roadhound

I discovered the same thing last year when I got a flat in the Nevada desert. I think the manufacturers put the lighter duty tire on the trucks because 1.) like you said, most never make it off the pavement and 2.) they get better mileage. Like you, I will likely go with the LT rated tire when it comes time to replace mine. In a perfect world I would have the LT's on one set of rims and another set of rims with the passenger tires and switch them based on driving needs. I haven't won the lotto yet so I have to compromise and go with a single set of tires. Roadhound

Thanks for the additional info Dave. I will mark the location of Black Bart Rock on the map and see if I can snap a picture for you if I am able to find it. I have the hilltop road scoped out on Google Earth, marked it on the map, and unless they closed it for some reason we will be driving it. That would have been funny to see you driving straight at me waving franticly out the window. IF your dog sitter changes their mind and you make the trip southward let me know and I can give you a better ETA on when we will be there. One day of work left! Roadhound

Just for comparison the stats from my 2006 trip from California to Saskatchewan 4194 miles 21.3 MPG Avg 196.9 Gallons costing $417 I don't remember the price but the most expensive gas was in Saskatoon. I gassed up in Malta, Montana before heading into Canada and only needed 1 1/2 fill-ups while I was there. We were sucking fumes when we came back across the border and filled up in Plentywood, Montana on the return trip. I would need to budget at least $900 in fuel for the same trip today if I were to drive the same vehicle. It would be closer to $1200 for my truck. Roadhound

The Saskatchewan natives say there are 2 seasons there...Winter and Road Repair. I've never been there in winter either and there is nothing appealing to a California boy about -40 degree winters. I do feel a connection to the open prairie though but it is to bad that the old wooden grain elevators are slowly dissappearing from the landscape.

Thanks Chris, I needed a dose of Saskatchewan. Our family did two trips there from California in the last 5 years. My father was born and raised in a little town east of Saskatoon called Quill Lake and I have a cousin that lives in Saskatoon and is the sole remaining family member living in Saskatchewan. The last trip up in 2006 was special because it was Quill Lake's 100 year anniversary and not only did we make it up for the big parade but my father and a few of his brothers were there as well. Oh, and Corner Gas...ever since that trip in '06 we have been fans. Roadhound

2006 Toyota Tundra Limited 4x4. So far it has taken me everywhere I have wanted to go with ease, almost all of which have been shared on this forum. Since my road travels tend to take me off the beaten path, and very often those paths are unpaved, the added security of four wheel drive is comforting. The back seat is big enough to sit my 5'11'' son comfortably and the bed is big enough to hold the camping gear or sleep in when necessary. Gas mileage is decent for a 4x4 with 18 MPG acheivalbe on the highway. There are some of us that like to give their vehicles names and I confess to being one of those. Years ago when I read John Steinbecks "Travels With Charlie" I dreamt of getting a truck that I could explore the roads with. Steinbeck named the truck that he traveled in Rocinante and even before I bought the truck I had decided that when the time came I would search and find my Rocinante. Rocinante was of Don Quixote's horse but the Class of '81 grads out there might recognize it as the name of the traveler's space ship in Rush's 'Cygnus X-1' on the Farewell to Kings album. Rocinante in one of her finer moments after driving the transcontinental railbed near Promontory, Utah. It really does not have a two tone paintjob.

The departure date is fast approaching. I think I have enough maps to keep me occupied. Thanks for all the time you've put into it. You never cease to amaze me in the information you have at hand and I am glad that I can give you a reason to dig through it. Thanks again, Roadhound

I wouldn't take the chance of them just staring me down these days. The friend I mentioned in the previous post had a brother that was prone to visiting the farms in that area without an invitation. Sometime around 1986 he dissappeared. His remains were discovered about 3 years ago and a year later they were able to determine who it was. But I do think you are correct that if you stay on the traveled road, and don't go nosing around someplace where you are not invited, you should be safe. Roadhound

