I was home, the bike was prepped. I was sitting on my front deck having just stepped off the bike from my second attempt when Mike T asked me
I was joking. Honestly, I thought I was toast for getting this route done this year. But Mike had got a thought into my mind. Then my wonderful wife said that I should attempt it – why not?
None of the regular buds could go so I posted on FB but nobody there could either.
But then I was looking at maps on Gaia and seeing that there was actual snow being picked up in layers.
Once again the Wife suggested that I at least give it a try. If I hit a snow section that I can’t get past, I can always turn back. So then that was the plan. I would ride up to Chester on the freeways and highways, camp overnight and start Section 7 in the morning. That was the plan…
HOME TO CHESTER
START MILES: 23,734
So far in BDR DAYS…
- DAY 0: Was just getting from home to the start.
- DAY 1: Was from Mammoth to Bridgeport.
- DAY 2: Was from Bridgeport to Bear Valley.
- DAY 3: Was from Bear Valley to French Meadows.
- DAY 4: Was from French Meadows to Soda Springs and then ultimately home.
- DAY 5: Truckee to Graeagle
- DAY 6: Graeagle to Chester
It was Friday, October 25, 2024 and today would be my 9th day on the bike. I would slab it up Hwy 5 to Chester and theoretically start the BDR route in the morning.
The ride up Hwy 5 was ok, nothing out of the ordinary. I started in my driveway a little late as I had plenty of time to get to Chester. I stopped by and gave the Daughter a hug and then left from there. That was at 9:53 AM.
From Red Bluff I took Hwy 36 East into Chester. A lot of this was burned by the Dixie Fire in 2021.
I was in Chester at 2:31 PM
Two Thirty in the afternoon? It was just a little too early to be stopping and so I thought… Might as well keep going. So that’s what I did.
DAY 7: CHESTER TO BIEBER
BDR Section 7 is listed as Chester to Bieber but there’s a plot twist if you take a alt hard section.
As I was starting on the BDR Route I saw a text from Tomm pop up on my GPS Dash.
“Where were you when you heard Jerry died?” is a common question Deadheads ask each other. Where was I when I heard Phil died? I was just outside of Chester, CA. UGH! But life goes on, right?
Just outside of Chester the route goes back to dirt with a short section on Hwy 44.
I was having a great time. These were nice sweeping roads in the forest and I really wasn’t stopping much for pictures..
I got to the Antelope Mountain Lookout and took a few pics.
I had signal so I also texted the guys. They were actively tracking me and keeping an eye on my progress.
Charles remembered that Antelope Mountain Lookout had a webcam and he quickly pulled it up and saw me. Well I guess he saw my helmet.
Coming down from the lookout I did have a choice. There’s a red HARD route that loops back to the regular route. It was short but since I was riding late in the day and alone I chose the NOT do the hard route this time.
Back on the trail it alternated with more of the great forest roads and then active logging sections. I did not run into any logging trucks or loggers as I think they were done for the day.
The sun was getting low and often I was on the eastern side of a ridge. I kept passing these excellent looking places to camp and I just kept urging myself to go a little further.
NOTHING GOOD EVER HAPPENS ON THE BDR AFTER 5 PM
That’s an oft quoted line that someone said somewhere. It’s usually attributed to someone being tired after a full day, hitting a rut a tree, a rock etc. I was a little tired but that wasn’t my case. I was being greedy – plain and simple. I was determined to get in as many miles as I could today to lessen the amount tomorrow.
It was now after 5 PM and I have the Mt. Antelope Lookout behind me. I’m passing great campsite after great campsite and it’s getting dark. I saw the turn for the Harvey Mountain Lookout at 5:45 PM and kept going.
All of a sudden I was out of the forest and in a large valley of farmland. What used to be a nice forest road where you could pull off anywhere was now a paved country road with fences right up to the edge. There were fences everywhere. Not to mention there were burned and abandoned cars, shot up all along the way. I was not getting good vibes at all from this place.
It was 6:13 PM when I hit Little Valley. This is the turn off for the HARDER section and that’s when my gas light came on too.
Nope, nope, nope!
This was the section where choices had to be made. I was at the intersection of the Blue line and the Red line. If I went Red I would need to get to Bieber with the gas I had (My reserve and the 3 liters in my bags). I would also need to camp somewhere or go all the way to Bieber and this looked like it was all farmland. It was also now dusk and only going to get darker. And I was alone.
