Bicycle Touring Lassen and Plumas National Forests

http://frankrevelo.com/hiking/dest_us_lassen.htm

Bicycle Touring Lassen and Plumas National Forests

These forests are located in northeast California and are a perfect place to tour in the summer months (June through October), since temperatures are usually mild due to the elevation, especially at night, and there is plenty of shade in the vast forests. Towns of Susanville, Chester, Greenville, Old Station, together with the Eagle Lake campground offer a wide variety of resupply and lodging options, so there will be no need to carry huge amounts of food or water and it will be possible to clean up in a motel room or campground shower every few days and thus avoiding being filthy all the time. The huge network of dirt roads means travel along dangerous paved roads can be mostly avoided. Much of the area is covered by national forests, where it is legal to camp anywhere, so long as you follow "leave-no-trace" principles. Please do not make campfires, as the area is prone to wildfires in the dry summer months. The area is easy to reach (via mostly dirt roads) from either Chico to the west or Reno to the east. Though the area is mountainous, it is possible to avoid huge ascents/descents if these don't interest you (other than getting from/to Chico, if that is your starting point, since Chico is near sea level and the Lassen area is between 4000 and 8000 feet for the most part). Here is my journal and photos from touring this area in Aug 2012.

Recommended maps and other navigational tools

Pages from the California Road and Recreation Atlas by Benchmark Maps (2010 edition), 1:300,000 scale, with lat/long grid (NAD83 datum), relief indicated by shading and elevation in feet of selected peaks. Cut pages out and trim margins so folded pages fit into 12"x12" Aloksak, so as to protect maps from tearing and prevent them from being blown about by the wind. I carry two of these 12"x12" Aloksaks: one for the page or pages I am currently using, one for the remaining pages. Hand-write page numbers on the trimmed pages, since the printed page numbers are part of what will need to be trimmed. These are very high-quality maps, certainly much better than the DeLorme and Rand McNally road atlas maps with respect to the network of dirt roads. Scale is too small to use as a primary navigational tool, but very useful for route-planning and for those areas not covered by the forest service maps. Pages 47, 48, 49, 53, 54, 55, 59, 60, 61 from the landscape section cover the entire northeast corner of California (Lake Tahoe on the south, Oregon border on the north, Nevada border to the east, central valley to the west). Pages 14 and 18 from the recreational section might also be useful. Unlike with the forest service maps, both public and private roads are shown. However, private roads may be blocked off by fences and gates, or may be abandoned and blocked by fallen trees. So even if a road shown on the map exists on the ground, it may not be usable. USDA Forest Service map for Lassen National Forest (2012 edition). This map is printed on durable, water-resistant plasticized paper. 1:126,720 scale, lat-long grid every 7.5 minutes (NAD83 datum), plus section grid. Sections were how property was historically divided up in the United States, and typically measure 1 mile on a side, though sometimes there are odd-shaped sections. Based on the fact that a minute of latitude in the Lassen area is slightly more than a mile, and a minute of longitude is slightly less than a mile, it is easy to find which section you are in using lat-long coordinates shown on a GPS device, and that is sufficient accuracy to navigate when staying on roads, dirt or otherwise. (Obviously, a proper UTM grid would be better than this section kludge.) Map shows elevation for selected peaks plus some relief shading, but not nearly as much elevation information as I would like to see. The Lassen map covers all of Lassen National forest and most of Plumas national forest, and so was my primary navigational tool during my 2012 tour. I would say I accessed this map 20 times per day on average, at least when in the area covered by this map. Besides lack of elevation information, the other major deficiency of this map is that it fails to show the entire network of dirt roads, especially dirt roads that are primarily or entirely on private land, even though many of the dirt roads on timber company land are open to bicycle traffic. I purchased this map at REI.

