Northern California - Bike Around the Buttes - ride report

I don't even know where to start with this one.....

Traditionally, this is a "family" ride for me - I take my girls up thre every year for a nice 40 mile spin around The Buttes. This time however, the girls backed out at the last minute and decided to stay home. I had previously asked Bikingshearer and Blankcrows to come along, and since they were still "in" I abandoned my family and took a ride with the boys.

What a day. The weather was marvelous, there was very little wind, and the scenery was very nice. But, we could have been riding in BFE for all any of that mattered. What made this ride truly special was being out on this particular day, with these two particular fellows. We had so much fun fooling around, telling bad jokes, flirting with the women, busting on each other, and trading stories all day that I hated to see it come to an end. It felt good to be 16 again, if only for a couple of hours.

We ended up with about 54 miles and maybe a 1,000' of climbing, but this was one of the best bike rides I've had in recent memory.

Sprinting to the last rest stop:
http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t267/jd6572/2009%20Rides/Bike%20Around%20The%20Buttes/billandrichsprinting-1.jpg

Scenery:
http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t267/jd6572/2009%20Rides/Bike%20Around%20The%20Buttes/butte.jpg

More scenery:
http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t267/jd6572/2009%20Rides/Bike%20Around%20The%20Buttes/buttes-2.jpg

Chasing Blankcrows:
http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t267/jd6572/2009%20Rides/Bike%20Around%20The%20Buttes/chasingbill.jpg

Drafting the Big Unit at 25mph:
http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t267/jd6572/2009%20Rides/Bike%20Around%20The%20Buttes/drafting-1.jpg

We were like a frieght train:
http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t267/jd6572/2009%20Rides/Bike%20Around%20The%20Buttes/drafting.jpg

Yukking it up:
http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t267/jd6572/2009%20Rides/Bike%20Around%20The%20Buttes/meandbill.jpg

Rich and Bill on the "big climb":
http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t267/jd6572/2009%20Rides/Bike%20Around%20The%20Buttes/richandbillclimbing.jpg

Rich:
http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t267/jd6572/2009%20Rides/Bike%20Around%20The%20Buttes/rich.jpg

The Climb - so nice, we did it twice:
http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t267/jd6572/2009%20Rides/Bike%20Around%20The%20Buttes/theclimb.jpg

Man, we're so bummed we missed this ride. Glad you guys had a good time.

Nice photos. Looks like a grand day. Gotta love California in April.

An absolutely wonderful day. Riding with bigbossman and blankcrows was super special, the weather was close to perfect (5 degrees cooler would have been nice, but not a bid deal) and we even got to explore an extra back road thanks to the Crow-man's local knowledge. Big-time fun.

And BBM overestimated the age we were acting by at least two years. :p

Here's a little "artsy-fartsy":

http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t267/jd6572/2009%20Rides/Bike%20Around%20The%20Buttes/drafting-2.jpg

That was a fun ride. A nice day and with good company. (I didn't hear about the red, white and blue theme regarding kit, but me being a twin would've have some trouble dressing similar to someone else--I've done that enough in my life already.) Bigbossman and Bikingshearer were, again, gracious enough to go at my slowish pace.

The Sutter Buttes were stunning as usual. They are the smallest mountain range in the world.

http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z249/BlankCrows/CIMG9404.jpg

Rich and John were on their sharp Fuso and Mondia rides, respectively, and I managed to talk them into going down a dirt road for a bit towards a relative's hunting lodge out there. A locked gate abbreviated that detour but it did add a little mileage.

http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z249/BlankCrows/CIMG9411.jpg

After the second rest stop I was following as usual and we came upon a group of women who were obviously working on a flat tire. There were six or seven of them. Four of them each had a tire, rim, new tube or punctured tube from the wounded bike in their hands. Up ahead from John and Rich I heard two questions, "Are you all right?, and "Everything ok?" and heard distinct "Yes" responses from the ladies.

