Are You Living It?

A few weeks ago I heard about a Cyclocross ride that followed a local river drainage. The Boy Scouts had gone up and improved the trail recently and my friend Jeff from the Fifth Season said the ride would be great for my cross bike. He gave me the directions and landmarks to find my way, then all I had to do was find some time.  Well today I found the time!

I laid the ride out on a map and figured about 30 miles round trip from home. I let my wife Trudy know that if I wasn’t back after 4 hours, giving plenty of extra time, she should come look for me as I would probably be walking due to a mechanical. Things went smooth for about 2 miles, then a flat on the pavement. I had to boot a fairly large cut in the tire. Then off again. The ride up around Lake Siskiyou was nice and cool, a great day to be riding. Up along the South Fork of the Sacramento River and then off the pavement. Following USFS roads toward the North Fork of the Sacramento, I climbed for about 45 minutes. Great views of Mount Shasta and Mount Eddy. I saw the stone marker indicating the Sisson-Callahan Trail as I approached the North Fork road crossing. I turned off the road for the trail and ,Oh S**t, this is kinda rocky! I must remember Jeff is a Downhiller, full suspension, body armor, etc.!

The Sisson-Callahan Trail is an historic mule train freight route. They used to carry everything this way to the gold mining towns along the Scott and Salmon Rivers. Even whiskey for the saloons came over on the mule train. Overall the trail was rideable on the cross bike, but bigger tires would have prevented a pinch flat.  There have been horses using the trail too, my tires smell a little funny now!Dismount, remount,  dismount, jogging over some short rough sections, remount, close the left eye because you don’t want to see how far you would fall if you slide left, then breath, ahhhhh how relaxing! The trail runs right down the North Fork of the Sacramento River, many times just a few feet away.

 sissoncallahantrail (Slide Show)

The scenery was perfect, a cross bike is pushing it, but a mountain bike would be relaxing. Well worth the effort. At the bottom of the trail you have to cross the North Fork, so this is a great ride in the late summer or fall, otherwise the water may be too high to cross. With 2 flats, lots of quick picture stops, it took the entire 4 hours!