The passes are open! Sonora and Ebbetts Passes

[Roy Epperson]

This report is in two parts.

• Jamestown/Sonora to Minden
• Minden to Angels

Fortunately CalTrans cooperated and open Hwy 108 (Sonora Pass) and Hwy 4 (Ebbetts Pass) at approximately 4pm on Friday, May 28th!!

Catherine and I had been over Sonora Pass 5 years ago a week after the pass had opened and had not been able to repeat until this year. We like to make it and easy ride and spend the night and the Carson Valley Inn (help finance the Inn) and enjoy the ride back the next day. The CV Inn changed owners recently and "remodeled" the casino - new video games and machines and chairs and opened up the space. The rooms are still the same. But I digress.

So a couple of weeks ago we got reservations and kept our fingers crossed that CalTrans would open these highways or it was going to be Hwy 88.

Jamestown/Sonora to Minden

Hwy 108 and 4 were in great shape. A few corners with sand, gravel and rocks and water, but for "flower sniffers" paying attention no problem. But that might change as the weather stays warmer longer and things come down.

I wish we'd had more time as I'd loved to have down a reverse course the next day particularly going over Ebbetts Pass.

Part I - Sonora Pass

Our ridding buddy Rod met us at 9am on Saturday and we slabbed it across the San Joaquin Valley and had lunch at the Strawberry Inn

We stopped at Kennedy Meadow to check things out

On 108 directly above the resort looking up the valley

Up the "hill" we go

At the top, now down the other side

The other side

The Marine High Altitude Training Camp

Heading North on 395 from 108

Heading up 89 (Monitor Pass) from 395

Whoops, I ran out of AA batteries. Well more tomorrow!!! We got into Minden about 5:30.

Time for dinner and gambling!!

Rod's slide show of both days

More pictures from previous trips

 

[Roy Epperson]

part II - Ebbetts Pass

Got on the road about 9:30 (after buying some batteries, lucky you!!).

Grover Hot Springs State Park. Great camp ground and

hot springs (swimming pool) at least this time of year!

Heading up the Eastern Slope on Hwy 4

Kinney Reservoir just East of Ebbetts Pass

This is what the reservoir looked like in Oct 2008

One of the things we like about Hwy 4 over Hwy 108 is Hwy 4 stays "at altitude longer" while Hwy 108 is steep and rugged on both sides.

Hwy 4 is steep on the East side, stays "flat" for a while and then gradually descends to the West.

This what Mosquito Lake looked like in Oct 2008.

On this trip, it was covered by 3 to 4 feet of snow. Unfortunately the only pullouts where filled with cars and too many on the highway to try

a "reverse on the move" picture!!

Lake Alpine is still covered with ice and snow. There appears to be water trapped above the ice over sections of the lake.

We'd always "flown by" Hwy 207 which goes out to Bear Valley Ski Resort. Great time of the year to go to the end. These pictures were

taken from the lower parking lot of the lodge.

Hey, that's a handsome bike(s)

The wife's Vstar 1300 (it's sure great having a wife who like to ride as much as you do!)

Terry on the Motocycle Touring Forum posted last week that he was going to the Calaveris Big Trees State Park. Again one of those places we'd

just flown by. What a mistake!! The trees are not quite as "big" as Sequoia National Park but much easier

striking distance from the San Francisco Bay Area for a "hike in the trees". Being a "very nice day" the Park was packed with visitors! It costs $8 per bike.

How big is big??

How Big are Big Trees?

The largest redwood in Calaveras Big Trees State Park is the Louis Agassiz tree. It is located in the South Grove. This tree is "only" 250 feet tall, but it is over 25 feet in diameter six feet above the ground! The largest tree in the North Grove is probably the Empire State Tree, which is 18 feet in diameter six feet above the ground. The largest tree in the world is the General Grant tree, located in Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park It stands 271 feet tall and is 28 feet in diameter at six feet above the ground.[/quote

Whoops

And you thought you had a bad day?

Take some time and go out to the Stanislaus River (5.6 miles) and Beaver Creek (9 miles) 35mpg and a 1-1/2 lane paved road

All good things must come to an end..... damn! Heading back across the San Joaquin Valley!

 

[CAJW]

Roy,

I see that Happy Rider and I are both reading your RR, both kicking ourselves that we didn't ride over with you. Roads look great and I think I hear Monitor's sweepers calling my name. Good report and glad you enjoyed yourself as probably the first Forum member over those passes this year on your bike.

edit: Looks like Happy was #2 over the hill this season. Bummer I ended up teaching all weekend, would've been fun, but as Reno said, you did a nice job describing & documenting your travels.

 

[SacramentoMike]

Good report and pics, Roy. I've camped at Calaveras many times; great place. Looks like it's almost time to start looking for extra altitude around here. Finally supposed to break into the 90's this week.

 

[Happy Rider]

Nice report Roy. I made it over on Sunday. I took SR 108 over and worked my way out to Hawthorne then looped up north and around to SR 89 and SR 4 back to Sonora. It was a great weekend for riding. Like Roy said the roads are in great shape and it's always fun doing the ride with the big snow banks on the sides of the roads. Traffic was minimal and will be even better in the middle of the week after all of the flatlanders go home. :yahoo:

 

[RenoJohn]

Awesome stuff ......

thanks for sharing. IMO that means the beginning of the Sierra riding season. Anyone want to speculate on Tioga opening date?

BTW, your pics are wonderful in describing the great sites you experienced:

 

[Old Michael]

Groovy, Roy!

It was a dirty job, but somebody hadda do it.

I'd considered running that way, but thought maybe the roads would be clogged with holiday traffic.

(Who could blame them?)

Certainly some to the most beautiful country on the planet! And mother nature will let us back in now.

Aaaaah, summertime.

Thanks, amigo.

 

[FJRBluesman]

Looking good!!! :yahoo:

 

[puppychow]

Thanks for the ride report! I am also kicking myself for not going that way!

I was contemplating returning on 108 from Nevada, but I figured there would be too much debris and cager action going on over the long weekend and I returned on 88 instead, at least I got some good fun over Monitor Pass!

I think I will have to take a day off and do 108 and 4 on a week day! Anyone-else up for it?