While California has variety of landscapes of our own, Huffmaster adds yet another niche to our diverse palette.
Sitting on the edge of the Sacramento Valley up against the eastern edge of the Coastal Range, this 89 mile loop covers a decent subset of Colusa county.
As the second event of the year for Grasshopper Adventure Series, Huffmaster is very different than the undulating Low Gap in Ukiah that sits 55 miles to the west.
Starting out of the small town of Maxwell, this course rockets off with the first quarter being completely flat giving to high speeds, but two dirt sectors inbetween shuffled the order especially when the flock had to dodge mud.
The counter-clockwise loop continued west onto Highway 162 where the group stayed civil even while passing a racetrack pushing speed limits of their own.
Making our southernly turn into the range brought some slight rollers that if you weren’t paying attention like me was an optimal spot to get dropped from the group but at least enjoyed the beauty of all this green lushness.
Hitting dirt at mile 40 began a three mile climb that was the longest of the day, but by gravel standards it was fairly manageable.
The following descent wasn’t just playful, but also brought some great wintery views of the Mendocino National Forest.
Starting the third quarter of the ride brought a couple, short pitchy climbs though you’ll remember the quick pockets of mud that you learn later it’s just better to barrel through.
Turning off onto Huffmaster brought the final climb of the day and with all the switchbacks, it’s surprising that it only last two-thirds of a mile.
The descent is a big payoff where despite some muddy corners and dried up surface, you can really rocket it down that you might miss a lot of the scenery along the way.
Exiting the gates led us north for another six miles that may no longer be as the future Sites Reservoir will envelope the area although a gravel detour is slated to replace.
The last nine miles finishes off fast again with a mixture of pavement and dirt making into the post-ride hangout a mile away quicker than you would probably think.
Huffmaster carried the spirit of the Grasshoppers once again bringing a healthy competitive vibe while also mixing in the perfect time of the year to enjoy this Colusa County becuase.
I’m already counting the days for next year!