THE BIGFOOT TOUR Yreka to the Unknown Coast and the Avenue of the Giants Seven days, 460 miles We named this journey across the northwestern corner of the state in honor of the famous resident of these forests primeval, the legendary sasquatch. But we could just as well have called it the Tall Trees Tour for all the quiet giants you’ll see while riding through four different national forests–Klamath, Six Rivers, Shasta, and Trinity–not to mention riding around or through the Marble Mountain Wilderness, the Trinity Alps Wilderness, and Humboldt Redwoods State Park. Or we could have called it the Wild Rivers Tour, because at one time or another, the route parallels or crosses the Shasta, the Klamath, the Salmon, the Trinity, the Van Duzen, the Eel, the Bear, and the Mattole Rivers, all of them pristine, untamed streams. In fact, about 70% of the entire route runs next to a river, a creek, a lake, or the ocean. We’ll visit little towns like Happy Camp and Forks of Salmon and Hayfork and Ferndale (as pretty as Mendocino, but with half the tourists). Beyond Ferndale–on the far side of some steep hills–we’ll explore the Unknown Coast, the only stretch of California coastline without a major highway next to it. We’ll end up (after the long climb and descent over Panther Gap), rolling down the Avenue of the Giants, among the tallest trees on earth. • Tour packet: 37 pages; 42 photos; 8 maps • Where does it go? Day 1: Yreka to Happy Camp 74 miles, 1700' up, 3000' down 78 miles, 3300’ up, 4600’ down Short route rolls gently downhill (most of the time) from Yreka to Happy Camp, at first along the Shasta River and then–for most of the day–along the banks of the beautiful Klamath River. Longer route explores the Scott River canyon before teeing into the Klamath. Extremely pretty and peaceful, and one of the easiest days on any tour we offer. Camp at a private resort on Elk Creek. Showers and all services. Day 2: Happy Camp to Matthews Creek 66 miles, 3500' up, 2300' down Begins with more tranquil, slightly downhill miles along the Klamath River, then follows the spectacular course of the Salmon River through a narrow, rocky gorge. Some of the most exciting cycling miles imaginable! Camp in remote wilderness at a primitive forest service camp. No showers, but beautiful swimming holes are right next to camp. Day 3: Matthews Creek to Coffee Creek 64 miles, 7000' up, 6200' down After two relatively easy days, with only moderate climbs, you now have to get to work: two very long (but rarely steep) climbs of 17 and 7 miles carry you up and out of the Salmon River watershed, over the Pacific Crest Trail, and down into the Trinity River system. The long climbs are followed by long, sometimes technical and exciting downhills. Overnight in a quiet, private camp on the bank of Coffee Creek. Showers. Day 4: Coffee Creek to Hayfork 69 miles, 5300' up, 5500' down Jumbo-sized rollers through the pines are the order of the day for the first 38 miles to historic Weaverville. After exploring the old town, work your way up and over another long climb (7 miles) before descending to the remote hamlet of Hayfork. Camp on the shaded lawns of the Trinity County Fairgrounds. Showers. Day 5: Hayfork to Grizzly Creek State Park 67 miles, 5000' up, 7000' down One of the best days on the tour! Long climbs through the forest, but even longer descents on beautifully paved, well-engineered roads..roads that are virtually free of traffic, in spite of their great condition. A cyclist’s dream. The latter half of the ride runs alongside the pretty Van Dusen River. Camp in the redwoods on the bank of the river. Showers. Day 6: Grizzly Creek SP to the Unknown Coast 65 miles, 5000' up, 5200' down Begin in the redwoods along the Van Dusen, pedal through the town of Fortuna (biggest town on the tour), and then ride out across the fertile valley of the Eel River to the charming town of Ferndale–one of the best-preserved, prettiest pioneer towns in the west. After prowling the town, tackle several steep climbs and wickedly steep, twisting descents on the way over the coastal hills to the ocean. Camp in a remote, beautiful county park on the bank of the Mattole River. Showers..but only cold water! Day 7: Unknown Coast to Dean Creek 55 miles, 3500' up, 3400' down Leave the magnificent Unknown Coast by climbing (for 8 miles) over Panther Gap and dropping into Humboldt Redwoods State Park. Wind up the tour with a placid cruise down the Avenue of the Giants, the famous scenic byway through the tallest trees on earth. Finish up at Dean Creek Campground, where a swimming pool and showers will help wash away a week’s worth of wear and tear. Stay overnight or just wash up and hit the road for home. • How hard is it? This is one of the few tours we offer without longer/shorter options (except for Day 1). For most of the tour, there simply aren’t any extra roads with which to create alternate loops of any length, whether we wanted to or not. Much of the route passes through areas so remote and unpopulated they have no need of more than the few paved roads we use. While some of the days are easy, others are anything but, with climbs that are long or steep or both. In light of the remoteness of the region and the severity of a few of the climbs, I would not recommend this tour for anyone but reasonably fit, experienced riders. That doesn’t mean you have to be fast...just steady and determined and fairly self-sufficient. If that describes you, and if you’re ready for this adventure, it promises to be one of the best tours we offer. • When should you do this tour? This tour could be ridden anytime from late spring to early fall. There is always the possibility of rain in this northern portion of the state..whether you’re in the mountains or along the coast..and at the same time, you may hit a hot spell, and some of the interior valleys on this route can become very hot indeed during the summer. • Accommodations Some of the camps are fully equipped, modern resorts, while others are either primitive or rather bare-bones. Most of the campgrounds on this tour can be reserved, except for the Forest Service camp at Matthews Creek and the county park on the Unknown Coast. All have easy access to decent showers, except (again) for Matthews Creek, where a dip in the pretty Salmon River will have to take the place of an after-ride wash-up. With a certain amount of fiddling, this tour can be modified to motel overnights. • Travel..to and from It’s about a six hour drive on Interstate-5 from the Bay Area to the start at Yreka, while the return trip to San Francisco from the tour’s end near Garberville should take about four hours. The short drive home at the end, plus the shortness of the final stage (55 miles), makes it possible to treat the final day as a getaway day: take a shower at Dean Creek, have a farewell picnic, and hit the road for home in the afternoon. However, you can also stay overnight if you prefer. Adventure Velo 7315 Fircrest Avenue Sebastopol, CA 95472 707-823-9807 backroad@sonic.net