Hayfork Century

Distance: 115 miles
Climbing: 9,000 feet
Difficulty: Hard
Start: Hayfork, CA

This ride isn't really a northcoast ride. It's in Trinity county and a full 2 hours east of the coast. But, about half of the field on the 2010 115 mile route were from the coast. It is a must do ride for anyone that enjoys big climbs, great roads, and lots of scenery. The first two rides have been poorly attended so I hope the organizers continue the event. The word will get out that this is a wonderful event. I know I will be coming back every year that I can!

This is an annual event put on by the Hayfork Rotary Club. There is a lot of information at the event's website

I have 3 words to describe the ride: Spectacular, Solitude, and Support.

Spectacular
There is beautiful scenery around every corner. If you bring a camera beware, you will be stopping a lot.

Solitude
Talk about lonely roads. There is very little traffic even on Highway 3 and 36. This is a truly rural route with very little car traffic, especially the first 70 mile loop.

Support

The rest stops were well supported with cheerful volunteers. There is the potential for a lot of heat on this ride and there are few places to get outside help so the frequent rest stops were welcomed. The 115 mile option is a tough ride with a lot of climbing. My GPS recorded over 10,000 feet of climbing for the ride, but it tends to over-estimate elevation change. However, most of the climbs have moderate gradients and the last big climb has low gradients, which make it more palatable.

Here is a link to the Garmin GPS data:
Garmin Connect Data

Hayfork is a small town with few accommodations. If you plan on camping at the fairgrounds expect few amenities. There was plenty of space and nice warm showers. But, the tent sites have no fire pits or picnic tables. I recommend bringing a small BBQ, camp chairs, and a small camp table. If you have a RV you are in luck because there are full hookups.