Another Way to Santa Fe

Juanita and I completed another ride in September. We enjoyed the sights, sounds, and aromas of landscapes only three thousand miles on a motorcycle can convey. The beauty our country's southwest has to offer is hard to beat. Here's the front half of my ride tale.

Thursday September 18, 2008.
My plan was to leave as close to 4:00 A.M. as possible hoping to avoid some of the brutal temperatures across the Mojave Desert. Also in the plan was to eat breakfast in Bakersfield 2.5 hours south of our home. What wasn't in the plan was my waking up at 2:30 A.M. after a fitful few hours of sleep. So in order to make the best of these wee hours I got up and made breakfast for the both of us. On the menu were, fresh veggie omelet with sausage, fresh ground coffee, OJ, and toast.

Cool mountain air greets us as I open the garage door. We decided on what layers were needed to keep the bones warm and down the driveway we roll. The roads were fairly empty of cars and trucks until we got to CA99. At this point the race begins. CA99's regular drivers possess a NASCAR mentality. I have never seen the trophy girls, the checkered flag, or the cardboard winners check over the many times I have ridden on this road. Tailgating or should I call it drafting is a common occurrence on CA99. And so it goes all the way to I-5, but for us we will be taking CA58 eastbound in Bakersfield. Before we get there I’m now feeling the effects of getting up at 2:00 A.M. I was getting drowsy. The obvious problem is I have to be awake. In Bakersfield we stop for fuel and coffee.

Still a bit sleep deprived I awaken once on the road and we turn eastbound onto CA58. The freeway slowly begins to gain elevation as we approach in the Techachapi Mountains. By the time we reach Krammer Junction we stop for a break, remove layers in preparation for the impending heat ahead and share a club sandwich. Back on the bike we soldier on to Needles via I40. A little past Newberry Springs, CA we come upon a roadside rest stop. And so it was, both of us sleeping on the lawn at a rest stop in the desert beneath dappled shade. A two-hour nap made a big difference in my day.

This stretch of I40 has a posted speed of 70MPH and rolls on summit after summit for miles without an opportunity to refuel. The BMW fuel gauge has been flashing a warning for miles. A dash-dash-dash indicates the tank is drying and still Needles is 40 miles away. I reduce my speed and oddly enough the posted speed also drops to 55MPH for no apparent reason. Miles pass and the signs now post 70MPH. I see another motorcyclist on the down hill side into Needles talking on a cell phone, to someone I presumed, for a fuel delivery. I also see Needles in the distance and give a sigh of relief as I can almost coast into town. The bike had 0.5 gals left in the tank. What a worrywart! We also pulled into a small restaurant for a late afternoon snack. Kingman, Az. will be our last stop for the day. Today 485 miles.

Friday. This morning we awake to our first vision of many clear clean air days. After breakfast at the nearby JB cafe we ride eighteen miles east of Kingman on I-40 to connect with US93 southbound. We were enjoying the fresh air, blue sky and perfect temperature, and a smooth, freshly paved, silent roadway and wham a bee stings me through my mesh jacket sleeve. That little bugger felt like someone stabbed me with an Exacto knife. It must have been a Killer Bee. Juanita applies hydrocortisone cream from her magic bag of tricks. Women always carry the right stuff. Back on the road and shortly eastbound on AZ71 through mountainous desert terrain we connect with AZ89, and AZ69, and then stop in Prescott, AZ for lunch. Across the street from the saloon where we lunch on mushroom soup and half a Ruben is Prescott's government center. The center is park like with tall trees. We walk between them hearing an unbelievable chatter. In those trees crawl cicadas. Each tree is full of winged creatures and each takes it’s own turn to call out in a crescendo that raises and falls not unlike a stadium of cheering fans in a wave.

Juanita consults the GPS (ground positioning sheet)

Further eastbound we take AZ169 and AZ260 through the cool clean mountain air scented in pine and cedar lining the roadway. In Show Low, AZ we locate a tidy motel and stop for the night. A short walk for a Mexican dinner tops off the day and we get a good night sleep. Today 348 miles.

Saturday morning we ate breakfast in the motel lobby-kitchen. From Show Low US60 will combine with AZ60. Further eastbound and we are riding through Springerville and we take US191 southbound. Several miles south of Springerville there is the wide spot in Nutrioso Creek along the roadway. This is a good opportunity to stop, relax and take in the beauty it offers. We watched as ducks skimmed the water’s glassy surface.

