Messages

1

Routes / Re: Crescent City-San Francisco. April

« on: February 14, 2018, 04:38:00 pm »

Given that it 'appears' to be a drought year, it seems that you're likely to be fine. As you noted you're prepared for rain so that will work. Could be a mix of either either rain, fog, or glorious sunshine. You ought to be in for a good ride. Enjoy.

cg

2

Routes / Re: Washington Parks Route - what's it really like?

« on: December 07, 2017, 07:25:51 pm »

This subject has been hammered a lot in the forums. Suggest you do a search on 'Olympic Peninsula' or 'Olympic Discovery Trail' for many relevant posts. It's a great route if you want it to be.

Craig

3

Routes / Re: Pacific Coast question - WA area - advice hugely appreciated

« on: October 08, 2017, 07:03:48 pm »

I think the July Creek campground is closed. It was in 2009 and checking the Olympic Park web page now, it does not list July Creek as a camp site - just a picnic spot. When faced with that we headed to Falls Creek FS camp on the other side of the lake. With a short ride into town, there were public showers available. It turned out to be a better solution. Continuing from Lake Quinalt we headed down 101 with no problems but I took a side road just to be off of 101, E. Hoquiam Rd into Hoquiam and back on the route. Worked for us.

If I do this in the future, I intend to go out to the coast on Moclips Hwy and spend some time at the coast south of there before heading into Hoquiam/Aberdeen

We also took 105 out to the coast at Westport. Highly recommended. Also, there's an excellent seafood store, Brady's, just across the bridge before you get into Westport. We drove the 101 from Abeerdeen to Raymond in 2015 and I would not recommend it.

Bush Pioneer park at Bay Center is pretty good with showers and shelter in case it's raining. Feel free to look at our journal on CGOAB for more on this.

Craig
Santa Rosa, CA
http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/TWS

4

General Discussion / Traveling through Big Sur? Nacimiento-Ferguson Road Item on IDs

« on: October 05, 2017, 08:07:50 pm »

From the Fort Hunter Liggett FB page: Fort Hunter Liggett and other federal installations will will no longer be able to accept California's Driver's License and those of 23 other non-compliant states as of October 10, 2017 as a form of ID. Those requesting access to the base must use another form of ID, such as a passport, U.S. Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551) and U.S. Certificate of Naturalization or Certificate of Citizenship (Form N-550). For more info visit
https://www.dhs.gov/real-id

To be clear, in order to access the Big Sur area via N-F Road requires travel across the base and has, since 2001, required identification to enter the base. This ups the requirement.

Moderator feel free to relocate as required.

Craig
Santa Rosa, CA

5

Routes / Re: Seattle to Astoria

« on: September 27, 2017, 05:56:47 pm »

As for Seattle to Astoria -
<snip> The Astoria Bridge is 4 miles long (6.5 km) without shoulders - some cyclists take the bus across, instead. <snip>

Well, it does lack 8-10' wide shoulders, true, but there is sufficient space between the fog line and the bridgeworks to safely ride across. That all goes to hell with cross-winds (likely).

Craig
Santa Rosa, CA

6

Routes / Re: Gravel roads/ alternatives on the Pacific Coast Route

« on: May 04, 2017, 04:53:35 pm »

There's an interesting detour off 101 just south of Klamath. see this https://ridewithgps.com/routes/20864886 It has some gorgeous pavement but once you reach the coastal cliff the road is essentially been left to slide down the cliff. It is rideable but will require a little hiker-biking. Once past the slide spots you return to some fabulous abandoned road connecting to the parkway. It beats slogging along 101 . .

This is the old Highway 101 alignment. When you reach the left turn to head out to the coast you will see the remnants of the old bridge across the Klamath. The old bridge was washed out during the floods of 1964 - there's an information board that tells that story.

edit: I've added photos to the RidewithGPS page

Craig

7

General Discussion / Re: Do i need lights and a handlebar mirror for Pacific Coast in July?

« on: April 09, 2017, 07:49:28 pm »

Are there any long tunnels on the Pacific Coast route?

There are two tunnels in Oregon, neither particularly long. The northern tunnel, Arch Rock, isn't that long but it has a bend in it (i.e. you can't see the other end) and is slightly uphill. There's a button for the warning lights and supposedly vehicles are limited to 35 mph- good luck with that. The warning lights are not on long enough if you're heavily loaded or just plain slow or both. The second tunnel at Heceta Head is a short and straight - no issues there. The only other tunnel (Tom Lantos Tunnel)  is in CA north of Montara (Half Moon Bay). It is long but has really wide shoulders. But you don't have to take that as you can take the Devil's Slide trail (old highway) - if it's open. All three are well lit.

8

General Discussion / Re: Do i need lights and a handlebar mirror for Pacific Coast in July?

