Wanderlust and the road less traveled.: Coasting into Fall

I've decided to take a little more time off of work when the opportunity presents itself. I worked seven days a week for 6 months until I left for the Arizona Trail Race in April, I mean every day, holidays, birthdays, you name it. Life is too short and time too precious to work that many hours I've come to find. Last week an opportunity came up where I could bail on work on Friday and head to the coast. Mary wanted to take Sasha for the weekend and I still had a few days of doggy daycare paid for so she agreed to take her on Thursday night and I dropped her off on my way outa here. I managed to make it out to Clearlake before the lines got blurry, I pulled into the Forest Service parking lot in Upper Lake and crawled into the back seat for a few hours of sleep before continuing on to Ukiah in the morning.

I had done this route a few times before, so it was a no brainer to just pack the bike and leave for a few days. I'd start in Ukiah and head over to Fort Bragg through Redwood Vally and Willits and then onto Sherwood Road, the old stage route from Willits to Fort Bragg. The weather was supposed to be good, sunny and 70 degrees, unfortunately all weathermen lie out their asses....

Combo sunrise/moonset over Ukiah on my early morning start

Sherwood/Fort Bragg Road

Fort Bragg/Sherwood Road

On my way to Fort Bragg

I'm headed that way, and yes, that is fog on the coast way out there....

Awesome spring on Sherwood Road, didn't need it in Novenber.

Trucking along


Sherwood Road

Sherwood Road was in pretty good shape, it can be covered in death mud if it's been too wet or the local hillbillies have been out roosting it up. I rolled into Fort Bragg, hit up Harvest Market for a turkey and cranberry sandwich, some sauteed garlic and mozzarella cheese and sun-dried tomatoes for lunch and headed for Mendocino. The plan was to roll back into the walk in campground at Van Damme State Park, never a soul back there and it's just so beautiful.

Ukiah to Van Damme in Garmin Connect


Stunning day, shorts and short sleeves!

Pretty bitchin lunch spot!

Headed back into the walk in campground.

My home for the night

View from my tent

Magical

More camp goodness.

I had a nice relaxing evening by the fire in camp. In the morning I was off to ride some trail and head back up to Fort Bragg to camp again for the night, no plan really other than to try and poach a spot on the beach somewhere. I wasn't looking to ride a bunch today, just ride some of the trails I knew I wouldn't get lost on and be out all day slogging around the forest hoping to make it out by dark, which is what usually happens to me.

Around Mendocino/Fort Bragg

Another stunning day on the coast

Somewhere in the forest

Mushrooms were out all over, only got one stinking picture though, duh...

Mendocino Gold

Chris's Trail

Caspar Crossing

Another incredible lunch spot

Jughandle Beach

Ten Mile Beach, looking for a place to camp.

Who needs a stinking fatbike!

Awesome day

Cool eh?

Fog rolling into my home for the night.

Settling in for the night.

It was a great night on the beach. The surf was fairly low, so it wasn't pounding all night and keeping me awake. It was nice to have the Shires tent with me, it's a couple pounds heavier than my bivy, but being dry and having room to stow all my gear out of the fog was well worth dragging that thing all over Mendocino County. I slept really well for the second night in a row, a rarity for me lately whether I'm at home in bed or sleeping on the ground in the woods.

I awoke to a very foggy and wet morning, everything would have to get packed up wet and dried out later. It was really warm, I headed out for the 5 mile ride back down the beach in shorts and a short sleeve jersey at 7 am! I took the scenic route out to Mendocino, riding a bit of trail along the coast and out along the Mendocino Headlands before heading out Comptche/Ukiah Road back to my truck.

Ten Mile Beach to Ukiah

Headed home...

Foggy morning.

Mendocino Headlands

Mendocino shrouded in mist.

Looking up towards Big River

Great light on Comptche/Ukiah Road.

Coffee stop.

Comptche /Ukiah Road

I made a lunch stop at the Montgomery Woods Redwood Preserve. I had mixed feelings about my visit here. It had been nearly five years since I last came through this amazing place, in the meantime the State had paved a huge parking lot complete with bathrooms and interpretive signs. I had always enjoyed the solitude of this magical place, perhaps I had always been lucky to have it to myself. This day I shared it with a parking lot full of people.... I guess it always a good thing to expose people to the fragility of nature and how we have impacted it in our lifetime, hopefully those I shared this place with came away with a love of this special place as well.