But wait, there's more...

That was the theme of the day today.

Sometimes, no amount of description, storytelling or other narrative can adequately convey the feeling of an experience. It simply has to be felt by another individual so that they can try to describe it in their own way. To a motorcycle enthusiast, that is highway 36.

We left Chico at around 10am after an amazing breakfast at Sin of Cortez to head up to Red Bluff. We were treated to some ferocious winds that have been plaguing the region for the past week, almost blowing us into incoming traffic on a couple of occasions. No harm, no foul fortunately, as we made it safely to our destination. We would have plenty more wind throughout the day though.

36 has a sign at its start which gives an indication to what is in store for those who make the pilgrimage. "Winding road next 140 miles". It was just like my experience almost 2 years ago; slowly seducing each of us as we rode in along the lazy, rolling hills of the ponderosa. By the time we arrived at the Platina Store for a splash of gas, the guys were saying, "That was amazing!" Yeah - we are only a third of the way through. Jaws dropped. Incredulity. "Seriously?" Yep.

We continued on from Platina into the first of two mountain ranges we would cross on the way to the cost. Mount Shasta loomed in the distance to the north, capped with snow. The air cooled, the road tightened, and we reveled in the challenge it presented. Around one bend, I went hard on the brakes and held my hand out in warning to my friends that followed. A doe and her fawn were in the middle of the road, crossing and looking bewildered at our approach. I vigorously flipped them the bird as they scampered off into the trees.

Past the large delta- shaped intersection with highway 3, the road opened up again into a chain of long sweepers. I remembered this section from my previous trip, but something was different this time (other than the bike). Were there bumps in the road? Is something loose on my front wheel? Why is my front tire skittering around like this? Then I realized it - tar snakes. These must have been relatively fresh considering how greasy they were in the sun. Time to dial back on the throttle and relax for a bit.

We approached the summit and pulled over to enjoy an amazing view looking west over the coastal range. I was asked, "How much more of this road is there?" with a note of incredulity. "Oh, we're about two-thirds of the way through" I replied. But wait, there's more...

Descending from the summit, we were wary to avoid the tar snakes. I warned the guys that there would be a section of goat trail between here and the coast to avoid any flak after yesterday's Berryessa adventure. Today turned out to be redemption though, as the goat trail from almost two years ago barely remained and in its place was near racetrack-quality pavement. Giggling. Laughing. Cheshire cat grins worn by all. Ben comes through on the intercom, "we could go back and do that part again you know". Me: "Gabe and Erik won't have enough gas." Ben: "Yeah, but WE could go back and do it again though!" I laughed in response.

As the road flattened out, we meandered along the VanDuzen  river and entered a grove of redwoods. A rollercoaster through the redwoods. Amazing. The Jedi had returned.

Bidding that glorious road farewell, we turned south and fueled up in Rio Dell. What an odd menagerie of people that came through the gas station while we rested. Tweaker girl with the pincushion face. Mentally challenged man trying to sell me a jewelry box and then bum a nonexistent smoke from me. Working girl with her thigh-high pleather boots. Old man trying to gum his ice cream sandwich. Yeah... not going to stay here any longer.

We opted for a scenic detour along the avenue of the giants to get a closer look at the redwoods we were treated to earlier. Nothing like 300 foot tall, 2000 year old trees to remind you how small and short lived humans are. The forest floor was so dark that the clovers growing there were almost as big as my palm. Not having enough of these majestic trees, we visited the drive through tree at Leggett.

It was time to head back to the coast. Two guys on cruisers warned us that highway 1 was "tight as shit" leading over to Fort Bragg. Big grins from us. The road was pretty dark with all the tree cover, which kept us nice and cool. They weren't kidding about it being tight. I don't think I've ever been on a stretch of road where the 10, 15, and 20 MPH turn warning signs were so accurate. Most of them decreasing radius turns to boot. It was like a 20 mile stretch of Old San Marcos road.

With my upgraded exhaust, the engine really growled running up and down the tach in second gear on this tight road. Gabe was jealous that he didn't have the engine braking the rest of us had with the V-twin engines. Suddenly, the trees disappeared and we found ourselves at the edge of the lost coast. Gorgeous.

Making our way to Fort Bragg, we checked in and went looking for food and beer. Piaci Pub and Pizzeria did not disappoint. I haven't been that painfully full of food and beer in a long time. What a fantastic trip this has been so far.

Photos can be seen here.

VIDEO can be seen here!