Biking the Bizz Johnson National Recreation Trail

Hi Blog!

Tuesday, May 23, 2017, was our first full day in Susanville, California. We decided to explore the Bizz Johnson National Recreation Trail. Our campground was only a couple miles from the trailhead. We got an early start, as the warm weather is finally catching up to us. We may finally be able to pack away the snowshoes!  Here, David shows us the trailhead sign.

The Bizz Johnson Trail follows the route of the old Fernley and Lassen Railroad line, which was established in 1914 for transporting logs and milled lumber to and from a mill in Westwood, California. The mill closed in 1956, and in 1978 Southern Pacific Railroad received approval to discontinue use of the old line. However, a portion of the track was still there.  The trail extends 25 miles, from Susanville to Westwood.  We weren't going to try to pedal a full 50-mile out-and-back, but we did want to see some of the most interesting parts of the trail through the Susan River Canyon.

We started our ride by pedaling between two sets of railroad tracks. We were beginning to worry the entire trail might be like this. Then, all of a sudden, the tracks just stopped! No explanation was given. Dave tried to figure out why, but it left him upside down.

We learned that the trail is managed by the BLM. The Bureau of Land Management spearheaded conversion of the corridor to a trail, and former California congressional representative Harold T. "Bizz" Johnson, who served in the House of Representatives from 1958 to 1980, was instrumental in establishing this segment as a rails-to-trails conversion for recreational use. The trail is named in his honor. Here is Kathy on the first of 12 bridges.

On our way to the Bizz Johnson Trailhead, we rode along the Susan River Trail. The Susan River is approximately 67 miles long and drains an arid plateau of volcanic highlands along the Great Basin Divide. The river flows from east of Lassen Volcanic National Park past Susanville and emerges into a ranching valley to enter the north end of Honey Lake, which lies south of Susanville near US395. Along with Fredonyer Pass, the Susan River is the northern boundary of the Sierra Nevada. It is hard to believe we are nearing the end of our exploration of the Sierra Nevada.

With all the recent snow melt, the Susan River was running full. Folks in the area are on a flood watch this week. We heard this waterfall before we actually saw it.

On the Bizz Johnson Trail, we rode next to the Susan River as it cut a path through the Susan River Canyon. We were often surrounded by tall volcanic cliffs like this.

The further up the canyon we rode, the more picturesque the stream became.

We also marveled at the various and unique rock outcrops looking down on us.

Rencent flooding took out a large chunk of the old railroad grade. We had to carefully work our way around the gap in the trail.

We soon spotted the first of the two tunnels along the trail.

As we entered the first tunnel, we could feel the temperature change. It was positively frigid in the middle of the tunnel. It was also so dark, we could not see the trail, so we decided to walk our bikes. Here Dave has made it to the light. Luckily, it wasn't an on coming train.

We took a few minutes to marvel at the construction. The workers had to blast through tons of volcanic rock. We noticed that this first tunnel was supported with metal beams.

The second tunnel we reached was constructed of wood.

The land on either side of the river is a combination of public and private land. At one point, we heard a herd of sheep working their way down to the river for a drink. We tried several times to get photos, but they were sheepish and stayed well hidden in the brush.

After riding for about 10 miles, we took a break at the Devil's Corral Trailhead. As we stretched our legs, we ran into a local couple with two horses and two dogs. We chatted a little bit about the area and they gave us a great suggestion for a scenic drive. We thanked them as they galloped off.

After our snack, we began our "coast" back to Susanville. We hadn't realized we were biking uphill the whole morning. Our return trip was an easy downhill glide.

It didn't take long to make it back to the trailhead.

"The End"!

Rather than follow the Susan River Trail back to camp. We took a side trip into Susanville and finished our ride with a stop at the Lassen Ale Works at the Old Pioneer Saloon. Located in one of the most historic buildings in Susanville, this brew pub did not disappoint. Great atmosphere, great food and great beer. What more could an RVer ask for?