1 of 10

2/11/2013 7:24 PM

Bicycle Touring Lassen and Plumas National Forests

http://frankrevelo.com/hiking/dest_us_lassen.htm

lassen forest service map folded into a square that fits neatly into my handlebar bag, note the section grid USDA Forest Service map for Plumas National Forest (2001 edition). Printed on regular paper, rather than the plasticized paper used for the Lassen map. Like the Lassen map, 1:126,720 scale with lat-long grid every 7.5 minutes (NAD27 datum) plus section grid. No relief information other than elevation for selected peaks. Due to the huge amount of overlap between this and the Lassen map, and because the Lassen map is more durable and otherwise superior, I almost never used this Plumas map, other than once when I wanted to confirm that a plot of forest in the clover valley was national forest (it was). I would not carry this map on future tours, since I have no special interest in the areas of southern Plumas national forest which it covers but which are not covered by the Lassen map (these southern areas are more mountainous than the northern areas, hence lots of strenuous ascents/descents, plus the network of dirt roads is less dense). GPS of some sort is essential for finding your position on the paper maps, and a mapping GPS loaded with topo maps is highly advisable. I used the Garmin Etrex 20 loaded with Garmin 1:100,000 topographic maps for the entire United States. The topo information is invariably accurate and will remain accurate. But the road information, obtained from the Census TIGER road database, has many errors with respect to the dirt roads. Supposedly, the Garmin 1:25,000 topo maps have a more accurate road database. The Etrex 20 has a small display, so is cumbersome to use for route-planning. For all these reasons and also because any GPS, like any electronics, can fail in the field, the mapping GPS should be used in addition to paper maps, rather than as a replacement. Most bike tourists will be carrying a smartphone for voice communication and internet access. It is possible to use the smartphone as a substitute for a dedicated GPS, but this is inadvisable. Outdoor GPSs are more rugged and waterproof than smartphones, run on field-replaceable AA batteries rather than requiring a charging system, can be mounted directly on the bicycle handlebars, and having a dedicated GPS plus a smartphone allows the latter to serve as backup in case the former fails. For the smartphone to serve as a backup GPS, it should be loaded with offline maps, topo maps if possible, since there will be no network access in remote areas. My Nokia N8 smartphone comes pre-loaded with offline Navteq road maps. These Navteq maps are more accurate than the Garmin 100K maps with respect to the paved road network, but they do not show the full network of unpaved roads and they lack topo information. Because the Nokia N8 has a standard smartphone pinch-to-zoom and swipe-to-pan interface, I find the Nokia N8 and its Navteq maps easier to use for navigating in the city than the Garmin GPS. On the other hand, because the Nokia N8 lacks a high-sensitivity GPS receiver, it will not work under heavy tree cover, and heavy tree cover is the rule in the Lassen area. Even in open areas, the Nokia N8 is much slower to

2 of 10

2/11/2013 7:24 PM

Bicycle Touring Lassen and Plumas National Forests

http://frankrevelo.com/hiking/dest_us_lassen.htm

get a position fix than the Etrex 20. Crude north-south orientation can normally be easily determined from the sun. However, there have been times when I wanted more precise orientation, such as to identify a ranch that was visible 20 miles away across a valley, using a combination of my paper map and my known current position on that paper map. Accuracy of orientation to within about 10 degrees is sufficient for this, so no need for a fancy compass with sighting mirror, just a simple fluid-filled compass with degrees marked on the sides. Declination of magnetic north is between 14 and 15 degrees east of true north in the Lassen area as of 2012.

Getting to the area from Reno

Tahoe-Pyramid bikeway between Reno and Verdi. Henness Pass and Smithneck roads between Verdi and Loyalton. Route A24 plus a short stretch of highway 70 between Loyalton and Beckwourth. Beckwourth Genesee road between Beckwourth and Genesee valley. From there, use Lassen forest service map to navigate, after reading the section on safety below. There are open forests with flat spots along Henness Pass road, and then again along Beckwourth Genesee Road (especially the area about 5 miles north of Beckwourth and then again at 10 miles north of Beckwourth, just north of the Clover Valley Ranch). The vast Sierra valley is privately owned and fenced cattle grazing land, unsuitable for camping, as is most of Clover Valley other than the patch of forest just noted. North of Clover Valley, the Beckwourth road traverses a steep canyon with no flat spots. A strong cyclist could make it from Reno to the forests along Beckwourth Genesee road in a single day. Otherwise, make a late start the first day and camp on Henness Pass road, then take a short second day and camp just north of Clover Valley ranch. Genesee and Indian valleys are mostly privately owned and fenced. If heading to Chester, there are open forests with flat spots along the Old Haun road (the road I recommend between Greenville and Canyondam). Alternatively, there are motels in Greenville. There might be a bar with rooms for rent in Loyalton, so a possibility for those who dislike camping is to stay there and then again at one of the motels in Greenville. Similar considerations as to camping/lodging possibilities apply to returning to Reno. An alternative route, for those living in North Reno, is north Virgina to Bordertown, then the Staterville road between Bordertown and Loyalton. I have not tried this road, but the Benchmark Road Atlas shows it to be solid gravel. This road will be very steep towards the top, based on Google maps terrain information. [Update: another bike tourist from the Reno area notified me that he had tried the Staterville road and found it blocked by gates, but that there might be ways around the gates, he isn't sure.]

