Welcome to the Gristle
Welcome to the Gristle, the oh so official blog of the Tour de Carne Asada. I wanted to give you the update on where we are with the TdCA planning.
Recce:
I flew up and met up with Rich C. our SAG master and wing man in Sacramento for the recon mission. We then proceeded to drive north... all the way through Redding CA, then over and across to Eureka, then up to Brookings, Oregon. Our final stop that long first day. But our planning motel was booked solid and with 80 degree temperatures along the Southern Oregon coast, we could see why. The place was incredibly beautiful. Truly stunning ocean scenese along the harbor, with everyone out and about enjoying the warm weather. You could tell that this doesn't happen very often. When all the drive through windows of various business have rain covers, that should be a warning.
We got up early, and started driving. The first day will have us riding through the Redwood Forest and visiting our friends Paul Bunyon and Babe. I did notice that Babe was looking delicious, but we had no time for a Carne Asada snack. Many miles needed to be covered. We headed south.
We realized that we need to make Day 1 longer, so the new route has this leg opener at around 115 miles. But this is to save you (believe it or not) for Day 2, without a doubt the most challenging day of the TdCA. Day 2 takes you through the Lost Coast of California. The most innaccesible coastline in California. We will be doing 100 miles of it, and over 10,000 feet of climbing.
The good news is we stay in the historic Benbow Inn, and enjoy their restaurant (and extensive wine list). You'll want to stock up as Day 3 is the hump day of the trip. 100 miles of 101 and highway 1, and the ensuing coastal traffic that goes with it. We need to be consipicous and visable throughout the trip, but Day 3 has many different road conditions but has incredible vistas every direction. We end the day in MacCallum House, another historic property in Mendocino. Day 4 will seem easy in comparision, as we continue down the highway 1 with Bodega Bay on the horizon. It's all down hill and hopefully downwind. Day 5 will be a real treat to ride around Point Reyes and enter San Francisco to finish our crazy journey.
All the routes are at this link. We've also updated the hotel list, and are now working on finalizing plans.
