Orangevale to Cameron Park to Lassen

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OrangevaleFJR

R.I.P. Our FJR Riding Friend
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Orangevale, CA
Only BBIII and I were up for the trip, and we wanted to get into the hills early so we decided kickstands up at 7am at the Shell Station in Cameron Park. Unfortunately, at 6:33 I was way ahead of schedule and coming up to Eldorado Hills Blvd on Hwy 50 and realized that I had left my wallet at home. I turned around and sped home and sped back and got to Cameron Park by 7:05. We got back to my house around 11pm.

Speeding was the order of the day, and yep, CHP nailed us. Fortunately, the CHP officer realized we were okay guys and let each of us choose between the speeding ticket, and the wrong side of the double yellow ticket. Were he in a bad mood, he could have got us for reckless and arrested us. As it was, I opted for the wrong side of the double yellow and he didn't write me up for the...gasp...33mph over the limit.

Holy crap, we lucked out. We were lucky in terms of the ticket, and the officer pointed out that we were lucky to be alive riding that way. I feel compelled to put in the officer's words. They apparently didn't fall on deaf ears because we rode home within 5mpg of the speedlimit (and lower that the speed limit sometimes), and we didn't pass on a double yellow again. The officer recanted stories of splattered riders and that he'd much rather meet us alive than as highway sludge.

He asked about our bikes. He liked them. He said, "Oh, you guys have the fast sport touring bike!" He was in a chase where the rider was on a Hayabusa. He said he just took off and dumped it doing 134mph. The guy survived with a burnt but and a broken wrist. Wow. I don't want to try that one!

Anyway, back to the ride. I didn't get a bunch of photos. I was solo and on some of the action shots I had the camera on the wrong setting, so they got deleted. I'll share what I kept, there are some nice ones, and some that are just kinda there.

The ride:

My start: Orangevale, CA

Met with BBIII at Cameron Park CA on US 50

From there:

East on US 50 to Placerville.

left on 49 (in Placerville)

right on 193 to Georgetown

right on Main Street / Wentworth Springs Road

left on French Meadows Road

left on Mosquito Ridge Road

Left on Foresthill road (ate breakfast in Foresthill in the Starlite Cafe and will do so again)

right on I-80

Exit (2nd exit past Cisco Grove...I think)

Took Donner Pass Road to 89

89 through Sierraville, Quincy, Lake Almanor, Quincy and to Lassen National Park

The return trip was a little different.

essentially, missed 89 turn off of 70 and proceeded on 70 toward Portola, got a ticket, turned right on A24 and cut through the middle of the Tahoe Valley to 89 a few miles North of Sierraville, and then went to 80.

slabbed back to Orangevale, lent Bill my clear face shield for his Scorpion so he could see when he rode home...I'll let him talk about his experience of riding home.

Well This first pic of the trip was where we stopped while we were looking for the right exit for Donner Pass Road. This is on Historic 40, but it stops here, and continues later.

These people were nice:

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Historic US 40 dead ends here:

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So we had to go back this way to get on the 80 again...looking for Donner Pass Road...

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While we were there, BBIII recharged is Sahara vest (which he did often this day). The only part of me that got too hot was in my pants...not because of his vest, but the weather, and the bike was hot. My Corbin seat makes the heat problems of the 05 worse. Sorry Corbin, but it's true. I wish there were air scoopsjust for the seat!

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We finally found Donner Pass road and here's a classic mirror shot of BBIII

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Here's BBIII in front of Lake Van Norden on Hampshire Rocks Road / Donner Pass Road

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Donner Pass Road gives you views that you do not get from I-80 and they are worth the extra time:

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more to come...

 
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Nice pics... sorry about the performance award... Radar Detector not working, instant on, or laser?

 
If that last shot is breathtaking, then it represents the view well. If not, then you should go see it for yourself. While at this spot, looking the other direction, we saw rockclimbers practicing their sport.

Climbers on the cliff

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Climber zoom

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This picture scares me, and I've done this!

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BBIII in front of the nice view.

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Donner Pass Road by Donner Lake

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My one attempt at an over the sholder shot (no look of course)

]
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Some roads go nice places

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Quincy is a booming mountain town...

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Another shot in Quincy

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The one shot at Lassen before the camera batteries died...yep, I missed all the really good scenery, the snow, the bulging creeks...oh well...I guess I just have to go back :)

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so...based on the quality and lack of volume, it's easy to tell that these ride reports are a lot more fun when Joyfulgirl is along! Next time, she's going to Lassen!

Nice pics... sorry about the performance award... Radar Detector not working, instant on, or laser?
You'll have to ask BBIII. He was behind me and the only electric farkle I have is a Starcom and iTunes Phone. I have no GPS, detector, etc...yet

 
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Well those are some very nice pics beautiful country up there.

As For the young lady climbing tup the face f the at rock , I hope the chain that was holding here was not off of some skier that lost them in a winter storm that came off his/her car :D

Sorry to hear about your ticket , insurance just went up and a 3 year wait to get it off. :(

nest purchase RADAR DECTOR :clapping:

 
Well those are some very nice pics beautiful country up there.
As For the young lady climbing tup the face f the at rock , I hope the chain that was holding here was not off of some skier that lost them in a winter storm that came off his/her car :D

Sorry to hear about your ticket , insurance just went up and a 3 year wait to get it off. :(

nest purchase RADAR DECTOR :clapping:
My first ticket in 20 years. Insurance isn't going anywhere. If it does, I'm bombing buildings. This boy is doing online traffic school to eliminate the points. :rolleyes:

 
Well those are some very nice pics beautiful country up there.
As For the young lady climbing up the face f the at rock , I hope the chain that was holding here was not off of some skier that lost them in a winter storm that came off his/her car :D

Sorry to hear about your ticket, insurance just went up and a 3 year wait to get it off. :(

Next purchase RADAR DECTOR :clapping:
++
Well…Radar was useless in our scenario - the leader needs the Radar, not the guy behind urging the leader to go faster and faster. All day long I was constantly getting “real” signals from ¼ mile away with my Escort passport with the H.A.R.D. unit in my eyes, from LEO’s that had pulled over their prey, it was just annoying.

