The Ride Home - Day 2 (and 3)

Starbucks for breakfast, a mocha and nut bread, and a chance to update my notebook. The skies are gray and overcast this morning and the news predicted showers and thunderstorms, even snow in the Sierras above 7000 feet tonight! Joy. I need to get going as it is already after 9am. I quickly ran into Wal-Mart to see if I could find something more comfortable to sit than my towel. 800 miles in 2 days is just too much for me. I found a nice gel pad that fits my seat perfectly for only $20. I hit the road at 9:30am.

About 20 miles out of Susanville my speedometer stopped working. That sucked, but at least I have an aftermarket tachometer to guess by. I only made it to the town of "Likely" before it started raining. I pulled over and quickly put on my waterproof gloves and snowboarding pants. Problem is that I didn't really bring real riding boots, but ankle high shoes. So by the time I got to Alturas my socks were pretty wet. I debated what to do in Alturas because after the next town (Lakeview) there is nothing for 150 miles to Burns. And I really don't feel like riding for 200 miles in the rain. I considered getting a motel for the night but opted for an early lunch to see if the rain would pass. Another great breakfast for lunch around 12:30pm at the "Main Street Family Diner" while the rain got worse. Just as I finished eating there was a break in the clouds. So I jumped on the motorcycle and headed off to Lakeview.

I could see the storm just ahead of me to the north east (which is the direction I was headed) and eventually I caught up to it about 15 miles from Lakeview. It poured. I was very wet and not a happy camper. I decided to get a room and wait out the storm and hope for better weather the next day. I found a pretty decent motel, "Interstate 8" for $53. So did 9 other motorcyclists. Seems we all had the same idea so obviously it was the right decision. I had a Subway sandwich for dinner and fell asleep to "Deadliest Catch" on the TV.

I left the motel at 8:30am for Burns. It was only 50 degrees and still cloudy but dry. I stopped in Burns for a really good burger at "R.J.'s". And I talked to another motorcyclists at the gas station that was heading to Boise for a concert that evening. He had his daughter with him and it was her first long ride (Eugene to Salt Lake City) and she looked like I felt. They blew by me in a blur about 15 miles outside of Burns.

 I could see thunderstorms ahead of me most of the day, but didn't catch up to one until Vale Oregon. I had to wait there a good half hour and the same at Ontario to let the rain pass. But I finally made it home in one piece no worse for wear.

What a great trip. I did some incredible turns, saw some beautiful country, and got to visit with my family. Next time I will definitely break up the miles per day to make it more enjoyable and allow for some spontaneity. I did get to know my motorcycle real well and she did great (except for the speedometer and that scary noise). Next year... Montana!

The Ride Home - Day 1

I left Sonora a little late in the morning at 10:45am, after an excellent and hearty breakfast of eggs, bacon, hash browns, fruit, toast and coffee. I consulted with my Dad about which route to take home. I was considering taking Hwy 108 over the Sierras and then just hoping on 395 the rest of the way. However we decided that Hwy 49 would be a better route through some more familiar and yet very pretty country. Lots of rolling hills and oak trees, horse ranches and the like from Sonora to Auburn.

They have some kind of annual frog jumping contest in Angels Camp, thus there were frog signs and such throughout the town. Its hot here, 80 plus degrees and its not even noon.

I followed a white Harley from Jackson to Jct. 50 in Placerville. He gave me a real run for my money at 65mph+ through some great turns and hills. There is a pretty steep gorge down to the American River between Cool and Placerville (photo below). I almost lost my trailer (no brakes) coming the other direction last year on our way to a family reunion. This time I missed a couple of 15mph hairpin curves and ended up in the other lane, thankfully there were no cars there when I was. At 2:30pm I ate lunch at "In-N-Out Burger" in Auburn near I-80 and Hwy 49. Its now 88 degrees and getting hotter.

I grew up in the Sacramento Valley so this is my old stomping grounds. I pulled off the highway at Grass Valley and tootled up the road to the historic Empire Mines to take a short break. I need to get gas in Nevada City before heading up into the mountains again. Somehow I thought there were more exits to come before I turned off of Hwy 20/49 back onto Hwy 49 and quickly realized that there wasn't any more town (or gas stations). I thought that I could make it to Downieville, surely there must be a gas station there?

Soon I came to the Yuba River and man was it running. I couldn't resist and walked down to the water and dunked my head and shirt in to cool off. One of my favorite fishing trips of all time was with my good friend Tom from Honcut along the Yuba River. Thankfully I found a gas station in North San Juan and filled up (looking back I don't think I would have made it to Downieville). Then I passed an old swimming hole on Oregon Creek about 5 miles south of Marysville Road. Boy did I want to go swimming, but not enough day light to make it to Susanville.

