All CAL ROC Meet III/2008

Okay Cali ROC'ERS,

As discussed last September, The All CAL ROC Meet is due to move northward to give, Dragonslayer a shorter drive, CenCal a drive for a change and SoCal a real road trip feel. Next year everyone has to come down to SoCal. So Mike, Bongus, Beep Bill, The NorCal Bay Area bunch, the ball is in your court. Saturday, September 27, 2008 will be here before you know it. Let's make it as fun as the last 2 ok. Find us a good location, post hotel info and let's have fun!

Tony

Hi Tony. I have thought long and hard on what may be a nice place to visit in Far Northern California. There is not much here in Humboldt as an attraction other than wide open space and trees. It is beautiful here and there are many back roads that can take one from one end of the county to the other without being on the paved road all the time. I like it, but not everyone is into dusty country back roads. There is Ferndale, a victorian town that is beautiful to see, but expensive to shop in and the drive south from there along the coast is called the Lost Highway and it is breathtaking and about half gravel road. I goes from Humboldt bay on the coast all the way to the Kings range and Shelter Cove. Further north from me is Prairie Creek Redwood state park where the Hamm's were attacked by a cougar last year. I believe that you can get out of your car and feed the elk along the road, they are that tame. September can be an iffy month weather wise here though, Last year and the year before it was sprinkling when I left for the meet.

As much as it would be nice to have the meet here, I do not think the weather can be counted on. So, my other thought was on an area that would allow greater ease of access for club members from across the state. I have been fascinated with Sutter Buttes aka Marysville Buttes, north of Sacramento. They are the worlds smallest mountain range that are 2,130 feet high and rise above the Sacramento valley floor. We can both drive around them and through them, they look much like the ridgeline club mountain range. For those coming from the south, I-5 would be a straight shot. I have made the drive from Bakersfield to Redding and home in ten hours including breaks and Sacramento is a little past the halfway spot on that trip. A more impressive trip and meet for a photo shoot would be a trip to Shasta Lake with Mount Shasta for a back drop. Redding is 145 miles east of me and Sutter buttes is another 116 miles more.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutter_Buttes

Hi Martin,

Your idea sounds good. Let's also take some other otions like maybe Old Town Sacramento? Don't they have an amusement park up that way? or something coast to the coastline? As long as you have a shorter drive than you had in Santa Cruz. :cool:

Maybe Bongus would know of a good day activity for the meet, he lives in Roseville and is not far from Sacramento or Sutters Buttes. Unless I leave Chelsea home that meet, I will not be going to an amusement park, though going to an amusement park just may make me tempted to leave her home. I know she would be very mad at me and would probably ignore me when I get home. A trip from Sacramento to Sutters Buttes is not very far and I-5 flies at 70 mph. You must realize that these long trips to get to the meets do not add much mileage to my truck, typically I only drive between 4 and 5 miles a day and some months I may not exceed 120 miles with all my driving. July will be three years since I bought my truck and I only have just under 17,300 miles on the odometer. It's great for the resale value. Oh! I may have a leer cap on my truck by the Central Cal meet at Mount Diablo this May.. Woo Hoo, our insurance company had made a mistake and had been overcharging us for almost 2 years, more than enough to get a leer cap. I am going to get it in Woodland just north of Sacramento; $2,200 installed with integrated tail gate lock. I called around and everybody gets theirs from them and marks them up.

Nice....how far is Standford area from Sacramento, driving experience wise? Experience driving and googlemaps are totally different time wise and experience.

