eg23232
Well-known member
Headed out Thursday the 29th bound for Boise on the way to Salt Lake for World Superbike racing. Everything started out fine and then I got outside of Pendleton and it rained. And rained. And rained. All the way to Boise. Only two events of note on this leg, the first outside Pendleton at the top of the grade where a dually flatbed truck going the opposite direction was driving down the shoulder....then I noticed the two wheels careening across the highway. Luckily the errant wheels passed behinde me. Later, a Dodge Charger started hydroplaning trying to pass a semi, braked hard and into my lane. A twist of throttle got me around both. The rest of the stretch consisted of me timing my passes of the semis as when to blast through the least amount of road spray. At Boise, came upon a fellow traveller to the races so we shared some tales over a meal at Joes Crab Shack and then rode together to Salt Lake City (only a couple of short thunder showers).
I was first of our four person party (my friend Chris, his brother Chad, and their dad) to arrive. While unpacking, the lock cylinder of one of the side cases came out with my key! The next couple of hours were spent locating the closest Yamaha dealer with the special tamper proof Torx bit. Thanks to Plaza Cycles in Salt Lake City for loaning me the tool and some Locktite!
Off to the races! Miller Motorsports Park is a very nice facility. Lots of space, new, and a great track. The weather was warm but not too hot. A great setting with mountains all around. At one point, while walking around I spot a familiar face. "Juanito! Juanito!" I yell! Of all the people to run into, I spot a fellow rider on a Spain riding tour I took last year. John (he optained the Juanito nickname during the tour) was down from his home in Canada. It was nice to chat for a few minutes. Four of us on that tour last year, and I run into the only Canadian in the group at a race with 55000 spectators in Utah! Anyway, looking forward to returning.
Since the rest of the party left Sunday after the race, I stayed and took off Monday morning bound for .... well, to wherever I could make it. I knew I wanted to see the Lonliest Road so took off across Utah, cross the Salt Flats and cut south to Ely. Out of Ely, it's West on Hy 50, aka The Lonliest Road, aka The Lincoln Highway. The road isn't really that lonely but there's some long straight stretches where I set the speedo at about 90 and burned down the road.
I made it all the way to Carson City, 557 miles later. The hotel clerk said a good meal was available at the Nugget Casino a couple of blocks away so I hoofed it over. I should have known, not being a big fan of casinos. But I was hungry. An asian chicken stir fry and apple pie a la mode was the worst meal of the trip.
Set off from Carson City and cut to Genoa via Jacks Valley Road. Then up Kingsbury Grade. Oh my. What an amazingly fun set of switchbacks! I think this was at least a 10% grade along its eleven miles. Nevada's DOT lists it as a "Treacherous Terrain" road! I'd list it as a kick in the ass. I stop at the local Starbucks for a hot mocha. Then continue around South Lake Tahoe and up to Hy 89 to Donner Summit.
Past Donner and on past Sierraville and head down Hy 49. After a tasty Prime Rib French Dip Sandwich in Downieville, I take the Challenge cutoff and head through Forbestown, over Lake Oroville and up Bucks Lake Road to Quincy. I stop in Quincy for the night. The local visitors bureau noted Gold Pan Lodge as decent and with one room left I didn't feel like looking around. My mistake. The place is a dump (although it is clean) and way overpriced. One of the best meals of the trip was to be had at Sweet Lorraine's. I commended myself on pairing their homemade bread pudding with a chilly pint of Guinness draught. Only 256 miles today.
I set off from Quincy and head down the Feather River Canyon on Hy 70. Then cut up 191 to Paradise and then down to Chico and back up Hy 32 until I hit Hy 89 again. I take the single track through Mill Creek on the loop over to Mineral. At Mineral, hang a right and head for Lassen Volcanic National Monument.
I have Mt St Helens practically in my backyard so my expectations weren't all that high. I liked the place immediately when I noted motorcycles were only half price! This was probably some of the best value scenery-wise for my $5. The road summits at about 8500' (and 34F!) so I'm glad I had the layers and warm gloves.
