Cape to Cape ride question

igneouss

Premier Member
#1
Ira et. al., a question...
Looking at the Cape Mendocino to Cape Hatteras ride.
The Hatteras end of the ride is fairly obvious as there is a lighthouse and parking area at the Cape. Plenty of photo and receipt opportunities. Not so much for Mendocino. The "Mendocino Lighthouse" is not at Cape Mendocino. It's some distance away in Shelter Cove, CA. The actual Cape Mendocino is a few miles from Capetown, CA. There's a campground near the Cape but not much else. So, assuming I am seeing all this correctly, can you clarify documentation requirements for that end of the ride?

Thanks
 

Ira

Staff member
Premier Member
IBA Member
IBR Finisher
IBR Staff
#2
Ira et. al., a question...
Looking at the Cape Mendocino to Cape Hatteras ride.
The Hatteras end of the ride is fairly obvious as there is a lighthouse and parking area at the Cape. Plenty of photo and receipt opportunities. Not so much for Mendocino. The "Mendocino Lighthouse" is not at Cape Mendocino. It's some distance away in Shelter Cove, CA. The actual Cape Mendocino is a few miles from Capetown, CA. There's a campground near the Cape but not much else. So, assuming I am seeing all this correctly, can you clarify documentation requirements for that end of the ride?

Thanks
The best way to document it is to use a SPOT or other satellite tracking device, combined with a photo of your bike at the closest point to the Cape with some identifiable landmark in the photo and a receipt from the closest town.

Ira Agins
Iron Butt Association
 

igneouss

Premier Member
#4
Russ,
Thanks, yep...
Digital scouting brought me to the same conclusion. But I have to plan on bad weather. If Haystack Island is not visible I am thinking I can take a pic of one of the Mattole Rd bridge signs. CalDOT puts nice little ID signs on just about every bridge in the state,big and small...

As for receipts it looks like Ferndale (20 miles North-ish) is the best option. It has businesses including ATMs. Petrolia looks a lot smaller. Neither has gas. It's another 7 miles beyond Ferndale to the nearest gas station were you intersect Hwy 101.

So the awkward part is getting the starting receipt a solid 25 minutes from the actual starting point. On the CC50 Jax to SD rides most folks do the beach pic and sand collection off the clock, if I'm not mistaken. With DBRs available minutes from the beach it's no biggie. This logic works fine at Cape Hatteras. There is parking and a NPS gift shop etc within a few minutes walk of the beach. Maybe Ranger Rick or Smokey the Bear will sign my witness form :)

But all this falls apart at the CA end of the ride. Going to the Cape off the clock lops at least 1/2 hour off the ride on narrow little back roads in an region that always has crappy weather. Going to the Cape on the clock means riding there and back thus adding a bogus 1/2 hour to the ride.

If the ride was mine to design I would make it Lighthouse to Lighthouse... But sadly the Cape Mendocino light has been moved to a park 15 or so miles south of the actual Cape.

Ira, can you clarify the issue of when to start the clock in this case?
Thanks again.
 

igneouss

Premier Member
#5
Ira,
When you have a moment, could I get your comments on the above post? Looking more and more like I might be able to attempt Cape to Cape this summer. Just want to be sure that I get acceptable documentation at the Medocino end of the ride.
Thanks
 

Ira

Staff member
Premier Member
IBA Member
IBR Finisher
IBR Staff
#6
Ira,
When you have a moment, could I get your comments on the above post? Looking more and more like I might be able to attempt Cape to Cape this summer. Just want to be sure that I get acceptable documentation at the Medocino end of the ride.
Thanks
On the 50cc, the sand collection is not a ride requirement (although it is part of the spirit of the ride). In the case of the Cape to Cape ride, going to and from the two capes is a requirement. So you need to visit the capes on the clock. If there is no way to obtain a receipt at the cape, you need to obtain it before you go out there. As the rules mention, using Spotwalla is very helpful on this ride.

