The end of an adventure...

I originally wasn’t going to do much of a write-up for our final day of the ride, as it was quite uneventful compared to the rest of  the trip. We woke up relatively early and were on the road before 9am. Rather than look for a local place to eat in Santa Cruz, we opted to stop somewhere on the way south, possibly coinciding with a fuel stop.

We fueled up in Prunedale and then stopped for a bite at a Starbuck’s in Salinas. Taking 101 was decided as the best option since there was rain and wind still in the forecast and we didn’t want to get halfway down highway 1 and discover it was closed at one of the construction points. Our experience the day before at the Point Reyes lighthouse was still leaving a sour taste in our mouths. 101 was a very uneventful ride home, with minimal traffic and only a few sprinkles of rain. The only close call was when Erik’s bike started to sputter and he switched over to his reserve gas tank as we rode just south of Atascadero. Fortunately, he had enough to make it to SLO and we filled up there, saying our goodbyes to Ben knowing he’d peel off at Nipomo.

What a fantastic trip it was for all of us. I know that we’re hoping to do more in the future – hopefully Tioga Pass (summer) and Death Valley (fall or spring). I couldn’t have asked for better traveling companions, as everyone got along really well and enjoyed one another’s humor and camaraderie. With any luck, we’ll get a few more people to join us on a future trip, and hopefully we’ll have a few more intercoms between all of us. They really made a huge difference for navigation, en-route communications and the convenience of music without earphones. I can’t speak highly enough of the Sena units we used.

Until next time…

Opposite Day

Day four began differently than the others. The sun was shining, but with far less intensity and there were threatening clouds in the distance. We decided to have a light breakfast provided compliments of our motel and head out earlier than before.

There were a few things that remained constant though. We were all determined to keep having a great time, we still had amazing roads to ride, and there was still a bit of wind. Relentless, pummeling, shove you all over the place wind. Oh, and wind's friend rain also paid us a visit. It didn't seem to slow our progress too badly though as we made our way down the coast. Later though, we would realize that it slowed us down more than we thought.

The rain started with a drizzle as we pulled into the parking area at the Point Arena lighthouse. While we were adding warmer layers to our riding gear the wind also stepped up it's game, making said task more of a challenge than it needed to be. My mention of heated grips drew scowls from my companions as we saddled up again. The north coast of California is (in my opinion) much more beautiful than the southern coast. The redwoods, the rivers, and most importantly the lack of human influence on the land makes for some truly breathtaking scenery.

After passing through many of the aforementioned hamlets, we finally arrived in Bodega Bay for fuel (human and hydrocarbon). Mad Dog burgers fortunately had two parking spots that provided cover for our bikes while we took a lunch break. A couple pulled into the lot while we were getting situated and one of their kids looked at me quizzically, probably thinking "why is that man riding a motorcycle in this weather?" It wasn't the rain that was the issue, it was that damn wind...

On the way up, Erik had expressed interest in checking out the Point Reyes lighthouse. At the time, we opted to do that on the way back. In hindsight, waiting was the wrong choice. The drive out to Point Reyes was almost a 40 mile round trip and turned into another goat trail about halfway through. Between the road and the wind hammering at us, it was rather fatiguing. The final insult though would come when we were just a couple of miles from our destination in the form of a park ranger. The final stretch of road to the lighthouse was closed due to the high winds. Couldn't one of the rangers been posted about 15 miles earlier to warn people that their drive would be in vain? Government employees at their finest...

We headed back to 101 from the coast and over the Golden Gate. There were no toll collectors anymore though and the signs all indicated not to stop. I'm expecting I'll get some kind of bill in the mail later. After fueling up in San Mateo, we headed to Skyline blvd and the legendary Alice's restaurant. What a motorcycle mecca that place is; even their burgers have names like Suzuki, Harley, Honda. Being cinco De mayo, we ordered up some nachos and a quesadilla which were quite tasty and washed them down with a cold beer. Ben remarked that we had just about hit the 1200 mile mark in our journey and we still had a few hundred more to go.

When I first had planned out our route for this adventure, I had hoped the stretch of highway 1 to Santa Cruz would be pretty relaxing. Hopes were dashed by the wind though, as it punished us for the entirety of the 35-odd miles we rode along highway 1. When we arrived in Santa Cruz we were treated to some confusion, as there are two 'Super 8' motels right across the street from each other. Of course, we picked the wrong one initially, and had to go back across the street to finally get checked in. What a dump this place is. I'll be sure to rate them accordingly on Yelp later.

