It was a long day Friday, as I had a sales meeting in Hayward. I was up at 3:00am to be at the distributor at 6:00am to prepare for a 8:00am meeting which included a E&J Brandy/Camarena Tequila presentation. After the meeting, I drove directly to Susanville, arriving about 7:00pm. I secured a room at the local Best Western, had a couple glasses of wine, and fell soundly asleep.
Being right there, I was at the Historic Train Depot in Susanville (where we were to pick up a shuttle) at 7:30am ready to go. Everyone's bike/self was loaded by about 9:00am and we were on the road back down to Westwood for the start of the ride.
There was about a mile or two of riding on pavement to get to the trailhead (my bike computer wasn't working at the start, so I'm guessing). The fast group pulled ahead and when we gathered at the start there was five of us. We covered the first 8 miles at a workout pace. Once we crossed the Susan River for the first time, the landscape opened up and the scenery changed. I stopped several times to take pictures and found myself way behind the the group I started with and quite a ways ahead of the casual riders several miles behind me.
It was great! I rode the next 22 miles at a rather leisurely pace, stopping often to take pictures and soak up the Susan River environment which included, bridges, tunnels, aspens, volcanic outcroppings and lush stream side vegetation.
I arrived back at the train depot in Susanville at 1:10pm for a total ride time of about 3 1/5 hours.
COOA member getting ready at the Historic Train Depot in Susanville.
The Bizz Johnson Trailhead just outside Westwood, CA.
A Susan River sighting.
Looking back at the first crossing.
An old shack along the route.
Susan River.
The old Railroad track converted to an hiking, biking, equestrian trail (Rails to Trails).
Volcanic outcropping across the canyon.
More railroad grade riding.
Great views!
Beautiful country.
Susan River with small volcanic rim.
Along the Susan River.
Rabbit Brush along the Susan River.
The first old train tunnel.
The second tunnel.
The hiking/MTB trail around the second tunnel.
More Susan River.
Outcropping along the trail.
Great area!
The start of the trail at the Susanville end.
The home stretch. Train depot in the distance.
