The rugged California Coast, with its roiling surf, hidden coves and magnificent beaches, the serene beauty of the Wine Country, and the unspoiled alpine grandeur of the mighty Sierras—California Dreamin' is adventure cycling at its best. Northern California—that "other" California—is the setting for California Dreamin' and we've planned an exciting series of adventures in this region for the season ahead. Classic California is the Wine Country and incomparable California coast, and so much more. As for our High Sierra Adventure, without a doubt "adventure" is the operative concept for this remarkable 8-day program.

Classic California

Date: (7 days, 6 nights; Sun-Sat) June 13-19; Sept. 19-25

Assembly Point: Napa (airline, rail and bus service to San Francisco; Evans Airporter or optional Timberline van shuttle between airport and Napa prior to and following tour)

Tour Cost: $1,495 (includes all lodging, breakfasts and dinners, support van, leaders, tour maps & narratives) (optional Timberline van shuttle prior to and following tour—$40)

What is the archetypal image most closely associated with the emergence of bicycle touring as a vacation concept? A strong case can be made for the scene depicting a group of carefree cyclists cruising along the softly rolling hills of California's Napa Valley in the context of a leisurely-paced tour of California's wine country.

This image is part of the reality of our Classic California tour. We'll explore one of the world's great wine producing regions with ample opportunity to tour many of the area's renowned wineries. We'll ride the rolling expanse of the Napa Valley and experience the serenity of the Alexander Valley to the north.

Classic California is so much more than the Wine Country. In the course of this 7-day adventure, we'll climb from the Alexander Valley beyond the Coastal Range and descend to the Pacific shoreline at Mendocino. We'll ride south along the Mendocino and Sonoma coasts to Bodega Bay. It is this marriage of Wine Country and coast that creates the extraordinary experience that is Classic California.

Classic California gathers in Napa and on Day 1, we'll ride the gentle Silverado Trail through the heart of Wine Country to St. Helena and Calistoga with an overnight at the historic Mount View Hotel.

We'll ride into the beautiful Alexander Valley on Day 2 and, following an overnight in Cloverdale, challenge California's Coastal Range as we head for the sea and Mendocino. We'll spend our next two nights at the Mendocino Hotel and a layover day in this fascinating village that so aptly symbolizes the allure of California's northern coast.

On Days 5 and 6, we'll ride the spectacular coast the way it should be cycled—with the prevailing wind at our back and surf almost always in view. Our evenings at the Gualala Country Inn and Tides Resort in Bodega Bay, with their oceanfront settings, are truly special. We'll then return to Napa where our tour concludes.

Total Mileage – 288

High Sierra Adventure

Date: (8 days, 7 nights; Sun-Sun) Aug. 15-22

Assembly Point: Truckee (airline, rail and bus service to Reno; Timberline van transfers between Reno and Truckee prior to and following tour)

Tour Cost: $1,495 (includes all lodging, breakfasts and dinners, support van, round-trip transfers between Reno and Truckee, leaders, tour maps & narratives)

So often, we are asked to distinguish our organization from others. Our response? Look no further than our new High Sierra Adventure because this is a "one-of-a-kind" bicycle touring odyssey. Everyone knows the California Wine Country and so many of us offer a Wine Country program—ours is Classic California. Only Timberline would dare to create an adventure like High Sierra!

High Sierra is High Adventure in its boldest expression. For years, the Alpine County Chamber of Commerce has sponsored its famed Death Ride, 120 miles and more than 16,000 feet of vertical in a single day's ride. We've long been drawn to the rugged Sierra passes that are the core of the Death Ride. Those mountains belong in a program that is predicated on the challenge and thrill of high-alpine adventure.

And so, Ebbetts and Monitor have joined "Timberline Country" that long has included the likes of Beartooth, Independence, Trail Ridge, Logan, Red Mountain, Slumgullion and so many others. But High Sierra extends well beyond Ebbetts and Monitor. Sonora Pass (9624'), perhaps the "mother" of all Sierra climbs, the Pacific Grade Summit and Luther Pass (twice) are some of the additional constituents that suggest High Sierra will become Timberline's ultimate alpine adventure.

Truckee, north of Tahoe, is our Assembly point for High Sierra. We'll ride into Nevada on Day 1 through Incline Village and trace the eastern shore of Lake Tahoe as we head to South Lake Tahoe and our first overnight.

We'll leave the Tahoe Basin early-morning of Day 2 and climb moderately into the Toiyabe National Forest for our first encounter with Luther Pass (7740'), a mere warmup for what lies ahead. A quick descent and we're in Markleeville for lunch, and then it's on to magnificent Monitor Pass. Thirteen memorable miles and we're at Monitor's 8314-foot summit with its awesome vista overlooking the western fringe of Nevada's Great Basin.

We'll spend the evening at the Meadow Cliff Lodge in Coleville and then challenge awesome Sonora Pass the next morning. Our 27-mile climb to Sonora's summit (9624') is rewarded with a spectacular 14-mile downhill plunge to the Dardanelle Resort on the banks of the beautiful Stanislaus River.

The descent continues through much of Day 4 as we visit Sonora in the Sierra Foothills. An axiom in cycling, however, suggests that "whatever (or whomever) descends at some point must again ascend." And so, as Day 4 nears its conclusion, we'll once again turn eastward into the Sierras as we begin a long climb that ultimately will crest atop Ebbetts Pass.

We'll spend the night in Murphys at the historic Murphys Hotel and we'll be engaged for much of the following day in a steady, but moderate ascent through the Stanislaus Forest. Along the way, we'll visit Calaveras Big Trees State Park and continue on to the Bear Valley Ski Resort. The Bear Valley Lodge is "home" for the next two nights and a layover day that offers some extraordinary hiking and whitewater rafting options.

Our engagement with Ebbetts continues following the layover day. We'll ride to Lake Alpine and climb on to the Pacific Grade Summit (8050'). We'll lose 1,000 of those vertical feet in a rapid descent into Hermit Valley, but not for long. Another 5-mile climb and Ebbetts (8751') is ours. A long, beautiful descent along the Carson River leads to another lunch in Markleeville. It's then on to the Tahoe Basin, but not without a final visit to Luther Pass.

Our final overnight is a treat in the wooded setting of Richardson's Resort on the western shore of Tahoe. We'll trace Tahoe's magnificent shoreline for much of a leisurely-paced final day as we return to Truckee.

Total Mileage – 365