After getting situated, we walked around the boardwalk for a bit before deciding to try out the brewery over on Seabright. Not a bad place, but certainly not at the level of Piaci's the night before. Only one day left. I wonder what mother nature will have in store for us on our final leg of the journey...

But wait, there's more...

That was the theme of the day today.

Sometimes, no amount of description, storytelling or other narrative can adequately convey the feeling of an experience. It simply has to be felt by another individual so that they can try to describe it in their own way. To a motorcycle enthusiast, that is highway 36.

We left Chico at around 10am after an amazing breakfast at Sin of Cortez to head up to Red Bluff. We were treated to some ferocious winds that have been plaguing the region for the past week, almost blowing us into incoming traffic on a couple of occasions. No harm, no foul fortunately, as we made it safely to our destination. We would have plenty more wind throughout the day though.

36 has a sign at its start which gives an indication to what is in store for those who make the pilgrimage. "Winding road next 140 miles". It was just like my experience almost 2 years ago; slowly seducing each of us as we rode in along the lazy, rolling hills of the ponderosa. By the time we arrived at the Platina Store for a splash of gas, the guys were saying, "That was amazing!" Yeah - we are only a third of the way through. Jaws dropped. Incredulity. "Seriously?" Yep.

We continued on from Platina into the first of two mountain ranges we would cross on the way to the cost. Mount Shasta loomed in the distance to the north, capped with snow. The air cooled, the road tightened, and we reveled in the challenge it presented. Around one bend, I went hard on the brakes and held my hand out in warning to my friends that followed. A doe and her fawn were in the middle of the road, crossing and looking bewildered at our approach. I vigorously flipped them the bird as they scampered off into the trees.

Past the large delta- shaped intersection with highway 3, the road opened up again into a chain of long sweepers. I remembered this section from my previous trip, but something was different this time (other than the bike). Were there bumps in the road? Is something loose on my front wheel? Why is my front tire skittering around like this? Then I realized it - tar snakes. These must have been relatively fresh considering how greasy they were in the sun. Time to dial back on the throttle and relax for a bit.

We approached the summit and pulled over to enjoy an amazing view looking west over the coastal range. I was asked, "How much more of this road is there?" with a note of incredulity. "Oh, we're about two-thirds of the way through" I replied. But wait, there's more...

Descending from the summit, we were wary to avoid the tar snakes. I warned the guys that there would be a section of goat trail between here and the coast to avoid any flak after yesterday's Berryessa adventure. Today turned out to be redemption though, as the goat trail from almost two years ago barely remained and in its place was near racetrack-quality pavement. Giggling. Laughing. Cheshire cat grins worn by all. Ben comes through on the intercom, "we could go back and do that part again you know". Me: "Gabe and Erik won't have enough gas." Ben: "Yeah, but WE could go back and do it again though!" I laughed in response.

As the road flattened out, we meandered along the VanDuzen  river and entered a grove of redwoods. A rollercoaster through the redwoods. Amazing. The Jedi had returned.

Bidding that glorious road farewell, we turned south and fueled up in Rio Dell. What an odd menagerie of people that came through the gas station while we rested. Tweaker girl with the pincushion face. Mentally challenged man trying to sell me a jewelry box and then bum a nonexistent smoke from me. Working girl with her thigh-high pleather boots. Old man trying to gum his ice cream sandwich. Yeah... not going to stay here any longer.

We opted for a scenic detour along the avenue of the giants to get a closer look at the redwoods we were treated to earlier. Nothing like 300 foot tall, 2000 year old trees to remind you how small and short lived humans are. The forest floor was so dark that the clovers growing there were almost as big as my palm. Not having enough of these majestic trees, we visited the drive through tree at Leggett.

It was time to head back to the coast. Two guys on cruisers warned us that highway 1 was "tight as shit" leading over to Fort Bragg. Big grins from us. The road was pretty dark with all the tree cover, which kept us nice and cool. They weren't kidding about it being tight. I don't think I've ever been on a stretch of road where the 10, 15, and 20 MPH turn warning signs were so accurate. Most of them decreasing radius turns to boot. It was like a 20 mile stretch of Old San Marcos road.

