Tour de Skunk
Ride the Skunk Train out of Fort Bragg and pedal back to the sea.
This ride is an interesting blend of transportation. Mountain bikes are loaded on flatcars at the California Western Railraod depot in Fort Bragg. The cyclists ride in comfortable 1940s-era coaches and are treated to a scenic railway excursion along Pudding Creek and the Noyo River.
The train travels through miles of redwood forest, over several tressels spanning the Noyo River and even passes through a tunnel. Twenty miles into the trip you reach Camp Mendocino operated by the San Francisco Boys and Girls clubs in the summer months. Here riders and bikes disembark to begin the pedal back to Fort Bragg, about 25 miles. The route starts by climbing to the ridgetop above the Noyo River, so most of the real work is accomplished early in the ride. The route travels through the Jackson State Forest which is a multiple use forest with active logging. The roads tend to be smooth- surfaced logging and fire roads, with only occasional rocky areas. The route is well marked and a generous lunch is served along the Noyo River near the half-way point.
The Tour de Skunk is a fund raiser for the Mendocino Area Recreation District and it is scheduled to be held in the Fall.
Photos above: Jerry and Garrison stop along the route, enjoying the coastal forests.
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You can reach me by e-mail at: jerry@armourfamily.com
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