Giant Sequoias
If you've never been to California you really can't grasp the size of these trees.
Eastern California
Epic Ride 2025
This route explored both sides of the Sierra mountains, and was my first planned Epic Ride since we started the brewery. We experienced forest fires, freezing rain, amazing history, lots of beers and some of the most beautiful country in all the west.
The Ride
8 Days Touring the Parts of California That A Lot of People Miss
Living in California, we've seen just about every inch of this place. However, I feel like the eastern side of the state is under-explored by the average traveller and there are so many interesting gems to discover and a lot of amazing history.
Route
The Sierra Loop
Starting from Fresno we head south through the foothills to Kern River. Cross over the Sierras to Hwy 395 and head north. We looped through Reno and continued north to Alturas, close to the Nevada border. Then we headed southwest and rode through the amazing Lassen Volcanic Park before picking up history Hwy 49 back to Fresno.
Photo Story
Manzanar
A sobering visit to a WWII Japanese internment camp. Heartbreaking.
Fire
The Sierras burn every year, but this year we happened to ride straight through the aftermath.
Road Notes
Day 1
Day one is always the most exciting. We're finally on the road! We toured the foothills south stopping in Springville and checking out the Giant Sequoia National Monument before settling into Kern River for the night.
Day 2
We crossed over the Sierras and jump on Hwy 395 which runs up the eastern side of the state. The most notable stop today was the Manzanar Japanese internment camp where thousands of Japanese were kept during WWII. It was a very sad and sobering visit and I highly suggest it to every American.
Day 3
We continued north today on Hwy 395. There was a seasonal fire in the Sierras and the wind blew the thick smoke eastward. The sky was darkened and ash fell on us the whole way. It was hard to breathe and the landscape looked like a nuclear winter. Have never seen anything like this.
Day 4
It was a short ride around Lake Tahoe and then over to Carson City which is named after the famous frontiersman Kit Carson. It's a great little town with lots of friendly locals. We also visited Genoa which is home to supposedly the oldest bar in Nevada. Then we took the short jump to Reno for the night. Doug got a flat tire but luckily was able to get into a shop and get it repaired in short order.
Day 5
We got caught in some freezing rain outside of Reno as we headed north. The trip was pretty but uneventful and eventually we ended up in the small town of Alturas for the night.
Day 6
We started our ride back on this day. We rode through Lassen Volcanic Park which is an amazing landscape with bubbling sulphury mud pits and beautiful mountains and lakes. It's cold as hell up there but it's so amazing to see. We landed in Chico at a historic hotel and enjoyed dinner and some brews.
Day 7
We left from Chico and took a scenic route back up into the Sierras to explore some more great roads, gold rush towns and sleepy taverns. We landed in Nevada City where we connected with my daughter and her boyfriend and hung out at the town's favorite dive bar, The Mine Shaft. We then spent our last night on the road at the Red Frog chillin with the locals.
Day 8
The last day is always bittersweet. It's time to return home and there's always too much freeway riding on the last day since everyone is anxious to see family. We made the best of it and relaxed at South of Shaw for a bit to finish off the ride. It was a great Epic Ride!