I head out of the park and go west on Hy 44 with a quick snack break and rest at the nice Shingletown Rest Area. I go through Redding and Hy 299 for Hy 3 and then on to Hy 36. I arrive in Eureka 444 miles later. The motel clerk points me to the Lost Coast Brewery pub where the meal was decent but nothing to write home about.
My goal the next day is Oregon Caves Chateau and my route plan for the next day showed a relatively easy 403 miles. Little did I know what was to lie ahead. But I set off for Hy 299 enjoying some high speed 180 degree, four-lane sweepers and I head up the grade. Must be my day for construction. I continue along 299 then head northe on Hy 3. More fun roads. The stretch past Trinity Center to Callahan is tight 180 degree (plus) switchback bliss. More stops for construction. I turn off at Callahan heading for Cecilville, just west of which the road turns in to a single lane cliff-side track above the Salmon River. It's a scenic road but certainly not a quick one (unless you have a death wish). I make it to Forks of Salmon to the rest area (a small fenced off area of dying grass, a couple of picnic tables, and a pit toilet) right next to an apparently shiny new post office....running on a propane powered generator! I chat a few minutes with the postmistress. "Anyone ever go off the edge?" I ask. "Oh, every so often. But we really don't have all that many deaths," she said not altogether reassuringly. She mentions they're laying fiber optic cable along the road between here and Sawyers Bar (although I can't for the life of me imagine why they'd need fiber optic cables way out here) and there have been waits for hours to get through the construction. I didn't go over the edge into the Salmon River chasm (yet) so I figure I've got good luck and press on. I get to Sawers Bar and sure enough the road's completely blocked. They take pity on me and the backhoe scrapes out a narrow path between the debris for me to get through. Nice. On to Etna. I turn off at Fort Jones and head through Scotts Bar and connect with 96. I turn off at Happy Camp and then Indian Creek Road over the border (although for the second time this trip, the Zumo wanted to send me off on some dirt goat trail). I played it wise and stayed on pavement, only recently cleared of snow. Descended into Takilma, through Holland and to the Oregon Caves Chateau. 403 miles and later than planned. But not too late for a tasty dinner of stuffed rainbow trout accompanied by a nice local pinot gris.
I have to go back to work Sunday and I'm fairly close to home so it's over to Grant's Pass and shoot up I5 in the rain to home. 2800 miles. Good times.
More pictures here: https://s96.photobucket.com/albums/l193/eri...20and%20Miller/
I was first of our four person party (my friend Chris, his brother Chad, and their dad) to arrive. While unpacking, the lock cylinder of one of the side cases came out with my key! The next couple of hours were spent locating the closest Yamaha dealer with the special tamper proof Torx bit. Thanks to Plaza Cycles in Salt Lake City for loaning me the tool and some Locktite!
Off to the races! Miller Motorsports Park is a very nice facility. Lots of space, new, and a great track. The weather was warm but not too hot. A great setting with mountains all around. At one point, while walking around I spot a familiar face. "Juanito! Juanito!" I yell! Of all the people to run into, I spot a fellow rider on a Spain riding tour I took last year. John (he optained the Juanito nickname during the tour) was down from his home in Canada. It was nice to chat for a few minutes. Four of us on that tour last year, and I run into the only Canadian in the group at a race with 55000 spectators in Utah! Anyway, looking forward to returning.
Since the rest of the party left Sunday after the race, I stayed and took off Monday morning bound for .... well, to wherever I could make it. I knew I wanted to see the Lonliest Road so took off across Utah, cross the Salt Flats and cut south to Ely. Out of Ely, it's West on Hy 50, aka The Lonliest Road, aka The Lincoln Highway. The road isn't really that lonely but there's some long straight stretches where I set the speedo at about 90 and burned down the road.
I made it all the way to Carson City, 557 miles later. The hotel clerk said a good meal was available at the Nugget Casino a couple of blocks away so I hoofed it over. I should have known, not being a big fan of casinos. But I was hungry. An asian chicken stir fry and apple pie a la mode was the worst meal of the trip.
