Tehama - The Magazine

4 TEHAMA - THE MAGAZINE, October 2017 Bike the Bend By Chip Thompson The Sacramento River Bend area just north of Red Bluff is one of the North State's best kept secrets and it offers year round recreation for just about any taste. One of the best examples is the miles of trails open to mountain biking and the Yana Trail hard to beat for both scenery and challenge. There are multiple trail-heads for the Yana Trail and it can be approached from the south at Bass Pond, Coyote Pond and Perry Riffle and the north at Jellys Ferry. Each entry point offers a different riding experience, so chose the one that suits your abilities. From the south, Bass Pond and Coyote Pond offer parking and easy sections of single track riding. You'll be sharing the trail with hikers and equestrians, so take it slow and be courteous – pass hikers slowly and with plenty of warning, and stop and step off the trail to let horses pass. Avoid these trail-heads on weekends in the spring and fall when use is at its peak. In winter and during the week you're apt to have these easy sections of trail to yourself. For more of a challenge, head to Perry Riffle. You'll run into some hikers if you start from the Perry Riffle parking lot, which has a restroom, and the single track trail will be more technical. About a third of a mile before the parking lot, though, you'll see a turnoff where you can park and enter a wide trail that connects to Yana Trail after about a half mile. It's here you'll be alone on the trail and can open it up. From the north at Jellys Ferry, you can set out from the parking lot at the bridge or head about three-quarters of a mile north to Oak Slough and park. Both entries offer plenty of parking and about a mile of flat single track before the trail bobs and weaves along the river and, eventually, across Inks Creek and up a steep grade. From either direction, the Yana Trail leads about 4.5 miles to Massacre Flat. From the south you'll run into a few technical sections. All but the best riders will need to walk at least part of the grade you'll encounter when entering from the north. The trail is rocky for the most part,

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