DAY TRIPPING | Ridge Running and Coastal Cruising

Begin your Cazadero-to-Duncans Mills loop on Highway 116, west of just about everything. West of Santa Rosa, west of Guerneville and west of Monte Rio, watch for Austin Creek Road and just past it, turn right onto Cazadero Highway. If it feels a bit damp, it’s not your imagination. “The Land of Redwoods and Rain” typically receives as much as twice the average rainfall as the rest of Sonoma County, often exceeding 100 inches per year.

About three miles along Cazadero Highway, watch for Ben Britton’s open-air chainsaw sculpture gallery. Ben is 78 and has plenty of opinions. “I’m a rough-edged guy,” says Ben. “I grew up around here with a chainsaw in my hand.” Even as a young logger, Ben liked to “fool around” making chainsaw art and his work is seen throughout the area, including the large heron at the Blue Heron Restaurant in Duncans Mills. If Ben’s in the mood for guests, he’ll have the “Open” sign on the road.

Raymond’s Bakery, a few miles farther along at Elim Grove offers an assortment of breads and pastries. It’s a good place to stop, load up on carbs and get a cup of coffee.

Cazadero General Store, the Cazadero Post Office, and Cazadero Supply comprise the commercial heart of the small community. The 100-year-old general store is a study in contrasts. It stocks microbrews along with big-brewery 12-packs, souvenir shirts in both camouflage and tie-dye, and an eclectic mix of packaged and fresh foods. The store also stocks toys, sundries, videos, and more. There’s a comfortable porch out front, with a generous overhang to keep the rain off.

If you want to stretch your legs while in Cazadero, check out the community center, 100 yards uphill from the general store. A tennis court, a basketball hoop and a decent restroom are open year-round.

On the other side of Cazadero, start up the hill on Fort Ross Road. Take note of Montgomery Elementary School on the right, home of the Montgomery Catskinners. It should be pointed out that they don’t flay felines at Montgomery School. In this case, “catskinner” refers to one who operates a bulldozer (Caterpillar), specifically in the logging industry.

If you think the trip into Cazadero was a transition into an older, wilder rural area, then get ready to double down. Driving up Fort Ross Road and along the ridge roads that follow makes one ponder the origin of country roads. In this case, we can imagine a deer trail that became a hunting trail favored by local Indians and early settlers.

As the path of least resistance, the trail was widened (and in some cases, crudely graded by moving boulders out of the way) to accommodate wagons. The increased weight of logging vehicles (first wagons, then trucks) created drainage issues, so the road had to be widened and graded a bit more.

In the middle of the last century, recreational access became important in summer, as camps and retreats were constructed in the wooded hills and roads were graveled to encourage lighter vehicles. Access for firefighting was also important; fire equipment started sharing the access roads with logging trucks, with loggers also serving as volunteer firefighters.

At last, these roads succumbed to “progress” and a layer of asphalt was pressed down onto them with little regard for modern road design. Now, anyone (even a writer driving an old Toyota) can negotiate the roads. They’re no longer wild, but not entirely tame. Perhaps “feral roads” is the best term we can use.

Near the top of the hill, on your left, is a sign that epitomizes the contrasts and cooperation needed to make a go of it in the rural hills of Northern California. The Black Mountain Preserve, 485 acres of second growth forests, is a retreat center that can be rented for anything from a wedding to a company picnic to a meditation getaway. It’s also home to the Padmasambhava Peace Institute and to Station 4 of the Fort Ross Fire Department. Everybody seems to get along and it’s good to know that if your car breaks down, there’s someone to assist you, body and soul.

Your first major decision is just ahead at the intersection of Fort Ross Road and Meyers Grade. If you go left on Meyers Grade, you’ll likely see world class cycling teams training as you wind your way towards Jenner.

If you bear right, staying on Fort Ross Road, you begin running the ridge. The next few miles are frankly wonderful on a bicycle. It’s exhilarating to pedal the ridge above the ocean and catch an occasional glimpse of the water below. It’s not unusual to be in a completely different weather pattern than the coast, which is maybe half a mile below. If the coast is socked in by a summer fog, you might be riding in 90-degree heat on the ridge. And, if the coast has a barely-warm winter sun, the ridge is probably coated in chilling fog.

Alas this ridge is less panoramic in a car. Much of the time you’re driving through a tunnel of trees. When Fort Ross Road intersects Seaview Road and you bear right onto Seaview, don’t expect to “view the sea” from your vehicle. The few short glimpses are great on a bike, too brief from a car.

A traveler’s treat on Seaview Road is Seaview Art Glass, founded by Fred “Sonny” Cresswell in 1968 and now owned by Cresswell and Leslie Moody. Open on weekends, Cresswell and Moody not only make their own glass from raw materials (sand and soda) but make their own colors, using metals mixed in with the silica sand to create original colors. If you stop by, check out the power pole across the road, decorated in seconds from the glass blowing operation.

