JohnCh Posted June 14, 2008 Share Posted June 14, 2008 Following up my earlier thread about a short tour of Northern California, I’ve been researching possible routes on Pashnit.com using the following criteria: • 4 days of touring • Great roads and scenery – must include Hwy 36 and Oroville/Quincy Hwy, which are reputedly the top roads in NorCal. • No gravel or poor pavement • Reasonable daily legs • Overnights in areas with hotels and food • Start and end points that are close to I-5 to ease the arrival and return legs and that are within a hard day’s drive from both Seattle and San Diego. I’ve discovered that this sounds easier than it is I have two options that I would like to put up for a vote. I am leaning towards Route A due to the shorter days, but want to get the opinions of those interested in attending. As for dates, we had talked about Labor Day weekend, but I propose we do the following weekend to avoid traffic and make it easier to get hotel accommodations. But again, I want to hear from participants. Please note: the actual distances provided below differ slightly from the Google maps. I am using different software for primary route planning and the different algorithms used mean slight deviations in mileage. Route A 952 miles Pro: all legs less than 250 miles which makes it easier in case someone breaks down, or we want to make a lot of stops to take in the scenery. It includes Alderwood road which sounds nice (although it may have a few short stretches of gravel – still trying to confirm current condition) and all of Hwy 299 which is another highly regarded road. It also includes Hwy 70, which is known for its scenery (and CHP, so we need to take it easy here). Con: Misses out on Hwy 96 to Happy Camp, which is a highly regarded road on Pashnit. Day1: Chico to Lake Almanor – 250 miles Day 2: Lake Almanor to Weaverville – 216 miles Day 3: Weaverville to Fort Bragg – 238 miles Day 4: Fort Bragg to Red Bluff – 248 miles Route B 1116 miles Pro: Includes Hwy 20, which was a hit on PNW2007 and Hwy 96. Because Day 2 begins in Oroville, it is much easier for someone to join up then and participate for just 3 days. Con: Daily legs are on the long side. Misses out on much of hwy 299. Happy Camp is not the greatest place to overnight. Day 1: Chico to Oroville - 275 miles Day 2: Oroville to Hydesville/Fortuna - 299 miles Day 3: Hydesville/Fortuna to Happy Camp - 296 miles Day 4: Happy Camp to Red Bluff – 246 The miles to join/depart tour from the two most distant points I expect folks will travel from are: Seattle to Chico = 663 miles San Diego to Chico = 591 miles Red Bluff to Seattle = 623 miles Red Bluff to San Diego = 634 miles Please use the buttons above to vote, but also weigh in here with your opinion. If anyone is familiar with any part of the route, then please let us know the positives and negatives. Thanks, John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnh Posted June 14, 2008 Share Posted June 14, 2008 Hi John, Do you have any google map url's for the route options? I will say the strech of CA-1 between Legett and the Coast can be a lot of fun! Thanks for working on this! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnCh Posted June 14, 2008 Author Share Posted June 14, 2008 The google map routes are hyperlinked into the route option titles (e.g. Route A 952 miles) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slomove Posted June 14, 2008 Share Posted June 14, 2008 Well, maybe a tad of preference for route A. But I would do either one....I think both options cover great roads and on PNW2007 we have done only a small part of them. I am not sure if the stretch between Alderpoint Road and the 101 is actually paved? At least on Google Maps it is just a gray line, i.e. smaller than the infamous Mattole Road which was really hard on the cars. Maybe we could do the Mina Rd instead but I have no idea about the condition of that road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnh Posted June 14, 2008 Share Posted June 14, 2008 The google map routes are hyperlinked into the route option titles (e.g. Route A 952 miles) Doh! Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haiku88 Posted June 14, 2008 Share Posted June 14, 2008 Route A looks great to me and FWIW if it is chosen I'd be heading south the last day as Ft. Bragg is close to home. Hwy. 20 from Ft. Bragg to Willits is a smooth and windy road, but it has a good bit of traffic and passing can be difficult ( I commuted that route for a year). A good alternative might be Branscomb road (runs from north of Ft. Bragg on 1 to Laytonville on 101), much less traffic and the pavement was good last time I drove it....though that was awhile ago so I'd be willing to check it out in advance if needed. Also, the stretch of 101 from Willits to Laytonville is nothing special anyway, mostly divided 4 lane highway. Ft. Bragg is a good overnight stop, plenty of restaurants, hotels, etc... Found some info on Branscomb rd. at http://www.lateralg.org/roads/northwest/3.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnh Posted June 14, 2008 Share Posted June 14, 2008 I am not sure if the stretch between Alderpoint Road and the 101 is actually paved? Here's a snippet from a guidebook published in 2004: Bell Springs Road Might be ok just not at typical se7en speeds... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soareyes Posted June 14, 2008 Share Posted June 14, 2008 Might be ok just not at typical se7en speeds... More like Lexus speeds? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pierats Posted June 14, 2008 Share Posted June 14, 2008 Stan, Having you drive the Lexus was nice, but I hope you are in a se7en this time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slomove Posted June 14, 2008 Share Posted June 14, 2008 Here's a snippet from a guidebook published in 2004: Bell Springs Road Might be ok just not at typical se7en speeds... "It is a well-maintained dirt-and-gravel road"....:ack: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnCh Posted June 15, 2008 Author Share Posted June 15, 2008 I was wondering about Bell Springs Rd and still had that on my to investigate list. The good thing is that we can simply double back on 101 until we hit Aldrerwood and avoid it altogether. According to Pashnit, Alderwood is “…two lane the whole way, with a decent surface and gorgeous scenery. There was a very short section or 2 of gravel, maybe 100 yards.” If we don’t want to do that road either, then we can stay on 101 all the way back to Hwy 36, or cross over to Hwy 1 at Branscomb Rd, although I’d rather keep backtracking to a minimum. The other area I need to delve into a bit more is the stretch from Hwy 36 to Hwy 44 just east of I-5. If that proves to have some questionable asphalt, we