I stopped in Downieville for a break and a beer. Thank God they have Sierra Nevada Pale Ale on tap at this little dive in the middle of nowhere. Downieville is a neat little town. It would be fun to do some camping along the river in this area. Just beautiful from there to Yuba Pass, awesome riding to with 45-55mph turns and hills following the river up to its origin in the snow pack. Again there is about 5 feet of snow on the side of the road at the pass.

Then the road quickly drops down to this high mountain valley to Sattley. I find myself traveling on the same  road from Sattley to Sierraville (Hwy 49/89) in the same direction that I came on the way to Sonora--wierd. I  had to get something to eat before hitting Hwy 395 at Hallelujah Junction, so I stopped at Hotel Restaurant and Lounge in Loyalton. This was a big mistake. I should have gotten a cold sandwich and a small salad. Instead I got chicken fried steak (that was drowning in a gallon of gravey) and beef barley soup. Horrible food and the service was sooo slooow.

Twenty minutes later I hit 395 just as dusk set in. 60 miles to Susanville. I was scared to death that I was going to see deer, but at 75mph there isn't a lot to do about it but get in behind a car and pray. I finally made it to Susanville about 10pm. I pulled into the same motel, the "Pine Inn", and the guy gave me the same exact room I had on my way to Sonora. Thank God they have a comfortable bed!

Day 2 - Tahoe City to Sonora

Leaving South Lake Tahoe for Markleeville on Hwy 4 to Ebbet's Pass over to Sonora.

This road was insane. 24 percent grade in spots, the road was very narrow (about 15 feet) with no center line, and twisty! Lots of 10mph cutbacks toward the top. However the pavement was brand new and it was an absolutely incredible ride. Gorgeous views to boot.

I started seeing snow around 6000 feet, but when I rounded a corner to find this (mostly) frozen lake I decided it was time to pull-over and put on some warmer gear. I put on my pull over and added my liner to my jacket, and exchanged my thin gloves for my medium gloves. The summit is just to the left of that peak in the center of the photo at almost 9000 feet.

Finally made it to the pass. I figured it was all down hill from here. Wrong! You drop down about 1700 feet and then start heading back up to a second pass at about 8000 feet.

 

This is Lake Alpine about half way down the mountain toward Bear Valley. Still a long way to Sonora and I am about tired of twisty turns. I am ready to be there by now. 

This is a giant patch of granite called "Hell's Kitchen" between Bear Valley and Tamarack. It looked a lot cooler in person than it does in the photo.

It was about this time that I started to hear a very loud and very disconcerting screeching noise (like a bad bearing) every once in a while. It seemed to be vibration related and not the engine so I prayed that if I ignored it long enough it would go away. I finally made it to Arnold (the beginings of civilization) and took a half hour or better break. My cell phone was dead cause I forgot to turn it off while I was riding through "no service" all day. Good thing I didn't break down on the mountain. I inspected my everything on the front of the motorcycle but could not find anything wrong so I decided to push on after gearing back down to just the mesh jacket. Soon I was in Murphy's and took Parrot's Ferry Road across Melones Lake and up to Historic Downtown Columbia. Somehow I missed the turn off for Big Hill Road (the back way to Twaine Hearte) but that was an excellent mistake cause I was exhausted and not in the mood for anymore twisty mountain roads. I took Hwy 49 straight into Sonora and 108 up to Twain Hearte right to my parents house. Time for a beer and a some dinner.

Sonora


The next day while washing 387 million bugs off of my motorcycle a piece of metal fell on the ground. It was a busted hose clamp that secures a rubber pipe from the intake to the carb. It was put on backward so that the clamp side rubbed on the gas tank and eventually broke. I am assuming this was the horrible screeching noise I was hearing because after replacing it with some plastic wire ties, I never heard the noise again. My Dad also helped me take off the headlight assembly to fix the visor and tighten the wind shield mounting bolts that you just cant get to any other way. I was happy to have a shiny clean ride again but knew that it was in vain because my next ride would be back home with plenty more more bugs.

This is a small water fall that is directly across the street from my parent's house. Its more of a slippery slope than straight up and down, but it is deceiving because there is no stopping. There used to be a horse trail here (now its the neighbor's back yard) and I guess a few horses and people have gone down the falls to their death. Not a lot of water but still a pretty view for someones back yard.

This is my niece and obviously a future rider (her 10 year old brother already races dirt bikes) just before I pulled out for the trip back home after spending an awesome long weekend visiting my parents, my sister and her daughter.

