Midsummer Magic Rally, Weaverville ...

[oobus]

So John,

How was the road/trail going from Thomas Creek to Colyer Springs road? Never traveled that far my Colyer? There is so little vehicle traffic on the M4, M7 and supporting roads always wonder how clear the "backwoods" stuff up there is.

I've done 24N01 across Thomas Creek and it was not well traveled.

Matt

 

[SFMCjohn]

Hey Matt,

M-2 and M-22 were well-maintained (or recently maintained) ...
loose rockfall on the road to show they don't get a ton of use ...

The pic is M-2 descending from Buck Rock to Thomes Creek

... and this is the last switchback south of Thomes Creek on M-2 ...

The bridge over Thomes Creek, which was a wonderful stream, still
full of water, with Sierra-style swimming holes ...

... and this is a pic of M-22 just north of the intersection with M-2 ...
it was near here that I saw the huge black bear on Thursday ...

It was all pretty beautiful KLR roads ... the signage was there
and helpful and the main roads were pretty easy to stay on ... arty

I loved it up there!

 

[SFMCjohn]

After I made the left onto M-22 to continue to head north,
Mt. Shasta began to appear ...

 

[oobus]

Thanks John, I really, really need to spend some more time there, especially since it is soo close.
I had no idea there was a bridge on Thomas creek up there, on the lower part of the stream is a crossing we always called "the slab" as it was a big concrete pour over two big culverts. Damn fine trip you had there.

 

[SFMCjohn]

Yes, you are lucky to be so close!

Sounds like the creek goes through
a gorge lower down ...

It was a pretty epic trip
for me, seven days riding
using two vacation days and
a sick day ... I'm beat!

 

[SFMCjohn]

There was a watchtower on Limedyke Mountain
until it was destroyed in 2005 in a big
forest fire ...

After gassing up in Hayfork, I headed up
to the old watchtower site on Thursday night ...

You can zoom in/out on this map here.

 

[SFMCjohn]

Campsite on Limedyke Mtn ... this was the
second spot I set up my tent that day,
set it up the first time on top
of a ground wasp nest, ouch.

... sunrise ...

The marine layer over Hayfork ...

 

[two wheel tramp]

Can't wait!

YEESSSS. We've gone TWT style. Next time let's do an SFMCJohn style adventure.

 

[SFMCjohn]

Gonna have to find some more
google routes that average 18 mph
for 166 miles ...?

 

[SFMCjohn]

The Trinity Alps to the north ...

Look out for wasps if you
set up near this flag ...

On the way to Hyampom on Friday,
dropping down to the
South Fork of the Trinity River ...

 

[SFMCjohn]

When I got to Hyampom early Friday, the
cafe was closed, so I kept on rolling ...

... the famous BUMP on Underwood Mountain Road
that the friendly locals warn you to
take seriously ...
More like am 8" ledge!

 

[two wheel tramp]

Gonna have to find some more
google routes that average 18 mph
for 166 miles ...?

Sounds perfect.

 

[SFMCjohn]

Sounds perfect.

Here's a map of
Hennessey Road off Hwy 299 ...
It's a left a short way after making
the left off Underwood Mountain onto Hwy 299 ...
16.6 miles, 22 mph average speed ...

Zoom in here.

... there's a left hand turn "Hennessey View Rd."
that I missed ... sounds like it has a, um, view. arty

Hennessey Road turns to gnar Trinity 650 dirt half way ...

 

[SFMCjohn]

... finally made it to Hoopa, and highway (Hwy 96) and
place I'm always looking at on a map ...

A federal marijuana eradication convoy flying over
the Martins Ferry Bridge ... helmeted cammo soldier guys
in off-road utility vehicles with automatic weapons
in the lead ... they all waved at me, but didn't seem to
appreciate the BARF salute ...

... always wanted to check out the Bald Hills and Bald Hills Road,
so I did ...

Fascinating history of the Bald Hills War up there:
Bad Blood in the Bald Hills
"The worst and most sustained part
of the fighting took place in a part of
Humboldt County called the Bald Hills.
Beginning in 1858, the so-called Wintoon War
(named for a local tribe, now known as the Whilkut tribe)
began when settlers killed two Indians in a domestic dispute,
after which Indians began to
ambush travelers on trails or isolated farms."

... pretty peaceful on Friday ...

... it was one of the busiest roads on this trip though ...
big logging trucks, and the speeding local cops that had
been with the feds almost killed me on the fast, paved,
swithchback sweeper
section of Bald Hills Road that plunges down to the
Klamath River ... karma for my BARF salute, ha. arty

... another view of the
Martins Ferry Bridge ...

 

[SFMCjohn]

Got some great dirt-road tips from
this wonderful ride report by SD Hornet:
A Taste of Salmon

... I re-created one of SD Hornet's pics ...
looking south at the
Trinity Alps up above Callahan ...

Went and visited Jody in the watchtower
at Eddy Gulch ...

... view of the road up from the watchtower cab ...

... and a pic of the road up the the Eddy Gulch Lookout ...

 

[SFMCjohn]

Map of Eddy Gulch Lookout Road ... zoom in here.

So, this was a great KLR day ... I'd assumed I'd be
tooling around all day on paved roads, with maybe
an easy dirt road between Sawyers Bar and Cecilville,
but instead got to ride--thanks to
tips from SD Hornet and my AAA map--FR 35,
or Blue Ridge, Eddy Gulch and FR 39N14 ...
had 301 miles on the trip ODO between Limedyke Lookout
gas at the end of the day in Weaverville ... arty

 

[two wheel tramp]

301 miles??? That's a big day for you. Isn't Bald Hills hella cool? Now I wanna get to the lookout of Sawyer's Bar.... Isn't that area just heaven?????

 

[anytwowilldo]

... left San Francisco at 2:30 pm ...

... thought--and planned on--getting much further north
than I did, before it started to get on toward sunset,
and I started to get tired (having started work at 6am) ...

... so on the spur of the moment, I gave up my
planned route, and made the left to Buck Island,
and started throwing the KLR down the road ...

... besides feeling remote, and being close to San Francisco,
Cache Creek is one of the main attractions of
Buck Island, especially in the hot summer ...

... camp on Tuesday night ... set up the tent, and
jumped in the creek ... had the place to myself
for the evening ... arty

This picture makes me want to load up my XR and go find this place. It looks awesome. If you get too hot, take a dip in the river. Nice ride report John!

 

[SFMCjohn]

And, I made it ...

Roger Rocket was kind enough to snap this
pic of the KLR arriving in Weaverville ...
thanks, Roger Rocket!

... lots of cool bikes in front of the 49er Motel ...

... enjoying the picnic area by the pool ...

... so I joked about needing BARF rally practice,
but I did learn some lessons from the Midsummer Magic Rally,
which were to be better at taking pics at the venue,
and to get up early on Saturday to be sure to catch
some of the rally rides ... I was beat on Friday night
and wound up sleeping in to 9am on Saturday morning,
which was much too late, ha.

 

[SFMCjohn]

301 miles??? That's a big day for you. Isn't Bald Hills hella cool? Now I wanna get to the lookout of Sawyer's Bar.... Isn't that area just heaven?????

It was a huge-big day ...

The Eddy Gap watchtower is totally doable
on the Trinity 650 ...

The area was super-heaven,
and unexpected, so even more fun! arty