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!