area and back. The first 2/3 of the trip or so look pretty good, we're taking 101 most of the way with side trips on 299, 36 and a few others. Between Vegas and Reno we are taking 120 to 140, 49, 50. Past Reno I need help with some ideas to get back towards WA. I'd like stay around Eastern Cali or Western Nevada on the way back up and I've got some ideas for roads in OR depending on where we come out.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

You could go from Reno a short run 80 up to 89..take 89 up to Sierraville, then take the upper end of 49 North to Vinton on 70, then pick up 395 again to Susanville, thence on 36 to 44, north to 89 up through McCloud toward Medford, or from Susanville take 139 North up to Klamath Falls as Kluts said..good ride!
The old Globe Hotel in Sierraville:


The ride from Reno straight up 89 through Graeagle, Almanor and through Lassen would be a nice run as well:

Lake Helen in Lassen from a ride I took through there in '05

[wbunning]

Originally Posted by kluts

....49, 120,...50.....

May I recommend if it is not too hot, follow 95 up to Benton Hot Springs by White Mt., turn left towards Lee Vining on 120, find camping on the east side but at 7000+ ft. to be cooler (even COLD) at night .

Hmmm... Nv 95 doesn't go into Benton.. did you mean to go 395 through Bishop and up 6 to Benton, THEN turn left?
For that matter, if they do go up Nv 95 through Amargosa Valley, they could take Nv266 over to Oasis, and across Westgard Pass (ca 168), check out the Bristlecone forest, then take 6 up to Benton.

The bristlecone pines are the oldest living things on the planet. Worth a look-see if you pass through the area.

I think out of Vegas I'd take 160 through the Red Rock area and then up to 95. The pass through Red Rock Canyon National Conservation area. The road goes up to about 6000 feet (I think.. I was just over it 2 weeks ago) and is really pretty.

Whichever, you guys shouldn't miss 120 from Benton up to Mono Lake/Lee Vining area. This is a really fun road with a buncha whoop-de-doos in it
There's gas/food at Benton too.

[ericande]

wow, that's a lot of highways to look at... you guys are awesome.

We're going to try to do it this September, if that doesn't work we'll do either late May or early June next year, so that should hopefully put us in decent weather.

Thanks again for the suggestions. I'll post up my whole route I think when we get closer.