Range of Light Gypsy Tour
August 28th - September 2nd, 2003
© Bill Allen, 2003

The Range of Light Gypsy Tour is an event put on every Labor Day weekend by the BMW Club of Northern California. "Range of Light" is the term John Muir used for the Sierra Nevadas and a "Gypsy Tour" is one in which the camp moves every night. We did not receive the location of the next night until check in at the previous location. This means that, starting off, we only knew the location of the first night camp (Orland, CA) but we had no idea of where the route would take us and, more importantly, where the event would end.

Orland is located about 90 miles north of Sacramento and about 540 miles north of San Juan Capistrano via freeway. As averse as I am to freeways, I intended to make this a two day trip to Orland. The last time I participated, this event ended in Weaverville, east of Redding, about 650 miles from San Juan Capistrano (by freeway). As most know (and for those who don't certainly can imagine) getting out of L.A. on the Friday before Labor Day and arriving in L.A. on Labor Day is a disaster. My solution? Leave on Thursday and return on Tuesday.

Of course, it was difficult finding riding companions who were able to take off six days over Labor Day weekend. Fortunately, one of my previous riding companions on the last time I participated in this event, Jon Taylor, was game for it.

Jon had some warranty work to do on his custom seat so he scheduled an appointment at Corbin's in Hollister for Thursday at 2 pm. We had planned on meeting at the BMW Dealer in Santa Cruz on Friday morning.

Thursday, August 28th, 2003

Another frequent riding partner, Mike Davis, was game for a ride up the coast and a campout at Limekiln (just south of Big Sur, click here for a map), so Mike and I departed mid morning on Thursday for a ride up the coast.

The ride was very pleasant, stopping in Morro Bay for clam chowder (of course) and the weather was perfect. Nice skies and cool temps were a great change of pace from the hot August (dog days) of L.A.

We arrive at camp, pick out a spot near the beach and head off to Big Sur for dinner. We return to camp right after dark, just in time to light the fire and recap the day's ride. A perfect day, ending at one of my favorite campsites.

Total for the day: 399 miles.

click on images below for larger version

Friday, August 29th, 2003

Friday morning, we rise and pack our sites. Mike heads south back to the mania of the L.A. basin and I go north to have breakfast in Big Sur. Jon Taylor and I planned on meeting at the BMW Dealer in Santa Cruz. I discovered this shop accidentally on one of my previous trips this summer in that it is across the street from where I had lunch. It is very convenient, on Hwy 152, just a block off of Hwy 1. While giving these directions to Jon, I forgot to mention that this is the BMW Dealer of Santa Cruz County. Jon ignores the fact that I said the shop was on Hwy 152 and he goes into the town of Santa Cruz, looking for a BMW dealer. Myself, not any more impressive at navigation, miss the 152 exit and wander into Santa Cruz, nearly out of gas. I pull into a gas station in Santa Cruz, still with plenty of time to backtrack and meet Jon at the dealer. Amazingly, as I am pulling away from the gas station, I look across the street to see Jon honking his horn. How we found each other 15 miles from our original rendezvous point is incredible.

We ride north out of Santa Cruz, picking up Hwy 9 to Hwy 35 (aka Skyline Blvd) to Sky Londa and Alice's Restaurant. Alice's Restaurant happens to be the first checkpoint of the Three Flags Classic and we see many bikes rolling in. I'm amazed that there are people checking in already since they just left Tijuana this morning and it was only noon!

Trying to avoid Bay Area traffic, we take the San Mateo Bridge (92) to I-680 to I-80 to Vallejo for lunch. We decided to take the back roads out of Vallejo through Napa which was a mistake, traffic-wise. After we leave Napa, the traffic clears up and we have a nice ride on 121 and 128 until we hit Winters at the I-505. We then take the slab to Orland (click here for a map), find a nice campsite and check in. We ride into Orland, join a couple of other participants at a Chinese restaurant and return for a recap session around the campsite.

Total for the day: 371 miles.

Saturday, August 30th, 2003

We pick up our first set of instructions, letting us know that our next campsite will be in Yreka (click here for a map), which is near I-5 nearly to the Oregon border. Of course, we would not be taking I-5. We will be spending most of the time on some fairly obscure roads, through some beautiful volcano country. We circumvent Mt. Shasta, which I haven't seen in years.

On our way out, we pick up a couple of riders, Jeff and Rex. This was probably a mistake in that it made it more difficult to keep a group of four together more than just the two of us. About midway through, we (mutually) decide to break up back into our original arrangements.

One of the things that amazed both Jon and I was that, even though this was Saturday on Labor Day weekend, we saw very little traffic. We would go hours before seeing a car. About the only people we saw were locals and hunters. It was bow hunting season for deer and bear. I can't imagine bear hunting with a cross bow.

We arrive in Yreka about 6:30 pm, ready for dinner. The NorCal Club provided dinner both Saturday and Sunday nights, so, as soon as we got our tents pitched, it was time for dinner.

