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December Iron Butt 1000 CA to....somewhere for my birthday

natrab

New member
So I am turning 30 on December 19th and feel like doing something epic. I just put down a deposit on a 90th Anniversary R1200RT that will be replacing my current RT and I was thinking there's no better way to break it in than a long ride. I will likely be travelling with one or two friends and staying in hotels. I have 3 days free to make the trip and return.

My initial thought is a trip up to Victoria, BC going along the coast in CA and the rest up I-5. This should get to about 1000 miles and can be done in one go. My question is, am I insane to venture into the northwest in December? Will I be facing ice or snow and the likes? I would guess they's keep I-5 in good condition in the winter, but the last thing i want to do is dump my brand new bike on the icy ground.

The whole trip will be weather dependent and I will have an alternate southern route in the case of a big storm. Won't make the final decision till the days before the trip.

Sorry if this all sounds naive, but I'm a sheltered Central Californian who hasn't had to worry about weather his whole life. Thanks for any input!
 
Siskiyou summit on I-5 as you enter Oregon could easily have a couple feet of snow that late in December. Hard to tell this far ahead, but I'd sure be thinking about your alternate route. We've been traveling between Washington and Nevada for about 40 years, only had to chain up a couple of times for Siskiyou, but...it does happen. One trip there were chain requirements from Redding to Medford, though that WAS in January. LOL

Have a great celebratory ride wherever you go! :dance

Cheers!
 
It is pretty easy to encounter snow next to Mt. Shasta as well. Been there, done that. It makes a cup of coffee in Weed very welcome. Also, there is high likelihood that there would be rain (at least intermittent) from Roseburg to Canada. Certianly not a deal breaker, but pretty low on the "fun" list.

It is my understanding that there is a paved road that runs to Cabo San Lucas. That would be epic.
 
What time of day are you planning to start and from what location on the route? Thinking about the coast and darkness for a lot of the 24 hours this time of year. Mind you traffic is likely a lot lighter that when I did the coast in July. Great idea to keep it to the southern half of CA. The weather anyplace north right now is nasty and quite extreme in some areas. Looks like fun!
 
Leaving at 05:00 so the coastal part will be during the day. Should be heading inland around 17:00, dinner in Escondido and then slabbing it all the way back for the night portion.
 
Well my buddy had a car pull out in front of him and wrecked is RT today. Thankfully he is ok and still wants to do the trip. Best plan now is to take both my new RT and my R1200S and switch off from time to time for comfort.
 
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