« on: April 09, 2017, 03:17:51 pm »

Just my opinion . . You shouldn't need a headlight in July. A tail light however is strongly advised for the tunnels as mentioned. Given that the coast can be foggy that time of year, a tail light is a definite plus. As to a mirror, that's a personal preference that is always hotly debated (along with helmets). I ride with a mirror mounted on my sunglasses. It makes it easy to maneuver the mirror to see what's behind me, keeps my head pointed the right way, and significantly reduces my neck strain. I have no preference for handlebar mounted mirrors, as looking down instead of forward isn't so great (my opinion). You should try the mirror of your choice before your trip to see what works best for you. It's good to know when those semis are coming up.

cg
Santa Rosa, CA

9

Temporary ACA Route Road Closures / Re: Pacific Coast Route Section #4, maps 47-49 February 2017

« on: March 26, 2017, 08:30:33 pm »

Looking at the alternative route through the Salinas Valley proposed by the ACA, I'm thinking of allowing three days to do this.
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/19189649
The first part looks fairly flat, so I'm thinking perhaps a 60 mile first day and stop overnight in King City.  Any thoughts on this? Is this a good place to stop over? It has both campsites and motels.
After that the route is more challenging so perhaps a second day of 40 miles and stop over near Lake Nacimiento, again, there seem to be reasonable facilities there.  Final day about 40 miles again into Cambria.
Any thoughts/advice appreciated.
Peter

Correct - the first part is fairly flat. Note too that there is a fair amount of ag traffic on this road. King City is pretty quiet these days. Yes, there are motels, don't know about the campgrounds, and haven't stayed in either in King City. As an alternate you could consider riding out to Arroyo Seco instead of shooting for King City. If you do, the next day you can skip crossing over to the east side of the valley and detour on Central Ave, ride a short stretch of 101 and pickup Jolon Road without crossing the river.
As for the second day, yes it is more challenging. Way fewer options for supplies along the route. There is no store in Jolon (at least there wasn't the last time I was there). There is or used to be a campground just inside the gate Hunter-Liggett - I don't know if it is still open to the public. If you go in the gate, you will need an official ID - not like the old days. There is a store at Lockwood. Continuing on, it's a pretty stiff climb to Lake Nacimiento. Facilities at LN aren't cheap and the boat noise on the lake can be annoying. But it's at least a place to stay - there aren't many options here unless you go into Paso.
As for the third leg, to go into Cambria, you can take Santa Rosa Creek Road. Has a short wall on it and a some steep tube-popping descents. It has also suffered some storm damage as well. Best to check locally before taking that road. Otherwise it's CA 46 to CA 1 and then you can choose whether to go north to Cambria or south to Cayucos (and Morro Bay SP).

Just one other word of caution - The Northerly wind blows mighty hard through the Salinas Valley in the afternoons. That's fine if you're headed southbound, but you northbound riders might want to keep that in mind and get an earlier start.

cg

10

Temporary ACA Route Road Closures / Re: Pacific Coast Route Section #4, maps 47-49

« on: March 24, 2017, 08:10:37 pm »

From the Pacific Coast Section 4 addenda (2/27/17):

It is unknown when the bridge will be replaced. Due to a lack of nearby roads, an extensive reroute is required. The reroute is 145.7 mi. and can be found at this RideWithGPS link: ridewithgps.com/routes/19189649 It is about 30 miles longer than the Pacific Coast route. It begins on map 46 in Marina and ends on map 51 south of Cayucos. Services are limited for the 60 miles between King City and Paso Robles. Also, because this route travels inland, the weather will be significantly different than that on the coast. It will typically be drier and up to 20 degrees hotter.

Jennifer

Just a suggestion - just past mile 136 on your route is the intersection for Santa Rosa Creek Rd / Old Creek Rd.. Take the left at Old Creek and enjoy a quiet descent and short cut to Cayucos. Part of the SLO bike club's Lighthouse Century. YMMV.

Craig

11

Routes / Rumble Strips on Western Express?

« on: March 24, 2017, 07:53:16 pm »

This arrived in the local chat list. CA 88 is the concern. Hopefully they'll take comments after 23 March [apologies for the late post].

From: Sos, Austin@DOT<Austin.Sos@dot.ca.gov>
Date: Thu, Mar 16, 2017 at 4:04 PM
Subject: EA 10-1C430 Rumble Strip project in Amador and Alpine Counties
To:

Hi all,
 
Attached is a project with proposed centerline,edgeline, and shoulder rumble strip locations on SR 16, 49, 88, and 104 in Amador and Alpine Counties. . Any location specific feedback on this project you can provide may assist Caltrans in the design phase of the project. You can see the project locations by looking at the attached document and a google map - link->. https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=16ctdtTZVj9ZFwKku5RTo-Ugl_Bg&ll=38.57778511559966%2C-120.40301999999997&z=10
 
Here is the legend for the map:
Green--Centerline rumble strips
Red--Edgeline rumble strips
Yellow--Centerline and Shoulder rumble strips
Blue--Centerline and Edgeline rumble strips
 
 
If you have any comments on the project, please email them to me by March 23.
 