A wide spot in Nutrioso Creek

US191 is a very well known asphalt ribbon of beauty. It is also called the Coronado Trail. More than a hundred miles of conifer lined two-lane highway with both sweeping and tight curves culminating in the exact opposite terrain in Morenci, AZ. Morenci is the home of Phelps Dodge copper mining. That’s deep open pit copper mining. Stop for a look into the bowels of this mine. Far below trucks so tall and huge a tire could crush my house and the 200 tons of truck and ore would never skip a beat. Today is Miner’s Day and causing most of the town to close for the afternoon. Luckily we find the only open cafe and duck in for lunch. A couple of BMW riders from Phoenix come in and we chat it up a bit. After lunch we take AZ78 eastbound into the mountains eventually entering into New Mexico. The road switches to NM78 where we ride on to US180 northbound until it meets with NM12. Dark clouds with rainsqualls looming in the short distance warned me that we would soon get wet. For a few miles we watched as the largest rainbow I have ever seen reached from the right hand horizon high into the sky and back down to the left hand horizon. A more spectacular arch in a vivid display of thick bands of color you may never see. This is great stuff and my little point and shoot camera lens can’t capture it. I’ll have to store it in gray matter memory. I pulled to the side of the road for us to hurriedly put on our warmer gear. Watching behind the safety of a rough sawn fence were curious cattle straining their necks to see what the fuss was about alongside the bug encrusted mechanical horse.

Dodge Phelps Mining works.

At Datil we continue eastbound now on US60 toward Magdalena as the last rays of the sun slip under the horizon behind us. At this point the road is under construction. 60 plus miles ahead of me consisting of freshly scuffed dusty asphalt without a centerline and it’s now dark. The posted speed was 35mph. It has been a long day and Magdalena had no rooms to rent. Our next real hope of a motel was in Socorro and I was more than ready to get off this 35mph roadway. It wasn’t to be. More construction and at these speeds I had an hour more to go. Upon closing the distance the lights of Socorro promised a room and a hot meal. We stopped for dinner procured a room and slept in a squeaky double bed. Today 394 miles.

Sunday morning presented itself clear and mildly cool. Breakfast at the family diner with the locals just up the main drag was good. 90-octane fuels at the Conoco station made me second look the pump. Weird! The 75mph posted speed limit on I25 gave me a quite a smile under my dark shielded Arai. Quickly we reach our next junction, again back on US60 eastbound. The bright morning sun in contrast to the previous night's ride showed us how poor a rural land New Mexico is. Shells of cars, trucks, tractors, campers, trailers, and chicken coups cover the immediate yards of the inhabitants within the broken down structures called home. They are not alone. The landscape has more of the same next to beautiful adobe like homes. The soil is red, the sky blue, and the flora is green with colorful blooms holding on in the last bits of early fall. We have some time to kill so we stop at Abo, an ancient Native American pueblo.

Abo ruins – Abstract angles

Abo ruins – Low overhead

The handmade adobe mortar clinging to the rocks these structures are made of have been tested by wind and rain for centuries. Now in ruins, vestiges of the once great community still stand.

Abo ruins - Ancient home

Abo ruins - The Church

We quietly walk about imagining what life was like when this region buzzed with trade. Further east we turn north on NM41 for a ride on a road plumb line straight for 60 miles save for a slight jog to the right. An hour later I connect to NM285. By around 1pm we reach our destination in Eldorado at Santa Fe to stay with friends for three more days in this beautiful enchanted land. Today 150 miles.

Santa Fe Sunset

Central California BMW rally

September 12, 2008
I met fellow BMW rider, Franz Kempt, at 8am. on Road 415 near my home in Coarsegold for a 359 mile ride to Quincy, Ca. We were taking the back routes less traveled through most of the trip. From Road 415 also known as the Raymond Road we picked up the curvy Ben Hur Road and then some other secondary road around Mariposa to CA140. Heading west on CA140 until Hornitos Road which winds it's way to the small town of Hornitos. There a road crew were chip sealing the road making for roughly 10 miles of slow and hazardous riding. At this slow pace behind a string of cars following the official pace vehicle Franz was getting pelted with stones thrown up over the windscreen from the front wheel of his shiny BMW R1200GS. My RT kept me free of those annoyances. I'll be picking out stones from under the body panels later.

