Gazelle Callahan Road.
Updated: Sep 18, 2022
Step back to 1858.
The story goes like this. Gazelle Callahan Rd you ask? Heads up and over the range just south of Yreka. Might as well try that out. We're headed south. Never know. Motorcyclists are funny people. Pick something off the map, head over that-a-way. The ride, not the destination they say.
Northern California is full of roads like this. Picture the up-and-over, the point A to B. Just get me over the range, a shortcut. So not knowing what to expect, we set off with tanks full of spit and polish, ready for our daily dose of adventure. What to expect is an easy affair- just an up-and-over. But then again, you might just look past the obvious and dive into the realm of the motorcycle mind.
You'll find Gazelle Callahan Rd quite convenient, adjacent to Interstate 5 and 18 miles south of Yreka. If you are based in Yreka, it's possible to stay off the interstate and ride the frontage road - Old Highway 99 to get there. Think the original road.
“ What to expect is an easy affair- just an up-and-over. But then again, you might just look past the obvious and dive into the realm of the motorcycle mind.”
Ride south out of Yreka on Hwy 3 (aka Fort Jones Rd), and turn south on Westside Rd. The road changes name a few times, but essentially, it's an easy ride at a much slower pace of life than the interstate a few feet away. You'll even find yourself on Easy St. for a few feet.
If you have a hobby of riding all roads with the word, Old, in them, we’ve got one for you. In a gentle left, continuing straight puts you on Old Westside Rd, a somewhat descriptive title before concepts like Road Straightening were created.
This is the original road that stays a bit closer to the range, and lined with farms. Hay is predominantly grown in this region, with massive irrigation rigs create broad circles of green. At the right time of year, the smell of the fresh cut alfalfa is divine.
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