It's funny that you should mention agriculture in the area. Yesterday I was discussing my desire to explore the area to a friend who grew up in Fortuna and he issued a caution to doing to much off road exploration in that area. Agriculture is alive and well in that area and the farmers do take extreme measures to protect their crop. The bike route looks easy enough to follow with minimal risk of taking a wrong turn and I am still planning on driving it. A longer exploration of the pre-1916 route could be risky if you take a wrong turn. Roadhound

Already found it for ya 40°19'13.65"N 123°50'5.49"W

Lots to look over....The Dyerville Loop Rd is on the list of 'must do's' as is finding the old route to Orick. I can handle a 20% grade. The least I can do is get a picture of the steel span bridge between Scotia and Del Rio and post it on the forum that I am still the moderator of. Notes are being taken and a plan is forming! Thanks and keep it coming. Roadhound

usroadman, Thanks for the advice. The town of Scotia looks like an interesting stop. There have been a few stories in the paper about the changes that the town is going through and the sawmill looks interesting. I'm glad you mentioned Jebediah Smith Redwoods. I had done some online research and considered camping there (if camping is still an option). A drive on a dirt road always has my interest. Keep, What a treasure trove of maps you have. Finding the pre-101 route from Cummings through Harris and Fruitland really has my interest but it likely will have to wait until another time. If there is a road it is barely visible on my Delorme Gazeteer and I will need to research further with topo maps. One thing I did notice is that the "new proposed highway" didn't get as far south as Willits. It looks like they cut over at Cummings and used the existing 317\320 route north out of Willits. The road along the coast is also interesting and I wonder how much of it is still driveable. I will have to study this map some more. Thanks again! Roadhound

I am planning a trip north on 101 between SF Bay Area and Brookings, Oregon, and am putting out the call for any information out their related to old road alignments, recent experiences, sights to see, and places to stay. This will be a trip with the whole family so I will need make it interesting for all. The last time I was through that area was 22 years ago when my wife and I were on our honeymoon so the recollections of what is there is a bit rusty. Of particular interest are Mattole Road and how difficult it might be on my daughter who is affected by motion sickness. Looking at maps and Google Earth I am of the thought right now that we will only travel the north section as far a Punta Gordo and maybe hike out to the abandoned lighthouse. The road east of that point looks to have to many twists and turns. I also have to work on a little bit of blackmail with the same daughter, in order to get her buy in to the trip, she is horse crazy and I will need to fit a trail ride into the trip somewhere along the way. Anybody aware of a good trail outfitter in that region? The other area that I will need help with is old main streets that are worth a visit. I need to factor in some time for the spouse to window shop and browse through stores while at the same time giving me enough photo opportunities to keep me satisfied. Thanks for your help, Roadhound

Send me what you got Dave and I'll take a crack it. You would be surprised what detail is in the image once you know how to pull it out. No secrets about the upcoming trip I just haven't had the time to do the deep dive into yet. I've gone as far as looking at my Delorme maps and a little bit of online research. I will likely post my plea for help very soon and let it go from there. I've only got three weeks to prepare so I better get movin. Roadhound

Thanks for the info Keep. I knew you had more information at your fingertips than I did. At first the description in the 1915-1916 Blue Book sounded backwards to me since I always travel to Stockton in roughly the same direction as Grantline Rd. I suppose back then though you would go north to Byron before heading east to Stockton. It just doesn't seem like the most direct route to me. You are probably going to think that the RAW image looks worse than the jpg at first glance and it likely will. The difference is that you can do a lot more with a RAW image converted to TIFF than you can with a jpg. Sharpening should always be your last step after setting your black, grey, and white point, adjusting color saturation, adjusting contrast, and lastly resizing the image. What photo editing program are you using these days? Roadhound