Total for the day: 352 miles.

Sunday, August 31st, 2003

We get our instructions that our next stop is in Hayfork. Hayfork is southwest of Weaverville on Hwy 3 (click here for a map).

This morning, we adopt our motto: "If we can't be first, might as well be last." We depart Yreka at 7:45 and, instead of going south like the rest of the participants, we go north so we can say we were in Oregon. We go right across the border and stop in Siskiyou for breakfast.

We have to return to the campsite to reset our trip meters and arrive there at 10:15. Everyone is gone and the place is locked up. Good! We have guaranteed that we are last!

Of course, getting to Hayfork is an adventure. We are on National Forest roads (again - we did NF 15 yesterday). Today is the most technically difficult day of the tour and it is reflected in the lowest miles of all of the segments. One section, Steward Springs Road (aka USFS 17 - not even our my AAA map) is very rough and very narrow. The road is often a single lane. The entertainment occurs when, while on a single lane section, you see a sign that reads "Road Narrows". How much narrower can it get? Don't ask and definitely don't look down! I'm glad I'm on a motorcycle because two cars passing on this road would be extremely difficult.

One of the things about being late is not being caught up in the crowds at the lunch stop. We have lunch earlier on the route than most because we are two hours behind. The restaurant we eat at opens at 12 noon, so it was closed when most of the people went by. When we get to the location where the original lunch stop was scheduled, we see about 40 bikes in the parking lot. Apparently, the restaurant isn't used to this much business. One woman said that she and her husband waited 20 minutes just to get a menu. We gas up and are on our way. Drats! No longer in last place!

We arrive in Hayfork, again at 6:30. Jon picks out an excellent campsite. We arrive just in time to check in, have dinner and take a shower before the awards ceremony. Neither of us win a prize and I can't even beat Jon with my two poker hands (one from Saturday and one from Sunday).

After dinner, we plan our trip home. I want to travel the coast, but there is nothing but traffic (San Francisco) and Interstate on that route. Jon wants to go to the eastern Sierras. We decide to take Hwy 36 east to Susanville then turn south on Hwy 395. Sure, it's some miles, but no Interstate and no traffic.

Total for the day: 310 miles. Lowest daily total for the trip.

Monday, September 1st, 2003

We get out of camp about our regular time, 7:45, and head east on Hwy 36. We soon catch up with some other riders for a while and ride as a group (6-8) for a while when everyone separates into their own natural pace. Jon and I arrive in Red Bluff for breakfast. Not bad. 80 miles before breakfast. A personal best for these two chow hounds.

After breakfast, we get a little turned around trying to find Hwy 36 east of I-5, but eventually find it and continue our journey. We are backtracking some of the route from a couple of days earlier, but that's O.K. with us.

We continue east until we pass Lassen Volcanic National Park and then to Lake Almanor. We decide to turn south on Hwy 89 and go to Quincy and then Truckee. We are getting a little tired and Jon declares "I'm tired of looking at pine trees". We decide to take Hwy 50 to Hwy 395 at Lake Tahoe and make some good time to our campsite at Mammoth Lakes.

We have no trouble finding a campsite. After we set up camp, Jon takes us to a restaurant he remembered from his last ski trip three years ago. We return, light up the campfire, but I'm off to bed early.

Total for the day: 472 miles.

Tuesday, September 2nd, 2003

We're up early, but Jon discovers he's low on oil. Concerned that he can't see a level in his sight glass, he wants to pick up some oil right away in Mammoth. He suggests that we meet in Bishop, 40 miles south, at a bakery he's familiar with. I get to the bakery, have breakfast, read the paper and Jon finally shows up. As it turns out, Jon had to wait for the auto parts store to open.

We ride south on Hwy 395 and the weather is fairly mild (so far), partly due to a light cloud cover.

Jon decides to take Hwy 14 since this is a quicker route to his home in Southwest Los Angeles. At the junction of Hwy 395 and Hwy 14, we wave and go on our separate routes.

For me, the remainder of the trip is fast and hot, just concentrating on getting home safely. I stop for lunch at the Cajon Summit (Hwy 138/Hwy 15 intersection). I get home shortly after 3 pm. I later find out that Jon is home by 2, after stopping only one more time in Mojave.

Total for the day: 367 miles.

What an incredible weekend. I feel like I saw the entire state of California by way of the best roads in six days. From camping on the coast, to riding National Forest roads, to having breakfast in Oregon, to seeing Mt. Shasta and riding through Mt. Lassen National Park to camping in the Eastern Sierras, I end the trip nearly on sensory overload. This is a trip I will remember for a long, long time and I only regret my other riding buddies were not able to join us. IMO, that would have made this possibly a perfect trip.

My thanks go to my wonderful, understanding wife, Nancy, who let me go on this trip - without too much grief.

Total for the trip: 2,271 miles.