Day 2 - Susanville to South Lake Tahoe

Finally out of the high desert and into the mountains. Today's trip is sure to be beautiful. The weather is absolutely gorgeous. Blue skies and 75 degrees, no wind but predicted to pick up at Lake Tahoe about 3pm. As I left Susanville I immediately climmed to 5750 feet which then opened up in to lush green meadow.

The pavement on Hwy 36 is terrible. Typical patch-work job of one or the other tire rut repaved, but leaving the old foot wide center stripe, center lane, and fog line pavement. Not good for motorcycles. Before long I was at lake Almanor. This is no alkali lake, this is a true alpine lake and it was stunning to see. When I turned off the engine I was amazed at the silence. Its 10am and there are boats on the lake and people walking around the lake, even a flock of geese in front of me, but utter silence. No wind to speak of. I haven't seen this lake in 25 years and I really enjoyed this peaceful moment.

My favorite little town along the way was Greenville. The old downtown is very rustic and has that late 1800 look with old historic buildings. This mural was across the street from Anna's Cafe where I decided to have a cup of coffee. The waitress was super friendly and bubbly and excited for me and the upcoming ride through the Sierra's.

I have to admit that the next 30 miles out of Greenville to Quincy on Hwy 39 were some great turns, all 45-55mph and some beautiful scenery to boot. This is the best ride I have been on yet this year.
Between Quincy and Truckee is a small resort town called Graeagle. This driving range was right on the highway. Just aim for that mountain (or the cow).

I made it to Truckee about 1pm and was famished. I drove through old downtown (tourist trap) mostly looking for a parking space with in view from a place to eat. At the far end of town I found one and right across the street was Burger Me. Expensive tourist burgers, tasted okay but I have had better. The onion rings were fantastic though, and I washed it all down with the highest priced PBR ($3.99) I have ever had. The wind is picking up as predicted. After an hour of eating and resting I head for Tahoe City. I turned onto Hwy 267 and before I could blink I was at Squaw Valley. I haven't been here since I was about 12 years old to go cross country skiing and ice skating with my family. There are several bicycle rental shops here and I soon discover why. There is a nice bike/walking path along the river (similar to the "greenbelt" along the Boise river) from here to Tahoe City, and then all the way around Lake Tahoe.

Here is my first view of Lake Tahoe. Very blue and clear.

This is the bike/walking path around the lake.

Getting out of the tourist area near Tahoe City, the road winds along the lake and is some really awesome motorcycle riding. However I got stuck behind some idiot tourist that was going 10mph below the speed limit and completely ruined about 30 of the best turns I had seen yet. I managed to pass him at some point and then had the time of my life. This ride is the highlight of my trip so far. Near Emerald Bay the road goes up a couple thousand feet and I took these shots. As soon as I pulled over the same slow driving idiot tourist pulls right up to my rear bumper and his back end is still in the road as there wasn't enough room for another car in this pull out. I couldn't believe this guy. I gave him the evil eye and roared off as loud as I could.

I was in for a big surprise as the road went up up up the very ridge of the mountain and I could not see down the other side. The lake thousands of feet below on both sides of me with no guard rail, as well as way off in front of me. It looked like I was headed for a 2500 foot jump into the lake. It was really intense! Never have seen anything like it. Then the road went down steeply with a few 10mph switchback turns. I had to stop in South Lake Tahoe to rest and take it all in. Talked to a local biker over a beer at an Irish Pub for an hour and exchanged some great stories. Best ride ever for me!

Day 1 - Lakeview to Susanville

Finally, California!!!

The border is about in the middle of Goose Lake, another alkali lake in the high desert.  I took these shots from a bluff a couple hundred feet above the lake bed. There were cattle grazing on the grass below. The average depth of the lake is only 8 feet, but its surface area is huge!

Right after pulling back onto the highway after taking this last picture a deer ran across the road right in front of me. The sun is getting low in the sky and I still have 2-3 hours to reach Susanville.

I stopped in Alturas to get a drink and rest.

I talked to the employees at the gas station about how far it was to Susanville. I decided that with the sun going down and my energy zapped that taking the scenic route through the hills was not a good idea, especially with the threat of more deer in the road. So I opted to continue on 395 for anther 106 miles to Susanville.

The bugs are comming out, as you can see on the windscreen. I need to get moving. 75mph never felt so right. But the road just kept on going and going and going...

As it became dark I could see city lights off in the distance, and then the road turned away from the lights to dimmer city lights farther away to the west. I had forgotten that there is a maximum security prison just east of Susanville. I finally arrived about 10:45 (Mountain time) at Susanville. The first hotel was way to expensive, so I drove down the main drag and spotted several cheap motels that seemed questionable. I really wanted to soak in a hot tub but the only place that had one was the expensive hotel and it was closing in 15 minutes.

