Lost Coast ride 9/10 and 9/11

[CHEMIKER]

Lefty and I took a nice trip up to the real Nor Cal last weekend. We weaved our way up through the middle and the coast of California, from the Bay Area nearly to Eureka. Here is our map

Santa Teresa Blvd to Santa Teresa Blvd - Google Maps

Day 1:

We met a friend Near Healdsberg at point B, then we were on our way. We took Skaggs Spring Road all the way to the coast. What a way to start the day!

Next, we headed much further up the coast, to a place where apparently no one but DefyIntertia knows about: the Lost Coast. But first, we had to stop for gas in a town called Honeydew. Stupid KTMs and their short range. We weren't sure if the gas pump even worked.

Finally, the Lost Coast. No one else there. For good reason though, the roads in and out are horrible. Huge potholes, and large sections where the asphalt is gone. But well worth it to see this:

Lefty:

 

[CHEMIKER]

Day 2:

Off from Fortuna to Red Bluff on HWY 36. In the middle of HWY 36, we went up and down HWY 3, my new favorite road. Some great scenery too.

It was an amazing trip, and I hope to take the time to ride more of our awesome Nor Cal roads in the coming years.

I shot some video too, and will try to post that in the next couple of days.

 

[Lefty]

What a fantastic ride CHEMIKER, his friend Yves and I had last weekend. The weather went from foggy, cold and windy 60º' on the coast to around 100º inland all in the same day.

One of our frequent stops on Saturday included stopping for yet another coffee break in Point Arena for Travis as he was having a tough time getting the fog to lift from his brain all morning.

Needless to say that when you stop for coffee that many times the obligatory forum pi$$ pic is expected.

Ending up on the Lost Coast the first day was a well deserved reward for enduring the bone jarring ride on the Lost Highway to get there.

Travis taking his spectacular pictures that put mine to shame.

Sunday's ride on Hwy 36 and the Hwy 3 side trip was spectacular. :rockon: Thankfully Travis took the time to stop and take pictures and video's as I was too busy being a hooligan to stop and "smell the roses". Luckily we only saw one CHP the whole day and it was after Yves and I had already arrived in Weaverville and had stopped to wait for Travis. Had he left town 10 minutes earlier......:spank:

 

[Motogiro]

Man I'm itching to get up there!
Great pictures guys!

 

[Lefty]

Cliff, I don't need much of an excuse to hit Hwy 36 again. Your coming up our way would be all it would take....

 

[Wavex]

<--- jealous!!!

Thanks for the pics dudes... I need a good ride soon....

 

[VEGASRIDER]

I've had an opportunity to ride both Southern and Northern California, and I find that Northern California has much more to offer. Not saying that the south is bad, as that's where I end up riding the most considering it's only a 3-4 hour ride away.

But Northern Cal is a lot less congested, and has many more options in my opinion. This is why I can't understand why the annual South meet North ride always end up in southern cal. But if anyone has attended these annual get togethers, the ride is only a portion of the weekend. As the dinner, breakfast and the quality time spent meeting people you haven't and have met is what it's all about.

 

[VEGASRIDER]

Nice! Another member to add to the album! Who's next?

 

[CHEMIKER]

Here are some pics from dinner on Saturday night. Apparently the rough road took a bigger toll on me than I had imagined:

Yves and Lefty (John)

Well deserved beer sampler at Eel River Brewing

 

[CHEMIKER]

One of our frequent stops on Saturday included stopping for yet another coffee break in Point Arena for Travis as he was having a tough time getting the fog to lift from his brain all morning.

Point Arena was a trip. It's where hippies go if they think Berkeley and Santa Cruz are too mainstream.

 

[Dave.TX]

+1 for jealous! Great pics, guys.

 

[DefyInertia]

ugh.......pissed I couldn't make it.

Travis, you and I have the same favorite road...it's good north of Weaverville too.

Vegas, we always go to SoCal because they have the numbers...and the weather is epic...and John is such a good lead rider...and David's leash does not reach NorCal.

NorCal vs. SoCal riding....hmmm....I'm biased but I have to say ACH and some of the surrounding roads were pretty sweet. Well engineered...kinda like the the east end of skaggs.

That KTM...is that a 990 SMTouring?

 

[Cali rider]

...and David's leash does not reach NorCal.

That had to hurt...

 

[Motogiro]

This gave me a great idea!

I'm having my coffee and reading through this thread this morning and see this post! I almost had espresso shooting out my nose!

I propose we start a contest/thread and you enter your funniest face picture.
Like Face O the month. We vote for the winners every month and make a calender of the funniest 12 every year.

1-vote for Chemiker! LOL!

I agree with Kenny on doing it NorCal this coming year. I would really like to catch a ride up there!

 

[CHEMIKER]

HAHA Cliff, thanks. It's funny to note that I hadn't even started drinking!

 

[CHEMIKER]

ugh.......pissed I couldn't make it.

Travis, you and I have the same favorite road...it's good north of Weaverville too.

Vegas, we always go to SoCal because they have the numbers...and the weather is epic...and John is such a good lead rider...and David's leash does not reach NorCal.

NorCal vs. SoCal riding....hmmm....I'm biased but I have to say ACH and some of the surrounding roads were pretty sweet. Well engineered...kinda like the the east end of skaggs.

That KTM...is that a 990 SMTouring?

Yeah, HWY 3 is a road I would go out of my way to put into a ride. It's so nice, and empty. I don't know if I saw another car on the way up. And Weaverville is a nice oasis in the boonies, where you don't expect it.

Yeah, that's a 990 SMT. It's a nice bike, but Yves keeps bending his Marchesini wheels because it's just too tempting to take gnarly roads on that thing.

 

[REDHAWK22]

I will need to find time to ride this roads...+2 JEALOUS!

 

[Norbert]

nice!
i really like that area.

know anyone who's hiring java developers in the area?
seriously!

 

[CHEMIKER]

nice!
i really like that area.

know anyone who's hiring java developers in the area?
seriously!

I'm in biotech, so I don't know offhand, but I have software type friends I can ask.

 

[Tailgate]

Cliff, I don't need much of an excuse to hit Hwy 36 again. Your coming up our way would be all it would take....

I'd be interested, too! Would find a way to connect.