We rode on through Merced Falls, north along the west side of Lake McLure and around the south end of the New Don Pedro Reservoir eventually connecting to CA132, CA59 and CA49 where we stopped to eat at a small cafe in Mokelumne Hill. From here we turned up CA26 through some very interesting tight curves. Shortly we turned north east on CA88 until it intersects with CA89. Soon we stop for fuel and continue on CA89 along the west side of Lake Tahoe. We arrived in Quincy around 5pm, quickly checked into the motel, and backtracked to the fairgrounds anxious to meet up with others at the rally.
Day 2
After having a fine breakfast and seeing many familiar faces from Central Valley BMW club we head to the fairgrounds and plan a ride in the beautiful mountains with friends, Mike, Helmut, Phil, and Alan. Franz and I were blazing a trail up the Feather River highway having a great time. Sometimes it's not good to be the lead dog. The CHP officer said I was doing 71MPH. He wrote the ticket for that speed but he was really pissed because other riders were crossing the double yellow and he took out his anger on me. Really. He was pissed.
Day 3
The return trip on Sunday started east on CA89 then on to the Gold Lake Hwy to CA49 and breakfast in Downieville. Later in Oroville we split up with Mike, Helmut, and Phil. Alan already had detoured to visit is sister. Franz and I rode CA49 to Oakhurst where he went one way and I the other. All in all a great weekend.

July 2008 Unrally

UnRally John Day, Oregon 2008

A number of good folks at BMWST.COM put together an unbelievable gathering of BMW motorcycles this July in John Day, Oregon. My agenda for this ride included testing a new Sargent seat, visiting with a long time friend of 43 years and former Yoshimura and Honda HRC motorcycle tuner Mike Velasco; read a short nighttime book to my granddaughter; ride cool mountain roads, and stop in on the doings in John Day to visit with the iron butts.

I departed on a seven-day adventure from my home in Coarsegold on Saturday July 5^th leaving my wonderful co-pilot wife behind to make sure the landscape didn’t dry up. This first day’s plan was to include a stop to meet a forum member, Mike M, otherwise unknown to me for the first time in Medford, Oregon. He graciously offered assistance to members traveling through to John Day. I ended up spending the night after his wife, Debbie M, prepared a very tasty meal. Mileage logged 479 miles.

The second leg of my ride began at 5 am, planning to stop a few hours later for breakfast, skip lunch and would take me to Kingston, Washington. Early that day I needed to stop south of Salem. I was getting cross-eyed, never a good sign on a motorcycle. A roadside rest area was just what the doctor ordered. Wide benches overlooking a river afforded a perfect place to lay down in my riding suit and take a short nap. By then the sun broke through the cloud cover providing me a comfortable ride. I chose the bypass around Portland because I never liked riding the Portland freeway mess. Besides the scenery was better anyway. Arrival time in Kingston was 4:30 pm. We had a wonderful dinner on their dining room balcony overlooking trees and ferns with the Hood Canal in the background. Mike set me up with my own suite for what was a very comfortable nights sleep. Not a sound was heard all night. The local woodpecker brought me a familiar ta ta ta ta sound but I was still in sleep land, rolled over and caught a few more zzzzzs. Mileage logged 471.

Before noon on the 7th of July Mike and I rode out to Olympic National Park. On the way we stopped at a Lavender Farm that belongs to the family of a friend of his for a chat. Lavender farms are a common sight on this side of the peninsula. Lavender soap, lavender lotion, lavender tea, lavender, lavender, lavender, not for me so we continue on our ride. Mike’s not accustomed to long rides of this nature. He commutes a short distance to work on an elderly 1150 ES Suzuki and rides a ultra fast Ducati Superbike on the track. Eighty miles to Olympic National Park was stretching his posterior’s limits. However, the day was absolutely drop-dead gorgeous. A day for reserved for capturing picture postcard photos. A day landscape photographers live for; blue sky, white puffy clouds, and cool clear clean mountain air. It doesn’t get any better. I picked the best day of the year to be here. One can’t ask for more. Mileage logged 160.

This view is from Hurricane Ridge Olympia National Park Visitor center. Canada lies in the distance.

