I ran across this thread on Pashnit's Forum regarding Highway 36 in California.

In these days of winter that never seem to end, I've found comfort in downloading and watching a full screen of the Highway 36 Video (72 MB).

Anyone here ever ride this road?  If you did, do tell what you think?  Would it be worth me taking a week off work here in Michigan and ride over for a spin?

That's a LONG way to go for a ride considering that there are better roads half way to there.  There are beautiful rides in the rockies.  If you do go, I recommend early spring (now may even be too late) when the grass is green.  It's MUCH nicer cruising those roads when everything is green.  I don't remember if I've been on that road but it looks a lot like Hwy 49.

Quote from: RedShift... Would it be worth me taking a week off work here in Michigan and ride over for a spin?

Okay, I admit a 'tich of wishful thinking here.  

There are a lot of fine roads between here and there, and then there's the matter of leaving the family behind, the same ones I leave for 45 hours a week while working.

If I was to do this kind of trip, I'd have to be retired.  Hey, but I can dream...

I'm more interested in of some of the Cali riders have done this piece of asphalt and if it holds the reputation of being the #1 road to ride in that state.

36 ... does it run through bakersfield or some where ... Did james dean get killed on that road in his bathtub porshe 356 ...
Cool.
Srinath.

Nope not it ...
Cool.
Srinath.

Huh.  It figures that I rode the eastern half of 36 but not the western half.  :x   But that's OK; 299 was quite a ride too.

You can't judge by the brief mentions that these roads got in my journal entry that night.  We had to set up our tent at the KOA and eat dinner in the dark after 400+ miles of riding, and I was BEAT.  (See Page 3 of my 2002 British Columbia trip account.)

I will say that my brother was more than thrilled with highway 299.  He had flown out to Utah from Arkansas (which has its own crop of great twisty roads in the north and west portions of the state) only to spend two days riding across the Great Basin in Utah and all of Nevada.  It was at Susanville (the east terminus of 36) that things finally got interesting for him.  Up out of the bleakness and heat ... and into the forests and coolness and curves.  It looks like just about ANY route from I-5 to the coast in Northern CA is full of twisties!  

norcal is just gorgeous to ride...havent even hit most of them yet...slowly working off of pashnit...been through most of the napa rides...including (look it up on pashnit) this intense little road called Howell Mountain thats just a puckering kind of twisty road...all decreasing radius blind curves...i think pashnit called it the most intense road around these parts...

i do plan on taking 1 all the way down the coast when i go visit my friend in LA when school's out though...that should be awesome


- alex

Quote from: alexXx
i do plan on taking 1 all the way down the coast

i am going to do that this summer north to south

i have ridden it form monterey to santa barbarba  when you get past pismo beach its kinda boring (mostly straight roads nothing but agricultur)

I lived in Humboldt County for many years (the west end of 36 and 299). That area has had more rain lately than up here. It can also be foggy and cool during the summer. I actually have seen more sun since moving to Seattle (today is clear blue and will be 60 F).

Still, that's all better then the weather reports I see from elsewhere.  

-William