Closed to Through Traffic
Earlier this year I read an article about Usal Road and they had really good things to say about it, and due to its length and remoteness I saved it for when I could ride it with Blake. Usal Road runs between Shelter Cove and Rockport, pretty near the coast. I was expecting great views of the ocean, but most of the way you’re in the forest so it gets a bit repetitive after awhile. The road is 30 miles long, but it took us about 4 hours to travel that distance. It was very curvy, steep, and in many places heavily rutted. We spent most of the 4 hours standing on the pegs navigating between potholes, ruts, and large rocks. When there was the occasional stunning view of the ocean it was usually too steep to stop and pull over for a look. We both felt overjoyed when we finally got our first glimpse of Highway 1 near Rockport. It was quite an accomplishment making it through safely, but not a road I’d do again or recommend to anyone.