The Return of a Dear Friend

[Tyler]

When you pick a dinner spot for Sat. night, Tyler, please post up the location and time, and try to pick a place near--walking distance, that is--a couple motels in case some of us (me) find out we can make it. It'd be good to see Robin again, and you always, Ty; giving this some serious thought.

p.s., post the motels too so we can make a rez. Thanks.

Mike

The Rivermark Plaza is right near my house and close to this hotel:

https://www.hotel-sierra.com/locations/santa_clara/default.aspx

There are several restaurants in the complex. I thought Red Robin would be appropriate.

 

[madmike2]

Leaving Tys house at 0, Dark thirty Sunday morning.. .. Anyone know what to expect for Donner Pass that time of year.. 1.5 weeks hence.. You local boys ??

*happy dance*

Overnight temps in the high 20s.

Afternoons in the high 60s

You're probably looking crossing over the pass around 0600...it'll be cold. Bring your "warmies".

Reno has been posting lows in in the 30s-40s (highs in the 70s-80s) so it will warm quickly once you're over the pass and through Truckee.

AND...beware, NHP has been running sweeps around Lovelock.

 

[Ric in Sac]

:fan_1: Welcome home Robin! I really regret not getting to visit Tyler before I moved to AK. I miss you Tyler! :fan_1:

Temps here are lows around 25 and highs around 40. Temps in the 60's is bathing suit weather :red_bandana:

 

[Cdogman]

6days WOOT!!!!!!

Red Robin Huh *snort

 

[exskibum]

Hehehe!! Welcome back, Robin! What a GREAT thread. Good on Tyler, as usual, and great to see that the Dogman will be on 2 wheels again.

Leaving Tys house at 0, Dark thirty Sunday morning.. .. Anyone know what to expect for Donner Pass that time of year.. 1.5 weeks hence.. You local boys ??
*happy dance*

Assuming you're gonna be hitting Donner summit around 8 am, right *now* the 10 day forecast looks like high 30s and showers (low that a.m. of 35 with 60% chance of precip.) for Norden, CA (the summit) next Sunday morning.1

There's gas and a Starbucks right off of I-802 in Auburn at Foresthill Road (roughly 70 miles from the summit). If'n there's some way to know when you're coming through and hooking up with you on 80, I'd happily don my rain suit and heated gear to accompany you to the summit. With madmike and me along, you'd be pretty much assured of getting to use the rain gear you're bringing. :blink:

1 FWIW, the current forecast for next Sunday morning for Auburn has a low of 53 with 60% chance, and Truckee has a low of 31 and 60% chance of precip. Methinks you may not want to make 0 dark thirty too early or descending from the summit into Truckee (in a valley that can get really cold) might be a little more slippery than you'd like. Then again, forecasts change as the day approaches.

2 I-80 is the way you want to go. All the other viable Sierra passes are higher at their summits, and none is as well maintained or as likely to be clear of snow. Once east of Reno, I'd expect the threat of snow to diminish across Nevada, though it'll still be cold.

 

[HIGHLANDER]

JEEZ , I read this thread and thought we were all going to hold hands and sing kumbaya and crap...... :bad:

Hey Robin.......... :finger: There's a proper welcome back mate !

And Tyler :angel: catch this :air_kiss:

 

[Tyler]

JEEZ , I read this thread and thought we were all going to hold hands and sing kumbaya and crap...... :bad:

Hey Robin.......... :finger: There's a proper welcome back mate !

And Tyler :angel: catch this :air_kiss:

We can do that too if you'd like... :lol

So here are details for Saturday if you're interested...

https://www.fjrforum.com/forum//index.php?showtopic=133406

Then you can give Robin an in person proper welcome back (and one of these :air_kiss: in person)!!

 

[madmike2]

Yep...Rich has done his homework.

I checked and it looks like rain is forecast from San Francisco to Wendover.

Bring your rain gear! :blink:

You might want to keep an eye on AccuWeather.com/Norden, CA

Also: Auburn, CA, Truckee, CA and Reno, NV

Storm fronts can come on different days. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for you.

 

[Cdogman]

Guess I best get some rain gear LOL... Mine was chewed up in my getoff.. Meeting base of 80 sounds like a good idea.. my departure time was designed to cross that pass with highest chance of success.. I have a few more later.. but it will be later in the day.

We can finalize plans for that Sat

last 3 hours dont matter in the day.. trying to balance that with a daylight arrival in SLC but if it is dark.. thats ok.. I am on home turf and within striking distance of home.

You ppl are the best there are... I have always been amazed and still am by the motorcycle community.

5 days!!! WOOT

 

[exskibum]

Paragraphs immediately below EDITED for forecast updates:

Latest weather forecast (as of 11:00 pm Saturday) for our Sunday morning Sierra summit attempt is moderate to heavy rain and strong, gusty winds. Wind speeds and rain will be increasing Sunday morning after sunrise (7:21 am at the summit, though we won't actually be able to see the sun).

Though Sunday morning promises to be cold, wet and windy, the snow level should remain above I-80's 7,200 foot summit until Late Sunday or very early Monday morning. The forecast for 9 am at the summit (Norden @ roughly 7,200 feet) is for "Rain/Wind" (70% chance of precipitaton), 41 degrees, and 19 mph wind from the SSW. Winds are forecast to get increasingly stronger (e.g., 24 mph at 10 am) and the chance of precipitation to get higher (e.g., 80% at 10 am) as the morning progresses. Click for the following weather alerts:

Wind Advisory

Winter Storm Warning

Special Weather Statement

all of which detail some seriously shitty weather in northern California with heavy rain and high, gusty winds Sunday. And here's a link to the RADAR image:

Weather RADAR

Mike and I will probably get off at the Soda Springs exit (the summit) and send you on your way east. The wind and rain are both supposed to get stronger with each passing hour until sometime in the afternoon, so we'd best get back down the hill. From the summit descending the several mile wind exposed decline into Truckee, take it easy against the wind gusts blasting you from your right and beware idiot cagers. Once you get out of the mountains, expect nasty wind gusts on the eastern side around Reno. Should get better the further east you go.

