We sat down with
Routemeister Mojo Cosgrove today and refined the route we'll be following on Wheels North. This will be a stunning ride! We've eliminated almost all of the dull, flat riding in California and added two days of riding in and near National Forests and the Trinity Alps Wilderness area. Wheels North will be a ride to remember.
Here's a day-by-day itinerary:
Day One (Saturday, July 4): Santa Rosa to Winters, via St. Helena and the Napa Valley. This day starts on the difficult side with the climb to the top of Spring Mountain, but ends easily with a mostly downhill cruise through Wooden and Pleasants valleys. On the edge of Winters, we'll cross a 1906 bridge that Vic and Ray would have seen when they passed through town.
Day Two (Sunday, July 5): Winters to Corning, via the back country of Colusa County (including stops in Stonyford and Elk Creek) If you've ever wonder what California looked like for Vic and Ray in 1909, this is about as close as you can get!
Day Three (Monday, July 6): Corning to Weaverville (NEW ROUTE) via Hwy 36 and Hwy 3. Again, a gorgeous day of riding, mostly in a National Forest. We'll be bypassing Red Bluff and Mt Shasta, but this route will be well worth it.
Day Four (Tuesday, July 7): Weaverville to Yreka (NEW ROUTE). An easy day from a navigational standpoint: We'll be on Hwy 3 the entire day. Again, almost the entire day will be in a National Forest, and much of the ride will be near the Trinity Alps Wilderness. You will never forget this day!
Day Five (Wednesday, July 8): Yreka to Ashland. We're back on the original route from here on. Ashland is a beautiful city, and we'll have a relatively easy ride from Yreka.
Day Six (Thursday, July 9): REST DAY in Ashland. We're working on a day ride around Ashland, or you can just hang out in the great downtown and sample local food and brews.
Day Seven (Friday, July 10): Ashland to Roseburg (NEW OVERNIGHT LOCATION) This route and the rest of our trip through Oregon will parallel I-5, but we're looking for routes a little off the beaten path. More info to follow.
Day Eight (Saturday, July 11): Roseburg to Eugene. Eugene is another great city, and we'll have a nice day's ride that includes as much backcountry as we can string together.
Day Nine (Sundary, July 12): Eugene to Salem. We'll reach the state capitol via route that may include Corvallis. We're working on a recognition by someone from the State of Oregon when we reach Salem.
Day Ten: (Monday, July 13): Salem to Portland. You'll be eager to get to Portland to sample one of America's most bicycle-friendly cities.
Day Eleven (Tuesday, July 14): REST DAY in Portland. Again, we'll try to hook up with local cyclists for some riding out of Portland (the terrain to the east along the Columbia River is spectacular).
Day Twelve (Wednesday, July 15): Portland to Chehalis. We'll be following the tried-and-tested "Seattle to Portland" route in reverse from Portland.
Day Thirteen (Thursday, July 16): Chehalis to Seattle. Our last day of riding, again on the STP route, ending exactly where the 1909 ride ended--then, the Alaska Yukon Pacific Exposition, now, the University of Washington.
Day Fourteen (Friday, July 17) will be devoted to meeting the press in Seattle and getting bikes and baggage boxed up and ready to ship back to everyone's home.
Sound fun? Invite a friend! We'll expand our support crew to adjust to accommodate as many riders as want to come.
The first day of Wheels North is about 120 days away (July 4), so it's time for our riders to think about getting in some miles. The first few days of the ride will be scenic, but tough, and we'll need strength in our legs to climb the mountains.
