Mendocino MultiSport Camp
April 4-6, 2008
Our Spring multisport camp and cycling tour takes us the furthest north Team Sheeper has ventured, the cool redwood groves and dramatic coastline of Mendocino County.
- Tour Description
- Route Descriptions
- Meeting Place and Accommodations
- Meals
- Support
- Maps
- Preparation and Gear to Bring
- Registration and Fees
Tour Description
The tour is a loop which begins in Ukiah, goes northwest to Little River for the first overnight, then south along the coast highway to Point Arena, our second overnight. On Sunday, we'll cycle over Mountain View Road to Boonville, then over the Ukiah Boonville summit to return to our cars. There will be optional runs at Van Damme State Park on Friday and out along the Point Arena Lighthouse Road on Saturday. The terrain is hilly, rugged and spectacularly beautiful. This is a solid training weekend for athletes preparing for Wildflower and Honu (Kona) triathlons or spring cycling events.
Route Descriptions
Day #1: Ukiah to Little River (55 miles)
After driving to the Ukiah from the Bay Area, we’ll meet at the Comfort Inn in Ukiah. Orr Springs Rd will take us to the junction at Comptche, a former logging town. There is an 800' climb before we leave the forests and descend to open pastureland at the coast with views of the Mendocino Headlands. We can run at Van Damme State Park, a 2,000 preserve around the Little River watershed, home to Mendocino pygmy cypress, spring blooming rhododendrons, redwoods and ferns.Day #2: Little River to Point Arena (55 miles)
We'll ride south to Point Arena (30 miles) and then onto Anchor Bay. After steep climb away from the coast we’ll ride north on the Gualala Ridge, known as the banana belt of Mendocino. We'll do an afternoon run along Lighthouse road in the late afternoon.Day #3: Point Arena to Ukiah (55 miles)
Just outside of Point Arena we'll start the multiple summit Mountain View Road, winding in and out of forest before dropping into the vineyards of Anderson Valley. The town of Boonville has a few services for lunch and then it's back to our climbing gears back to Ukiah.
Meeting Place and Accommodations: HOTEL NOT INCLUDED IN FEE
You need to book and pay for your own rooms, please make your reservations soon.
We will meet at the Comfort Inn in Ukiah, look for the team van in the rear parking area. Ukiah is 175 miles from Menlo Park, a three hour drive without traffic congestion. If you are starting the drive on Friday morning, plan to leave the Bay area between 5:30 – 5:45am. We will meet at 9:00 am and depart by 9:30 am. Route sheets and maps will be passed out during a ride briefing before on Friday morning. Day #1 ride is on a rural back road with few services, so bring riding food and plan to carry the right clothing. We always encourage people to ride together so organize like-minded friends ahead of time.
Comfort Inn
1220 Airport Park Blvd
Ukiah, CA, 95482
707-462-3442Team parking here in back of hotel. If you go up on Thursday you can stay here.
The Seafoam Lodge
6751 N. Highway 1
Little River,
707-937-1827
www.seafoamlodge.com
Rooms start $110 for 2 doubleWharfmasters Inn
785 Iverson Avenue
Point Arena
707-882-3171
800-932-4031
www.wharfmastersinn.com
Rooms $95-150 for 1 king/queen
Also 3 bedroom house for $350
Seashell Inn
135 Main St
Point Arena, CA 95468
707-882-2000
A note about lodging on the Mendocino coast: In an effort to preserve the natural and pristine beauty of this area, there is very limited lodging options between Gualala and Fort Bragg. Most places are small, pricey and 'romantic' B&Bs. We hope we've found accommodations that can fit our group, our budget and the kind of connection we want to forge with our athletes on this important training weekend. Please make your hotel bookings early, these places will fill up as springtime weather encourages more people to think about the Mendocino coast.
In Point Arena, The Wharfmaster's Inn is a beautiful property (we've used their photos on our website) but all of its rooms have only one bed, though rollaways are available. Seashell Inn is more plain and basic.
Meals
- On Friday we'll have team dinner in Little River.
- On Saturday, we'll have a team dinner in Point Arena.
- Breakfasts will be provide by the team.
- After each day of riding and running, we'll put out the usual Team Lounge post-ride snacks
- You are on your own for lunches. There are limited, but sufficient services. Be prepared to go 3 hours between stops. Bring your own energy drinks, bars or other favorite riding food.
Support
Sig Paulozzo, our experienced support driver and all-around helpful tour wrangler will provide sag support. We place a great emphasis on safety and will do our very best to see that each rider arrives at our daily destination safely. Since the support vehicle has some very challenging terrain to cover do not count on the sag to rove or sweep the course. We'll have plenty of nutrition and 'pocket food' available in the morning and the route instructions will include the location of services. This tour is for hearty, fit and self sufficient riders. We encourage you to ride with a buddy or in small groups.
Maps
The best map to use for this tour is the AAA Mendocino and Sonoma Coast. Here is a Gmap-Pedometer version of the route.
Preparation and Gear to Bring
Make sure your bike is in excellent working condition, there are no bike shops on our route.
Bring the usual cycling and running gear. April can be rainy, so bring spare clothing and rain gear. Highs are typically in the 60's and lows in the 40's. For dinner we will be going to wonderful, iconic Mendocino restaurants, so bring 'smart casual' clothes for our team dinners. Finally, bring a towel for a quick clean up at the end of the ride.
Registration and Fees
Team Sheeper will provide maps, gear sag, two dinners, two breakfasts and post ride snacks.
Lodging not included. You will need to make your own hotel reservations at our suggested team hotels.
Cost $300.
You will register with our Menlo Swim and Sport Registration system. If you have not already done so, the first step is to create a new Account on the Menlo Swim and Sport system. From there you will choose the Registration link and then choose the Mendocino Tour from the drop down.
Register now!** Refund/Credit Policy: Registered participants are entitled to a full refund minus a $50 processing fee with a camp cancellation 30 days before the start of camp. Registered participants are entitled to a full refund minus a $100 fee with a camp cancellation 14 days before the start of camp. Refunds will not be given to registered participants with a cancellation 14 days or less before the start of camp. You may opt for a 100% credit in lieu of a refund which is good for 2008 and 2009and is transferable to another family member for another Team Sheeper Camp or Tour.