So I made the decision to stay on the Blue paved road, ride it all the way into Bieber. It might have been the longer route but it was paved and if I ran out of gas someone would possibly drive by.
I hit Hwy 299 and then rolled into Bieber. It was now 7 PM, really dark, and really cold. It’s not a large town. The first thing I saw was the Bieber Motel – they had room and were cheap enough ($88).
I would be safe but I was also a little disappointed.
Tracking suggests I did 310 miles and spent 9 hours on the bike.
I changed into comfortable clothes and walked across the street for a burger. (it wasn’t anything special). Then came back and got a good nights sleep. It was the end of Day 9 on the bike and I’ll call it a half day on the BDR.
SECTION 8 – BIEBER TO ALTURAS
IN BDR DAYS…
- DAY 0: Was just getting from home to the start.
- DAY 1: Was from Mammoth to Bridgeport.
- DAY 2: Was from Bridgeport to Bear Valley.
- DAY 3: Was from Bear Valley to French Meadows.
- DAY 4: Was from French Meadows to Soda Springs and home.
- DAY 5: Soda Springs / Truckee to Graeagle
- DAY 6: Graeagle to Chester
- Day 7: Chester to Bieber
This would be Day 10 on the bikes and I figured my last day on the BDR. I was either going to hit snow and turn back or knock out Sections 8 and 9 in a day. It was Saturday, October 26, 2024.
I woke up early as usual and it was cold out there. Before I did anything I knew I had to fix my headlight. There are two pins on the fender that the headlight mask sits on. They are about 3/4 of an inch high. I think with the added mass of my Ruby R7 and bracket – when I hit a bump the unit wants to continue upwards and it comes off the two pins. I had fixed it in Lake Almanor with Rob the last time. It’s just removing the bolts on the side, repositioning it and bolting it all back together.
After that I was loaded up and ready to go find gas. The nearest was just down the street but guess what? It was closed! Someone there said I could get gas in Adin, just up the road so off we went to Adin.
Gas was at a Valero that also had a country store. I popped in and said hi. There was a local truck driver there and the lady that runs it. They asked a bunch of questions about the bike, the route, where I was staying and so on. They were very nice! I told them about the BDR and how I document my trips on my own website. The truck driver suggested we take a picture and I said that would be a great idea. Thanks for the great conversation guys!
With a full tank of gas it was back to the route. Actually it was back to making decisions. Remember this section of map?
The day before I had made the choice to skip the RED section and get to Bieber safely. This morning I found myself in Adin and Section 8 was the black line. I could backtrack into Bieber and get back on or I also knew I had that green line just a block away that got me back on the BDR sooner.
I knew weather was due to come in. I was also worried about the snow that might already be there. I made the decision to zip down the green line and get back on the route ASAP. I know I was skipping a few miles but I felt it was the better of the two options. Actually, if I had someone riding with me I might have done Option 3 which would be to backtrack all the way to the start of the RED line.
I rejoined the regular route at Ash Creek Campground and headed North towards Alturas. The time was 9:15 AM.
The trail from there went up towards the top of the ridge and then followed the contours sometimes dipping into a valley and then back up again. They were all forest service roads and very easy and very flowy. I was making very quick time.
At one point I thought I was out in the middle of nowhere. I stopped to pee and take off a layer and heard a rumble. I was surprised when two wild land fire trucks came around the corner. I was stopped right in the middle of the two track. they weren’t in any hurry but I still had to rush to get my bike off the trail for them to pass. This was right around Manzanita Lookout.
They passed on by and I was wondering why they would be way out here. I turned the corner and I was in a very rural but very planned out grid of streets. There was a few modest homes, some trailers, and even a full on mansion. It was just a weird thing to be thinking I was a hundred miles from nowhere and then turn a corner and there was this.
Shortly after this the road opened up and I was in to the town of Alturas. It was very quiet in town even though it was 11:00 AM on a Saturday morning. I found a gas station, filled up and was back to moving pretty quickly.
SECTION 9 – ALTURAS TO THE OREGON BORDER
I was now on to Section 9.
Coming out of Alturas I was on Hwy 395 for about 12 miles or so before the turn off that led back into the mountains and dirt forest roads.
The trail quickly gained elevation and I was seeing more and more small little patches of snow. You could guess where it was going to be as we came around corners and found more shaded and protected sections of the road.