Thanks,
 
Austin Sos
Native American Liason • Office of Rural Planning
Caltrans District 10
1976 E. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.,
Stockton, CA, 95205-7015
209.948.7936
711 TTY

12

Routes / Re: Pfeiffer Bridge at Big Sur work around

« on: March 24, 2017, 07:28:47 pm »

You can always check this http://quickmap.dot.ca.gov for the latest CA road conditions and pan to the coast area. It doesn't show local road closures.

As for the route proposed by Bclayden, it's a wonderful route. N-F through Hunter-Liggett is pretty sweet. I'd check with Monterey County though as to road conditions. It also drops you right into Kirk Creek Campground.

Craig
Santa Rosa, CA

13

Routes / Re: Why does the PC route bypass Olympic Peninsula?

« on: August 21, 2016, 06:42:53 pm »

Interesting discussion. I too have ridden both Lake Crescent (2009) and 112-113 (2014) and chipped in with comments as appropriate in this forum. We've been spending a lot of time in that area in the last 6-7 years and love riding in the area. I'm surprised to not see any mention of the Olympic Discovery Trail (olympicdiscoverytrail.com) as an alternative route. [I have issues with the ODT around Sequim but that's another matter.] Sure the two tunnels are not open yet, but when they are, avoiding Lake Crescent will be a no brainer. The west end at Lake Crescent is paved and looks pretty sweet. The stretch from PA out to Joyce is darn nice as well. It's just the gap between the two . .  As to the nature of traffic along Lake Crescent it certainly is no worse, and in my mind, a whole lot better, than riding through Sea Ranch in CA where there has been no upgrade on CA 1 since Sea Ranch was built. And yes, the clearcuts in the area suck and do detract from both routes. YMMV.

Since we've traveled to Port Townsend several times in the last three years, we've driven the stretch along Hood Canal - other than the proximity of campgrounds I wouldn't take it over the peninsula route - way more traffic (and fast) and so-so shoulders. Certainly scenic enough.

Count me in the camp that favors riding the Peninsula and taking in the side trips, if you can. The part that does rub me the wrong way is the lack of HB camping sites at both Kalaloch and Hoh (not to mention a lack of showers). Sure would like to see ACA put some pressure on the Park Service on this. Riding 18 miles one way from 101 to the Hoh to not find a camping spot is not acceptable.

Craig
Santa Rosa, CA

Addendum: see this for trail status http://www.olympicdiscoverytrail.com/planning_info/trail_status.html

Of note from that page is this:
Hwy 112 and Lake Crescent to Cooper Ranch Rd

Work is continuing along the Waterline Route, which will connect from Hwy 112, via Gossett Rd, to the East Beach trailhead on Lake Crescent. Current effort is on opening the section of old RR grade from the south end of Gossett Rd to the Waterline Road. When completed this will become the ODT route, replacing the temporary Joyce-Piedmont Rd. route. (posted July, 2015)

The Spruce RR segment construction is now complete from East Beach Trailhead to the old RR grade, except for paving. Paving will be the final step when all construction is complete, about 2018-19. The trail is open now, and users can connect through to SolDuc Rd and beyond using the old (rough) single track path through the tunnel area. This section will be closed summer 2016 for construction through the first tunnel. Specific closure dates will be posted here when available. (posted Jan 2016)

The 2 mile connecting segment, from the Hwy 101 crossing west of SolDuc Rd to the SolDuc bridge, has completed design and should be in construction summer 2016. In the meantime, use the shoulders of Hwy 101 and the 2918 Rd to connect between existing trail segments.

The trail from the 2918 Road (Sol Duc Bridge) to Cooper Ranch Rd Trailhead will be subject to temporary closures between May 12 and about Sept 1 2016, due to selective logging adjacent to the trail and some hauling on the shared (wide) section of the trail. Closures will be posted at both ends of this section and trail users can detour by using the shoulders of Hwy 101 between the FS 2918 road and Cooper Ranch Rd. There will be no closures on weekends or Federal holidays. (Posted May 2016)

Major construction work has been announced for Hwy 101 along the south shore of Lake Crescent for 2017 and 2018. We do not expect any significant widening but the shoulder paving should be repaired. There will be periods of closure of Hwy 101 with traffic rerouted to Hwy 112. These may coincide with closure of the trail on the north shore as part of the tunnel reconstruction, in which case the bike alternate will have to be Hwy 112 (there is no other way through). Closure dates for both will be posted here as they are announced. (posted May 2015)

14

GPS & Digital Data Discussion / Re: High Resolution TransAmerica Trail Digital Data now available

« on: May 02, 2016, 05:47:55 pm »

Just from the blog, I'd say that looks pretty cool. Looking forward to the Pac Coast and WE versions.

cg

15

General Discussion / Re: Black Hills Mickelson Trail and 38C tires

« on: April 27, 2016, 03:42:12 pm »

We rode the trail - Custer to Hill City and back - in 2006 on a tandem with 30c cyclocross tires. Other than one soft spot, it worked well, though we had to work for it. Look forward to riding more of it one of these days . . .

YMMV
Craig
Santa Rosa, CA