TRAILBEAR IN THE RAIN - The Sacramento River Trail in Redding.
By
toolbear
in
June, 2010
TRAILBEAR IN THE RAIN - The Sacramento River Trail in Redding.
6.2.2010
Redding, Ca.
Destination: The Sacramento River Trail in Redding, Ca. It looks like an interesting ride, but under reported. There is a map but only a few photos on TrailLink.
What a difference a day makes. This talk of “deep low in the Gulf of Alaska” and “late spring storm” was not comforting to TrailBear. Rain was ahead. The Sacramento weather was talking of 1-3” of rain in the Shasta region and noted that the dam operators were already dumping water. TB left Lake Del Valle in Livermore and headed north in sunshine, but ahead you could see the altostratus of the front sliding ashore.
Early afternoon, Redding: The stratus is much lower, with clouds below coming over the mountains and you can see rain in the hills. We park at Turtle Bay by the Sundial Bridge. Out comes the bike and TrailBear heads up the trail.
He got a few miles out before the rain arrived and it was time to kick it about and flee, but everything he saw was good. It’s a triple five star trail From the Sundial Bridge to the double bridges the trail surface was 5*, the facilities were 5* and the scenery was 5*. Consider this a destination trail.
TB had planned two days in Redding to do the Sac River Trail and the Sac River Rail Trail. Not in the rain. You can ride from Turtle Bay all the way to Shasta Dam. We will see if the weather cooperates on the fall migration down to Socal. Here is a quick look at a bit of the lower trail. Some of the things you can enjoy:
Trailhead: Turtle Bay –
The parking is free at this complex. The museum and café are fee areas.
<http://www.turtlebay.org/>
The Sundial Bridge –
Redding went to Spain to get the architect to design a trophy bridge. They got one. This bridge is unique and tells time. It’s accurate on the Summer Solstice, but who cares. Check out the photos on the web. After putting the bike away, it was coffee at the café at Turtle Bay (under cover), watching a ? junior high ? graduation gather. Blue robes and parents and umbrellas streamed across the bridge and gathered beneath the sundial.
http://www.google.com/images?q=the+sundial+bridge&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&rlz=1R1GGIC_en___US369&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=DS0JTLfPHMaqlAeSw-CLDg&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=5&ved=0CDwQsAQwBA
The McConnell Arboretum – on the far side of the bridge.
The trail runs through a delightful avenue of oaks shading the trail here. Nice on a sunny day. Today TB did not linger.
The Cauldwell Park Wayside –
tthe first mayor of Redding is sitting on a bench there (in bronze). Have your photo taken with him. Picnic tables and an overlook for viewing the diversion dam. There is also a fish viewing facility there - underwater windows and such.
The double bridges –
TB got this far before the drizzle turned to rain. The old bridge has been repurposed to ped/bike use and a new car bridge built alongside for Benton Drive. Here the loop portion starts. Head up the north side of the river to the Ribbon Bridge or cross over here and take the south side trail to the Ribbon Bridge. From there you can take the connector to the Keswick Dam and get on the Sacramento River Rail Trail.
Wonders up the freeway –
Lake Shasta had water in it! Decades of going up and down I-5 and TB had never, ever seen the lake full. Today it was. No shoreline; the water is up to the trees. What a change from years of bathtub rings and views of high and dry marinas. Give the heavy rains encountered on the way to Weed, TB can see why. No wonder they are dumping water and the river is full. Lake full, more coming, no place to put it. Beats years of bathtub rings.
Ride on!
TrailBear
Getting his fur wet.