Set off from Carson City and cut to Genoa via Jacks Valley Road. Then up Kingsbury Grade. Oh my. What an amazingly fun set of switchbacks! I think this was at least a 10% grade along its eleven miles. Nevada's DOT lists it as a "Treacherous Terrain" road! I'd list it as a kick in the ass. I stop at the local Starbucks for a hot mocha. Then continue around South Lake Tahoe and up to Hy 89 to Donner Summit.
Past Donner and on past Sierraville and head down Hy 49. After a tasty Prime Rib French Dip Sandwich in Downieville, I take the Challenge cutoff and head through Forbestown, over Lake Oroville and up Bucks Lake Road to Quincy. I stop in Quincy for the night. The local visitors bureau noted Gold Pan Lodge as decent and with one room left I didn't feel like looking around. My mistake. The place is a dump (although it is clean) and way overpriced. One of the best meals of the trip was to be had at Sweet Lorraine's. I commended myself on pairing their homemade bread pudding with a chilly pint of Guinness draught. Only 256 miles today.
I set off from Quincy and head down the Feather River Canyon on Hy 70. Then cut up 191 to Paradise and then down to Chico and back up Hy 32 until I hit Hy 89 again. I take the single track through Mill Creek on the loop over to Mineral. At Mineral, hang a right and head for Lassen Volcanic National Monument.
I have Mt St Helens practically in my backyard so my expectations weren't all that high. I liked the place immediately when I noted motorcycles were only half price! This was probably some of the best value scenery-wise for my $5. The road summits at about 8500' (and 34F!) so I'm glad I had the layers and warm gloves.
I head out of the park and go west on Hy 44 with a quick snack break and rest at the nice Shingletown Rest Area. I go through Redding and Hy 299 for Hy 3 and then on to Hy 36. I arrive in Eureka 444 miles later. The motel clerk points me to the Lost Coast Brewery pub where the meal was decent but nothing to write home about.
My goal the next day is Oregon Caves Chateau and my route plan for the next day showed a relatively easy 403 miles. Little did I know what was to lie ahead. But I set off for Hy 299 enjoying some high speed 180 degree, four-lane sweepers and I head up the grade. Must be my day for construction. I continue along 299 then head northe on Hy 3. More fun roads. The stretch past Trinity Center to Callahan is tight 180 degree (plus) switchback bliss. More stops for construction. I turn off at Callahan heading for Cecilville, just west of which the road turns in to a single lane cliff-side track above the Salmon River. It's a scenic road but certainly not a quick one (unless you have a death wish). I make it to Forks of Salmon to the rest area (a small fenced off area of dying grass, a couple of picnic tables, and a pit toilet) right next to an apparently shiny new post office....running on a propane powered generator! I chat a few minutes with the postmistress. "Anyone ever go off the edge?" I ask. "Oh, every so often. But we really don't have all that many deaths," she said not altogether reassuringly. She mentions they're laying fiber optic cable along the road between here and Sawyers Bar (although I can't for the life of me imagine why they'd need fiber optic cables way out here) and there have been waits for hours to get through the construction. I didn't go over the edge into the Salmon River chasm (yet) so I figure I've got good luck and press on. I get to Sawers Bar and sure enough the road's completely blocked. They take pity on me and the backhoe scrapes out a narrow path between the debris for me to get through. Nice. On to Etna. I turn off at Fort Jones and head through Scotts Bar and connect with 96. I turn off at Happy Camp and then Indian Creek Road over the border (although for the second time this trip, the Zumo wanted to send me off on some dirt goat trail). I played it wise and stayed on pavement, only recently cleared of snow. Descended into Takilma, through Holland and to the Oregon Caves Chateau. 403 miles and later than planned. But not too late for a tasty dinner of stuffed rainbow trout accompanied by a nice local pinot gris.
I have to go back to work Sunday and I'm fairly close to home so it's over to Grant's Pass and shoot up I5 in the rain to home. 2800 miles. Good times.
More pictures here: https://s96.photobucket.com/albums/l193/eri...20and%20Miller/
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