Took the 101 north from Petaluma, turned onto Old River Road near Hopland to avoid construction traffic. Twisty and full of potholes, great light over the vineyards.
Headed towards the South Cow Mtn Recreation Area, I stopped to let Budders jump in the river. Thought about boondocking right there, but it wouldn't have given me the sunrise I wanted. Local family who were swimming and fishing there advised me to avoid the washboard and the noise and to head up North Cow Mtn instead.
There is a free campground at the end of N. Cow Mtn, Rd. but nothing looked level enough to even try, and there was still 4th of july trash all over the place. I took some of it out with me, drove back a few miles, and camped at an overlook instead, where I promptly ran out of propane.
My brakes were smoking coming down off North Cow, and I finished the last few miles in 4WD-Lo locked into first gear. It's pretty steep, but that just means great views from every turn.
After fueling the truck and filling the propane tank, in Ukiah, we headed into the Mendocino Nat'l Forest, where Budders jumped into the Eel river near Lake Pilsbury.
Plenty of boondocking spots right there, but I thought that I had my directions in order. Traversed the Lake Pilsbury basin, and liked the deer but not the campgrounds.
Following some google'd instructions, I went searching for Bear Creek Campground, which unfortunately remains lost. GPS kept trying to take me down closed roads and single-track OHV trails. Found a ridge-line site, nice and level, as the sun went down.