Hi Martin,

Your idea sounds good. Let's also take some other otions like maybe Old Town Sacramento? Don't they have an amusement park up that way? or something coast to the coastline? As long as you have a shorter drive than you had in Santa Cruz. :cool:

If you make the meet in/near Monterrey anyone who comes out on Friday is cordially invited to my graduation (masters degree). :D

Hello folks...yeah, I'm all in for a All Cal ROC Meet. Martin mentioned that I may have more details regarding Sacramento area activities. Old Town Sac is by the river and there is no amusement park. They have the California Train Museum which a great place to take the little ones (kids at heart are welcome). You could visit the State Capital to see where all your tax dollars are spent. The main building is a miniature version of the Capital in Washington DC. As for the Sutter Buttes, it is not too far a drive from Sacramento but again, not much to Yuba City. Someone asked about Stanford area...were you talking about the University? If so, wrong area. Stanford is located in the Bay Area city of Palo Alto...about two hours from Sacramento. UC Davis is near Sacramento if you want to see a major University town. A nice day trip would be a visit to Folsom Lake and Tony may have some connections at the State Prison in Folsom...special behind the scenes tour? Hope this helps. :cool:

The meet has been held two years in a row in Santa Cruz and I was asked last year at the end of the meet to choose a location that would put the meet in the more northern part of the state. As in more north than San Francisco bay area. I believe next year someone will decide on a location that will make the trip shorter for those from the southern part of the state. In May we already have a Central Cal meet at Mount Diablo that is going on its third year this May. Already for me the meets at Santa Cruz were over 700 miles roundtrip last year and over 900 the year before. The central cal meets are also over 700 miles roundtrip. I rather like driving long distance and I get to enjoy both the drive and the meet and greet. I have never been further south than Bakersfield inland and that was when I got my truck and San Luis Obispo on the coast and that was in 1972 when I was 12, so I will look forward to the 09 all cal meet. If I did not go to these meets [ four now, 2 all cal and 2 cen cal ] I would only have 13,000 on my truck instead of just over 17,000 that is on the odometer after more than 2 1/2 years. I picked an inland location because most everyone seemed cool or even cold at the beach in Santa Cruz at some point and the coast north of San Francisco is even cooler, especially during the fall. I thought it would be nice to have a barbeque at the Sutter Buttes, I will bring plenty of home made Salsa. If a coastal location is more desirable, there is always Golden Gate park, Mt Tamalpais on the Marin side, but the chance that it will be foggy and drizzly is quite high in late September. Ask anyone from the bay area. The further north one goes, the wetter it gets and further south it gets warmer. Late September can be nice and warm in the Sacramento Valley without being too hot, if the weather is nice and the winds blowing southward, we should be able to see Mount Shasta and possibly Mount Lassen. A trip to Sutter Buttes will still be close to 500 miles for me, but one any closer to Huboldt county would make a trip for Toobuku and other any where from 1200 to 1600 miles round trip. If one got 21 mpg then one can expect to use 50 to 76 gallons of gas at a cost of just under $200 to close to $300 for gas for those coming from Los Angeles and San Diego. At least there should be an even chance of there being a turnout if the meet is held somewhat near a metropolitan are like Sacramento. I can see on Google Earth that there are many RL owners in the whole Central California area. There is also boating on the Sacramento river or one of the lakes in the area like Barryessa or Clear Lake. I live on the coast and would not mind getting some inland heat for a change.

how about we all just meet inside Yosemity Park, have a campout weekend, check out the wilderness and or stay at the cabin, and check out half dome :eek:

Living in AZ as I do now and being a realatively new ROC member, you can ignore this, but i was "born and raised" in OC and I have a suggestion for a CA meet. It would probably take a lot of organizing, but how about a Highway 1 meet, starting in San Diego and ending in San Francisco. It would take a three or four day weekend, with stops in Santa Barbara, or Solvang, Big Sur and then finally San Francisco. I used to drive this at least once a year on my beamer and would love to try it again in my Ridgeline. I think it would be awesome if there could be a dozen or so Ridgelines driving in a caravan up the coast. Maybe sometime next year??:o

I think the whole point of having me choose a location closer to me was to give everyone a chance her in the more northern part of the state, including myself, fewer miles to drive. A trip to Yosemite would be much farther than a trip to Santa Cruz. Again , next year it will be held in the southern part of the state. Remember that So cal is not the only part of the state with roc members. L A already has its meets, this is for the all cal meet. A trip from here, 90 miles from the Oregon border all the way to San Diego and back would put a whopping 1600 to 2000 miles on my truck. If every one wants to haggle on a location further south, then why not just keep it in Santa Cruz and that way the miles for those from the south and any of us in the farther north will have fairly equal miles. I was not asked to pick a location just so it can be picked apart like a thanksgiving turkey, I am going to pick one that is more north and if no one wants to come, Oh well.