Mount Olympia

The third leg to this adventure began under drippy foggy skies and wet roads. Not unusual for this area. Slow going for me. It was wise to be cautious on these back roads to Port Townsend to be in line to catch the Whidbey Island Ferry by 9 am. As I waited up front in lane 2 and I decided to call Juanita to bring her up to speed with my progress and plan for the day. The Northern Cascades Highway was my plan. It was not to be. As I spoke to her I walked around the motorcycle looking at various bits.

No wonder the rear brake seemed a little reluctant to slow the bike.

Failures like this are never fun and neither was this one. It’s a good thing I wasn’t leaning over much on the wet roads because the right side of the rear tire was splattered in 75w-140 full synthetic final drive lubricants. Gee! I wonder if I’m now a member of the infamous BMW final drive “gotcha” club. It could have been worse. One fellow on the forum taking a vacation aboard his 2005 R1200RT in Colorado at the same time as the Unrally had his bike’s final drive grind itself into metal bits. He was lucky because the bike stopped very close to a newly opened BMW shop in Grand Junction. He was unlucky because the final drive assembly was not in the dealers stock. Elapsed time to get the bike rolling again was three days. BMW North America made it all good under his warranty once the proper procedures were followed, by overnight delivery of the final drive assembly and picking up two days motel and meal tab.

The ferry is getting closer so out came the BMW Roadside Assistance card. The fellow on the other end of the line Google searched my whereabouts and landing on Whidbey Island and dispatched a tow truck to the location. Wait time was an hour and fifteen minutes give or take on the island.

In the mean time I ate a small breakfast and the tow arrived at 11:20am for a 90-mile drive and surprise visit to Ride West BMW in Seattle. I was in luck the seal was in stock and if it were the only problem it would be repaired before closing time. Cheers! Only an axel seal was needed and the dealer also tended to two warranty recalls. 1.5 hours later all was buttoned up. How’s that for service? I was on my way north to Arlington, to stay with my son and granddaughter for an overnighter. I discovered that the ride on the tow truck shook the left headlamp bulb to death evidenced by that little icon in the top left corner of the dash display. I would change that tomorrow and crossed my fingers that the right side bulb held its ground. A right side bulb change will make you say evil things.

The next morning I embarked on leg four of the adventure eastbound across the Northern Cascades Highway. Sweeping curves custom made for motorcycles grace this landscape. But before I engaged in such fun I exchanged the dead bulb in the parking lot of Schuck’s Auto Parts in Arlington. Elapsed time for the repair was 18 minutes. I wish the engineer who came up with this design had much larger hands.

Sauk River

Unknown Cascade lake

Highways 9, 530, 20, 153, 97, 2, I90, I82, I84, 395 would take me through beautiful Washington State mountain and canyons, following river bends and rolling plains to Pendleton, Oregon. There I checked into an Econo Lodge to spend the night. Two sips of a beer in my hotel room and I was done. Miles logged 503.

The next thing I know its 5:30 am and time for the fifth leg of this ride heading south on US395 to John Day. This route crosses rolling cattle ranches and the sweet aroma of cut grasses. Then abruptly as turning a corner I find myself in a conifer forest with summits ranging 4-4500 feet elevation. Temperatures were moderately holding at 34 F in the dappled sunlight provided by the thick tree stands nestled along the roadside creek on smooth curving pavement. This could go on forever and I wouldn’t complain. I stopped in Long Creek for a breakfast of eggs, home fries, tasty bacon and sourdough toast and copious amounts of black coffee. The lone proprietor gave me the rundown on the roads to be cautious of due to chip seal. And I should note that I only saw one speed enforcement officer in the last two days and he waved as I passed by. John Day was now only minutes away. Miles logged 126.

Several friends, some I’d never met, were staying at the America’s Best Inn so I would follow their lead and see if a room was available. This is what awaited me.

After I checked in and said a few words to members of this fine Unorganized Unevent called Unrally I decided to ride another 201 miles on an enjoyable jaunt with two other riders. One was from Southern Cal and the other from the SF Bay area.

We came across this scene right out of the ole west. Get along little doggies.

That evening it donned on me that I’ve been riding the current rear tire for some time now. More than I realized apparently. The wear bars were exposed and not being one for taking chances with tires there was no doubt that it needed changing. The problem was being out in the middle of nowhere. Bend, Oregon was 150 miles away. The closest BMW dealer was in Eugene. Out of the question. I had Juanita log on to the BMWST.com forum for assistance. An Unrally rider had already made a similar plea for a tire and members provided a list of dealers and shops in Bend. Tomorrow I would take a side trip to Bend.