Getting to the area from Chico

There are two routes on mostly dirt roads, the old Lassen trail route to the west of highway 32, and the Humbug route to the east of highway 32. The Lassen trail route rises to a max of about 5000 feet while the Humbug route rises to almost 7000 feet. Since someone coming from Chico (or elsewhere in central or coastal California) would presumably not be altitude acclimated initially, it would probably be best to use the former route to get to the Lassen area and the latter for returning to Chico. I'll describe both routes as if traveling from downtown Chico to Chester. Lassen trail route: Cohasset road, 28N29, 27N08, 28N20 to highway 32. Cross highway 32 to a logging road which is not shown on the forest service route. Follow this for about 2 miles to where further progress is blocked by a gate and the road exits to a turnout on highway 36. Follow highway 36 east for about 1.5 miles. See below for photo and discussion of this stretch of highway 36, which is not too dangerous. Turn right (south) onto 28N78, followed by 28N79 and 28N30. Last 3 miles, from the intersection of highways 36 and 89 to Chester, is along highway 36, which has a wide shoulder at this point and hence is not too dangerous. The descent into and out of Deer Creek canyon is rugged and steep. I had to push for an hour on the ascent. I was traveling from Chester to Chico, but I believe the ascent in the opposite direction would be

3 of 10

2/11/2013 7:24 PM

Bicycle Touring Lassen and Plumas National Forests

http://frankrevelo.com/hiking/dest_us_lassen.htm

equivalent in difficulty. Total distance from Chico to Chester will be about 88 miles, with over 7000 feet of ascent and 3000 of descent, and maximum elevation of about 5000 feet. Traveling in the opposite direction took me over 11 hours of pedalling and pushing. Most cyclists will want to split this trip into two days and camp somewhere along the way. I camped on an abandoned logging road near Four Lantern Flat, but there are plenty of other possibilities further to the north. Not so many possibilities south of that point. Humbug route: Skyway to the Honey run road exit. Decent shoulder on Skyway to this point. Alternatively, there might be a bike path which runs from downtown Chico to the Honey Run road, thus making it possible to avoid Skyway entirely. Honey Run road is quiet. Fork left at the Honey Run covered bridge onto Centerville road, which is very quiet. About a mile past the Centerville museum/school, Centerville road turns to gravel and has little or no traffic until it reaches the Nimshew development, where it becomes paved again. Fork left onto Humbug road, which eventually merges with Skyway. A PG&E campground at this point makes a good location for a rest stop. Skyway is fairly quiet up here, whereas it was a multi-lane expressway back near Chico. Follow Skyway about a mile north, then fork left onto Powellton road (25N16), which is gravel. Powellton road parallels and eventually merges with Skyway about 5 miles to the north. At this point, Skyway is very quiet. Follow Skyway north for another few miles, then fork right onto the Humbug Summit road, aka route 915/13, which soon turns to gravel. Shortly after passing Humbug summit, there is an intersection of gravel roads, which is incorrectly signed, so pay careful attention to the map rather than the road signs. Either continue on the Humbug road (route 307), or take the Yellow Creek road (27N65, 27N04, route 308). Yellow Creek road is almost straight downhill, whereas Humbug road descends into Humbug valley then ascends before descending again, but both routes are scenic. The two roads merge as they approach highway 89. Just before highway 89, turn left (to the north) onto a dirt road (not shown on the forest service map) which parallels highway 89. Last 3 miles, from the intersection of highways 36 and 89 to Chester, is along highway 36, which has a wide shoulder at this point and hence is not too dangerous. Total distance between Chico and Chester for the Humbug route will be about 77 miles, with over 7000 feet of ascent and 3000 feet of descent, and maximum elevation near 7000 feet. It took me over 11 hours to cover this distance, pedalling the whole way. Most cyclists will want to split this trip into two days and camp somewhere along the way. I camped at a saddle near Gold Hill, after about 36 miles and 5000 feet of ascent, but there are plenty of other places to camp after this point.