IIRC we had just passed a pack of 5-6 cagers, with us on the wrong side of the double yellow as we crested over a two small hills, so we could see the pack of cagers coming at us, including the LEO. My radar went off (Kaaaaaaaaaa - aka CHP) and IIRC the LEO was mixed in with a bunch of on coming vehicles and so he hit his lights as we passed him. So O'vale slowed down until Mr. LEO could turn around and catch up with us, again with the lights on. The LEO said he clocked us @ 88 MPH coming (in a 55 MPH zone) and clocked us at only 74 MPH after we passed the LEO with his lights on, so O'vale knew the LEO had us. Radar detection during that situation was useless...he caught us being bad and cut us a break and was a very nice guy that liked to talk about motorcycles, sport touring motorcycles and mostly motorcycle chasing involving the “Busa” that got off @ 134 MPH and lived to tell about it.

Other stuff:

640 miles round trip for me from 0700 AM to 1100 PM with only two 45 minute breaks for breakfast & lunch & some 10 minute gas stops.

It was one of the hottest days of the year, so I was using my Sahara cool vest and had just soaked it down before Mr. LEO stopped to award us. The danger of over-soaking your cool vest is that if you are not moving, it leaks into you shorts and makes for VERY moist ass cheese.

Also a long ride for me is 200 miles. So I used my Air Hawk seat cushion on top of my POS Sergeant seat and it kept my ass away from severe pain, during & after the ride. In fact my butt felt better after our 30 minute “talk” with the nice LEO.

I had a brand new set of Michelin Pilot Sports installed two days before, because the Michelin Pilot Roads were back ordered, those tires are awesome, but I do NOT expect them to last long. FWIW: I have had the OEM “death” Metzeler, Pirelli Diablo Strada EMS and Avons…they all only lasted 4K each, so you could say I’m not easy on tires.

We missed the turn, which was a good move in hindsight, for us to get to Hwy 80 ASAP, because I only had a dark face shield and couldn't see ANY THING beyond O'Vales head lights once the sun went down, which was at 5:00 PM right after our "award". That was a very scary ride for me after the sun went down from Portola to O'vale's house. Thanks O'Vale for taking me under your wing.

Note to self: Always carry clear shield - ICE.

I guess I'll put the award on my mini tank bag map area to help remind me to slow down.

 
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he caught us being bad and cut us a break and was a very nice guy that liked to talk about motorcycles.

A nice guy would have at least given you a reach around :lol:

Great pics as always!

 
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I hope you can do the online school. I just learned the Calaveras county court does not believe in online traffic school.

 
AH! So THAT'S how to use those mirrors... take a pic and then look at the back of your camera? :yahoo:
Stu
This was an easy group ride: I was lead, BBIII was sweep. I think it was worth the ticket. I hope I didn't break too frequently, but based on the time we got home, maybe we took too long at lunch :lol:

That said, the previous day I had read a story about a guy losing his buddy and having to go find him, I kept a watchful eye on BBIII all day (with and without the camera)

:lol:

AH! So THAT'S how to use those mirrors... take a pic and then look at the back of your camera? :yahoo:
Stu
This was an easy group ride: I was lead, BBIII was sweep. I think it was worth the ticket. I hope I didn't break too frequently, but based on the time we got home, maybe we took too long at lunch :lol:

That said, the previous day I had read a story about a guy losing his buddy and having to go find him, I kept a watchful eye on BBIII all day (with and without the camera)

:lol:

 
AH! So THAT'S how to use those mirrors... take a pic and then look at the back of your camera? :yahoo:
Stu
I agree that it was worth the award, and we sure did had fun...until the sun went down and I only had a dark shield. FWIW: O'Vale is an excellent rider and I learned to keep the "body leaning part" of the turning for the un-expected, after we discussed this during Breakfast in Forestville. The Pashnit site warning about LEO's all over the mosquito road is very old, but watch out for the river rafter vans drivers that are lighting up their crack pipe as they twist around the road.

BB III

 
I hope you can do the online school. I just learned the Calaveras county court does not believe in online traffic school.
New rule: If you have a commercial license (CA Class A or B ) traffic school is not an option. Points go straight to driving (and insurance) record. Oh, and .04 legal impairment level. Radar detector NOT optional.
 
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I hope you can do the online school. I just learned the Calaveras county court does not believe in online traffic school.
New rule: If you have a commercial license (CA Class A or B ) traffic school is not an option. Points go straight to driving (and insurance) record. Oh, and .04 legal impairment level. Radar detector NOT optional.
Do mail order

 
Mail order driving school?
How about the "Blockbuster Video" school. You rent the tape and pay a fee...do a phone quiz for your test. Or do they want to make sure you attend a "classroom"?

New rule: If you have a commercial license (CA Class A or B ) traffic school is not an option. Points go straight to driving (and insurance) record. Oh, and .04 legal impairment level. Radar detector NOT optional.
Yep! That's why some of us work at being "good". My excursion in Nevada, witnessed and attested to by NHP comes off next month.

 
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