My sixth and final leg on this adventure began at 5 am. The temperature at the hotel was a brisk 36F but soon descended to 28F. It’s summer for goodness sake and I didn’t bring my electric vest. 70 miles and I had enough when I reached Marshall. I pulled into the only café in town for breakfast. Chilled to the bone I was except for my hands wrapped around heated grips. I found the only warm spot in the café; you see the doors were wide open. In Bend, I located a large dealer of non-BMW motorcycles. Luck was still holding as they did have a tire of the correct size. It was installed and ready to ride two hours after I arrived. Again quick service came to the rescue. They didn’t have tooling to balance it and without skipping a beat, to my amazement, they drove it up to Les Schwab Tires for balancing.

Back on the road again I continued on Hwy 97. This stretch of road is a pretty alterative to I5 when heading north or south. Mt. Shasta stands tall in the distance as soon as you enter California. And the speed limit increases by 10mph also. Now we’re talking.

Mt. Shasta

At Weed, California I made the connection to I5. Temps were now hovering around 104F and the air quality was terrible. Fires all around the Northern Cal area aren’t helping. I even saw a woman wearing a facemask. Southbound I5 through Sacramento is detoured way out of the way so that added time. When I stopped to refuel in Stockton the thick air west of me completely blocked the sun. There I alerted Juanita that I was coming home tonight. I rolled into my garage at 10:15pm 760 miles logged that day.

Oh! The Sargent seat is going to be returned. My search for a comfortable saddle continues. I hope you enjoyed the ride. Total mileage logged 2500.

Memorial Day Weekend 2008

Groveland Jail


Juanita and I went up to the cabin on Thursday prior to the weekend for an relaxing evening. We had dinner at the Evergreen Lodge just up the road. Friday morning we were to leave early enough to get breakfast in Groveland, CA and head on up through the Sonora Pass heading east and over the Tioga Pass west back in time for dinner with Juanita's parents. We crawled into bed about 10pm.
Radio reception at the cabin is spotty at best so we didn't have any weather forecast. To me everything pointed towards a great ride. Breakfast was fine and so was our ride until we reached Pinecrest. I could tell from Sonora that we were in for some rain and so it was. Our riding gear for this late Spring ride was Summer lite with electric vests and fleece shirts just in case. We were in the Sierra after all and anything can happen. Anything, make that everything did. By the time we rode through Pinecrest we were enjoying a light rain. By the Dardnelles we had hail, rain, hail. The further up Hwy 108 we got the colder it became. A short stop was made to add fleece to our electric heating vests. As you can see in the picture below it was getting chilly.

From Memorial Day ...

By the time we got to Kennedy we were riding in light snowfall. The snow was not sticking, just slouchy. A few motorcyclists were heading toward me and I probably should have turned tail myself but what the heck it's only a little snow. As it turned out that was all it was and after the summit the rain returned. All the way to Bridgeport it rained.


Bridgeport came a fuel and snack stop. Our lunch awaited in Lee Vining and I was ready. That was when it became reality that we would be late for dinner. Way late and no way to contact Roger and Jean. Tioga Pass was closed. Turned out to be closed for two days. My decision was bittersweet. We must ride south to the Walker Pass, Hwy 178 and Hwy 155 cut through the Southern Sierra over to Delano to Hwy 99 and then north to home. We would be home but tired.





The day was long as we didn't get in until 11:30pm and we were too wound up to sleep so several glasses of wine were consumed. Tomorrow came soon enough. We saddled back up on the BMW. Both our cars were out of the question. Juanita's Outback was down with a flat tire being repaired in Oakhurst and my Legacy was at the cabin as Juanita rode it up with a weekends worth of food and other cabin necessities.
The Peachgrowers cabin association was having their annual meeting and arrived just as it ended. A BBQ was scheduled and the light rain didn't douse their plans. I stayed in my Aerostitch riding suit and stood about the BBQ talking with Jack.

We had an adventure what with temperatures as low as 27F and highs in the upper 60s, rain, hail, snow, endurance riding 12 hours saddle time. It was great!

