Guerneville Zodiac - Casini Ranch Campground

Wood Duck - Male

The Sacramento Wheelmen held the annual Guerneville Zodiac trip in spectacular Sonoma County from May 10th thru 13th. While most of the members stayed at the Fern Grove Cottages in Guerneville, I stayed with Eric Saur in his Komfort Trailer at the Casini Ranch Campground in Duncan Mills. Bob Barker also camped in his pick-up camper truck at Casini.

The Guerneville Zodiac blog consists of five entries:

Casini Ranch
Day 1 - Coleman Valley Road Bike Ride
Day 2- King Ridge Bike Ride
Day 3 - Dry Creek Valley Bike Ride
BBQ at Fern Grove

For enlarged view, click twice on pic

The comfy Komfort travel trailer was my home for four nights

Eric and Bob on an evening stroll along the Russian River

Heavy rains on the day we arrived results in pea-soup fog in the early morn, but the rains passed and we had four fabulous clear days for bike riding

The fog dissipates and the sun comes out mid-morning

Looks like steam rising from the river

Scotch Broom, a non-native invasive plant, adds color to the hill-sides

Female mallard duck on the river

Her mate swims on by

Mill Pond at Casini is a fine habitat for water fowl

Camp robber, a steller's jay

Beautiful wood ducks inhabit Mill Pond

Male and female wood ducks

Day 1 - Coleman Valley Road Ride

Bob and Bernie at Howard's Cafe in Occidental

Bob Anderson and Bernie Conner, my cycling buds from Santa Rosa joined us for a couple rides. The Coleman Valley Road ride took us on a big loop through Occidental, Bodega Bay and Freestone for 49 miles and 4,026' of ascending.

John Hockenbury grunting up a steep hill on Coleman Valley Road

Big Bob working hard!

Splendid view of the coast and pond from the summit

Bob sweeping up twisting road

Stopping at a view point before descending to Hwy 1

Eric braking hard on steep descent

A -10%+ descent down to Hwy 1

Bob, Eric, John, and Ron Brown at wide-spot on Hwy 1

After lunch in Bodega Bay, Bernie gives us a tour of his sport-fishing boat moored at the marina

Bernie and his boat he built more than 30 years ago

Giving us a tour

Inside the cabin

OK, let's rev 'er up and take it for a spin

View out the pilot house

Day 2 - King Ridge Ride

The epic ride is ascending King Ridge Road, a gut-wrenching series of severe climbs . . . but the views are astounding. Some of us did the middle ride which covered 53 miles with 5,375' of vertical.

Scrutinizing the map to make sure we know where we're going

Bob, Bernie, Eric and I started at Casini Ranch

Paul Gunkel ascending the upper part of King Ridge

Paul and Mike Dodson at a sweeping hair-pin

Passing a cattle barn on narrow King Ridge Rd.

Many sweeping turns, no traffic, spectacular scenery - doesn't get much better than this . . .

View looking east from King Ridge

Nothing but forests, ranches and vineyards out here

At the junction of King Ridge and Tin Barn Roads, we take a break. We were joined by a Harley touring club from So. Cal.

A view of the golden dome of a Buddhist Monastery . . . I told you King Ridge is Nirvana!

About 30 motorcycles stopped and regrouped here

A tricked out bike with custom paint job

Break time

No services so we packed our own food

Wild iris's near Ft. Ross Road and Meyers Grade

Bill Floyd cranking up to the summit of Meyers Grade

Bill and Glenn Moore (KOM)

The ever-smiling Bernie cresting Meyers Grade

Eric riding strong today

Bob giving it his all . . . why, he's actually smiling . . .

OK, there were a couple more little hills before the big descent . . .

Eric in the tuck position

A screaming 18% descent on Meyers Grade for a couple miles

Bob and Bernie

Looking back uphill from Hwy 1

At Jenner . . . Russian River flowing out to the ocean . . . we're almost done

Click on "Older Posts" below right for Day 3 blog entry