Yreka Bakery Is A Palindrome

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Yup. A palindrome. Just like **** ...and kayak.

Last Saturday, the first day of May, I got up damn early and headed north to Yreka.

(The actual Yreka Bakery closed in 1961, as I understand it.)

Yreka wasn't my particular destination, but that's where you can catch Hwy. 96 going west

through some gorgeous country. And it's a beautiful road.

And that's what I wanted to do - ride a beautiful road through some gorgeous country.

There are lots of roads like that around here, but it had been a long time since I'd ridden

Highway 96.

My simple route -

North from Sacramento on I-5, again.

Left turn at Yreka and west - and then southwest on 96,

to Willow Creek, where 96 ends at Hwy. 299.

And since I'd come that close to the coast, (about 50 miles away),

I went ahead and zoomed west to Arcata, for lunch, and then turned

around and headed right back on 299, all the way to Redding.

And then south (again on I-5 :blink: ) and back home.

Didn't need a GPS or maps, really. Simple route.

Including exploring a few side roads, and turning around and back-tracking

for photos, my odometer showed it to be just over 800 miles.

That's sort of a long day for a fellow my age.

But, on nice roads, riding a big,

fast, modern motorcycle, (with a Bill Mayer seat),

it's really not too tough to do.

Especially on a beautiful spring day.

Left about 0430. Got home about 2230.

Here's what it all looked like.

I'll spare y'all the pics of me riding in the dark.

Just after sunrise, I was already up around Mt. Shasta.

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Castle Crags. They're very MadMike craggy.

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It's got its head in that cloud there. I can relate. :D

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Big lake. Gonna be wicked hot up in these parts in another month.

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Still on 5. Black Butte area.

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Time to get off the interstate.

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River roads are almost always pleasant for riding.

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Good news! I'm going to Willow Creek.

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Please forgive some of these over-saturated shots. (I was sorta saturated when I edited them. :D )

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Geez, it's gotten so I'd have a hard time riding without music.

Counting Crows had some groovy lyrics in some of their tunes, didn't they?

...step out the front door

like a ghost into the fog

where no one notices the

contrast of white on white.

and in between the moon and you

the angels get a better view

of the crumbling difference

between wrong and right.

I walk in the air, between the rain,

through myself and back again

where?

I don't know...

Okay.

No more lyrics.

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Well. That sounds like a good idea.

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A bunch of these photos might be out of order. You get out here in the sticks, and time and space get all

jumbled, ...sorta.

More trees and bushes.

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Happy Camp. Downtown.

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See the little motorbike on the sign?

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Bigfoot is a bigpart of the local lore here. So, they erected a statue for the tourists to look at,.....and take pictures of.

He IS a scary-lookin' *******, don't you think? :D

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Looked here and there around town.

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And then back to the work of being a motorcycle adventurer.

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Really quiet out here.

I think.

I had Fell on Black Days blasting through my earphones.

So, I'm guessing about the quiet.

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Cold water, probably.

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So many roads begging to be explored. Another day.

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The Post Office in bustling Orleans. Probably got RenoJohn's picture on the wall in there.

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The locals like looking at the exotic machinery that passes though town.

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And on toward Hoopa.

Nice stretch of road as you approach Hoopa.

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Fun to go fast on.

(Of course, that would describe a lot of roads, I guess.)

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Yes, it's in the Hoopa Indian Reservation.

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Okay. Not too many more pics. Still awake?

Took a right here, and ran to the coast for a burger.

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Then, turned around and headed right back toward Redding. Again, the road follows a river most of the way.

This time, it's the Trinity River. Sorta looks like the Klamath, huh?

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I was on my last roll of film by now, so I just got a few more shots as I approached Redding.

Whiskeytown Lake. Near the marina.

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I hadda be quick to get this shot.

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Then, it was back on the interstate and a few hours rolling south with the truckers.

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Sunset is already very late here - um,.....because we're in the Pacific time zone. :blink:

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Gonna be a fantastic summer - if you've got an FJR and a few bucks for gas.

Thanks for coming along on another ride.

Happy Mother's Day!

 
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OK, what happened to your kickstand? Or is it just that you spent money on editing software?

Great pictures OM! Yreka looked a lot nicer than when I went through a week ago or so, with hail bouncing off the pavement like white Mexican jumping beans.

That looks like a pretty loop I'll have to copy. You damn Californios are going to make me spend a lot of gas money in Kali if I keep seeing ride reports like this...

I see an aftermarket seat in my plans next year too....

Seriously, beautiful pics bro!