Getting to Chico from Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay Area
As of 2012, Amtrak allows bikes on board its trains, but there is only one train per day between Chico and Sacramento and it arrives/departs Chico in the middle of the night. However, there are four Amtrak/Capital Corridor thruway buses that travel between Chico and Sacramento at more convenient hours, and supposedly these will also accept bikes as baggage, provided there is room in the baggage compartment. Ask on one of the bike forums about this. Finally, it is possible to get to Sacramento from the Bay Area with a bike via Capital Corridor trains. Note, however, that demand for bike storage on Capital Corridor trains is very high.

Safety
One of the best things about touring in the Lassen and Plumas national forests is the possibility of avoiding busy highways for the most part. Note that even when a highway has an excellent hard shoulder and open sightlines (such as highway 70 between Beckwourth and Vinton, see photo below), there is still the possibility of a drunk or distracted driver veering onto the shoulder (or a distracted cyclist veering off the shoulder into traffic). It is thus safest, in my opinion, to avoid being anywhere near fast-moving traffic, which means sticking to dirt roads as much as possible, with quiet paved roads (such as those of the Indian and Genesee valleys) as a next-best alternative. Suggestions for avoiding busy highways:

4 of 10

2/11/2013 7:24 PM

Bicycle Touring Lassen and Plumas National Forests

http://frankrevelo.com/hiking/dest_us_lassen.htm

Follow the instructions above for getting to the area from Reno or Chico via mostly dirt roads. To get from Taylorsville to Greenville, use routes 212 and 112. To get from Greenville to Canyondam, use routes 202 and 201 (old haun road), followed by a mile along route 147. You absolutely want to avoid highway 89 between Greenville and Canyondam (see photo and discussion below). To get from Canyondam to Chester, travel 2 miles on highway 89 to the boat ramp exit, then use the Lake Almanor Recreation trail to get to Lake Almanor West, then cross highway 89 to the Humbolt/Humbug road and turn right (north) at the first dirt road, which runs parallel to highway 89 (this dirt road is not shown on the forest service map because it is on private forest company land, but it does exist). The 3 mile stretch of Highway 36 between highway 89 and Chester has a very wide shoulder and so is not particularly dangerous (there is also a dirt road alternative, not shown on the forest service map, but then you have to contend with gravel trucks on this alternative, so I'm not sure it would be safer). To get from Chester to the Bizz Johnson trail and thus to Susanville, take route 318 (Juniper Lake road), then 28N12 (take left fork or "M" line, since right fork or "L" line leads to Last Chance Campground), then 32N10 aka route 10, then 30N07 until this intersects the Bizz Johnson trail. Route A21 is quiet between Bizz Johnson trail and Westwood, in case you want to visit the latter. Huge network of dirt roads allows for avoiding highway 44 for the most part, other than the descent from Hat Creek Rim to Old Station. Indeed, the huge open forests in this area might be considered the primary reason for visiting the Lassen area and so these dirt roads are worth traveling for their own sake, rather than merely to avoid highway 44. Places where travel on a busy highway might be required: Downtown Reno to Verdi along the Tahoe Pyramid bike route. A few busy stretches, but nothing really dangerous. Widely used bike route by Reno area bicyclists. Downtown Chico along Skyway to the Honey Run road exit. I believe there is a bike path to avoid this stretch of Skyway. In any case, Skyway has a good shoulder up to this point (after this point, the shoulder disappears). One mile on route 147 between the Old Haun Road (route 201) and Canyondam. Photo and discussion below. Two miles on Highway 89 between Canyondam and the southern end of the Lake Almanor Recreation Trail. There is a 3 foot shoulder, so I didn't find this stretch to be seriously dangerous. It is certainly nothing like the stretch of highway 89 between Greenville and Canyondam. Two miles on Highway 36 to get from Chester to where the Lassen Trail (forest service road 28N20) exits from highway 32, since the dirt road shown on the forest service map as running south of and parallel to highway 36 is blocked by a gate. Photo and discussion below. Five or so miles on Highway 44 to descend from Hat Creek Rim to Old Station. I have not traveled this stretch of highway 44, so I don't know how dangerous it is. The stretch of highway 44 I did travel seemed reasonably safe. Photo and discussion below. Two miles on highway 36 to get from Susanville to the Eagle Lake road (route A1). A good hard shoulder and open sight lines, so not particularly dangerous. It might be possible to use dirt roads to get from Susanville to Eagle Lake Summit (midway between Susanville and Eagle Lake) and connect up with route A1 there. Benchmark road atlas, Nokia N8 and Garmin Etrex 20 maps all show such a dirt road, but forest service map does not. Forest service map frequently does not show roads that are mostly on privately owned land, as this dirt road would be.

