The LHSCG trip to Big Springs Gardens is in June on the date given in email and at group meetings.

We will meet at the Orchard Creek Lodge Parking lot at 8:15 AM for an 8:30AM departure. There are about 16 cars so we will split into two groups, one led by Dick Brewster (black Corvette) and one by Virgil Berry (copper colored Corvette). Dick's group will leave a couple of minutes before Virgil's and go at a bit higher, but still legal and sane speed.

We will use FRS and GMRS radios on channel 6 to coordinate the groups. You are welcome to bring your own radios. Turn off any privacy codes, selective calling or subchannels or you won't be able to hear us.

Dick will bring paper copies of the route instructions, but you are on your own for overall maps. The combination of AAA's "Gold Country" and "Sierra Nevada-Lake Tahoe Area" maps do a good job of covering the roads we will be driving on. The Malakoff Diggins material linked on this page is available at the park when you pay the entrance fee.

We will travel to the north side of Auburn via backroads where we will get on Highway 49 at Dry Creek Road.

Our rest stop will be for 30 minutes at the Starbucks on Freeman Lane on Grass Valley at about 9:30 AM. The Grass valley Strabucks is kind of slow, so if there is a time issue, there is a Supermarket across the parking lot that serves Java City Coffee at their bakery counter. They also have restrooms.

From Starbucks, it is about one hour 30 minutes to Big Springs Gardens. It's Highway 49 all the way to Big Springs Road. About an hour after Starbucks there will be an opportunity to make an unplanned pit stop in Downieville, but we will not stop as a scheduled group stop. Parking is typically too limited in Downieville in the summer for 16 cars and it's less than 30 minutes from Downieville to Big Springs Gardens, our destination. The route instructions are clear enough that you should have no problem finding us at Big Springs. Lunch is at Noon. After lunch, there are several options:

• Stay at Big Springs for as long as you want and enjoy the trails and scenery.
• Leave for Malakoff Diggins State Park with Dick Brewster about 2:00 PM. The Malakoff Diggins State Park ($6.00/car fee at the park) group plans to leave about 2:00 PM. If you want to go to Malakoff Diggins, let Dick Brewster know at Big Springs so you get included.
  • Map of Malakoff Diggins turn-off
  • Malakoff Diggins Walking Tour, Part 1
  • Malakoff Diggings Walking Tour, Part 1
  • Malakoff Diggins Park Map
• Leave and stop in Downieville to see what you missed driving through earlier. Downieville is little mountain town with some interesting things to see and so small that it's easy to walk everywhere.
  or
  
• Do whatever suits you, it's hard to go wrong in this area.

Next Fall, Downieville is a great place for a sports car day trip on your own or with friends after school is back in session and the crowds are down . Just be sure to go before or after the snow season. Try the Grubstake Saloon and Grill for a casual but good lunch with friendly service.