I think the whole point of having me choose a location closer to me was to give everyone a chance her in the more northern part of the state, including myself, fewer miles to drive. A trip to Yosemite would be much farther than a trip to Santa Cruz. Again , next year it will be held in the southern part of the state. Remember that So cal is not the only part of the state with roc members. L A already has its meets, this is for the all cal meet. A trip from here, 90 miles from the Oregon border all the way to San Diego and back would put a whopping 1600 to 2000 miles on my truck. If every one wants to haggle on a location further south, then why not just keep it in Santa Cruz and that way the miles for those from the south and any of us in the farther north will have fairly equal miles. I was not asked to pick a location just so it can be picked apart like a thanksgiving turkey, I am going to pick one that is more north and if no one wants to come, Oh well.


Believe me, I did not intend to step on anybody's toes or to demean or degrade your upcoming meet. Anytime ROC members can get together is a good thing and I really hope to be able to attend some meets in the furture. As it is, my schedule is forcing me to miss two great meets, Sedona and Ohio. I was only offering up an idea for sometime in the future. I apologize for any misunderstanding or hurt feelings.

mine was just a suggestions :D or a possible future location suggestion.

Is San Francisco closer to you? Mt, Shasta is nice too.

Dragonslayer...didn't know you were asked to select a location...like Kanji, I thought people were tossing out ideas. I believe I speak for many when I say we weren't trying to pick apart your location selection. Many apologies.

Steve

No apologies needed. If I could afford it, I would go to every meet possible, but all I would be doing is driving from meet to meet. At last years meet, or I should say towards the end of the meet, Tony told me that it was my turn to find a place and to make it up near where I live. I actually really like going to the meet in Santa Cruz and am hoping to have one of our future meets there again and repeat the train ride, except to add an excursion on the steam train too. If we would like to put this to a vote, Wellllll... I could be very tempted to make this meet at Yosemite this coming September:) . Only twice did I get to go there, the first time I was in my Moms womb in 1959 and the second time was in 1984 and we got 2 miles into the park and it started snowing so hard that we had to pitch tent on the side of the road and head back out the next morning. A trip to Yosemite would be very exciting for me and probably for others on the roc. If someone would like to find out what the park fees, camping rates for groups and possibility of doing it at the end of September would be, Again, I would be tempted. I think that I will make a poll for this, if every one is copacetic with that? Hmmm?

Martin

I did a search on Google Earth and the trip for me from McKinleyville to Yosemite would be 474 miles one way and from San Diego it would be 462 miles one way. I am really getting sort of hot on the idea of having the 2008 all cal meet in Yosemite.

Tony, I really do not mind the miles, unlike many on the roc, I rarely drive more than 5 miles a day and have only put 17,000 miles on my truck in more than two and a half years. One day last summer I got the itch to drive, I got out our maps and tracked out a route through the local mountains almost to Oregon and back for a north side view of Mount shasta and home. I left at 10 am and got home just before 7 pm, the trip was 476 miles. I have also made several day trips into Oregon along the coast.

I think that we should be able to get a good turnout for the meet. Now to research sites for 20 or more trucks [ I am being hopeful ] I will do some research and get back with more information.

Martin

Here's where i goto for information on the web in regards to Yosemity State Park. Here's the link of the place i stayed at.

http://www.yosemitepark.com/Accommodations_CurryVillage.aspx


I've been there twice now, 1st time was with my Parents, enjoyed the usual tourist, 2nd was with my brother's and cousins, we decided to bring our wetsuit this time :confused: I know, what do you need a wetsuit for?? We brought our wetsuits and an inflatable inner tube with us to float down the river that runs through Yosemity. At our second trip, river was deep enough to do a lazy river for a certain amount of distance. Also, We brought our Mt. Bikes, since most of parts of the park is in accessible by vehicles only by bikes or hiking. Both Visit, we stayed at Curry Village, very reasonable rates for people who would like to camp, but who doesn't want to bring too much stuff. Just bring your clothings, sleeping bag, and food or you can eat at many eateries there.

