Day 2 - Mariposa to Lake Tahoe via Yosemite

The problem I have with today is trying to figure out where to begin. In all of my years of riding I do not think I have experienced anything like today's ride for what it gave us - majestic and breathtakingly beautiful mountains and passes, long valleys carved out of rock that took us deep into bear country, pristine rivers and lakes that gleamed sapphire in the sun and...roads that were riding heaven - and everyone on this ride agrees.

The day started with an early breakfast so we could be on the road ahead of traffic and sun. This is essential this time of year as the heat and finally the traffic will grind you down and wear you out. A minor mishap with the waffle machine (I love these things - you get the batter and make your own waffles) left me looking like I had been gut shot with a waffle gun but thankfully it all dried and I was able to scrape it off.

We left Marisposa slightly disoriented as our instincts were telling us to head one way and the TomTom was telling us a totally different story. In the end we went with the TomTom and thankfully that was the right choice. From the moment we left Mariposa I could tell this was going to be a special ride. We pretty quickly carved up towards Yosemite and immediately the landscape changed.

When we originally planned this particular part of the ride we were told that we were mad trying to get into Yosemite at the height of Summer because of the long lines of traffic. This did not prove to be the case and we really weren't troubled by the traffic we did encounter. We headed to El Portal which is the gateway to Yosemite.

Entering Yosemite National Park we rode to the first iconic photo opportunity - El Capitan. Standing below these towering cliff faces brings home how astonishingly incredible nature is and what it can produce. There is nothing even remotely like this back home. I will let the photos speak for themselves



Between us we took so many photos that I cannot even hope to put all the great shots up on this blog without shutting down the WiFi service here at the motel. But here are some more for the hell of it.

We could have spent all day in this part of Yosemite but we had a long ride ahead of us so we headed for Tioga Pass. Tioga Pass takes you over the Sierra Nevada mountain range and at one point we were 11000ft above sea level. This pass is only open for six months of the year and we struck it exactly at the right time. What a road! We were treated to expansive views of Yosemite and introduced to country whose landscape was like nothing I have ever seen. We would round a bend and find beautiful blue mountain lakes. This was just sublime.



We got to the small town of Lee Vining for a late lunch. Not wanting too much we went for the beef sandwich which we thought would be sensible in the land of the big serve. Weren't we just the silly ones to think a sandwich would be a down size option in the USA!

Somewhat slowly we got back on the bikes and pushed for Lake Tahoe via Bridgeport and Carson Valley. By now it was a 100 degrees (38+) and we had been riding for 5 hours not counting breaks. Not that we felt it, however hydrating and plenty of stops make the difference. We crossed from California and into Nevada. As we approached the mountains that surround Lake Tahoe we were treated to another great slice of mountain road that really put the icing on the cake. We climbed again and reached 9000 feet on one of the most pristine highways you can imagine.

We hit Tahoe around 5pm. As we always do we finished with a beer by the bikes and just talked about the ride. Words like incredible and unbelievable were in common use. We covered 228 miles and spent 5hrs 53min in the saddle and it was worth every single minute.  Bucket list stuff my friends. I cannot really do justice to what we have experienced  and I am afraid my photo selections at 11pm at night probably don't do it either - I hope you at least get some sense of what we have experienced today - I will sleep well tonight 



Day One - San Francisco to Mariposa

The day dawned clear and warm. We were in good spirits in anticipation of what was ahead - the beginning of the ride. Patrick from Dudley Perkins Harley came and picked us up from the Motel and ran us to the dealership. I rate these guys. If you are looking at doing a trip like this consider Dudley Perkins out of San Francisco. They are real friendly laid back sort of biker people.

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.



San Francisco

Got off the plane midday Saturday feeling pretty good. A very comfortable 24degrees and sunny. We were picked up by the shuttle and whisked straight to our home for the next two nights - The El Rancho Inn. As motels go this one is not too bad with a nice restaurant and bar looking out across a pool.

