THE GOLD COUNTRY TOUR Grass Valley to Mariposa Six to eight days, 360-540 miles 150 years ago, gold was discovered in the western foothills of the Sierras. Within a few frenzied years, miners had scoured every square inch of those foothills in pursuit of their precious metal. In the wake of their fevered exploration (and exploitation), they left a wonderfully tangled web of tiny roads connecting tiny towns. No other region in California presents the cyclist–and tour planner–with such a complex and confusing network of interesting little backroads. From a cyclist’s point of view, it’s an embarrassment of riches. As a tour planner, confronted with so many choices, I felt like a kid in a candy shop: what to include.. what to leave out. Fortunately, I had the advice and assistance of many experienced riders from the local bike clubs in Sacramento and Stockton. Their extensive local knowledge helped me sort through a bewildering number of options in preparing this route. The result is a package that ranks as one of the best tours we offer. While the tour travels in the general north-south direction of Highway 49, the route spends most of its time dodging around this busy main road on more lightly-traveled alternates nearby. You will catch most of the better historical hot spots along the way through this region famous for the Gold Rush and the rough-and-tumble boom towns that sprang up and prospered at the height of gold fever..and then went into suspended animation after the fever had passed. In between the pioneer towns are miles of dinky little roads through the hills that have riders climbing or descending most of the time..sometimes over steep, wooded ridges, sometimes out across open, rolling grasslands, and sometimes down into canyons where some of California’s last, best wild rivers still run free. • Tour packet: 44 pages; 56 photos; 8 maps • Where does it go? Day 1: Grass Valley to Coloma 59 miles, 3000' up, 4700' down 69 miles, 3800' up, 5500' down 72 miles, 4500' up, 6200' down Rolls downhill (most of the time) from Grass Valley to the outskirts of busy Auburn. Plunges steeply down to the North Fork of the American River before climbing up to the town of Cool. (That’s the big climb of the day.) At Cool, the short route heads downhill to Coloma on the Middle Fork of the American River...the site where gold was first discovered. The longer routes head up into the hills, with the longest route making it all the way to the pioneer settlement of Georgetown before both routes fly downhill to rejoin the short route near Coloma. Showers and river access at camp. Day 2: Coloma to Pine Grove 67 miles, 4300' up, 2500' down 75 miles, 4600' up, 2800' down, plus a 13-mile bonus loop Begins by visiting the Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park. One steep climb and several rolling descents in wooded foothills work the route around the outskirts of Placerville’s suburban fringe. The middle third of the stage winds through open, grasslands and scattered oaks on its way to the picturesque Victorian town of Sutter Creek. From there, the route climbs gently alongside Sutter Creek and ends with a short but very steep climb to our camp above the town of Pine Grove. Showers and pool in camp. Day 3: Fiddletown Loop 68 miles, 6000' up and down 73 miles, 6500' up and down A delightful loop to the north of Volcano, including some challenging climbs and absolutely fantastic downhills. The numbers don’t quite do justice to the difference between the short and long routes: both are hilly, but the longer route gains its elevation on much steeper pitches, including the infamous Slug Gulch climb. A great ride. Day 3.1: Optional Jesus Maria Loop 59 miles, 6700' up and down Although this optional loop to the south of Volcano is shorter in miles than the Fiddletown loop, local riders consider it harder, and it is the one loop that is not really suitable for moderate riders, having no shorter, easier option. Much of it is extremely remote, and it includes at least three climbs that are rated at the high end of any measure of difficulty. On the other hand, it's very beautiful and well worth doing if you have the fitness for it. Day 4: Pine Grove to Columbia 73 miles, 4500' up, 4700' down Drops steeply from the mountains to the town of Jackson, crosses Hwy 49 and rolls out into the empty, grassy hills around Pardee Reservoir. At the town of Valley Springs, head back east to the town of Angels Camp, and then the last leg of the route climbs–sometimes quite steeply–to the town of Columbia, the best preserved of all the old Gold Rush towns. The entire town is a State Historic Park. Swimming pool and showers at camp. Day 5: Columbia to Cherry Lake 57 miles, 7300' up, 4700' down Not too many miles, but a lot of hills! Starts climbing immediately with a long and sometimes steep ascent of aptly named Big Hill Road. Another climb and a wild descent wrap around the