 
The Post Office in bustling Orleans. Probably got RenoJohn's picture on the wall in there.
No doubt it still is.

....Circa 1993 on a KLR I was exploring the road that was supposed to go from Orleans to Gasquet . This road to be known as the "G O Road" (GO = Gasquet/Orleans) ..you'll want to look on map and get a visual of the two towns. They started a road to join these two towns ...over the big hills in between. Road crews from each side and the plan was to meet in the middle to complete the road

Millions of dollars and considerable road work later .....Uhhh, it stopped because the indians didn't want the road going through sacred burial grounds at the top. Million$ and years in court ....NO more, all previous work for not. But it leaves some interesting history and such.

Anyway, while exploring the GO road I got caught in a serious rain storm -down-poor of biblical proportions. Darkness I limped into Orleans and got a room and rusty bedspring covered with an old sheet at the little place about 2miles north of where you took your Post Office pic. turns out saturday night and a rare live band ...indians and rednecks from the whole area came out from under every rock and cave .....indians and rednecks not always the best ingredients ...and this night was no exception. I got caught in the losing side of the chaos ...but at least came out alive.

And that is my true Orleans story ....and why my picture was (is?) on the post office wall.

That is a great area, and Happy Camp is a frequent overnight destination for me ...always crazy ass stories after a night in that town. Man-0-Man michael ....you road a very special corner of planet earth.

===========

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....and look how vibrant, crisp, green and blue everything is ....won't be like that in a few weeks, I need to get up there SOON.

Thanks for the ride-along.

 
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Yup. A palindrome. Just like **** ...and kayak.

I'm totally P*SS*D with you!!!!! :rolleyes: You didn't get my permission to ride that territory!!!!!

I spend the first 18 years of my life across the valley from Mt Shasta 20 miles away. My parent's farm was at 2,600' with Mt Shasta at 14, 162' out our front window. (That may explain a lot about me!!!).

Damn you made that trip a week early!!! I'm off next week!! Have you done Hwy 3 from Yreka, Etna into Weaverville? Forest, Forest "rat" (we call them deer), gold dredging tailings..... d**mn.

I remember going into the real Yreka Bakery and getting fresh donuts and "other low cal" goodies on lunch break from high school...

Damn, Damn - would have loved to join you!

 
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Not bad for an old silver haired dude. Hope to see some areas near there in July with the gang and very nice as usual OM. Painman. <>< B)

 
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I love this picture. Apparently the local motel owner flunked out of his feng shui class.

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RJ is right, a great picture. Everything's so vivid. Look at the road; it just beckons. You stood in the perfect spot to get this shot, Michael.

 
....and nice quadruple exhaust!
Only use 'em on long trips.

Yreka looked a lot nicer than when I went through a week ago or so, with hail bouncing off the pavement like white Mexican jumping beans.
Shiny, you bring that bad weather on yourself - by always being a **** to me.

:D

... I limped into Orleans and got a room and rusty bedspring covered with an old sheet at the little place about 2miles north of where you took your Post Office pic.
Sounds romantic, John. Did you have Carver with you?

 
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You're turning into quite the Iron Butt guy, ain't 'cha? You might as well get the license plate frame. Good pics tho, Mikey

And then back to the work of being a motorcycle adventurer.
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Kind of close to the edge there, aren't you? Don't you ever learn?

The locals like looking at the exotic machinery that passes though town.
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I thought I caught a glimpse of Bigfoot there myself. And wash your headlights, at least. Blue turn signals? Or is that an Emergency Vehicle?

Happy Mother's Day!
Same to you, Mikey. And to all you other mothers. :D

 
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Great report. Love the rear shot of the bike along the river, with the 4 mufflers. Reminds me of some old Honda CBs.......Nice work!

 
Very nice Ride Report, My Friend Old Michael. Outstanding as usual and thanks for once again taking us along with you. Bluesy and I were right behind you in the dark, but we couldn't keep up with you.

That was the scariest damn Bigfoot I've ever seen, not that the town local was much of an improvement! I was just commenting in another thread that NorCal FJR Guys weren't as ugly as the SoCals.

 
What a great way to kill some time with morning coffee. Theirs a few guys here who can really do a great ride report - your one of them. Great pics as usual, even if you were a little saturated :D

This one is outstanding!

I'm SERIOUSLY toying with heading down for WFO!

 
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Love the pics. Looked like a great ride.

That pic with your bike at the edge of the slope, on gravel, gives me the shivers!

And cool trick with the no-kick-stand-pic! :p

Thanks for sharing.

 
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