August Drive discussion

danhtao wrote:ok guys, seems like its been a few months since we did a drive last time,
i've been meaning to do a few more scout trips, but since the 7's tranny is shot, i'm out for the moment.
i'm anticipating to get a new car within the week, as soon as i sell the bike, or have enough cash available otherwise.

1 suggestion have been proposed already, and that's the Ham Sammich, which is my personal home mountain and drive.

to those who also don't know, i'm a pashnit member, so i also feed off of the pashnit information

and i've replicated multiple alternatives to the Doc Wong routes that he takes on the penisula.

so... what do you guys wanna do? do the comfortable, and now known Ham Sammich again, which we're getting down pretty well, to about a 3-4 hour drive now.

or do want someplace new?

if its new, then i got multiple routes, if you want the eastern foothills, or higher into the sierra (i always wanted to do misquito ridge *hint hint**)
or do we want to go to the northbay? marin county? or to the eastern bay area around mt diablo? i got a few roads there
or we can go to the penisula, from SF to santa cruz is skyline blvd, with tons of roads that criss-cross the coast to silicone valley
or we can get into the Hammilton mountain range at Calaveras.


how long do you want this to be?
all day?
i can plan 12-16 hour days its been done before (yes, i know lorth/bobby/duc, without getting lost this time)
or we can do a quick ride up to the eastern foothills right here, and be back within 2 hours.
or we can go up to the altamont for a quickie. many of roads from hwy 12 down to del puetro valley.

want to take the long way into gilroy?

choices man, choices!
its like tom hank's monologue in "You Got Mail"

The Ride: (If you are unfamiliar with Northern California roads and want to skip to the results, scroll down.)

I left home (Fair Oaks..near Sacramento) at 10:00 p.m. for I-5 and (1)
Donner Summit to Truckee. I went 267 over (2) Brockway Summit to Kings
Beach; Incline up 431 to (3) Mt Rose Summit.
I turned around and did the east side of the lake, (4) Spooner Summit,
to Stateline, and over Kingsbury Grade, (5) Daggett Pass, to
Gardnerville. I then went south on 395 to Holbrook Junction, left on
208 and (6) Jack Wrights Pass, south on 338, (7) Sweetwater Summit, to
Bridgeport, (, Conway Summit, (9) Tioga Pass,
(10) Deadman Summit, and (11) Minaret Summit at Mammoth Lakes. I headed
south again on 395 over (12) Sherwin Summit to Bishop and Lone Pine. At
5:30 a.m. I turned up 168 for a perfectly glorious ride over (13)
Westgard Pass and (14) Gilbert Summit !! That was absolutely
fantastic!! Then I went very briskly north on 264, west on 6 over (15)
Montgomery Pass and right on 120 at Benton for another glorious
rollercoaster to Lee Vining and 395 north. I then went over (16)
Devil's Gate to my next series of favorites: (17) Sonora pass, (18) Monitor Pass, (19) Ebbetts Pass, (20) and back to 89 with (21) Kit Carson Pass,
return to (22) Luther Pass and up 50 to (23)Echo Summit!!! By this time
it is mid-day and tourist time. I took a gentle and scenic ride from
South Lake Tahoe to Tahoe City to Truckee and north on 89.

The first of the summits to the north of Lake Tahoe
is (24) Little Truckee Summit, at the juction with Henness-Jackson
Meadows road (not noted on some maps but I'll count it anyhow), then
over (25) Yuba Pass
on 49 to Bassetts, north to (26)Gold Lake Summit, where I took a much
needed 10 minute break for food, and on to (27) Lee Summit (before
Spring Garden) and Quincy. I turned west for (28)Buck's Summit on the
upper road to Buck's Lake, where you get four miles of marvelous
twisties. I turned around and did them the other way! This next part of
the ride was so smokey and boring that I even considered abandoning the
plan for my health, if nothing else. But I am relentless, determined
and certifiable. I continued up to 36 ( don't go through Westwood:it is
slow and there are no signs. It is rare that I have to ask directions
on how to get out of town!) going toward Susanville to get (29)
Fredonyer Pass. The sky cleared, the pace increased, and I began to
think I could complete the journey. Hooray!! I turned left on 44 and
flew to Old Station and (30) Eskimo Hill Summit.

One would think that after 20 hours of continous disciplined riding
that one would not find much pleasure in the road. WRONG!! The trip
over (31) Lassen
was refreshing, beautiful, stunning and satisfying in every way. When I
got to 36, I turned left for 200 yards and laughed. I was at (32)
Morgan Summit!! I made a U-turn for 5 miles to Mineral. I turned left
on 172 for (33) Mineral Summit and one of the most delightful
motorcycle roads I have ever ridden. Short but sweet. I am sure the
locals do not want you to know that. At that moment the summit bagging
was over but not the joyous riding. I turned down hwy 32 to Chico and rode as spiritedly as I had anywhere on the trip. What fun!!!

What are the specs?

1263 miles, 33 summits/passes, 23hours 25 minutes.

And I turn 73 in a few days!

Equipment I am thankful for:
GP Suspension and Penske; WOW! Big improvement.
Cal-sci tall windscreen: With that protection I could open my helmet,drink,eat,etc. while moving
Bill Mayer seat
Throttlemeister
Camelback; 4 liters of good water!
ATGATT

If you are still reading this, thanks. I thought maybe someone might be amused at my silly one-time event.

Alan

1263 miles, 33 summits/passes, 23hours 25 minutes.