town of Twain Harte and shoot the route down to the town of Tuolumne. Beyond Tuolumne, the route becomes increasingly remote (and quiet and beautiful) as it climbs into the mountain wilderness, ending up on a pretty lake just outside Yosemite National Park. With a few, short exceptions, the climbs are all long but fairly gradual..not as tough as the numbers would indicate. No showers at camp, but a beautiful creek and lakeshore swimming hole. Day 6: Cherry Lake to Lake McClure 51 miles, 2900' up, 6800' down 70 miles, 4300' up, 8200' down, plus an optional 20-mile out-&-back Now you get the payback for all that climbing yesterday, as the roads drop, mile after mile, in one of the best runs of downhill fun you’ll ever have. (There is one brutal uphill in the middle of all this descending: a three-mile, 1500' wall.) The route heads south from Cherry Lake on utterly deserted roads through the forest to a brief run along Hwy 120, followed by more intense downhill thrills through Greely Hill and Coulterville to a camp on the shore of the lake. The longer route heads toward Camp Mather, while the optional out-&-back goes all the way to Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, in the litlle-known valley that John Muir said was as beautiful as Yosemite Valley. Showers and beaches at camp. Day 7: Lake McClure to Mariposa 56 miles, 2100' up, 1200' down A quiet day..perhaps even a bit of an anticlimax after the wild mountain stages that precede it. But it makes a great way to wind down the tour: easy rolling roads through very quiet, empty foothills. No major climbs, nor any hairy descents. Just peaceful cycling through pretty countryside..and a short enough day to allow you to travel for home in the afternoon if you choose to (although overnight camping can be arranged at the finish). Showers at camp. • How hard is it? This is a two-tier tour, with longer and shorter options almost every day, making it a tour that can be done by cyclists of varying abilities and aspirations. It is rarely flat, and even the more moderate routes contain a good deal of climbing. In fact, every single stage except the last one contains at least one large, challenging ascent on the basic route. Some of the longer options are just that: merely longer, offering no significant increases in climbing. In a few cases though, the longer routes also present hardier riders with some extremely steep climbs. Of course, all those extra miles are quality miles, and all the extra climbs come with corresponding descents, some of which are among the best downhill entertainments in the state. The shortest version of the tour averages 60 miles a day and 4000' of climb per day for six days. The longest day is 72 miles. The longest version of the tour averages 67 miles a day and 5000' of climb per day for eight days. The two longest days are 88 miles (including two optional loops) and 90 miles (including an optional 20-mile out-&-back). To do the tour in its entirety–including all the longer, hillier options–you will need to be a fit, active rider, with some experience in hilly centuries. To do the shorter route, you should be a fit, moderate rider who doesn’t mind a little climbing. • When should you do this tour? You do not want to do this tour in mid-summer. It can be very hot..well over 100° at times. The best time to visit is in the late spring and early summer. Mid-May to mid-June would be ideal (but try to avoid the busy Memorial Day weekend). You’ll be late enough in the year to minimize the chances of encountering spring showers, but early enough for the fields still to be green and filled with wildflowers. Autumn is also very nice here. • Accommodations All of the campgrounds on this tour are pleasant, and some are wonderful. All of them can be reserved, except for the Forest Service camp at Cherry Lake. All have easy access to decent showers, except (again) for Cherry Lake, where a dip in the pretty lake will have to take the place of an after-ride wash-up. There are several campsites on this tour that are far from the nearest indoor lodgings, making it an unlikely candidate for being turned into a motel-based trip. • Travel..to and from The tour begins near Grass Valley, just off Hwy 49 north of Auburn. It’s about a four-hour drive from the Bay Area to Grass Valley via I-80 through Sacramento. The tour ends near Mariposa, which is also on Hwy 49. The return trip to the Bay Area takes three to four hours via Hwys 140, 99, and I-5. Mariposa is about five hours from Los Angeles via 140, 99, and I-5. The final day of the tour offers an easy 56-mile stage that can easily be done as a getaway day: riding and traveling home on the same day. If you plan to do all eight days, you might also consider driving to Grass Valley on a Friday afternoon so that you can bump the schedule forward a day. Adventure Velo 7315 Fircrest Avenue Sebastopol, CA 95472 707-823-9807 backroad@sonic.net