Torrey XV May 14th 2008

In late 2006 I joined the BMWST.com forum I have read many tales of Torrey. I have met several of the riders of this forum and heard Torrey this and Torrey that. This spring I had to see for myself the spiritual nature so many wrote about in their trip reports regarding this wonderland. I have been to Zion, Utah to see the beautiful colors this desert has to offer. So I had some idea of what was instore. Zion became my next favorite National Park to the beauty of Yosemite. Southern Utah truly has wonders to behold so Torrey XV, right smack in the middle of landscape so mysterious, drew me closer. I must see for myself.

The excitement of such an adventure takes hold as one begins packing a week in advance. Planning what clothes to wear with minimum storage afforded by motorcycle travel. As the days approached a high pressure appeared over the western United States. The California and Nevada desert routes we would be traveling would be hot. Utah would be warm and any travel before sun up would be chilly. There’s not enough room for multiple riding suits. A week before the trip we purchased new summer riding pants for Juanita to compliment her versatile Marsee all weather jacket. The pants came with insulated liners so we were sure we had all the bases covered. Packing our needs for a five-day ride didn’t turn out to be a big deal. Having a motel makes a difference because camping gear would have made our shiny BMW R1200RT look like Jed Clampet’s flatbed truck.

Good friends Martha and Leon graciously offered to watch after our three cats early in the planning stages. Then another wonderful friend, Henrietta, who lives in Los Angeles County, asked if we needed her to watch the cats. Henrietta would be more than cat sitting, she would also stay in the house, she loves cats and all animals, and she could also visit Yosemite and enjoy the rural life we live here in our corner of Coarsegold. Martha lives close by and has done this for us in the past. We are fortunate to such wonderful friends help make vacations worry free.

Wednesday May 14^th sidestand up at 5:30am for a two and a half hour ride for breakfast in Bakersfield. Air temp on this morning was a normal 41F. We stopped short of Bakersfield as we were getting hungry. After breakfast we removed a layer of warm clothes in anticipation of continued upward temps. In Krammer Junction located on Hwy 58 east of Tehachapi we stopped so that Juanita could remove her insulated liners. Things were heating up.

After refueling in the small wide spot east of North Edwards called Boron our next stop would be Primm, NV. Speeds across this part of California are adjusted upward for covering vast numbers of miles in short order. Nevada patrols see it the same. At the Micky D’s in Primm we ate a light lunch, removed another top layer and refueled. Next stop would be our last for the day in Cedar City, Utah. The usual slowing through Las Vegas was actually stop and go freeway reminiscent of Los Angeles’ I-405.

Our evening in Cedar City was uneventful, dining at a home-style restaurant just up the street from our Comfort Inn room 11. Later that evening we caught a couple of weather reports on the news and fell asleep knowing tomorrow would be another great day. Up at 8:00am we leisurely repacked and returned to last night’s dinner establishment for breakfast. Sometime after 10am we were again on our way via Scenic Byway 14 east out of Cedar City.

The twisty Byway climbs a mountain road lined with snow and decreasing air temperatures dipping to 34F in the shaded areas. At Long Valley Junction were turned north on Hwy 88 to join another glorious road, Scenic Byway 12. At this point the color Utah is noted for begins to present itself. I’ll return again for sure.

All morning our ride was mostly under gray clouds and an occasional spritz of rain. The thick stands of aspen trees were still leafless as spring had yet to unfold in the higher altitudes of the Dixie National Forest. Low cloud cover prevented us from seeing the vistas we knew were out there. Hwy 12 has great sweeping radius turns. Several tar snakes in the corners to keep riders vigilant especially during the heat of the day. For now it was just a mental note for later. A marmot ran out onto the road only to be scarred back.

We rolled into the parking lot of the Bolder View Inn at 3:00pm and were promptly greeted by Carl Williams. Carl and I met a few times previously on Southern California pick-up rides. He said he has just arrived about an hour before us. His BMW was in for low side repairs so he rode his Honda VFR. Later that evening we ate at an overwhelmed pizza restaurant as the BMW riders crammed into the small indoor space. Killer provided free door-to-door shuttle service. That being the case copious amounts of beer softened the pizza on the way down. What a guy. And to think he has to live in all this landscape.