Thanks Keep, I'm not sure why they called it Mountain House if anything Low Rising Foothill House would have been more appropriate. The spot in the map is nothing more than a roadside stop. There is a small store with picnic tables under the trees. It has been a gathering point for bikers of both the pedal and Harley kind for as long as I can remember. Behind the trees there appears to be a few dwellings but they are not visible from the road and I didn't venture back to check what they were. What I am curious about is when did Mountain House become a roadside stop? It'a been there for a long time but I don't find it listed on any of the old maps that I had easy access to. If you go scroll north-east approximately 5 miles you will see a group of new homes that have been built in the last five years. This housing development is also called Mountain House but is in San Jouquin County as opposed to Alameda County. Incidently, there are 2 other cities in California called Mountain House which makes it challenging if your on the sort isle at UPS. If you follow the canal northward you will reach Bethany Reservoir which was once a popular sailboarding spot that I spent more than a few hours riding the wind at. A little further north of that is the Clifton Court Forebay which is where the Northern California waters actually start there journey southward. It wouldn't suprise me if you were correct about the origin of the Grantline Rd name. All of that area was once part of a Mexican Land Grant before Fremont showed up. In regards to the DSLR kits I have proof that you can take a sharp photo with a kit lens. Many proofs as a matter of fact. Up until the first part of this year all of my wide angle shots were with a kit lens. Quite a bit of an images sharpness, especially when it is viewed across the internet on a monitor, is how it is processed and resized. Ask a 100 photographers what their workflow is for sharpening an image and you will get 100 different answers. After much trial and error I believe I have found a way that works for me and until I find a better way I will stick with it. I'd be happy to go into more detail on sharpening if you're interested. Roadhound

In the 50's, 60's, and into the 70's California constructed aqueducts to carry water from Northern California southward through the Central Valley and into the Los Angeles area. On the eastern edge of Alameda County and the border of San Joaquin county it cut over a section of US 50 near the small roadside stop of Mountain House at 37°45'9.45"N 121°34'35.91"W. Mountain House is\was between Tracy and Altamont but is not mentioned on either the first or fifth edition of the Lincoln Highway guide. Brian Butko does give it a passing mention in his book on page 269 noting its proximity to the Altamont Speedway of 1969 Rolling Stones concert fame. #1 is from the west side of the aqueduct, looking east. #2 is from the Mountain House side looking west. #3 is from the top of the aquaduct. You can just make out the road on the far left of the frame and the tree from picture 2 on the right side. The old Mountain House shouldn't be confused with the new Mountain House 5 miles to the north east which is a whole bunch of brand new homes built on what was once prime agricultural land. Cheers, Roadhound

...and I know just the road to drive it on too. Actually there are two roads that come to mind.

I've had to scale back my summer plans for a number of reasons but the price of fuel is certainly a factor. Since I like to camp on my trips that helps save some $$$ but I also like the thought of fewer miles and being able to stop more often to better capture the flavor of a location. While last years 1800+ mile\1 week adventure was an experience I will always remember I felt there was so much I missed. Although, I suppose that I would still feel like I missed a lot if I did 1/3 as many miles in the same amount of time. Roadhound

Congratulations Keep. You may not have been the first to travel that exact route but you were the first to document it and give it a name. The path was there, you made it a road. Job well done. Roadhound

WOW! Simply gorgeous. The Grand Tetons in the winter are one of the many places on my list of 'must sees.'

That's what Post-It Notes under the keyboard are for. I use to put them on the side of my monitor but ever since I got a flat screen there's not enough room there.

I have been having the same problems off and on for awhile now. What I seem to notice is that if I access the AR site from the same computer consecutively it remembers who I am. If I move to another computer I have to log in again. Is it possible that the IP address is being cached with the logon credentials? Maybe the flux capacitor needs cleaning? Roadhound

The average price in San Francisco is expected to hit $4 this weekend. I'm in the suburbs 45 miles away and I paid $3.79 yesterday. It's a good thing I only have to fill up every couple of weeks. Roadhound Not Us Much

I haven't seen any of those out here in Cal-ee-forn-i-eh. I haven't ever seen one of those before come to think of it. It might just be a South Dakota thing?