In fact, Reno is forecast for "Showers/Wind", low 60s, and with 30 mph+ gusty winds by the time you arrive. An hour east of Reno and it's supposed to become "Few Showers/Wind" with low 20s mph wind speed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Highly recommend having water proof gloves with a squeegie on the thumb or finger. It's 100 miles from Auburn to Reno, and I expect that will be the worst part of your ride home. This is gonna be a cold one, so make sure you have the means to stay warm, and some energy snacks for fuel. Kinda looking like you're going to do the whole trip in the wind and rain on a new (to you) bike.

Good thing you're a tough SOB.

Good thing madmike and I LOVE to ride in the rain. We ALWAYS order it when we take an extended trip together.

Let's coordinate and meet at the Starbucks In Auburn (almost) next to the Chevron Station at the Foresthill Exit off east I-80 (at Lincoln way and Foresthill). If anything really needs to be fixed/addressed after your 2 to 2.5 hour ride from San Jose, we can always get to my condo to see if there is anything we can do (like duct tape everything in sight).

BTW, turn your cell phone OFF going through the mountains. Searching for cell towers is the biggest drain on its battery, and from Auburn to Reno, you can almost completely deplete a cell phone battery's charge by the time you hit Reno. There is cell reception through this mountain route, but it's spotty past Colfax. If you need the phone, you can always turn it on when you do, and hope you're in a spot that has reception.

 

[Cdogman]

Thanks. Perfect. Auburn it is.. that can be go/nogo call... The other choice was to go down through Los Angeles / come up thru Las Vegas but that is a 1000 mile ride, That is a bit much for me on my first run in a year and a half.. . I don't mind wet I don't mind cold. As long as we can keep the snow off the road I should be fine.. Auburn it is sunday morning.. Thanks. WOOT!!!

*does happy dance*

 

[madmike2]

Robin, which way are you coming to Sac from Santa Clara: 680/I-80 OR 580/205/I-5?

Send me a PM and I'll meet you enroute to Auburn and ride that portion to meet Rich.

 

[Cdogman]

Since I do not know the roads that well.. I will go the simple way 680-580.. For simplicity

I will pm you.. or call

Thanks Mike ;-)

 

[exskibum]

Since I do not know the roads that well.. I will go the simple way 680-580.. For simplicity

I will pm you.. or call

Thanks Mike ;-)

Glad you're gonna call Mike, because that, by itself, won't get you there.

If I were you, considering it's gonna be dark and unfamiliar even in the daylight, I'd take 680 north out of San Jose, then go east on 580 from its junction with 680 in the Pleasanton/Dublin area, over the Altamont Pass. Once over the pass, around Tracy, the road splits with 580 heading south. At that point, you want to continue straight, which is the 205 toward Stockton. After a few miles, 205 will sweep north and seamlessly merge you onto I-5 north, which you take through Stockton towards Sacramento.

I'd have Mike give you a convenient meeting place on I-5 that is south of Sacramento and let him lead you to Auburn from there. Once you're on 80 east of Sacramento, even the brain dead could find Salt Lake City.

Have a safe flight and an enjoyable dinner, and I'll see you Sunday morning. (Mike will call me when he hooks up with you, so I can gauge what time you'll be in Auburn.)

 

[madmike2]

I'd have Mike give you a convenient meeting place on I-5 that is south of Sacramento and let him lead you to Auburn from there. Once you're on 80 east of Sacramento, even the brain dead could find Salt Lake City.

Have a safe flight and an enjoyable dinner, and I'll see you Sunday morning. (Mike will call me when he hooks up with you, so I can gauge what time you'll be in Auburn.)

That's exactly the route I was going to give him and plan on meeting off Laguna Blvd. in Elk Grove. He might want to top off the tank there and that should get him to Reno or Sparks.

 

[exskibum]

See post 49, above, for updated Sunday morning weather forecast.

 

[exskibum]

Gonna be a WET and WINDY ride tomorrow. (See post 49 for updated weather forecast through the Sierras -- I'll update it a couple more times before turning out the lights tonight.) Looks like I'll spend part of today prepping for a wet ride -- waterproofing boots again, taking radar detector off bike, getting out the warm and waterproof stuff, etc.

 

[madmike2]

Since I do not know the roads that well.. I will go the simple way 680-580.. For simplicity

I will pm you.. or call

Thanks Mike ;-)

I sent you a PM with turn/mileage markers to follow from the hotel.

I also emailed the same to TY and she is going to print it out for you.

At least you'll have some idea about timing and arrival in Elk Grove (Laguna Blvd. 76) for gas. Ty says the Trophy gets 150-180 per tank so a refill in Elk Grove should get you to Boomtown with gas to spar.

Call me when you leave the hotel and I'll meet you at the 76 off I-5 in Elk Grove. In lieu of a call (assuming an 0430 departure from Santa Clara) I will be at the 76 @ 0600-0615.

Rich, I'll call you when we are leaving E.G.

 

[FJRONAMISSION]

******** BANG**********

Brodie called and told me about this.......... Damn C-dog...... TYLER... you never cease to amaze me...

I am leaving for the restaurant now......

B :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[SacramentoMike]

I'd have liked to join you folks at the Red Robin (great choice) but stuff did come up, honest. Hope you enjoy the new bike, Robin. Ride home safe.