 

More about the bar later. A quick freshen up and straight to Dudley Perkins Harley Davidson to sort out the paper work for the bikes. Real friendly people these guys. They first opened their doors way back in 1913 so they have been in the business of selling Harleys for over a hundred years. Needless to say we didn't waste much time getting to their clothing and apparel store. Between the four of us we got through around $1500 US and this was after we all had pretty much decided we wouldn't buy any unnecessary items. Bo and I picked up new helmets and jackets and the Naikys picked up three new jackets between them.

 

Thirsty work this shopping business so we thought we would have just one quick one before a shower and change of clothes and dinner. Yeah right!

 

We did some consumer testing of a beer called Longboard and found it to be a tasty little number. At the time this picture was taken we should have known the writing was on the wall - and it was - literally - in the form of a bar menu proclaiming the best house margaritas this side of Texas. From here on things just got plain silly with Larry and I becoming best drinking friends with everyone else in the bar. The girls called it a night a little earlier but spent the next hour trying to open the door of the motel.

 

 

Today dawned with the promise of some sightseeing in the City and out on Fisherman's Wharf. We mastered the public transport system into the city with ease. These BART (Bay Area Rail Transit) trains are superb. Very quick and always on time to the second.

 

 

 

Got off at the Powell Street Terminal and we were right in the downtown shopping district. The first thing we noticed was that it was bloody cold. Now we are staying out near the airport and it had to be 20 plus when we set out for the city. In town it was only around 12 degrees and no one had brought a jacket. So here we were, thongs, shorts, T Shirts and everyone else was dressed like it was winter - pick the tourists!

 



 

It was even colder at Fisherman's Wharf. The place was packed though. The Challenger Series of the America's Cup was on and we managed to see Team New Zealand going past after beating Italy. The girls relived their childhood on this amazing carousel which is on Pier 39.

 

 

 

We waited in the freezing cold for a tram back to the city but in the end flagged it after queuing for nearly forty minutes. A nice thing to do when in San Fran but not worth getting hypothermia for. Cabbed it back to the city and then BARTed back to the Motel. No alcohol today. A burger and a thick shake for dinner, writing this and then bed. Tomorrow we ride to Yosemite.



On The Road Again...Well Almost

It has been three years since I last posted to this blog. In my last post (July 2010) I was reflecting on the end of a journey that had left me with a new respect for the USA - the country, the people and those beautiful long roads that go on forever.

2013 brings me back for the beginning of yet another American Ride. This time we will cover over 7000 miles (that's roughly 13000k's) from San Francisco to Chicago and back again. We are going through 20 States and will be riding through some of the most stunning scenery the US has to offer. From Yosemite to the Grand Tetons. From Yellowstone to the Badlands of Dakota. We will ride the Loneliest Highway and the Beartooth Highway. We will ride through searing heat in the Mojave Desert and hit snow as we cross over the top of the Rockies. We are going to ride into the little town of Sturgis with half a million other bikers and then go back to Milwaulkee to celebrate Harley Davidson's 110th Birthday.

We are going to have breakfast at Joe Mitchell's Diner in Chicago and then get straight on our Harleys and ride every inch of Route 66 all the way to Santa Monica Pier in California. Then it is the iconic Pacific Coast Highway and the finish riding over the Golden Gate Bridge. On the way we will go through little out of the way towns that time (and inter-states) have long passed by and we will meet some of the good people who call these places home. We will ride through the magnificent Monument Valley and have dinner in the Grand Canyon. We will push on to Las Vegas where we have a date at the Little White Chapel and a ride through wedding. Yes - we are getting married (again) but this time on our Harleys!

This is going to be a fantastic adventure and it starts in seven days. I hope you enjoy sharing another American Ride with us. Catch you in San Francisco. In the meantime have a look at this. It is just a taste. Let The Good Times Roll.