Messages

1

Rocky Mountain / Re: Biking for Local Food

« on: June 02, 2010, 03:52:44 pm »

Sounds like a great ride.  I too am hoping to draw on local food as much as possible during my trip this summer.  I'll be going the opposite direction so I wouldn't be able to join you. 

Have you scanned localharvest.org for farms/markets/produce stands along your route?  You could also look for WWOOF farms at www.wwoof.org to keep your panniers full of good fresh veggies during townless stretches...they may make you work for it though!

2

Rocky Mountain / Re: Glacier National Park

« on: June 02, 2010, 03:45:46 pm »

Are you considering doing the whole Glacier/Waterton loop ride a la Great Parks North route?  Or are you more interested in shorter day-rides with hotels at night?

I don't have much information for you because I haven't been there yet.  However, I'm hoping to ride to Glacier from Utah in June/July, then doing the Glacier/Waterton Loop once I get there.  Would also be very interested to hear about other rides in and around the park.

3

Connecting ACA Routes / Re: connecting the PCH to SC after Santa Barbara?

« on: June 01, 2010, 11:36:28 pm »

Well I found a page describing the SR-33 route, and they make it sound like that part at least is bikeable:
http://home.pacbell.net/hillmann/CyclingCalifornia/SantaBarbara/MaricopaHwy/Desc.html

And here is a mapmyride route over a good chunk of the connector:
http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/ca/ojai/27724588

This article paints an interesting, yet quite different picture about the Maricopa Hwy:
http://www.ojaipost.com/2009/04/stop-the-trucks-maricopa-highway-road-low-on-traffic-but-high-on-tales-of-death-mystery/

Due to some big changes in my summer plans, I'm going to end up doing a shorter, different tour in the american west this summer (Logan, UT to Glacier NP, MT).  However, I am moving to Santa Barbara this fall, so I'll be able to check up on the route at some point.

Thanks!

4

Connecting ACA Routes / connecting the PCH to SC after Santa Barbara?

« on: May 19, 2010, 12:42:09 am »

Howdy!  First-time poster here.

I'm putting together a N-S ride along the pacific coast this year...however, strongly considering finishing out on the Sierra Cascades route.  I'd like to make the connection after Santa Barbara, but well before I get to greater LA.  I found myself wondering about connecting the two like so:

Riding the coast to Ventura, then taking highway 33-->lockwood valley rd-->highway 138 ... then picking up the ACA trail in Lancaster.



Has anyone done any cycling on those connecting roads?  Google tells me that it's a good motorcycle route, but it didn't produce much info about its suitability for road bikes.  I'm curious to hear about typical traffic, road conditions, and safety.  Looks like it would take a couple days, a stealth camp, and a beefy mountain pass.  Also pretty remote.  But, I'm willing to go out of my way to avoid LA, and would love to break off of the coast not too far after Santa Barbara.

Any thoughts on that or alternative connectors would be welcomed.  Thanks!