Day three of our adventure was to begin with a ride lead by veteran Torrey goer “Whip”. Unfortunately my bike suffered cold start fever and I was brain dead about starting it. 10Over showed me the embarrassingly simple procedure but it was too late. We missed the parade. 10Over caught up to them later. Juanita was already eardrum deep in silicone. Arizona Al was making her a set of sound system earplugs. He also remade one for me. Then we were off with a ride plan in hand to see the Burr Trail landscape.

As you can see from the pictures nature out does herself in resplendent beauty. We ate at a small restaurant on the trail outside of Boulder. Then we backtracked our route from the day before on Hwy 12 because today it was clear as glass. Distant colors bathed the eye in every direction. I’ll be back for sure.

Saturday was to be a laid back day for us. We would only take in Capitol Reef National Park. The park has a slow winding self-guided tour. This ribbon of asphalt goes deep into the landscape. One can look in any direction and see several photographs to take. Awesome. Since the pre-noon sun was casting shadows I decided to return later in the day for another view. I stopped off at the Petroglyphs.

Our homeward plans were to leave at 5:00am PST Sunday but our next room over neighbors were being fairly loud and disturbed our sleep so I reset the alarm to give us another hour of rest. The previous night’s dinner doubled for breakfast shortly after the alarm sounded. I heard 10Over idle and slowly pull away. I wanted to make lots of noise but the BMW is quiet. We departed under the cover of darkness with an air temperature of 27F at 5:40pm PST. The roads were deserted for the most part. Occasionally I would pass a fellow BMW rider getting an early start to the day so we waved hello as I made my pass. Today’s morning goal was to get to I-15 as quickly as possible. In fact my goal was to cover as many miles as I could before the desert heat took hold. Before we got to Cedar City we pulled over to remove a layer. It was already in the 90s when we rode through a remarkably free flowing Vegas traffic. 10Over spoke highly of the Mad Greek restaurant in Baker so that would be our lunch stop and of course liquid replenishment. I was soaking my “cool vest” at every opportunity. Baker was 106F degrees.

We stopped again at Krammer Junction where the waitress kept bringing ice and ice tea. Juanita melted the ice in her helmet. I re-soaked the vest. Bakersfield would be our next water and fuel replenishment stop. The waitress there said Bakersfield broke the record high temperature yesterday. No kidding! It was now about 4:00pm and we could taste home some 160 miles up highways 99 and 41. Butt sore, stiff creaky knees and all we arrived home at 6:40 pm PST. Thirteen hours and 754 miles after leaving Torrey we would sleep in the quiet of our home. We’ll do it again, but on a different seat for sure.

SoCal Meets NorCal in the middle BMW ride

Mbelectric represented the NorCal riders. Otherwise we’d have called this a ride in the Sierra foothills with the Coarsegoldkid. Still can I suppose? I know many of you wanted to join in on the fun but duties of several descriptions intervened. That’s life!

As promised the weather was great and the roads traveled were even better. These roads were designed for motorcycles in mind or so it would seem. I think you will agree. Frank(Franksox) and Lauren were putting the finishing touches on a wonderful week of motorcycling in Arizona arrived second to Heck. Minutes later the family of Hakan (hedstrom), Marie and Christian pulled up. Mark(Heck) was already into a cup of coffee and a few adventurers opted for a similar jolt for the road. Only Mark braved the Kid’s uphill gravel driveway aboard his technologically appointed R1200GS. I understand. In a post the previous evening I informed Mark(mbelectric) that we’d be able to meet with him in Coulterville. So our adventure begins at 9:15a.m.

Turning out of my small community nestled in the foothills below Yosemite we ride roughly north on county Road 400. Passing grazing sheep, goats, llamas and a lonely longhorn bovine we come upon Road 415 and turned left. Enclaves of single-family dwellings and cattle ranchs populate this foothill area. The roads are challenging. Up and down hill curves, off-camber, on-camber, neutral-camber, meek water-crossings, road shoulder sand and dirt, and suicidal rodents all make for a challenging ride. I wonder what the beef herds are thinking as we roar by?

In the interest of motorcycling enjoyment I selected a short diversion onto Road 606. It follows a seasonal creek and passes a granite mining operation that has been in working for nearly 150 years. This route connects us with Road 415 just south of Raymond at Knowles Junction. Traveling north at this intersection we head through Raymond. Once a bustling stage stop and commercial center for travelers venturing into Yosemite National Park, today it now hosts a few hardy families, a US Postal Office, a café, granite stone works, a place of religious worship and what I believe to be a bikers saloon. We will take the turn off to Mariposa called collectively Road 613 and the Green Mountain Road until it connects with Ben Hur Road at a sharp dusty 90-degree bend. More cattle ranching for as far the horizon allows and snow peaked Sierras in the distance made for a great view. Along this stretch we stopped for more socializing.

