Breakfast at 8am - leave for ride about 9am.
Breakfast at 8am, leave about 9am.
PDF: Download 2012April_LittleAmsterdam
GPX: Download 2012April_LittleAmsterdam
Russ will be onsite Friday afternoon for those campers who want to camp Friday night, and the club will be providing a dinner prepared on-site Saturday evening after the meeting. Saturday evening dinner and Camping for the entire weekend will be $10 for members, $15 for guests.
This month we’ll do things a bit different on the tour. Breakfast will be at the Country Waffles Livermore, 6049 Northfront Rd, Rd, Livermore, CA, 94551 and we’ll take a fun but short route to the campsite. We’ll arrive late morning and have some time to setup camp, then there will two guided routes to see some of the area. There will be a GS tour (maybe some easy dirt roads involved, subject to the weather) leaving from the property, and a street route that stays on pavement. We’ll be back to the campsite in plenty of time for the meeting and dinner.
Please RSVP to Z Ortiz at president@bmwnorcal.org if you plan to attend. We need to have an idea of how much food and beverage to prepare.
Download 2012-Apr-LaGrange (route pdf)
Download 2012-Apr-LaGrange (Garmin File)
Download BackcountryRoads
Download DEVAmap
Download 2012 Death Vly Points (gdp)
The resort is inside Death Valley Park on Route 190, just west of Panamint Valley road. It has a campground, RV park, motel, Wi-Fi, restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, small store, gas and a bar with over 100 different beers; but prices are understandably somewhat lofty. If you are planning an extended stay, bringing some of your own food and beverage might be worthwhile. There are also other restaurants and gas stations in the park (like Stovepipe Wells and Furnace Creek).
If you want to extend your stay either before or after, and stay at Panamint Springs Resort, you can make reservations directly with them. At this point it looks like there are tent sites and rooms available before and after the weekend, but that can change as we get closer to the date. There are also other campsites available in Death Valley on a daily basis.
March weather in Death Valley can vary considerably; from highs in the 90’s to lows in the 40’s, and Panamint Springs is usually 10-15 degrees cooler than the valley during the day. Even some rain is possible so be prepared.
Since our camping is extended to Friday thru Sunday, there will not be a guided tour on Saturday and no files to download from the club website. However, check the NorCal Facebook page to see who might be riding if you’re interested in getting a group together.
As always, new members and guests are welcome. Although there is no official tour, please feel free to find a riding group or join us at the campground. Find one of the officers and introduce yourself to learn more about the club and our calendar of events.
Meeting Info:
Date: Saturday, March 24, 2012
Time: 4:00PM
Place: Group Campsite, Panamint Springs Resort, P.O. Box 395, Ridgecrest, CA 93556, (775) 482-7680
Long/Lat: N36 20.396 W117 28.080
Website: http://www.deathvalley.com/psr/
Thanks,Lee
Updated write-up: Download 2012 February Tour Article
Updated Print file: Download 2012-Feb-SanLorenzo
Updated Garmin file: Download 2012-Feb-SanLorenzo
Updated GPS Exchange file: Download 2012-Feb-SanLorenzo
Updated Print file: Download 2012-Feb-SanLorenzo
Updated Garmin file: Download 2012-Feb-SanLorenzo
Updated GPS Exchange file: Download 2012-Feb-SanLorenzo
1202Download Route gdb file
For February, our meeting will be at 5:00PM, February 25, 2012 in the San Lorenzo Park in King City. At the January meeting we camped on the largest lake in California; in February we’ll be camping right next to the largest river of the central coast of California. The Salinas River runs 170 miles and in addition to being a wildlife corridor, it provides the principal source of water for the farms and vineyards of the valley.
San Lorenzo Park is right on the banks the Salinas River, on the west side of King City. The park has flat, grass camping with water, electricity and firepits at every site. There are several museums at the park, including one with historic vehicles, and there are walkways along the Salinas River. We have the use of the Depot Building for our meeting in case the weather turns foul, and there are BBQs and tables outside. This is a beautiful and interesting park with lots to do and see.