I ended up talking to this really nice older lady at the front desk of the Pine Motel. She convinced me that their rooms were a lot better than the cheaper places across the street, for less than $15 difference I decided to take her word for it. I was not disappointed. The room was very nice and clean, the bed was firm and I even got to park my motorcycle under a carport. I settled for Burger King for dinner, bought a six pack of Sierra Nevada pale ale and settled in for the night. I was only able to drink one and a half beers before I passed out.

The next morning I was up a 7am (Pacific time), showered, shaved and started repacking the bike for day 2. I thanked the nice old lady at the front desk. She was super nice and very interested in my trip. I needed some coffee and a bite to eat before heading out. Other than Burger King last night out of desperation, I am trying to avoid national chains in order to get a taste of the local food and experience some real Americana. So instead of Starbucks or McDonalds, I found a car wash and coffee house called "Wash Down, Coffee Up", and had an excellent bagel and cup of joe.

I was all ready to go when I saw this "Idaho Grocery"... in Susanville California. Ironic.

No more desert from here on out, its all through high mountain valleys, pine trees, alpine lakes, and twisty roads. Day 2 begins!

Day 1 - Burns to Lakeview

Burns to Jct 395 isn't bad at all. I stopped at Riley's to rest for a few minutes about 2pm. The time zone changed back before burns, but I will keep local time until tomorrow morning. Hwy 395 sucked. Super straight, super boring, and I was getting extremely tired of riding as well. I probably pulled over every 20 minutes to recover for a few and take some pictures. The temps are warming up to 85 or so.

In the desert they call this a "lake", okay actually it's a (dry) Alkali Lake. I watched a massive "dust devil" probably 1000 feet high and 100 feet wide roll over it picking up tons of sand and dust and then go right across the highway about a mile in front of me. Glad I wasn't in it.

A few miles later was Abert Lake (alkali but with some water in it still). The road improved greatly as it wound around the Lake. While stopped at road construction at the end of Lake Abert, I noticed that my face was hot and getting sunburnt. It was only at this point that I thought to put on some sunscreen--too late.

I was exhausted and needed to get to Lakeview soon. I had read a sign about Oregon's only active geyser "Old Perpetual" at Lakeview that "spews steam 60 feet in the air every 90 seconds". What I saw was a complete and utter joke. Its a pipe in a pond that shot water 20 feet; it looked like a busted sprinkler head. What a waste of time that was.

In Lakeview the gas pump girl said that the geyser was "broke" cause they used all the steam to run their hot spring pools at the "resort" there. I found a place to get a beer and crashed for an hour from 4:15-5:15. Much better after resting. I needed to make it to at least Alturas and hopefully Susanville to find a hotel for the night.

Day 1 - Vale to Burns

The road out of Vale for 30 miles had recently been chip sealed but there was no loose gravel so I was relieved. As soon as I hit the canyons the chip seal ended and beautiful new pavement began. I have been through this section many times back and forth to Bend Oregon, but never have I seen these red rock hills so green (from all the late rain we have had). I discovered that it is very difficult (and unsafe) to take pictures while driving, and of course by the time I see something I want to take a picture of its too late or there is no good place to pull over. I have many pictures at home of this section which I will post later, but I only took a few snaps this time. I love interesting rock formation and geology as you can probably tell.

I made it to Juntura and went into the Oasis Cafe for some brunch at 11:45. The sign at the counter said "Hot beer, Cold food, Bad service... Welcome", and below that it said "Today -- Your Cook is: Grumpy. Your Server is: Happy." I knew I was in for a treat. I was really in the mood for breakfast food and wasn't disappointed. The hashbrowns were some of the best I have ever had. I pulled out about 12:30 headed for Burns.

As soon as I hit Drinkwater Pass the wind really picked up. Very gusty. I also started to see more and more yellow wildflowers with some white and purple mixed in for good measure. The land scape changes drastically here back to high desert with some, what I call "scrub" cypress (stunted, twisted and wind worn)  and other conifers. These shots are from the Pass on the other side of Stinking Water Creek in the valley below.

In case you haven't figured it out, its just me out here.

The last 30 miles into burns is flat flat flat marsh lands (again greener than I have ever seen) with lots of wildlife (and cattle of course). The road is straight as an arrow and seems never ending. Kinda boring but very different from the high desert sage brush and rolling hills of southern Idaho.

These birds were pestering me as I was trying to take the picture. I guess I was too close to their nest or something. I saw one with a beak that was at least 10 inches long. Not sure what they are but they are unique.

I will stop in Burns to rest and top off the gas tank before heading out to Jct 395.