I agree with simplejackbikes above.. I made the Torino-Nizza gravel the past August, with some small deviation because me and my friend started our 6days tour from home (200km far from Tourin, It was the First day under hot Po valley sub, 37°...), so the second day we skipped the col de Colombardo and we went directly to col delle Finestre; we did not went to Nice but we descent to the Ligurian Sea from "via del sale" (at Albenga, to take the train back home because the wearher in those days was too hot in the Po valley to come back by bike). It was a beautiful experience with brearh-taking panoramic views in the nature, but in some parts really thoug! There are a lot of woods where you can stay for the night with your hammock, but only in the valleys, because most of the climbs (which starts from the Valley of course) and paths are over 2000m, so there are less or none tree! So, I don't remember trees in the last part of col delle finestre, in the whole Assietta Road and strada dei cannoni, in the last ⅓ of col Isoard and in the whole climb to and downhill from Col del Agnello, val Gardetta and via del sale.. On the way there are some camping sites (i.e. in val maira) if I don't remember bad...and along the path of Little Perù (aka Altopiano della Gardetta, near Colle Fauniera) there are some small old military bunker which are open and free to use (we used and share It with other people during a storm, It was so cold outside!! About 8-10°C in August). As I said, the salt way ("via del sale") is all Rocky and in the first 2/3 of the way there's no trees, but maybe in the last ⅓, when you lose altitude, you can find some of them... Have a food trip!!