5 of 10

2/11/2013 7:24 PM

Bicycle Touring Lassen and Plumas National Forests

http://frankrevelo.com/hiking/dest_us_lassen.htm

Highway 89 between Greenville and Canyondam. Frequent blind curves, no hard shoulder, soft shoulder sloped to form a ditch and also extremely soft and thus likely to cause skidding and falling back onto the road, perhaps right under the wheels of a big truck. This 5 mile stretch requires about 1000 feet of elevation gain, so stretches of more than 5% grade. Loaded touring bicycles will thus be moving slowly at times and possibly wobbling from side to side, while motor vehicles will be passing at 60+ mph. Photo was taken early on a Sunday morning, but there was already moderate traffic then. I was in a rush to get off this road and so neglected to include traffic in the photo (same reason the photo is partly obscured by my finger). Normally, traffic is very heavy. All in all, an extremely dangerous road for bicyclists.

Old Haun Road. This is the peaceful dirt road alternative to the extremely dangerous stretch of highway 89 between Greenville and Canyondam. You'll be lucky to be see any cars/trucks on this road and those you do see will be moving very slowly. Only disadvantage is an extra 300 feet of elevation gain (1300 feet total versus about 1000 feet for highway 89).

6 of 10

2/11/2013 7:24 PM

Bicycle Touring Lassen and Plumas National Forests

http://frankrevelo.com/hiking/dest_us_lassen.htm

Route 147, which runs north along east side of Lake Almanor, from Canyondam to Westwood. Alternative to taking the Recreation trail along the west side of Lake Almanor to get from Canyondam to Chester. No hard shoulder, but at least no blind curves, only moderate traffic and soft shoulder not so soft as to cause easy skidding (assuming you have fat tires and are not traveling too fast). Also, as the sign suggests, there is considerable pedestrian movement across this road, due to being lined with vacation houses and RV parks on both sides in many places, so trucks at least tend to drive carefully and not too fast.

Highway 36 west of Chester. No hard shoulder, but also no blind curves and soft shoulder not so soft as to cause easy skidding. So just go slow and move carefully onto soft shoulder in case of heavy traffic. One mile on highway 36 is required to get between Chester and the intersection of 28N20 (the old Lassen trail) and highway 32. Forest service map shows 28N81 as a way to avoid highway 36, but that road is blocked by a locked gate. So follow 28N78 to highway 36, then highway 36 west for about a mile, past the St Bernard Lodge and various houses, to where highway 36 makes a sharp bend right (to the north) and there is a turnout. Here it is possible to get back onto a dirt logging road (not shown on the map),

7 of 10

2/11/2013 7:24 PM

Bicycle Touring Lassen and Plumas National Forests

http://frankrevelo.com/hiking/dest_us_lassen.htm

which parallels highway 36 the rest of the way to highway 32.

Highway 44 near Poison Lake (between Old Station and Susanville). I only traveled a brief stretch along this highway, but it seemed reasonably safe: no blind curves, a 3 foot hard shoulder, moderate traffic. Still, I see no reason to travel on a highway when there are dirt road alternatives, at least for a tourist in no rush to get anywhere. Several miles on Highway 44 will be required to descend from Hat Creek Rim to Old Station. Not sure as to conditions on that required stretch.

Highway 70 east of Beckwourth. Hard shoulder is smooth, almost 8 feet wide, and with rumble strip separating shoulder from traffic lanes. If only all paved roads had shoulders like this!

