It's Official! May by the Bay 6

Followup Threads:

wg's pic from Friday at Rockville
George's Thread – Main Thread
Impy's Thread
FP's Thread

2-weeks-to-go thread

News:

The weather looks good. There may be a shower on Friday to keep down the dust at Boggs. Sunday is going to have a low of about 50, and a high of about 80. Weather.com for Middletown/Boggs.

The list of attendees is pretty impressive. Take a look.

There are maps and directions to the trailheads below too.

Old Stuff:

The votes (poll1, poll2) are in, so let's make this the official announcement:

The Charlie America Memorial May by the Bay VI, sixth annual gathering of axe murderers, drunks and idiots from countries all around the world will happen Memorial Day Weekend, May 28-31, 2004.

The Offical MBTBVI website is here. Just a copy of this posting for now. I'll update it as we get closer to Memorial Day.

The ride schedule will be as follows:

There are a pics of all the trails linked from My website and even videos on Pete's website.

I include Rockville because it's traditional, and I thought some folks might come in from out of town, or want to get an extra half-day off work and added to their weekend. Anyone coming from out of town and planning to rent a car has the option of flying into Sacramento, landing around noon and making the Rockville ride.

Southwest has fairs as low as $39 available. You can ship your bike to me and I'll build it up for you and bring it to Rockville if you want. Don't worry, I'm real guud with plires and hammers and all the stuff you need.

If anyone wants/needs to camp Friday night between Rockville and Annadel, let me know, and I'll make the arrangements. I may have access to a small cottage very near Annadel for a quiet couple (shut up Gary) for a very low price. There is also camping at Spring Lake Park, but it would need to be reserved right away, if it's not already too late.

Annadel is, IMHO, one of the best rides in NorCal. No one who makes the long journey up there is ever dissappointed. We'll ride long, but there will be an option to skip one of the loops and a thousand feet or so of climbing. If it's hot there will be an opportunity for a relaxing swim in Lake Ilsanjo.

After the traditional stop at Lepe's

we'll caravan 45 minutes or so up to Middletown, resist stopping by the brewery, make a left and hit Boggs for two nights and two days of camping, riding and maybe drinking just a little.

The Memorial Day ride is scheduled early so folks could clear out before noon if they want, but the way Boggs is set up, you can ride sweet little one hour loops as much as you want! Notice that the camps are right in the center of all the trails. If driving back to Sacramento or Oakland leave yourself at least three hours, but it'll probably take about two.

Email me when you know you're coming for sure, even if it's just for one ride, and I'll add you to the list. The more people on the list, the more people will feel that they're missing out if they don't come, so more people will come.

Attendees

Fast Eddy Send me mail if you're coming
Pete (maybe Sunday)
UncleMtb
Moschika
EBO
wg (Rockville)
JustScott
JD, Trish and Bonnie
Impy & Aosty
BigBoulder
Joseph da Trog (Rockville)
George da Trog
Fred da Trog
Pimpbot
Gregg (maybe)
Francois
PFunk
JRM
Joe Steel
Finch Platte
Stoom
Jilm
TimL
Melt
jtt712
Sabine (and maybe some other Velo Bella cuties, who will likely ride circles around you)
Kyezle and friend
CK

Maps and Ride Schedules

Rockville, Friday May 28, 2pm

So far I only know of Joseph da trog and wg going to Rockville. Please post or send email if you're going so they'll know to look for you at the trailhead. Take Hwy 80 ("the 80" if you're from LA) to Suisun Valley Road just west of Fairfield. Suisun is the first exit east of Hwy 680. Go north into the small town of Rockville. There's a stop (light?) there at a gas station/food mart. Take a left on Rockville Road. Go about a mile, and the trailhead parking lot is on the left. There should be no problem parking on a Friday afternoon, but there may be some Memorial Day get-out-of-town traffic on the way there, so plan to arrive early.

Click for an interactive map

Annadel State Park, Santa Rosa, Saturday May 29, 10am

We're going to park along Channel Drive, near the first trailhead; Cobblestone. I prefer to start on the other side, but this is a large parking area on a not-so-busy street. We won't get in anyone's way while we're gearing up, or loading up afterwards. Take 101 north to Santa Rosa. If you're coming from Sac or Rockville, you could get there a little quicker on Hwy 12, but I'm not going to describe that here. When you get into Santa Rosa, go right/east on Hwy 12 towards and past the fairgrounds. Hwy 12 ends at a stoplight at Farmers Lane.

Click for an interactive map

Go left through Montgomery Village. After a couple miles, past the shopping area and St. Eugene's church and school on the right, you'll come to Sonoma Hwy. There's a Shell across on the left, and the Flamingo Hotel in front of you. Go right/east on Sonoma Hwy a little over a mile to a stop light at Mission. Go right to the end at Montgomery Drive. Go left. Montgomery will pass along an earthen dam on your right, and you will come to Channel Drive. Go right. Channel takes a 90 degree left, and the parking area is about a third of a mile on the left.

Click to zoom

After the ride, we'll eat at Lepe's, the traditional Mexican hangout with tasty food and cervesas. It's marked with a green X on the big map. From Channel, go back the way you came on Montgomery, past Mission, and it's on the right. There's a bike shop there if you need any supplies.

Boggs State Demonstration Forest, Cobb, Sunday and Monday, May 30, 10am and May 31, 9am

After Lepe's we'll caravan up to Boggs. It's about 45 miles north, and will take about an hour. If you're not coming from Annadel, get yourself to Calistoga and follow the instructions from there. From Lepe's, get back to Mission and onto Sonoma Hwy east. About a mile and a half east of Mission, you'll come to Calistoga Road. There's a stoplight and a grocery store on the left. Go left. Calistoga Rd becomes Petrified Forest Rd, and it's about 12 windy miles to Calistoga. You'll come to a stoplight at Hwy 128. Go left a ways to a little store on the right at Tubbs Lane. Go right.

Click for an interactive map

Tubbs Lane ends at Hwy 29. Go left and over a good part of Mt St Helena. It's a windy 17 or so miles to Middletown. In the middle of Middletown, go left at St Helena Brewery on Hwy 175 towards Whispering Pines and Cobb.

Middletown Interactive Map

I get a little shakey with directions at this point, and I'm sure UncleMTB will jump in. It looks like about 10 miles from Middletown to the Boggs turnoff. It is unfortunately almost completely unmarked. You go through Whispering Pines and Cobb. Past Cobb, the road takes a sharp right, then a left, and goes uphill. After the left, there is a sign that says something like "Forest Service". That's the entrance to Boggs.

From the Boggs entrance, you'll pass between a couple buildings and the main road turns to dirt. This is where you have to leave your lowered rice rocket. If you brought anything with more clearance (I've had my Impala up there), continue up the potholed dirt road, crest the hill, and the campsite will be obvious on your left.

If we get out of Lepe's by 6, we'll have no problems getting up there in time to set up camp and light a campfire before dark.