can accommodate. Does the rest of the route sound okay to everyone? If so, then I’d like to get a head count and start working on accommodations for the weekend after Labor Day. Does running the tour from Thursday to Sunday with travel days on Wednesday and Monday work, or do people prefer to keep their vacation days in the same week and go Wednesday through Saturday? -John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtrevelyan Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 Hi Guys, I would like to go, but this is two weeks after I get back from Europe. Due to exchange rates I expect to be poorer than I would like to be. I thought this trip was being planned in conjunction with the NASA Thunderhill event in the beginning of October. Cheers, Michael Trevelyan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slomove Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 Does running the tour from Thursday to Sunday with travel days on Wednesday and Monday work, or do people prefer to keep their vacation days in the same week and go Wednesday through Saturday? Traveling Wednesday to Monday will mean to take 4 days off. Then I can just as well take 5 days off for a full week and have flexibility on both weekends (packing, etc.). For that matter I think keeping the trip within one week may have an advantage. I am pretty sure I will be solo. School starts end of August and there is no way Rosie can come along (not that she would not like to...). But that means if anybody needs a ride there is a spare seat. Gert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnCh Posted June 15, 2008 Author Share Posted June 15, 2008 Traveling Wednesday to Monday will mean to take 4 days off. Then I can just as well take 5 days off for a full week and have flexibility on both weekends (packing, etc.). For that matter I think keeping the trip within one week may have an advantage. How does everyone else feel about this? Should we turn this into 5 days of touring? Pack on Sat, travel to the starting point on Sun, tour Mon-Fri, drive home Sat, and take Sun to unwind before returning to the daily grind that paid for the tour? My vacation time provides me with some flexibility so I'm fine either way, but an extra day of toruing is always welcome -John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnh Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 Should we turn this into 5 days of touring? Personally I'd like to see some touring over a weekend since it's unlikely that I could score a whole week off. I'm closer to the area so could drive and meet for a couple of days. :7drive: ---john. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnCh Posted June 16, 2008 Author Share Posted June 16, 2008 Okay, so that is one preference for a five day tour Mon-Fri and one for a shorter tour that occurs over the weekend. So far seven people have voted for Route A on the weekend of 9/6, so there are some others out there who haven’t weighed in on the point Gert brought up. What do you folks want to do? If we extend to five days and tour from Tue-Sat (or six days and go from Mon-Sat), it would enable people to just join for a couple of days around the weekend, and others to get in another day or two of touring. Do people want to turn this into a longer tour? I’m fine with that, but if that is the preference, then I need to come up with new route options fast. -John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slomove Posted June 16, 2008 Share Posted June 16, 2008 Maybe I should clarify that I mentioned the 5-day-during-the-week option just as a discussion point. It would make some sense to me but I am not really opposed to going over the weekend plus some days before and after if others have trouble doing a full week. Gert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnCh Posted June 16, 2008 Author Share Posted June 16, 2008 Understood. I'm just trying to get the other people who voted to chime in If the group is actually open to a longer tour, then I certainly don't want to ignore that possibility. My hope is to lock this down soon so we can get the rest of the planning under way. -John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soareyes Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 My main preference would be to end the tour at least two days before a Monday so I have time to get home before starting work. That way I can do one long 600 mile day and still have a day to recover, or break it into two days getting home. I don't have a trailer so I'll be driving the Seven. I'm lucky in that I can take the whole week off so I'm up for any length tour you decide. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnCh Posted June 18, 2008 Author Share Posted June 18, 2008 Based on feedback here and via e-mail, I propose we stick to the original plan of Route A and partially cover the weekend of 9/6. Available vacation time is tougher for some, so having the tour occur in part on the weekend is preferred. If some people want to take a longer tour, there is no reason they can’t start a little early and plan a route that overnights them in Chico on Tuesday. I know this isn’t optimal for everyone, but I am trying to accommodate disparate requests from folks. If anyone was planning to attend, but won’t now because of this, then please PM me. (Stan - I am in the same boat as you regarding distance & trailer, so I may take Monday off from work to recover) Schedule Leg 1 (Wed 9/3): Chico to Lake Almanor Leg 2 (Thu 9/4): Lake Almanor to Weaverville Leg 3 (Fri 9/5): Weaverville to Fort Bragg Leg 4 (Sat 9/6): Fort Bragg to Red Bluff Please note that the actual route may be tweaked a bit based on road conditions, but I don’t’ expect any major deviations. Once I get a sense of the actual number of attendees, I’ll start contacting hotels to figure out that part and perhaps even get a group rate. If you are okay with the schedule above, and want to attend then please reply to this thread using the format below: Certainty: 50% = If you want to go, but can’t commit yet, then write 50%. If you are planning on attending barring some unforeseen circumstances, then write 90%+. Legs attending: Identify the legs from the schedule above you plan to tour with the group. Hotels needed: Identify the cities on the tour where will you need a hotel room. (locals may not need a hotel room the night before their first leg, or the night of their last leg) Pre-tour: Use the options from the Certainty question to indicate if you are interested in starting the tour a day or two early. Okay, I’ll start: Certainty: 90%+ Legs attending: 1-4 Hotels needed: Chico through Red Bluff Pre-tour: 50% Thanks, John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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