Thanks kanji. Here is the Yosemite park site. the park is open 365 days a year without reservations. Curry camp sounds right for me since I will probably camp out of my truck, it looks like I may be getting a leer cap in May.http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/hours.htm

If we decide on Yosemite for our meet, we need to reserve a campsite by May 15th. The rivers and falls will not be running high and many wild flowers will be finished. The entrance fee is $20 a vehicle and camping in your vehicle is permitted only in camp sites. The site says that reservations are available in blocks of one month at a time, up to five months in advance on the 15th of each month at 7 am Pacific time and that reservations may be filled within minutes after 7 am.

If we decide on Yosemite for our meet, we need to reserve a campsite by May 15th. The rivers and falls will not be running high and many wild flowers will be finished. The entrance fee is $20 a vehicle and camping in your vehicle is permitted only in camp sites. The site says that reservations are available in blocks of one month at a time, up to five months in advance on the 15th of each month at 7 am Pacific time and that reservations may be filled within minutes after 7 am.

Wow...it will be 2 ways to get into Yosemity, either by the front with very winedy road and steep climbs or the back way pass mammoth through if you are heading north. Very straight and the last leg steep climb, but gorgeous scenery with a large lake.

I did a search on Google Earth and the trip for me from McKinleyville to Yosemite would be 474 miles one way and from San Diego it would be 462 miles one way. I am really getting sort of hot on the idea of having the 2008 all cal meet in Yosemite.

Tony, I really do not mind the miles, unlike many on the roc, I rarely drive more than 5 miles a day and have only put 17,000 miles on my truck in more than two and a half years. One day last summer I got the itch to drive, I got out our maps and tracked out a route through the local mountains almost to Oregon and back for a north side view of Mount shasta and home. I left at 10 am and got home just before 7 pm, the trip was 476 miles. I have also made several day trips into Oregon along the coast.

I think that we should be able to get a good turnout for the meet. Now to research sites for 20 or more trucks [ I am being hopeful ] I will do some research and get back with more information.

Martin


Martin, because you were the furthest north, I gave you the ball to set the location for this year's All Cal ROC Meet. If your choice is Yosemite, Yosmite it is. I have never been there. Work it up! :D By the way, I need electricity and a roof over my head guys if possible.

Yosemite should be great! I'll be able to do this considering Yosemite is only 2 hours away.:D

Kanji, I want to thank you for your suggestion of Yosemite, Right now we have six for Yosemite and one for Pismo Beach. My partner is also a roc member ( Lightweight ) , though he is mostly a lurker [ does not log in ] and he will be interested in going too, as well as Chelsea. I will ask my friend Pam if she could house sit our place and take care of my chickens, rabbits, birds and cats. She is welcome to sell all the eggs she collects [ 12 to 17 a day at $3.25 a dozen ] . I am very excited about going to Yosemite. Remember to Google Yosemite National Park and make reservations before May 15 at 7 am. We plan on using a tent and the new Leer cap I will be getting soon.

Now the time will pass like molasses

This will be in Sept correct?

Yes, in September; September 27th proper, a Saturday. I plan on going up on Friday the 26th and staying till Monday morning the 29th.

I'll see if I can get the Monday off from work. I'll be there for sure on saturday.

Where are everyone thinking of staying or camping, it will be great if we all decide to camp or stay in one area.

There are lots of places to go that are very reasonable to stay if you don't really want to lug any camping stuff with you or campsites that are for tent and trailer camping.

There are also, sites like Curry Village, that will let you stay in Canvas tents with beds, lights and linen in them, just need to bring your own pillows or sleeping bags. It is very cheap and reasonable also. Anyways, what is everyone thinking of doing or where are everyone will be staying.


