Canyon Creek Buker Ridge Loop
Distance: 18 Miles
Type: Maintained dirt and pavement
Difficulty: Moderate

Getting There: Take I-5 to Yreka then Hwy. 3 to Fort Jones, drive the Scott River Road approximately 12 miles to the Indian Scotty Campground.

About the ride: From its beginning at Indian Scotty Campground, this route climbs steadily but not brutally up the Canyon Creek Road for almost 8 miles. When you cross the bridge at about the 4 mile mark, look for a swimming hole just upstream. Side creeks and low standard roads along this route invite exploring. Two miles past the Lovers Camp fork, turn onto the Buker Ridge Road (44N41) for 6 miles of downhill cruising to Kelsey Creek and the Scott River. Stop now and then to enjoy the views of the Scott River Canyon. At Kelsey Creek, there is a side channel of the creek developed as the spawning and rearing ponds for Salmon and Steelhead. Take a minute to look at the interpretive displays. The route then drops down to the Scott River Road, closing with an easy 3 1/2 mile ride back up to Indian Scotty.

Getting There: 1-5 N to Weed .3 Miles N. of Weed take Stewart Springs to Old 99 N to the Callahan-Cecilville Highway. The Carter Meadows Summit is approximately 12 miles west of Callahan on the Callahan-Cecilville Highway. Right at the crest, pull into the trailhead parking site on the south side of the highway.

About the ride: Carter Meadows is one of the nicest recreation settings on the Klamath National Forest—rugged mountains, great scenery, meandering creeks, open meadows. It's cool, quiet and beautiful. From its beginning at a ridgetop trailhead on the Scott River/Salmon River divide, the route drops through the trees for a mile of single-track down to the meadow. It then picks up a lightly traveled dirt road, continuing downward for about 5 miles to the Trail Creek Campground. From there, you can return on the highway to the summit. For an alternative route through the lower meadows, be on the lookout for an old "put to bed" road across the creek from the trailhead at Trail Gulch. It offers a little more challenge and a lot more solitude, and is a real treat for the experienced rider.

Getting There: From San Francisco, Hwy. 10 1 N to Arcata then 299 to 96 N or I-5 N to Redding then 299 to 96 N. The Forks of the Salmon is approximately 40 miles from Etna, or 18 miles up the Salmon River from Somes Bar.

About the ride: The ride begins with a long, tough pull to the 4,400 foot elevation, then swings out to the north on Road 39N27. it passes below the Blue Ridge Lookout as it contours through the mountains, finally dropping down to the old mining town of Sawyers Bar. The first few miles of this route are through lands burned by the wildfires of 1987. Numerous vista spots offer views of the Salmon-Trinity Alps off the south. Later in the ride, you'll pass through near-virgin stands of old growth Douglas Fir. From Sawyers Bar, the route concludes with a 14 mile run on the lightly-traveled paved road back to Forks. You'll constantly be within sight and sound of the beautiful North Fork of the Salmon Wild and Scenic River. There are many variations on this ride and numerous side roads to explore. The difficult initial climb is easily shuttled, thus gaining altitude and opening up a choice of many different rides around the Blue Ridge area.

Getting There: From anywhere in Yreka, head uphill on Miner or North streets to Humbug Road, take a right, and follow the dirt road for the 3 miles on up to the Four Corners saddle.

About the ride: This ride begins at the Four Corners intersection, 3 miles above Yreka on the Humbug Road. The first 6 miles out past Mahogany Point are a steady uphill pull, gaining approximately 1,700 feet to the crest at Gunsight Peak. Along the way are fine views of Yreka, the Shasta Valley; Mt. Shasta, the Humbug Creek basin, and the Scott Valley.

Gunsight marks the beginning of 10 miles and 3,300 vertical feet of downhill bliss. You head down the main road for about a mile to the intersection of the Sucker Creek Road (45N53), where you turn onto a 7 mile run of great double track that's blocked to 4WD vehicles. There are patches of loose rock and steep drop-offs on this road. At Humbug Creek the route moves onto a graded road for a couple miles, following along beside the Creek. You'll cross a bridge. A short way beyond it, hang a sharp right onto road 45N30. it's payback time for all that fun, with a long, grind-it-out, granny ring pull for 1,600 vertical feet back up to Four Corners. The thrill of the downhill lingers, but you'll be glad to get back to the top. This is a long, dry ride with a lot of climbing. Two full waterbottles, is barely enough. Really strong riders might enjoy beginning this ride in Yreka, using the 1,800 foot climb to Four Corners for a warm-up.

Getting There: I-5 to Weed then N on Hwy. 97. The best place to begin this ride is at the Mount Shasta Overlook on Highway 97, just south of Grass Lake Summit and about 20 miles northeast of Weed.

About the ride: This is a ride of mostly Moderate grades, but is punctuated by several very steep pitches that will force most riders off their bikes for at least a short walk. The first half-dozen miles offers sweeping vistas of the Shasta Valley as the road winds along the west flank of Miller Mountain. A few miles further on, the final push to the lookout features excellent views of Grass Lake and the mountains to the north and east. the highlight of the trip is the visual feast from the herd Peak Lookout, which has to be one of the finest vista points in Siskiyou County. Mt. Shasta, the Eddy Peaks, Butte Valley, Shasta Valley—for a 270 degree panorama, the view is superb.