The first time I had to stop was at 41.697165, -120.284131 where I took this pic. It was a little downhill but if I stayed in the vehicle tracks I had no issues.
This would go on for a while and then I would wind around a corner that got better sun and be back on dirt. A mile later I was back into the snow.
I was at the top of the ridge from time to time and at one point the trail came around a corner offering an expansive view of the valley below.
I was right here and behind me was Goose Lake (supposedly). I say that because there was no water to be seen. Just a grassy plain.
But I was having a lot of fun on this section. The snow was making it challenging, the rest of it was just nice and easy going.
Next up was Sugar Hill Lookout. This was an out and back and easy peasy.
At the lookout I had a great view of the valley below. I could see a snow covered peak in the distance and I think that was Mt. Shasta. Ever the expert photographer I tried to point to it.
You can see that right? LOL! Here’s a better shot with an even better shot inside of it.
It was 12:15 and I was back on the bike I still had a while to go. The route was fabulous in and out of the trees, up and down the ridges. It really was a fun section.
About an hour later the trail dropped out of the trees and down into Fort Bidwell. I did go through town and almost stopped for lunch but the apprehension of not knowing what was coming next and wanting to make it to the finish kept me going.
Just out of Fort Bidwell it was a rocky climb back up to the top of the ridge and then we were back into the trees. There was one section in particular that was deep downhill loam in almost a single track. Was that just above Lily Lake? I’m not sure but I was loving that.
There were also a few water crossings as the trail crisscrossed a stream (Pine Creek). Nothing technical. I know I got video but didn’t stop for a picture.
The trail kind of suddenly came out onto a road and then quickly hit Hwy 395. Turn right and a few hundred yards up is the border! It was exactly 2 PM and I had finished the NorCalBDR!
I then zipped up to the town of Lakeview, OR for gas and then back down to the border where the campgrounds are.
These sites are just inside the border and run by the State (I think). I wasn’t alone. There were 4 other campers in the grounds but they were all trucks pulling 5th wheels. I was the only tent camper. It was pretty much a big lawn area with trees scattered about. There was even an Apple Tree right next to my tent!
It was around 3:00 PM when I started setting up camp. I took my time, turned on some music (Phil Lesh and Friends) made dinner and had a nice peaceful evening. No fire, but I sat under the stars and watched satellites go by.
It looks like I went to bed at the oh so late time of 7:34 – LOL! Old people, right?
I think it was more a lack of things to do, maybe a little fatigue. The night was gorgeous. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky. The frogs were chirping, I could hear owls screech and coyotes in the distance. But with no one to talk to, no fire to tend, a soft warm down bag seemed like a better place to be. Oh, plus I didn’t have any beer or wine to drink. There’s nothing at the state line. I would have had to bring it down from Lakeview. I was tempted to go without the fly on the tent just to watch the stars but didn’t.
In BDR DAYS…
- DAY 0: Was just getting from home to the start.
- DAY 1: Was from Mammoth to Bridgeport.
- DAY 2: Was from Bridgeport to Bear Valley.
- DAY 3: Was from Bear Valley to French Meadows.
- DAY 4: Was from French Meadows to Soda Springs and then ultimately home.
- DAY 5: Soda Springs / Truckee to Graeagle
- DAY 6: Graeagle to Chester
- DAY 7: Chester to the Bieber
- Day 8: Bieber to the Border
Technically that was it. I had finished the NORCALBDR. Phew! It took me three separate trips but it was done. Yes, I might go back next year just to catch that part south of Bieber that I skipped.
I woke up well before sunrise but luckily made it back to sleep. When I woke up again it was later in the morning. The geese and all the other birds were chirping or quacking. There was also a different sound. That kind of sound that you hear when it’s overcast? There wasn’t much breeze but when I opened the tent flap I could see it was dark and stormy and definitely coming my way!
I quickly popped out of the tent and started breaking down and packing up. As I was packing up I noticed I had a heard of deer under the apple tree right next to my camp.
They just sat and ate apples while I was scuttering about – pretty cool.
Oh also – as I was getting ready to roll up the tent fly, my Big Agnes Copper Spur has a ventilation flap right above my head. It’s held open by a stiff piece that velcros in place. If you don’t unvelcro it before you roll it up you will have a lump. So as I was unvelcroing it, I just happened to notice something in the vent area. I turned fly upside down and gave it a shake and guess what came out…
Lucky for him I saw him before I squished into my bag!
