Thank you for the phone calls wondering about my existence. No cell phone or internet back up in the hills.
More later.
Back again.
Yuba River, South and North Forks.
Left Tahoe planning on riding a favorite, Hole in The Ground @ Truckee but learned that it is still snowed in. Bumer. Stopped @ The BackCountry @ Truckee where I learned of conditions. I stopped there Labor day ’07 and a wrench bled my Formula brakes. He remembered me and the brakes. He is from C d’A and knows many of the same trails. He calls caribou on Mt C d’A Scareabou.
No Hole so i drove on to Nevada City up in CA’s gold mining history. Stopped @ Tour of nevada bike shop for trail info and I received a bunch. I spent part of afternoon walking around the historic town. Old buildings, even a foundry that invented a breakthru waterr wheel design. Spent time in a hat shop learning about material hats are made from. Cheapest fur hat was $285 and made of rabbit.
Drove on to TH of S Yuba trail outside Nevada city. Pavement wandered thru outback neighborhoods and finally plummented on a lane 1/2 paved road, switchbacks, blind corners, & crumbling pavement. Luck was such that I had road to myself. Steep canyon and road deat w/ topography to make river. At river I crossed a bridge and then climbed for 2 miles on a washboard gravel road to TH. I parked in the trail head parking lot. There is a BLM fee XG also. I spent night and swatted mosquitoes.
Sunday I rode off by myself. I was prepared to ride the 36 mile IMBA epic if other riders would have joined. None did so i rode the shorter 19 mile grinder. Histpric town of North Bloomfield experienced hydraulic mining. A side trail skirted above the carnage. The town is mostly abandoned, but is a state park, with original buildings. Used to be named Humbug complete w/ a namesake creek. later on the ride I crossed it and read the historical sign that the haydraulic wash filled the canyon up to 60 feet deep. And these miners wonder why this method of mining was outlawed?
Dropped down Missouri Bar trail, 1200′ in 1 1/2 miles. Smooth twisty trail that couldn’t be bombed. Brakes received a work out. Great Formula K24 brakes. Trail joined the river trail for 8 miles & 1100′ of vert back to TH. Poison Oak. Trail is bench cut into hillside. High side was on my right for all but the switchbacks. Saw 4 hikers.
Spent quiet night in parking lot after weekend campers left. Plan was to leave Monday Am in hopes that I would not be sharing the road w/ on coming traffic. Execution was perfect.
Topography is twisted w/ steep rugged canyons. Drove back into Nevada City and switched over to North Yuba River drainage, destination Downieville, home of some famous races and trails. 51 miles from Grass Valley, the area’s largest town. Downieville is a former gold mining town excavated from steep canyon sides. Beautiful river and h2o. Found Downieville Outfitters and owner Greg that Mark Davis said to lookup. Town has 1 lane bridges and lane 1/2 streets. No real parking. Mountain bikers destination. There are 2 shuttle services in town that drive you up into high country. Each charge $20 to save 15 miles of road climb and gain almost 5000′ drop back to town. I asked Greg for a primitive spot and he suggested up canyon on Lavezzola Creek and right on First Divide trail. Again a steep 1 lane gravel road climb. Found the spot all to myself.
My front tire needs replacing. I shopped the larger store, Yuba Expeditions. Young kids working there and they were playing their music. Not my place to hang. I walked back to Greg’s and enjoyed silence. I told him I would see him @ 10:00AM tomorrow for a shuttle. Greg is older and would more likely to listen to older person’s music on the shuttle ride.
I did buy a WTB Prowler 2.3 tire: more meat and wider tire. I installed it @ high camp and wanted to test it out before the big ride so i rode down the First divide trail into town. The bike is way more stable and corners much better.
Tuesday I rode from camp back down First Divide to Greg’s for shuttle ride. He drives a big Ford van w/ bikes on roof. I sat in shotgun and held on as he drove speed limit, way faster than i would have driven the Sprinter.
At the top, Packer Saddle, Greg shared a ride idea w/ me while being feasted upon by mosquitoes and a biting fly. My route was not to be all downhill, actually all the downhill runs have some uphill. I ended w/ 30 miles in just under 3& 1/2 hours. Catch this: 3100′ climbed but 7000′ down. Big day. Stopped @ 3rd divide for navigation and was almost sucked dry by mosquitoes. Rode down second divide which dropped & climbed over some hairy technical stuff hung on side of creek valley. yes, I walked several places where the consequence of a balance error was measured in lots of feet. I rode into town and treated myself to an ice cream cone.
A T-storm was moving in. A few drops fell late in the ride. In town the clouds continued to billow. I wanted to be back @ camp b4 rain. I elected to stay @ same camp spot to eliminate driving and hassling w/ parking in town. The ice cream crept up my throat on the 4 miles back to camp. I set up the Coleman shower. As I was rinsing off the rain fell which the rinsing and jumping out of shower. Light rain fell for about 30 mins. as was done.
I have fed mosquitoes along the Yuba. At the van i burn repellent. The mosquitoes “bite” but I do not manifest bumps or itches. I credit that to my PCT hike in Oregon where my sweat was blood red pouring off my body.
Downieville lacks internet and a complete grocery store. To amilerate these conditions I drove 50 miles back down canyon to Grass Valley where I am now. Twisty up & down road in canyon. Places even XM reception blacked out. I found a hair salon in the shopping center and a 20 yo cut my hair.
Plan now is to drive back up river below Downieville and ride the North Yuba River trail into Downieville as the trail has been completed into town. Next day is to ride Bullard’s Bar just down canyon. I will stop @ Greg’s and pick his knowledge base for rides beyond here. On my previous trip i did not fin a ride going North until Klamath falls in Oregon.
Friday is my dad’s 84th birthday. Happy Birthday early as i will probably be out of access.