Ira Agins
Iron Butt Association
 

igneouss

Premier Member
#9
Tom,
Anything you care to add is appreciated. I was planning on the ATM option for a receipt. Plus a hotel Receipt. What did you do for witnesses? I was planning to visit the local PD the day before departure but I'll be going in cold and I doubt they see enough riders to be trained to our ways :) - not exactly like Jacksonville beach.

Thanks
 

Texas Tom

Premier Member
#10
I ended the ride at Mendocino (Ferndale) so I was able to get several witnesses at the hotel in Fortuna.

So, as I think about the one or two things I'd do different......

1) I took 36 from Redding to Ferndale but I wonder if 299 would have been better. Some parts of 36 were absolutely remote, desolate, and road is in grave repair. Killed the average time. No traffic but hazardous none-the-less.
2) I spent 7 hours in W. Wendover, NV instead of the 5 hour planned stop and 6 hours in St. Joseph, MO on a 5 hour planned stop. Regardless of the issue, once I got off plan, it was difficult to recover (time-wise) given the 2-lane riding the last 340 miles (Reno-Ferndale). The overall 3 hours off plan.....never got that back.

One advantage was leaving C.H. after labor day.....no beach crowds and lower hotel rates. Got my departure receipt at a shell station across from the Comfort Inn.
 
Last edited:

kwthom

=o&o>
Premier Member
IBA Member
#11
CA-299 *is* better than CA-36, ifonly for time management purposes.

CA-36 is one of the better motorcycle roads in the country, however. For those that may not be aware, the road has this sign at each end:

 

Texas Tom

Premier Member
#12
Yeah....I saw that sign several times.....but I was committed none-the-less.

:)

In several places along the way, the shoulder and some of the roadway has sloughed off down the hill........It was a great road for a casual ride......
 

igneouss

Premier Member
#13
Tom and Ken
299 looks interesting, thanks.
I'm going W to E
That stretch from Ferndale to Reno is clearly the tough part of the ride.
I Just took a look at CA 299 Vs CA 36.
Math: Ferndale to Red Bluff. To arrive at the same time CA 299 = 56mph avg, CA 36 = 42mph avg.
Road quality: 299 is clearly better. Wider and straighter.
My opinion: 299 could even be a few minutes slower and still be worth it from a fatigue standpoint.

My first day is definitely the hardest. 7-8 hours of curvy two lane roads before I get to Reno. Iv'e already revised the plan a couple of times due to concerns about that stretch of the ride.

Having that come at the end must have been particularly hard. Hats off to you.

Nick
 

igneouss

Premier Member
#14
You guys got me looking...
Now I'm thinking that CA 44 in conjunction with CA 299 is a better option than CA 36 all the way to US 395.
Difficult to do this research as there are not many sources of info, and there are lots of alternative routes from Cape Mendocino to Reno. I found and RV forum that claims 299+44 is better. Google maps does not show the route as particularly slower. The more I plan this, the more I start taking fatigue into account. I don't want to start a tough 80 hours in the hole, so to speak.

I'm a rookie at this type of ride planning. Any pro or con comments are welcome.
 

Texas Tom

Premier Member
#15
I took 395/44/299/36

The section 395/44 was ok roads and made relatively good time. 299 was OK but then I took 36 at the 299/36 split. All I see it would have been better to hang with 299.
 
#16
Hello
I'm considering a Cape to Cape 80 and have a question about the specific rules. I read on Ron Hanford notes that there are two mandatory 6 hours stops. I have not found this on the IBA website. Can some one point me on the right direction to find the official rules?
Thanks for your help
 

Texas Tom

Premier Member
#17
Cape to Cape 80 does not have any "mandatory" stops....that was what Ron did. Only rule that applies to this ride is it must be completed in less than 80 hours. The "GOLD" level requires the ride to be completed in less than 67 hours.