With my upgraded exhaust, the engine really growled running up and down the tach in second gear on this tight road. Gabe was jealous that he didn't have the engine braking the rest of us had with the V-twin engines. Suddenly, the trees disappeared and we found ourselves at the edge of the lost coast. Gorgeous.

Making our way to Fort Bragg, we checked in and went looking for food and beer. Piaci Pub and Pizzeria did not disappoint. I haven't been that painfully full of food and beer in a long time. What a fantastic trip this has been so far.

Photos can be seen here.

VIDEO can be seen here!

OK, whose idea was it to take the goat trail?

Unfortunately, that idea was mine - but we'll get to that in a bit.

We started the day by going to breakfast at a spot that is near and dear to my heart. Whenever we have a family gathering with my Mom's side of the family, we have a tradition of going to Nini's and it never disappoints. Huge portions and delicious food would help sustain us throughout the day. After a hearty breakfast, we headed back to the hotel, packed up our gear and hit the road at about 10:30.

Heading up 19th ave toward Golden Gate Park was slow due to construction, but we were treated to sun for a change rather than fog on the city. After a quick trip over the Golden Gate, we headed westward toward Muir and Stinson beaches to enjoy the coastal road and sights. What a contrast to the last time I had ridden through here almost two years ago. Today was gorgeous and clear, and I took video as we rode along the majestic cliffs overlooking the Pacific (which I won't be able to post until I get back home).

After a great rollercoaster ride along Tomales Bay, we headed inland to Santa Rosa to sample some beers from Russian River Brewing Co. Fortunately we only ordered two samples, as each one had sixteen beers to try. While the beers were tasty, the food was average and the service was lacking. After sampling there, it was off to check out the roads near Lake Berryessa...

There were some amazing roads that lead out to Angwin and the lake. Tight, twisty, and sometimes quite technical. I was caught by surprise on a few occasions by very sharp, decreasing radius turns. Fortunately there wasn't any incoming traffic though. The other surprise was the fallen branch that we almost rode through coming around a blind corner. Thank goodness for good brakes.

As we neared the lake, the road opened up a bit allowing is to enjoy long, sweeping turns. This lasted until we were just north of the lake when we started seeing signs of things to come (literally). "Rough road ahead - next 20 miles" "Slide area ahead - next 12 miles" "Impassible in wet weather". Well, at least it was only two out of three...

Berryessa-Knoxville road started to become rather bumpy and progressed into the goat trail mentioned as this post's title. There was slide debris, grass growing through the asphalt, potholes that could really ruin rims if hit at speed, and several slick creek crossings. Erik had a rather exciting moment at one of them when his rear wheel stepped out after a tad too much throttle (much to Gabe's amusement). We even passed by a group of horseback riders who had pistols strapped to their waists. Perhaps we had passed through a rift in time and things were going to continue to become more primitive. After many miles of jarring, dodging, and rattling, the road suddenly smoothed out and became amazingly fun to ride. The best part - there was nobody else on it! Of course, that's likely because the locals know to avoid it for the goat trail section. Derp.

After another fun ride along highway 20, it was onto boring I-5 in order to get us up to Chico where we met up with my cousin Mark and his housemate Austin. They have been very gracious hosts and were kind enough to drive us all to the Sierra Nevada taproom for dinner. Great meal, great beer and great company. Now hopefully for a great nights sleep...

Day one is DONE

Gabe and Erik stopped by around 12:45 and we were able to hit the road at about 1pm. It was warm in Buellton, but not unpleasant, and the air temperature cooled off once underway.

In Nipomo we picked up Ben and decided that if it became too hot once we got to Paso, we'd head over to the coast. Big surprise, we detoured to Cambria and were greeted with clear skies and 20 degree cooler weather. Upon filling up, Erik confessed that he had never been up the Big Sur coast. We promised that we'd be gentle for his first time.

What a glorious ride up the coast today. Part of me felt guilty for not stopping to take a photo or two, but traffic was fairly light and we were gong to arrive later than we had planned taking this route. I never get tired of the beauty that you are treated to along that drive.

After getting to Carmel and filling up, we blitzed over to 101 and headed straight to our hotel to decide where to find some beer. We ended up going to Blue Line Pizza and had some delicious pies washed down with some cold beer. Hopefully it won't be like a furnace tomorrow as we meander northward to Chico.