Here's a link for all the sites starting with Curry Village:
Curry Village Yosemite - Camp Curry: Yosemite Park (http://www.yosemitepark.com/Accommodations_CurryVillage.aspx)

Btw..Your welcome Dragonslayer (Martin)

My Choice will either be Curry Village or Housekeeping Camp.

Hey guy's, very cool choise Yosmite I sure we'll be there too....;)

Old Sactown Is Really Nice. Count Me In ! I Live Here In Sacramento. Robert

I'm going to try to make this one this year also. Now, just need to make a decision and start planning.

Yosemite is firming up quick, it seems. I hope to be able to join. If you are considering how to spend time while there, I'd suggest a trip across to the eastern 'gate' is a nice drive, through Tuolumne Meadows & Tioga Pass. There's a nice lake just east of the park that is large & high: Saddleback Lake, that might be a nice day trip, there & back to the valley.

I would caution that the weather is not ultra-reliable that time of year. I enjoyed a couple of weeks end of September last year at Virginia Lakes on the eastern side of the Sierra, just a few short miles north of the Yosemite Park border, and we did get a couple of days of no-kidding snow on the ground.

Bottom line, just be prepared for any weather that might pop up (including cold) & it should be a great time. If we make it, we'll be coming up from San Diego county . . . should be a great trip. FYI regarding some previous comments & misunderstandings . . . some of us folks in SoCal don't really realize that Yosemite is any closer than Shasta . . . it's all just "north" to us.
:)

Dnick

A good possibility, a stop over into Mammoth coming and going back home. I will more likely bring my Mountain bike than rent a bike in Yosemity. May even go into Mammoth if early enough in the return home :D

Some Pics from our 2 week stay at Virginia Lakes last September (15th-30th) will give you an idea of what kind of variations MIGHT be expected. Nothing to worry about . . . just to be prepared for.
Dnick

. . . but there was more . . . same trip, nice weather.;)
Dnick

At a motorcycle Forum I go to some people just went to Yosemite this past weekend and said it was perfect. The roads were a little dirty, but other than that, it is a great year to go.

the last time i went, there was snow peak mountains in Mammoth, and it rained the whole time, the great thing about the rain was, the river was higher, and the water falls where gushing for a great photo opt., It all cleared on the last day though, like most trips, it always clears up when you're about to leave.

If you need info on the Redding area, I can be of help.

There are lots of nice hotels and restaurants. There are great side trips like Lake Shasta, Whiskeytown Lake, Shasta Caverns, Old Shasta, Lassen Park, and also ATV riding places, a casino, RV parks and the Sun Dial Bridge etc.

The weather would be sunny and about 85 degrees. The River Trail is just one of the many places to hike. At Lassen Park, you can hike to the top of the volcano or see the bubbling mud pots at Bumpass Hell. You can climb Mt. Shasta if you are an expert at rock and ice climbing, gotta have a permit for that one.

There is lots of good fishing, water skiing, house boat rentals and you can raft the Sacramento River.

There is a good sized shopping mall and a factory outlets center. Downtown there is a beautifully restored 1930's theater that offers special events. There are 3 multi-screen movie theaters and one puts real butter on the popcorn.

Sutter Buttes is a little over an hour south of here. The coast is 4 hours, Reno 2 1/2 hours and Dunsmuir is about an hour north. Dunsmuir has the Railroad Park with RV sites and the motel rooms are real cabooses.

You can drive one of the steepest, windiest highways in the state over Buckhorn summit to visit the historic town of Weaverville which has lots of little shops. It takes us about an hour to get there, but we are used to the hairpin turns and the logging trucks. http://www.ridgelineownersclub.com/forums/images/smilies/eek.gif

Oh yea, there is an inside go-cart track downtown. For picnics there are several parks, some on the river. Lots of golf courses, a miniature golf course, gyms, tennis courts, and bicycles can use the River Trail. There are free loaner mobility scooters at the Sun Dial Bridge which is part to the River Trail.

