rod mclaughlinMount Shasta (29 mar 09)
Five days hard riding from Sacramento. Two nights in motels along 99W, which conveniently runs straight up the Central Valley alongside the freeway. Then, at Red Bluff, ride under the freeway, through the town to the northernmost freeway entrance you can find, then ride on the shoulder of the freeway 'til you reach Jellys Ferry Road. It's legal in California to ride on some bits of freeways - typically for California, it says 'Pedestrians Prohibited', and you can deduce from this that cyclists are NOT prohibited - but they are not exactly welcomed with bevvies of blonde beauties either. Follow Jellys Ferry Road through acres of woodland and farms, crossing the Sacramento River at least twice, 'til you reach a stop sign. Turn left. Go to next stop sign. Turn right. Go to next stop sign. Turn right - follow to the town of Buena Vista, then right on 299, up and up, just past the town of Burney, then left on highway 89 and all the way to Mt. Shasta, mostly downhill, but with a few 4000+ ft. passes to keep it from being boring. Wonderful views of Shasta and Lassen - just the right time of year - late March. Snow, flowers, springs and rivers. Camped by a river a few feet south of the Pacific Crest Trail on highway 89 - I missed this last year when I rode along this road south. It was a lovely campsite - better than the previous night when I had to camp by the road. The thing about recumbent bikes, you have less power because the bike weighs more, and you are only using your legs (about 80-90% of the power). You use the same muscles in your legs all the time, because you can barely change position, which also makes you more tired. BUT, because you are much more comfortable, you don't notice how tired you are. As a result, when I stop at the end of a hard day, I sometimes fall off my bike! You have to accept that you are not going to keep the same average distance per day as on a conventional touring bike. In terms of physics, recumbents lose. But you are not going on a long tour because you are in a hurry, so recumbents win because they are so much more comfortable. The only discomfort is a slight ache in the small of your back like the one you get from long jouneys in cars. Mt. Shasta has a great bar now, the Mountain Goat. Met a dude there who had just skied from the summit of 14,000 ft. Mt. Shasta. Lucky I arrived when I did - it's now windy and snowing. Could I live here? It's better than the rainy river valleys in which I've spent my whole life, but it's hardcore. Next day - tried to remember the route to Weed from Mt. Shasta, but got lost. Ended up riding on the dirt road alongside the railroad for many miles, on which my recumbent did surprisingly well. Then found a road down off the railroad, through a huge logging enterprise, to a convenience store marked '97 Mart'. Deduced that this was Highway 97 north of Weed where I had intended to go. Checked out Lake Shastina, the new community of golfers, breeders and brats. But there is lots of land round it. A lovely ride along Big Springs Road, then left toward Gazelle, then right toward Montague, then one mile before Montague, left, and five miles to Yreka. Mostly downhill. Fine spring weather after the blizzard at Mt. Shasta. Yreka has a much better 'vibe' than Mt. Shasta town. It must be the Oregon effect. I could see Mt. McLoughlin from the road most of the way here, as well as Mt. Shasta, Shastina and a few lesser peaks. Yes, I could live here. Contacted Real Estate agent.
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