Cecilville, CA

It's not everyday that you get to land an airplane in a town that has never had an airplane land there before. Nestled at the base of the Trinity wilderness lies the small town of Cecilville which is undergoing a bit of a renaissance courtesy of the folks that run the Salmon River Saloon. I happened upon the place a few weeks back when I did the Forks of Salmon loop which is one of the toughest centuries (unsponsored) that a cyclist can do in NorCal starting from the town of Etna. The saloon is gorgeous and run by an amazing cast of characters including my generous host Monkey!

Stopping in for some electrolytes on the ride, the conversation shifted to landing an airplane in the field over there yonder. I surveyed the scene with him in his golf cart and told him if he cleared out the big rocks and obstacles I was coming in. He agreed so we made a date for May 23rd when they were sponsoring the first ever Cecilville Spring Bazaar.

It rained the day before which was perfect because it kept the dust down without making the field too muddy. The landing was rather uneventful but it was critical to pick the right touchdown spot because there are serious obstacles on either end of the field. My friend Chris rode over from Mt Shasta with his MTB strapped to a bad ass rack on his enduro and we proceeded to ride straight up the mountain behind the saloon all the way up to a fire lookout with a commanding view of the area. Overall it was a great ride and the event was also a lot of fun. Monkey even let me crash in one of the brand new cabins that are being constructed to provide lodging in the area. A great place to visit and fun for all.

https://www.facebook.com/SalmonRiverSaloon