Hey there JRTrucker. I live basically in your neck of the woods. I agree that Buckhorn summit is quite steep and extremely windy. But I love that stretch, it challenges the capability of the ridgeline and shows that few other vehicles can keep up with it on that stretch of 299. 2 years ago, I was fortunate enough to follow a green Ridgeline with a leer cap all the way from Ruth Lake to Willow Creek, it was like a mini caravan. We even stopped and chatted at a turn out. I also love Mount Shasta and have been trying to get the ridgeline owners here join up. There are at least 4 or 5 other ridgelines here in McKinleyville. I was going to pick Mount Shasta as one of my 10 on the poll, but I thought that having the meet up here would make the trip too far for members down in L A and San Diego. I would be great to get the far northern California ridgeline owners to start a meet and greet up here. That way there will be an All Cal meet, a So CAl meet, a Cen Cal meet and a Nor cal meet. If you are going to the Yosemite meet, I can meet up with you in Redding and head down from there. Let me know.

Hi Dragonslayer,

Haven't even mentioned Yosemite to hubby yet, so don't know if we are going, but it sounds like fun. I haven't been to Yosemite since I was a kid and I don't think he has ever been there.

Yes, the Buckhorn climb is exciting! Hubby likes to pass logging trucks, on a hairpin turn, while pulling the travel trailer behind the F250..........I often close my eyes and hang on to the door handle......don't get me started on going down the hill. He is a very good driver and we always make it alive and endanger no others, though I think the loggers are a little surprised.

We haven't tried out the RL on Buckhorn yet, but have gone up to the Lassen and Hat Creek area. It did well on the highway and we went on some dirt roads with mud and snow and it did great.

JRtrucker

The Ridgeline is awesome to drive on 299. The first time I went was from Arcata to Redding in a january and it was very foggy. A dodge ram pulled over on Buckhorn summit and waved my past, before I executed one curve another one would appear out of the fog going in the opposite direction. It was quite a petrifying drive. On my return trip it was nice and clear and I could see what I had negotiated in the fog. I tend to get a little carried away with my rl on 299 because it handles the curves like a sports car. The only vehicles that could keep up with me was a subaru and a volvo AWD. I had a chevy truck and a jeep cherokee try to keep up with me once and they both gave up; they could not even stay on their side of the road in trying to keep up. I don't exceed the speed limit, I just find that the rl can keep to it better than other trucks. I am looking forward to driving to the Yosemite meet and will most likely take 299 over to I-5 and take pictures of Mount Shasta, Lassen and Sutters Buttes on my way south, maybe some of Mount Diablo from the valley too.

Well, here is my pic from 2 yrs ago in Yosemite in April. My only concern is reservations and parking. Things fill up real fast there.
One year I camped outside the park and went in early in the morning to wait in line for a tent site. That night you could hear the bears walking around outside the tent. :eek:

Well, here is my pic from 2 yrs ago in Yosemite in April.Dude! Sweet picture! Bet that was an awesome trip! :D

So are we still planning on doing this? I have yet to make any reservations.

So are we still planning on doing this? I have yet to make any reservations.

Check the earlier pages of this thread. Martin posted lodging info.

Yes, I am still on. Reservations have already been made for two group sites. I made the reservations one the day required back in May.

Information on the group campsites is in the Off topic discussions.

I am ready!

Reservation Information:
Arrival Date: September 26, 2008 (Friday)
Depart Date: September 28, 2008 (Sunday)
# of Rooms: 1
# of Adults: 2
# of Children: 0
Property: Curry Village
Room Type: Cabin without bath
Nights: 2
Nightly Rate (including tax): $107.67

9010 Curry Village Dr., Yosemite National Park, CA 95389

The two group sites for Hodgdon Meadow is group site A and B, confirmation #2983244 and #2984118. Each site is for up to 30 people each.

So what's the itenerary? Where are we meeting on Saturday if we are unable to get lodging in Yosemite? I would like to make reservations for a hotel soon. Thanks.

I am arriving on Friday and will be at the Hodgdon meadow campsites.