When I went by I asked, "Do you need any help?," and that was responded with a group "Yes". So I called the guys back and we valiantly assisted with the repair. We learned that none of them had ever repaired or replaced a punctured tube before. A SAG guy with a air compressor arrived during the repair and saved us the trouble of having to pump up the tube.

http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z249/BlankCrows/CIMG9421.jpg

http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z249/BlankCrows/CIMG9411.jpg


.
Where can I get one of those helmet wind socks?

BBM .. wow.. looked like you guys had an awesome time..

and you guys have a special place in my heart just for stopping for the girls :)

Wasn't that climb EPIC? :eek: :D

I've done BAB twice, once the metric, and the following year my very first century. It's an excellent ride. :thumb:

...and you guys have a special place in my heart just for stopping for the girls :)

pffffttt..... I always stop for the girls. I can't help it, I'm a giver - it's what I do. :) There's actually a whole lot more to the story, but modesty prohibits me from saying more. :innocent:


Wasn't that climb EPIC? :eek: :D

I've done BAB twice, once the metric, and the following year my very first century. It's an excellent ride. :thumb:

Like I said, the climb was so nice, we did it twice. We did the 40 mile loop, ate lunch, and then did a redux of the climb. It was my intent to add the 18 mile family loop to our total, but I was out-voted. We settled for a 50 mile compromise, so it was a 5 mile out and back to finish up.

It really was a great day.

Wind-sock helmet, be gone..... >POOF<

http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t267/jd6572/2009%20Rides/Bike%20Around%20The%20Buttes/meandrich-2.jpg

Is the route available for download? I'd like to do this ride this Sunday with wifey.

Is the route available for download? I'd like to do this ride this Sunday with wifey.

It would be hard to get lost. Just park at/in Sutter, and then go around The Buttes. Pretty much leave town going northwest, and keep turning right at every opportunity. :)

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/kml/episode.kml?episodePkValues=8029547

Thanks John!

Someone told me once that this is a private ride on private roads but the map doesn't show it to be the case.

Thanks John!

Someone told me once that this is a private ride on private roads but the map doesn't show it to be the case.

Nope, and nope. The Buttes themselves are privately owned, but the roads around them are public. Have fun.

Hey - this would be a good route for a "Slowpoke" ride. Too bad it is so far away.

pffffttt..... I always stop for the girls. I can't help it, I'm a giver - it's what I do. :) There's actually a whole lot more to the story, but modesty prohibits me from saying more. :innocent:

Too bad I didn't get a movie of you singing that great song you kept repeating all day. That one is YouTube worthy for sure. :)

That helmet windsock BBM was wearing was necessary to keep his pace slower so I could keep up. I was slowing Bikingshearer and him down all day long.


Here are the ride directions per the route map with mileage marks for the trip around the Sutter Buttes:

-- [START] Leave Sutter Youth Building and turn RIGHT on Acacia Road
-- Continue on Acacia Road and turn LEFT on Pass Road (0.4 miles)
-- Mileage from Acacia/Pass turn to top of hill on Pass Road (3.7 miles)
-- Continue on Pass Road (from top of hill) and turn RIGHT on West Butte Road (4.2 miles)
-- Continue on West Butte Road and turn RIGHT on North Butte Road (9.4 miles)
-- Continue on North Butte Road and turn RIGHT on Powell Road (5.6 miles)
-- Continue on Powell Road and turn LEFT on Pennington Road (0.5 miles)
-- Continue on Pennington Road and turn RIGHT on Township Road (4.7 miles)
-- Continue on Township Road and turn RIGHT on Clark Road (3.2 miles)
-- Continue on Clark Road and turn LEFT on East Butte Road (1.5 miles)
-- Continue on East Butte Road and turn RIGHT on Ahlf Road (3.6 miles)
-- Continue on Ahlf Road and turn LEFT on Mallot Road (1.2 miles)
-- Continue on Mallot Road and turn RIGHT on Butte House Road (1.1 miles)
-- Continue on Butte House Road to Sutter Youth Building at Acacia Road [FINISH] (1.0 miles)

THanks Blank Crows for the ride directions. This sure does look like a great Slowpoke ride. I'd be willing to drive it if my schedule permits.