There are several restaurants and motels nearby, including a Quality Inn right at the entrance to the park. A Safeway is located within ½ mile and nothing in King City is farther than 2 miles from the park. Some charcoal and fixin’s from the grocery store and dinner is served…
The tour will start at the Los Gatos Café Uptown in Los Gatos, the “Home of the Famous Half-Pound Cinnamon Roll”. Assuming we can still move after breakfast, the Tour will start around 9:00 AM and include Hicks Road, McKean Road, Airline Hwy (Rt 25), Peach Tree Road, Hare Canyon Road, and Jolon Road….. hours of scenic, fun riding.
BUT…a hundred miles of uninterrupted scenic country roads comes with a price. There are no restaurants or gas stations between Hollister and King City. That means 140 miles between gas stations, and there won’t be a restaurant for lunch. Not to worry, we’ll stop a couple times along the way so bring along lunch or snacks and drinks and we’ll work up a good appetite for dinner. And there are a couple bail-out points along the way that shorten the ride if necessary.
As always, new members and guests are welcome. If you are new to the club and would like to join the ride, please check with the tour captain at the start of the ride. Club members and guests are reminded to have a full tank of gas and be ready to ride at the departure time.
Meet at 8am, leave about 9am.
Scramblz
5055 Almaden Expy
San Jose, CA
Route pdf
Route gpx file
NorCal Home Page
Thanks to Tuco for his help arranging this meeting. Tom is involved with and has written about the renovation project at the reservoir, and we will be some of the first to experience the improved site. He is also planning an easy GS ride (2-4 hours) on Saturday morning to sample some of the scenic roads in the area. Friday night camping is available and can be arranged individually with the campground by calling 530-622-6832.
We’ll have updates about the camping, dinner, the GS ride and the tour as we get closer to June, so check back for more details. - Lee Blake
The park has beautiful campsites, hot showers, clean restrooms and restaurants within walking distance. These are some of the friendliest people I’ve dealt with and I look forward to a great time. We have the use of a heated clubhouse for our meeting (if we need it), firepits at the campsites, free wi-fi and there are cabins available for rent if you don’t want to use your tent. Friday night camping is also available. Please call Sandra at (707) 349-2482 to make reservations for cabins or Friday campsites.
We’ll start the tour with breakfast at 8:00 AM at the Denny’s in Fairfield, 260 Pittman Road, and depart around 9:00 AM. Heading north, we’ll ride Suisun Valley road, Capell Valley road and over Berryessa Knoxville road to our first scenic stop overlooking Lake Berryessa. Then along Pope Creek, past the Hubcap House and up Butts Canyon to a gas/rest stop at the Hidden Valley Mart in Middletown. After that our route will take us right along the entire eastern shore of Clear Lake. If you have never ridden around the lake, it’s a surprise how big it is. After a break at the Alpine Park in Lucerne, right on the eastern shore of the lake, we’ll continue north on Hwy 20 past the Blue Lakes, over the East Fork of the Russian River and past Lake Mendocino before heading back south for our lunch stop in Ukiah. Finishing up with some fun twisties on CA-175 we’ll have done about 185 miles and should be at the campground by 2:30 or so with plenty of time to setup and catch up before the meeting starts at 4:00PM.
For members who ride up individually, please plan to arrive at the park after noon on Saturday when the office opens. When you arrive, stop at the office to sign in and pick up a restroom key. There is a $5.00 deposit (cash only) for each restroom key that will be refunded when you leave on Sunday and return the key. Don’t worry if you plan on leaving early, we have made arrangements.
As always, new members and guests are welcome. If you are new to the club and would like to join the ride, please check with the tour captain at the start of the ride. Club members and guests are reminded to have a full tank of gas and be ready to ride at the departure time.
Tour Captain: Lee Blake