Local Bike Shops

Bicycle Bananas in Susanville. I visited this local bike shop and talked to the owner and can recommend it as having a competent service department. Bodfish Bicycles in Chester. I visited this local bike shop and talked to the owner and can
8 of 10

2/11/2013 7:24 PM

Bicycle Touring Lassen and Plumas National Forests

http://frankrevelo.com/hiking/dest_us_lassen.htm

recommend it as having a competent service department. Quincy Bike Shop, Lawrence and Leonard Streets, 530-283-4015. I obtained this address from the Plumas County tourism guide, but did not visit the shop myself. Mountain Hardware in Blairsden (near Portola) has bike stuff, 530-836-2589. I obtained this address from the Plumas County tourism guide, but did not visit the shop myself.

Connectivity
ATT has strong 3G service in Chester and Susanville. Probably the other services are also strong in these towns, because they have sizeable populations. Public libraries in both Chester and Susanville offer free wireless, both when open and after hours. Most motels offer wireless as well, though sometimes it doesn't work. For example, the River Inn wireless never worked properly (supposedly, they are planning an upgrade soon), so I used the nearby public library instead.

Lodging information
Prices below do not include 10% tax. Susanville - Apple Inn, 530-257-4726, advertising $45 in August 2012. Susanville - Best Western, 530-257-4123, $80 to $129 according to tourist office brochure. Susanville - Budget Host Frontier Inn Motel, 530-257-4141. Susanville - Diamond Mountain Casino Hotel, 530-252-1100, 877-319-8514, $86 to $149 according to tourist office brochure. Susanville - Diamond View Motel, 530-257-4585. advertising $40 in August 2012 and that is what I paid then. Susanville - High Country Inn, 530-257-3450, 866-454-4566, $84 to $100 according to tourist office brochure. Susanville - Knights Inn Motel, 530-257-6577, $49 according to surly owner, who I called in August 2012. Susanville - Motel 9, 530-251-5702, advertising $40 in August 2012. Susanville - River Inn Motel, 530-257-6051, $54 to $64 according to tourist office brochure. I paid $49 in August 2012. Susanville - Roseberry House Bed and Breakfast, 530-257-5675. Susanville - Super 8 Motel, 530-257-2782, 800-800-8000, $72 to $82 according to tourist office brochure. Chester - Antlers Motel, 530-258-2722, $80 according to tourist office brochure. Chester - Best Western, 530-258-2022, 888-571-4885, $89 to $179 according to tourist office brochure. Chester - Bidwell House Bed and Breakfast, 530-258-3338, $85 to $175 according to tourist office brochure. Chester - Seneca Motel, 530-258-2815, $51 to $75 according to tourist office brochure. I paid $51 and $41 in August 2012. Greenville - Hideaway Motel and Lodge, 530-284-7915, $70 to $95 according to tourist office brochure. Greenville - Sierra Lodge, 530-284-6154, $60 to $82 according to tourist office brochure. Greenville - Oak Grove Motor Lodge (a mile south of town via dangerous highway 89, so not recommended due to location), 530-284-6671, $65 to $120 according to tourist office brochure. Lassen National Park - Drakesbad Guest Ranch, 866-999-0914, $155 to $179 (all meals included) according to tourist office brochure.

9 of 10

2/11/2013 7:24 PM

Bicycle Touring Lassen and Plumas National Forests

http://frankrevelo.com/hiking/dest_us_lassen.htm

Water sources
Much of the area is quite dry in summer, so be careful about relying on natural sources. A cyclist pedalling uphill can easy go through 6 to 8 liters/day in hot weather, so I advise 12+ liters capacity. For example, dual 6 liter Dromedary bladders in the panniers plus some water bottles in the front triangle. (Dromedaries cannot be filled to the top without spilling, so actual capacity of the 6 liter size is about 5.5 liters). Make sure your urine runs clear at least once per day. Kidney stones are painfulI'm speaking from experience here. Loyalton: town park Taylorsville: country campground just outside town Greenville: town park Chester: town park Westwood: town park Susanville: various town parks Old Station: ranger's station or Subway cave Eagle lake: campgrounds Humbug summit: cold springs is a piped spring that runs year round Warner valley/Drakesbad resort: campground

10 of 10

2/11/2013 7:24 PM