Day 3, Willow Creek Campground to Yuba City, 51 miles

Today we left the Sierra’s for the flat terrain, orchards of Marysville and Yuba City, and heat of the Sacramento Valley.  We got an early start today, having awaken and started breaking camp at about 6:30.  The morning is cool and I am driving the first leg.  The ride begins with a 4 mile downhill run on our last segment of the Golden Chain Highway (route 49) to the Marysville Road.  At the intersection the local Forest Service office has a display of old mining equipment which I stop to photograph.  Marysville Road turns out to be in much better condition than 49 and I know Len and Toby will appreciate a decent shoulder.  Traffic is still light, so no real worries there.  As the forest continues to transform from evergreen to mixed to dry grassy areas, I pass Moonshine Road on my way to the Dobbins Reservoir dam at Ballard’s Bar.  The reservoir is about 50 feet below its maximum and looks pretty dry, a reflection of our third year of drought in the west.  A 4 mile climb begins right after crossing the dam.  I’m glad it’s cool, but know that it will take Len and Toby about 45 minutes to cover that distance whereas they undoubtedly covered the previous 10 miles in less time.  I follow our Google prescribed course into the little town of Dobbins and discover that we’ll be better off staying on the Marysville Road, so wait for Len and Toby at the turnoff.

As we continue west, the forest transforms to typical grass covered hills dotted by California Live Oak.  As we enter the valley we encounter the inevitable head wind and miles of flooded rice paddies where we are serenaded by Red Winged Blackbirds and Western Meadow Larks.  An occasional Great Blue Heron and Great White Heron lumber by on their way to their favorite fishing hole.  The wind is from the west.  Toby says that means it’s coming from the ocean (or the San Francisco Bay) and that it should be cooler than it otherwise would be.  I notice a sign on the side of the highway saying that it it being cared for by Recology of Yuba City.  We feel much better knowing that - anybody know what Recologists do?

On the horizon we see the Sutter Buttes, remnants of a large volcanic explosion.  Along the roadside we see the spires of tall arborvitae, reminiscent of Tuscany without the hills.  As Toby and I enter Marysville, traffic increases and we are glad to find a bike trail despite its very poor condition.  The bike trail appears to end so we exit to re-enter the streets when a man working in his yard calls out and suggests that we continue on the bike trail.  We tell him where we’re going and he gives us directions, telling us that he’d lived in the area all of his life and did a lot of bike riding to get around.  When you’re not sure where to go on your bike, there’s almost always someone around to lend a hand.  We gratefully return to the bike trail and follow it for several more miles before returning to the streets in a residential area.

Eventually, we reach the Best Western where we have a reservation.  The desk clerk informs us that the hotel is full, but isn’t sure why.  We speculate that it has something to do with some of the owners of California Chrome living in Yuba City.  California Chrome is of course the horse that is on its way to a triple crown with only the Belmont remaining.  Apparently the owners only paid about $8000 for the horse and now its worth millions - not a bad return on investment if you can get it.  Everyone is anticipating a big celebration if the horse wins the last race.  A big deal for a little place like Yuba City that no one’s heard of.

Len jokes with the desk clerk that the high school we passed near the hotel has a lousy football team.  She laughs and says she went to the other high school.  By the time we walk to Chili’s for lunch a couple of hundred yards down the street, the temperature is approaching 100. It appears that most of the patrons of Chile’s would not remember when they weighted 200 lbs. 

Checking the weather, I discover that it’s predicted to be 108 by Sunday.  So much for cooling winds!  We shower and huddle in our air conditioned rooms thinking about tomorrow when we will be camping again, predicted high 98.  Fortunately, it will cool as we approach the coast.

Yelp found a Taste of India, Bombay Lounge.  Really good Indian food - lots of Indian people in the place.  Had Lamb Biryani, something we hadn't had before.  Thereafter, we topped off the gas tank at the local Am/Pm where as Toby observed we saw a pageant of humanity - don’t ask, just imagine it.  A few were missing the necessary brain cells. 

We’ll be making a stop at the bike shop in Davis tomorrow.  Len needs some new tires and my bottom bracket is clicking.  Probably a bearing, that may respond to a simple tightening.  Just had a little riff on various ways to spell “bearing” and ways to use the words in a sentence - use your imagination.