The Bizz Johnson Trail is a rail trail following the route of the Fernley and Lassen branch of the Southern Pacific Railroad. Other than one small section (1-2/10ths of a mile maybe) that dips under a highway and then back up, this trail has that sweet railroad grade. This trail is all hard-packed dirt and gravel, which makes for a really nice ride. The trail starts out going through pine forests (some burnt over the past couple years by the big fires in that area), and then along and across the Susan River.
I read that the Westwood to Susanville direction is more flat and downhill than the other way, so since it was a fairly hot day in California (to us Pacific Northwesterners) we were happy to go that direction. We started in the town of Westwood, rather than at an official trailhead, which added a bit over 4 miles to the total route. I was on my Priority 600 and Dave on his Priority Current.
We expected to see the Susan River sooner, but it was mostly dry when we first identified it, so it might be more visible sooner in wetter seasons/years. As we followed it downstream it grew larger and was really pretty flowing amongst the boulders or meandering through the valleys. This would be a great trail for wildlife - we hit it early afternoon so we just saw hawks, squirrels, chipmunks, a small snake, and ducks.
In addition to the many bridges and trestles, there are two tunnels on this trail, which are always fun. They seemed to be in great shape and reflectors have been added to help keep you oriented. This trail is really well-maintained, and there are even some fun informative signs along the way. Get out there and try this really enjoyable trail!
This trail is on the traditional territory of the Mountain Maidu people.
A big thank you to Cori and Warren who picked us up in Susanville and drove us back to our car in Westwood! It was so great to not have to shuffle vehicles that morning and just get up there and ride.
Music:
Blurry Vision by Corbyn Kites
Snake on the Beach by Nico Staf
Unstoppable by Spence
Dance Don't Delay by Twin Musicom
5 сен 2024
