Day 12: Sonora to Coulterville

May 22, 2021

Up at 7:30, on the road at 8:30 after eating 2 skimpy "bag" breakfasts of oatmeal provided by the motel.

Traffic was heavy getting out of Sonora but the road has a shoulder. My first stop was in Jamestown after pedaling only 4 miles. It has a charming small-town historic downtown strip. The main street is off the highway, so it's not plagued with traffic like Sonora.

Several buildings date from the 1850's but some are newer.

Jamestown has several historic hotels. It must have been on a busy wagon road.

The former Branch Jail is now part of a downtown park.

1852 Community Methodist church in Jamestown.

I pedaled out of Jamestown on back roads that go east of Don Pedro reservoir while CA 49 is west of the reservoir. The narrow back roads have light local traffic, no big trucks.

The day started in rolling hills, but most of the day's ride is in canyon-like environments. I followed Sullivan creek downstream, but the road turns away from the creek long before it flows into Don Pedro reservoir.

Nice water slide and swimming hole below on Sullivan creek.

The road stays hundreds of feet above the lake for several miles. One area has a distant view of the lake but the road is mostly in oak forested hills.

First view of Don Pedro reservoir. CA 49 visible across the lake.

Don Pedro reservoir is built on the Tuolumne river in a deep canyon. But the final descent to cross the river is relatively small thanks to a high bridge over a deep reservoir.

The lake is lower than usual. The lake was 33 feet higher this time last year and 41 feet higher the year before. Snowpack in the Sierra Nevada was far below normal last winter, so all the reservoirs in California are less than half full.

Crossing Don Pedro reservoir, looking upstream.

I stopped on the bridge for a long time to enjoy the views and take pictures. It's a low traffic county road. After the bridge I detoured north half a mile on CA 49 to a hilltop vista point looking down on the bridge and looking upstream towards the Sierra Nevada. A worthwhile detour.

Looking downstream from the vista point on CA 49. The bridge is a county road.

The bridge is about 900 feet elevation. During my 2000 Reno to Fresno bike tour I saw the Tuolumne river far upstream in Yosemite National Park. I vividly remember hiking several miles alongside the river at about 8000 feet elevation.

Don Pedro reservoir/Tuolumne river looking upstream.

I pedaled on CA 49 from the reservoir to Coulterville. Traffic is lighter than yesterday and the road has a better shoulder. It was a pleasant ride.

This hydro project diverts the Tuolumne river far upstream.

CA 49 climbs steeply after leaving the reservoir. The summit elevation is 1200 feet higher than the bridge. The first part of the climb is in a burned canyon above tiny Moccasin creek. A Google search reveals that the Moccasin fire started 9 months ago on August 21, 2020.

Later CA 49 climbs a huge ridge with 7-8% grade. I could see a summit more than 500 feet above. I like the rare opportunity to see the goal, but it's frustrating to approach it so slowly.

The summit is visible hundreds of feet above.

When I can see the road going up, I know I will have great views of the road looking back down.

Today is the first day of the tour that I saw big burn scars up close.

Looking back towards the Moccasin fire burn scars and Don Pedro reservoir.

Not surprisingly, what looks like the summit from below is actually 150 feet shy of the actual summit.

The landscape is getting gradually more arid. Still green but few tall oak trees.

Final steep 150 foot climb to the summit which is 1200 feet higher than the bridge.

After the summit is a short 250 foot descent and a couple more big hills before I rolled into Coulterville at 3:45. I never ate lunch so I got 4 tacos at the taco shop for lunch, and ordered 4 more tacos to have for dinner later.

The downtown area is only one block, so it doesn't take long to look around. Coulterville is the smallest overnight destination of the tour. Census estimates show Coulterville's population collapsed from 210 in 2015 to 60 in 2019. Maybe a big mine shut down?

Coulterville. Hotel Jeffery looks like it was open before the pandemic.

Coulterville is a small, sleepy town but it's on a popular tourist loop through Yosemite National Park. Most visitors are going to or coming from Yosemite, stopping to see a small sample of gold rush history. I'm probably the only visitor in town who isn't going to Yosemite. I felt the same way last July when I was the only visitor in Fort Klamath who wasn't going to Crater Lake.

The taco shop was maskless but the cafe and general store is militant about masks. Many signs at the entrance.

Today the weather was partly cloudy in the morning and mostly cloudy in the afternoon. High of 70F, gentle south wind. Very comfortable for hill climbing, way below normal.

Ruins of Coulterville Hotel on the museum property. Photo taken the next morning.

Tonight's home is Yosemite Gold Country Lodge and RV Park which is half a mile north, backtracking up a steep hill. Then up a long and even steeper driveway to the lodge. Good thing I brought tacos and beer, because I don't want to go back down to town again today. I arrived at 5 PM, allowing plenty of time to relax at the rural lodge. The main entertainment was a barking dog, then drunk rednecks boasting loudly around a campfire. Absorbing the local culture...

My $145 room is small and simple, 1/3 of a single-wide trailer. The room has TV, A/C, microwave, and fridge, but is so small there is no space for a chair. Not a good value but it's the only lodging in Coulterville. Prices are now subject to the Yosemite Effect.

Distance: 30 miles (48 km)
Ascent/Descent: +2224/-2239 feet (+678/-683 m)
Average Speed: 8.1 mph (13 km/h)

Today's ride: 30 miles (48 km)
Total: 375 miles (604 km)

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