The lookout is manned during the summer; visitors are welcome from 9:30 am to 6:00 p.m. To get down, riders can roll the fast and easy, cruise down the main road, or can choose a very rough, steep, and demanding 2-track road off the eastern face of the peak. At this mile high elevation, the air is noticeably thinner. Also, you may encounter traffic, so ride accordingly. Most of the roads have large rocks embedded in the surface, which makes for a rough ride at higher speeds.

Getting There: 1-5 N to Weed then Hwy. 97 N. Juanita Lake is an easy drive from US Highway 97 in Butte Valley. From the south,* it's 7 miles from the Prather Ranch Road intersection (near the Ranger Station). From the north turnoff near Macdoel, it's 10 miles to the lake, passing through the Wildlife Refuge.

About the ride: This is pleasant loop can be accessed from a number of places. Perhaps the best is at Juanita Lake, where you can start by heading south for a couple of a miles on the road coming up from Prather Ranch. Turn left onto gated-off road 46NO2, a natural-surfaced two-tracker offering 3 miles of easy- cruising downhill pleasure. There are excellent views of the Butte Valley, as well as occasional vistas of Mount Shasta. At the intersection of the Meiss Lake Road, follow the graded-cinder road a couple of miles along the edge of the Butte Valley Wildlife Refuge to the paved road leading back up to the lake. From there, it's a 3 mile, small-chainwheel grunt back up to your starting point; but the climb is short, traffic's light, and the woods are pretty. As an option, consider starting your ride at the Butte Valley Wildlife Refuge parking lot. This would get the uphill out of the way first and Juanita Lake would be a great halfway rest stop.

Getting There: From 1-5 at the Siskiyou Summit, follow the signs to the Mt. Ashland Ski Area (just inside the Oregon border). You can begin there or at any point out on the Crest Road to the west.

About the ride: From the end of the pavement at the Mt. Ashland Ski Area, the Siskiyou Crest Road continues on westerly a dozen miles to Wrangle Gap, straddling the ridge that forms the great watershed divide between the Klamath River to the south and the Applegate/Rogue Rivers to the north. As you ride, the panorama will now extend into California, next into Oregon. Elevations are high—commonly above 6,000 feet—but the route is a mix of pulls and drops and the grades are fairly gentle. You're certain to enjoy the views of Mt. Shasta, Mt. McLoughlin, and other snow-covered peaks.

Getting There: 1-5 to Yreka then north to Hwy. 96. The Bear Peak Road 0 5N 19) is approximately 10 miles west of Happy Camp on Highway 96, a mile below Clear Creek. The pavement ends about 7 miles up the hill. Leave your shuttle rig anywhere along the highway.

About the ride: There are lots of ways to ride this route, all of them good. This version begins at the end of the pavement on the Bear Peak Road. A 6 mile climb to road 15N30 is followed by a pleasant, 500 vertical-foot downhill run. Along the way you'll be treated to panoramas of the Marble Mountains and the Trinity Alps, the pristine Dillon Creek watershed, and the Siskiyou Wilderness. You'll also see recently logged areas, and new plantations starting the cycle of forest re-growth. The road dead-ends, but look for an old bulldozer trail, impassable to most vehicles, that continues up the ridge. Take it. It provides some of the best riding of the trip—steep and rough in places, but a great ride through a beautiful forest.

You'll climb steadily to the Pony Peak Road (14N39), and then head uphill the last mile to the peak itself. The view of the canyons and mountains form the lookout site on Pony Peak (5,341 feet) and is one of the grandest "wild" vistas you'll ever see outside of a designated wilderness. And then there's the ride down. Serious fun. Ten miles, 5,000 vertical feet, and you never have to turn a crank. Stop often to let your brakes cool and enjoy the views. It's unlikely, but you could meet a vehicle coming up, so be careful. The ride concludes with a spin on the Klamath River Highway back up to your shuttle rig.

Getting There: 1-5 to Yreka then Hwy. 263 N. Start this ride at the Ash Creek Bridge, 2 miles below the junction of the Shasta River Road (Hwy. 263) and Hwy. 96, approximately 10 miles from Yreka. Walker Bridge is 18 miles further down the river along Hwy. 96. Use Hwy. 96 for your shuttle route.

About the ride: Flowing waters set the pace for this gentle, shuttle-supported ride along the Klamath Wild and Scenic River. As you cruise downriver along the lightly-traveled dirt road on the "other" side from Highway 96, you'll follow the river's meandering course through its valleys and canyons. In places you're right alongside the water; in others you'll enjoy panoramic views as the road pulls up on bluffs high above. This route also works well as an "out and back" if time or shuttles are a problem. Great Blue Herons, muskrats, turtles, deer, osprey, and even eagles are commonly seen. The road itself is a gentle roller coaster, with some easy pulls followed by short pitches of quick downhill. Near the end of the ride you'll pass the quaint Eagles Nest Golf Course, then continue on to the Walker Bridge, where you cross back over to Highway 96 to meet your shuttle vehicle.

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