SoCal adventurers stop to chat it up over the landscape, pace of ride and generally getting to know each other.

There should be a clutch lever over on that left bar. Christian checks over the FJR1300 he was testing for Zero to Sixty.

The temperatures were heating up and time was burning. This merry band of two-wheeled hooners headed to our next jog onto Buckeye Road. Buckeye Road takes us to CA 140 where we head east to Hornitos Road turn-off, heading north. In Hornitos we pick up J16. We stop while Heck cruises the town for Masonic brothers but comes up empty. So that he doesn’t get flack from the guys I can say he tried. After the brief sharing of orange slices, thanks to Lauren, we make haste to Merced Falls Road and head north through a corridor of communities surviving on boating and fishing enthusiasts. Shortly we reach CA 132 where we turn right and head to Coulterville. We weren’t there long and up walks mbelectric for introductions. Time 11:47am. I wanted to give the boys some more saddle time and the ladies opted for sightseeing the various antique stores in the 1850 mining town. So they went their way and we took a 35-minute counter-clockwise loop of the hills stopping for fuel in Greeley Hill. Back on the loop via the cedar shaded J132 and onto the normally busy CA 120 east bound through Groveland and Big Oak Flat. For that extra-added bonus I led the bikes down Old Priest Grade. The road is a steep and narrow excursion that was once infested with bandits and highwaymen seeking an easy take of gold and goods from the horse drawn coaches laboring up and sliding down the grade. Early auto drivers braved the tight and twisty dirt road during the wet season and dry hot summers. Today the pavement is smooth and no bandits. At the grade bottom we rejoin CA120 for a short blast to CA49 southbound for the eleven miles back to Coulterville completing the loop.

Since 1851 The Jeffery Hotel has offered rooms by the hour. Attached is the Magnolia Saloon, California’s oldest working saloon. I hear theres a 10% for bikers staying the night. Inside period actors portray shoot outs over ladies at the bar. Great food in the saloon.

After lunch we are back on CA49. This stretch of road is locally known as “The Dragon”. Every good motorcycling area has one. This one has no guardrails and freaks out the tourists onboard their lumbering motor homes. It’s a long way down to the Merced River below. “The Dragon” has many rockslides so be careful. Bush Lupine punctuating the Manzanita covered hillsides provides a purple hue. Unfortunately cages and yes, bikers too, cross the double yellow on “The Dragon.” If you ride this stretch I hope they don’t ruin your day. CA49 will take us through Mariposa and on to Ahwahnee where we turn on to Road 600 toward Raymond. Road 600 snakes it’s way through the foothills several miles until it meets up with this morning’s route at Road 415. Big loop you say. You’d be right. From here we head west for an easy ride back to Coarsegold. Frank, Lauren, Hakan, Marie, and Christian headed back to their hotel. Heck made a beeline home to bring his wife Jessica up to the Coarsegoldkid’s house for BBQ. The days ride officially ended at 4pm with about 200 more miles on the odometer and the sides of the tires showing full usage.

Until next time, see ya.

April 03, 2008

Today I embarked on a short 190 mile ride through the foothills close to home. Roads taken were, 41, 200, 211, Friant, Auberry, Millerton, 168, Tollhouse, Academy, Ashlan, Watts Valley, Burrough Valley, Tollhouse, Auberry, 200, National Scenic Road 81 also known as several other name like Sierra Scenic Byway, Mamouth Pools.




The image you see below has Mamouth Mountain, CA in the background. The day was clear, cool, and gorgeous for sure. Patches of snow along the road above 4000 feet elevation were visible in the north facing corners. My intention was to stop at the Mile High Lookout but just 1/4 mile from reaching it the road was closed. The snow plows do not get up here and so the road beyond this point was covered in snow. I had also planned to connect with the Beashore Road and take it to Bass Lake but that was canceled.








The bike was sparkling as I left home and was bug covered when I returned. This day I lunched at La Cabana in North Fork. It is probably the smallest restaurant in the hills and also the best "home made Mexican" food for miles around.

Coarsegoldkid