Pictures: Panoche and Mercey Hot Springs, March 2006
 

April 23, 2006

http://tinyurl.com/qwnj6

Ron Bobb and I started from Paicines at the junction of Panoche Rd. and
CA25 south of Hollister, CA. We rode east up Tres Pinos Creek, over
Panoche Pass and down into Panoche Valley. We continued past the bar
and veered left where New Idria Rd. veers right. We continued for
another couple of miles until the pavement turned to dirt and a sign
indicated that the road was closed ahead. Some other day after
inquiring locally about the road condition we might try to ride through
to I-5.

The unpaved section of Panoche Rd. appears to run along the drainage
(Silver Creek) from the New Idria mine, the source of most of the
mercury now found in San Francisco Bay. Ron and I rode up to the New
Idria mine back in December, 2004. (http://tinyurl.com/nyanh)

We turned around and returned up the valley to Little Panoche Rd. that
we rode north over Glaucophane Ridge into Little Panoche Valley. We had
been anticipating a nice, sit-down lunch at one of the food concessions
at I-5 and Little Panoche Rd. Unfortunately, when we arrived at I-5 we
saw only a patch of dirt, a couple of lonely portapotties and an
overpass. We were so disappointed. It was then I remembered that the
food concessions were at Panoche Rd. and I-5, twelve miles to the south.
That gave us another reason to explore the unpaved length of Panoche Rd.
at some future date.

We would have to settle for Clif Bars for lunch. Fortunately the day
was relatively cool, and we had enough water to get back to Mercey Hot
Springs, tucked into the far western corner of Fresno County some 12
miles back up the road.

We stopped at Mercey Hot Springs while Ron inquired about camping at
some future time. We refilled our water but discovered that the local
water supply, while potable, was quite salty, much like diluted
seawater. Given that we were exercising, this was probably not harmful.
Still I noticed at the end of the ride that I did not crave salty food
as I normally do after a long ride.

(108 miles; 4500 feet climbing; 3250 Calories)

--
Bill Bushnell
http://pobox.com/~bushnell/