I still had coffee and oatmeal and was back on the bike in under an hour.
CAMPGROUND RATING
I’m going to assume you’ve just spent a week on the road doing the NORCALBDR. You just finished the route and this campground is literally right across the street. Here’s the good news. It’s an excellent place to stay. It has showers (Hot and FREE!), pit toilets, running water, nice picnic tables and fire rings, peace and quiet and most everything else you might need.
The only bad news is that there’s no stores, no beers near by. That and I could see during the busier seasons this might fill up fast. Let’s give this one 5 STARS!
That said, I think there might be another campground just a bit further.
GPS Coordinates: 41.993806, -120.321835
Back to the ride home. My plan was to take whatever route Google or Garmin suggested. It would be a 381 mile day and the weather was coming in fast!
I stopped for a quick picture at the place where the BDR hits Hwy 395. It was already getting socked in at higher elevations. You can’t tell but there’s much more mountains obscured behind those clouds. I might have been the last one this year to finish the route.
I had good music going and settled in for a long ride home. I was going to take Hwy 395 to Hwy 299 into Redding. From there I was on Hwy 5 for a while, then Hwy 505 into Vacaville and then home.
I ran into heavy rain coming up and over some of the passes on Hwy 299. At one point I pulled over and put on a light weight rain liner under my jacket to keep drips from my helmet from going down the back of my neck.
I started the bike at 8:30 AM.
At 12:15 I was in Redding.
At 2:40 I was at the 505 Split.
At 3:40 I was in Cordelia.
At 4:08 PM I pulled into my driveway.
And at 4:32 PM I took this picture!
The traditional celebration Martini!
THE RECAP / TALLY
Trip #1:
I started at 22,093, finished at 22,972 for a total of 879 miles in 3.5 BDR Days.
Trip #2:
I started at 23,000, finished at 23,714 for a total of 714 miles in 2 BDR Days.
Trip #3:
I started at 23,734, finished at 24,692 for a total of 958 miles in 2 BDR Days.
In total I put 2,551 miles on the bike. I did the NorCal BDR in 8 days but spent 11 full days on the motorcycle. I rode with 6 different people on 7 different bikes: Mike T, Kyle, Charles, Seth, Rob, and Tomm. I rode with a KTM 890, 2 different 690s, a Husky 701, a Suzuki Vstrom, a Suzuki DR 650, and a Honda CRF 450. I dropped the bike twice. Nobody got hurt and there were no helicopters. I recorded hours and hours of video I have yet to sift through. I climbed three of the hardest peaks on my moto – Mt. Patterson, Verdi Peak Lookout, and Sierra Buttes Lookout. I visited quite a few great fire lookouts. I ate a lot of burgers (maybe too many). I camped every night except once. We had no flats (while I was there) and only my two mechanicals to deal with.
Let’s talk more about mileage. Yeah, I put on 2,551 miles.
- Getting to Wild Willys from home was an additional 255 miles.
- Getting home from Goose Lake was an additional 380 miles.
- That means just getting to and from the route added 635 miles.
And then there was the back and forth to and from where I left off.
- Soda Springs to Auburn was 53 miles.
- Home to Soda Springs was 158 miles.
- Chester to Home was 232 miles.
- Home to Chester was 238 miles (different route).
- So my total mileage penalty for doing it in three separate trips was 681 miles.
- Total miles outside the scope of the BDR was 1,316 miles.
Subtract all of the extraneous mileage (1,316) from the total miles (2,551) and I figure the BDR for me was 1,235 miles. Remember we did all the hard routes in Section 1 – 6 and then I had a weird reroute in the night getting to Bieber and then getting back on.
Would I do it all again? Hell Yes!
What would I do different? Almost nothing. If it wasn’t for the clutch issue it would have been a single trip. Maybe, just maybe what I would like to do is start again in Yuma and link them all (the USBDR?) in a single trip to Canada. How cool would that be?
He's an avid hockey fan, rides a mountain bike, sometimes rides a road bike, has a few motorcycles (he had a really fast one, had a big cool orange one, rode a really slow one, and is currently building a perfect "BDR Weapon"). If that isn't enough, he makes cheese and sourdough bread, loves strong beer and good red wine, and poorly plays the Mandolin.
- LAB2V 2024 - December 2, 2024
- PRE LAB2V Prep - November 11, 2024
- The NORCAL BDR (part 3) - October 29, 2024