You have a chance to leave the ridge by taking a left on Timber Cove Road, which, as you might expect, drops down to Timber Cove. If you keep going on Seaview, get used to seeing more signs that read, “Narrow Winding Road Ahead.”

Swoop up and down a few more times and you reach the turnoff for Kruse Ranch Road. It’s only been 14 miles from Cazadero, but you’ve been in three different microclimates and might be a little dizzy from the drive. If you turn left, note that not all of Kruse Ranch Road is paved, but it’s usually passable. Like almost everything described in this story, call ahead to see what’s open, and in this case, ask about the condition of the road.

The main reason to go this way is to check out the Kruse Rhododendron State Natural Reserve. Edward P. Kruse donated the land to the state in 1933 in memory of his father. It was part of a big ranch where the Kruse family raised sheep and logged. Today, you can hike the reserve anytime to soak in the deep quiet of the canyons. In April, the pink “rhodys” begin to bloom; locals say they bloom until Mother’s Day.

If you don’t turn on Kruse Ranch Road, bear right onto Hauser Bridge Road. Not long up the road is a sudden sense of being back in civilization, as you drive past the Ratna Ling Retreat Center. You can visit on a personal retreat or join a group, but it’s a sight on our day trip, not a destination.

Eventually, Hauser Bridge Road becomes Tin Barn Road. At this point, you might glance off towards the ridge on the left and think you’ve seen a mirage, a gilded temple nestled in a forest. That’s Odiyan, a Tibetan Buddhist retreat center. The campus is laid out as a three-dimensional mandala and is home to a collection of Buddhist art and rare texts. It is rarely open to the public, but like Ratna Ling, accepts volunteers who seek solace through work and meditation.

Three miles more along the ridge, at Stewarts Point/Skaggs Spring Road, you have the choice to turn right towards Annapolis or left towards the coast. Let’s turn left. The mobile homes, cabins and schoolhouse you pass next are part of the Stewarts Point Rancheria, home of the Kashia Band of Pomo Indians.

At the bottom of the hill you’ll find the Stewarts Point Store, where you can find gourmet snacks, deli items, beverages and sundries. Grab a snack, sit on the porch a few minutes before you head south on Highway 1.

The next few miles take you through Salt Point State Park. Due to state budgets cuts, some coves and beaches are open, some are closed, and some are open weekends only. Call ahead or visit www.parks.ca.gov for information.

Stillwater Cove is a county park and it’s usually open. The beach is a pretty little spot with sand, rocks and a place to get out of the wind. The park also has a campground and restrooms.

Two miles south is the Timber Cove Inn. If you want to see the Benny Bufano peace statue, park in the gravel lot just north of the inn and walk the pathway between the inn and the coastline.

Your next stop is Fort Ross State Historic Park, the site of a Russian settlement in the 1800s. Now a state park, it’s a fascinating trip back in time. Most of the iconic structures are reconstructions, but the Rotchev House survives from 1836.

Fort Ross hosts elementary school outings and a multicultural heritage festival every year, complete with historical reenactments. It has a well-stocked gift shop with the largest collection of Russian history books in Northern California. Spend some time looking around the fort or walk down to Sandy Beach.

From Fort Ross to Jenner, the road is scratched into the edge of the continent and the ocean runs out lavishly to the horizon. It’s good place to pull off and ponder your significance. Got camera? When you stop to take a photo of the ocean, turn around. The cliffs and ridges above you are highly photogenic and you might see a deer having lunch or a hawk riding the thermals.

Stop again in Jenner. Café Aquatica has everything you might want to drink, with an espresso machine, chai, other teas and more. It also serves good soup and sandwiches. The Seagull Company, in the same building, has an eclectic mixture of gifts and jewelry.

Another mile south and you turn inland towards your starting point. Follow the river into Duncans Mills, a town that might be listed in the dictionary under “quaint,” but which also has amazing food, good gift shops and serious art galleries. There is an awesome brunch at Cape Fear Café. If it’s later in the day, stop by the Blue Heron Restaurant and Tavern or Gold Coast Coffee and Bakery.

Either way, you’ll find a satisfying way to end to your journey.

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Where to Stop

(All area codes 707)

Cazadero General Store

6125 Cazadero Hwy.

632-5287

Raymond’s Bakery

5400 Cazadero Hwy.

632-5335

Seaview Art Glass

27780 Seaview Rd., Cazadero

847-3443; seaviewartglass.com

Kruse Rhododendron State Natural Reserve

Adjacent to Salt Point State Park, 20 miles north of Jenner on Highway 1, near milepost 43

847-3221

Stewarts Point Store

32000 Hwy. 1, Sea Ranch

785-2406

Salt Point State Park

Highway 1, near milepost 43

847-3221

Stillwater Cove Regional Park

22455 Hwy. 1, north of Jenner

847-3245

Fort Ross State Historic Park

19005 Hwy. 1, Jenner

847-3286

Café Aquatica

10439 Hwy. 1, Jenner

865-2251

Duncans Mills

duncansmills.net