Sitting out the back were three black Harley's - a Street Glide for Bo and Electra Glide Ultra's for Larry and I. I had actually called ahead and asked them to make sure mine was a better colour than Larry's and they said no problem - as long as we were OK with black.
The paperwork done, the money handed over, the bikes packed, we fired them up and eased into the traffic. These first few miles are a mix of fear and excitement. On the whole the drivers around San Francisco are very biker tolerant but getting onto US101 and heading for the San Mateo bridge was always going to be a test as you are straight into the BIG traffic. The San Mateo Bridge is around 10 to 12 miles long (16 to 19k) and floats on pontoons across the harbour. We were East bound heading for Sonora but it wasn't long before we found our rhythm. The temperatures were gradually rising and we could tell it was going to get very hot. We had about four hours riding ahead of us and I was keen to get us out of the city and into the real riding. We spent about 2hrs on interstates until finally breaking free between Tracy and Mantica. By now we were heading South East and the temperatures were still climbing. The country through here is very flat and largely crop farming. The sky had that purple haze that reminds you that you are not far from civilisation and have still got a way to go before you hit real open country. The plan was to head first to Sonora and then pick up Highway 49 heading to Yosemite but a little GPS glitch had us miss Sonora altogether and get straight on 49. What a treat this road was. Absolutely fantastic surface with a mix of nice gently rolling straights mixed up with some serious switchbacks to test the skills as we gained altitude. Rated as a biker's dream it did not disappoint. Larry took time out to survey where the little town of Jacksonville used to be until a big lake smothered it following the building of a dam at Moccasin Point.
By now the temperature was hitting 100 degrees Fahrenheit (about 38 degrees Celcius) but the riding was so good we really didn't notice the heat - until we found this place and an excuse to drink. The Jeffrey Hotel in Coulterville. It boasts the oldest working saloon in California - time for a beer!
The saloon didn't look as though it had been cleaned since 1850 with so many peanut shells on the floor that it has turned to sawdust. Very dark and rustic but the beer was cold and the locals friendly. The main street was a mix of old and very old but the old hotel was really quite beautiful in its' own way.
We pushed on towards Marisposa our destination for the night. This leg had us climbing steadily up a significant mountain, but with little traffic, glorious weather and pristine roads this was the icing on the cake for the day. This picture does not do it justice but imagine Coulterville at the top of the Valley in the distance and winding all they way up and over this range. Bloody fantastic.
We hit Mariposa around 4.15 in the afternoon. We have had a mix of riding today but the highlight was the last leg. In total we rode for 3hrs 54mins and covered 180 miles. We averaged 46mph and the temperature topped out at 101 degrees. The day finished with a couple of ice cold cans of beer and a swim in the pool. Tomorrow we go through Yosemite and finish at Lake Tahoe. If the last leg today is a taste of what is ahead we are in for a truly great ride.
No comments:
Post a Comment