Montague Honey Badger

Originally called the Honey Badger Strade Bianche because the granite roads in the hills around Montague reminded me of the white roads of Italy used in the European classic road race the Strade Bianche. This Honey Badger route makes up a large chuck of the northern part of the Shasta Gravel Hugger race has become a gravel race classic. Like most of the loops in the Shasta Valley, it’s best done in the late winter/early spring season. It can be very warm and windy if left to a summer time ride. The sun that makes the Shasta Valley such a good winter riding destination makes things pretty toasty come August. The Montague Honey Badger is the friendliest route for road bikes with big tires or gravel bikes with smooth tread and less volume. A 700x35ish semi slick is the jam. If its been wet then a wider tire to help float on the soft granite roads is the ticket. Same goes if Siskiyou County has recently graded and graveled some of the roads, especially the descents as they get pretty loose and squirrely if you’re pin balling down them on a 700x32c road tire. If its wet and soft, a 700×40 works really well. for The route has two options depending on the recent weather. The section that climbs up Townsend Rd is clay based dirt and if there has been recent rain or raining on the day of, it can be impassable. To do the wet route option, stay straight on Snowden Hovey Gulch Rd at the 16.7 mile mark instead of turning left onto Ball Mtn Little Shasta Rd. That will take you up the course to where Townsend Rd dumps back in at the summit and the highest point on the course. Of course, if it’s dry, turn left on Ball Mtn Little Shasta Rd at the 16.7 mile mark and then take the right turn up Townsend Rd at mile 18.2 of the dry route. This route option ads a couple of miles to the route, but is an easier climb to the summit. If you want to do a shortened version of either the wet or dry routes, there’s now an option with a route for both. They lop off some of the outer parts of the route and allow you to leapfrog ahead of the longer route riders. There’s a very good reason I know all the shortcuts. 😉

Ride With GPS Link

Montague Honey Badger Dry

Montague Honey Badger Wet

Montague Honey Badger Dry Short

Montague Honey Badger Wet Short

Length

Dry 50.5 Miles

Wet 47.3 Miles

Dry Short 26.1 Miles

Wet Short 27.4 Miles

Altitude

Dry 2604ft.