Kevin R

Those are great roads - I think! I was through there some years ago enroute to Klamath Falls in a cage (S2000). Unfortunately, it was very late at night and we were really tired after a long day of other twisty roads and road work detours. We'd planned to cut across on 66 but about 10mi outside of Ashland the road was closed (not again!) and we were detoured onto some other twisty road that I don't recall the name of. It was very dark and empty but pretty nice in the S2000. However, given it was the middle of the night I was concerned about hitting deer. One of the most interesting features of that drive was after a bit, as we were climbing up some mountainside, we came across more orange construction signs. Only they didn't say "construction ahead", they said "accident ahead". Hmmm, I thought to myself, "do they have permanent accidents in Oregon?" A mile later we found out. Evidently a fully loaded moving truck, you know, the giant Van Lines 18-wheelers that can move an entire household's worth of stuff, had blown a corner and it looked like a yard sale up there in the middle of nowhere. It likely had happened much earlier in the day or maybe the day before and looked like a multi-day cleanup. There was nobody around at midnight, no lights, nothing. Very eerie. Just household stuff strewn across the side of the road and a crumpled trailer that looked like it had been opened like a tin can leaving the leftover remains of a very messy crash. Hence the "permanent" accident signs. This was only the beginning of a very "interesting" mini-vacation when we went up to OR to check out the solar eclipse back in 2017.

Yes! Lava Tubes is a really interesting place. I recall there are more than a 100 tubes there crisscrossing the area, some running beneath others. I stumbled onto it years ago while on a vacation/college tour with one of my kids. I'd decided to take a lap of Mt Shasta and - there it was. We lived in SoCal at the time and were looking at schools in northern Cali. I love the remoteness of the place. P.S. Sounds like another great ride, too, with the added benefit of seeing the exotic driven the way it's meant to. Sweet!

At times it was REALLY hard not to do just that. But I "soldiered" on - ho-hum! I gotta get up there for more than a day to take advantage of some of that hiking.

It's all @duckie's fault, posting those photos of OMG 108 last week. And then the Memorial Day 100deg weather moderated to Spring and Fall weather the next week (it's not often when the temp in the San Joaquin Valley tops out at 80F this time of year!). Taking advantage of that weather, I was off last Thursday to get a taste of those oh-so-sweet Sierra passes: Ebbetts, Monitor, and Sonora. Ladies and gentlemen, I bring you the Sierra Trifecta. It was chilly in the morning and up top it was only 50deg but the sun was beaming down on a glorious late Spring day in the mountains. First "summit" of the day on Rt 4 heading east - 8000ft at Pacific Grade Mosquito Lakes at Pacific Grade summit Yeah, it's like that on the road to Ebbetts Pass - this one had that Laguna Seca Corkscrew feel to it Top o' Ebbetts Pass, elev 8730ft Being a Thursday, and with schools not quite finished yet in Cali, meant the traffic was light. After bagging pass #1 on the day, it was more narrow, twisty tarmac all the way back down on Rt 4, then onto Rt 89 south up and over to Monitor. Monitor Pass, elev. 8314ft Looking at the road in the photo, a person might surmise that it is easy to zip right past the marker for this pass (I did). Wide open alpine countryside! A couple miles further on brings you to a beautiful vista over Slinkard Valley and Antelope Valley, where the West Walker River flows. View south over Slinkard Valley with a glimpse of Antelope Valley to the left (east) Rt 89 winds down to the Antelope Valley floor at around 5000ft where Rt 395 is picked up heading south. After passing through the small towns of Coleville and Walker it heads into a deep canyon alongside the river for a sweeper filled 10mi rise to 7000ft and Sonora Junction, where THAT road begins. 😀 Leavitt Falls and Leavitt Meadows vista on the east slope of the Sierras It's all part of the zen that is Rt 108! Final pass of the day, Sonora Pass, elev 9624 Did somebody say that Rt 108 is a nice road? Often times it was hard to figure out what to do: ride the awesome road(s) or gaze up at the alpine beauty all around - I [carefully!] managed both and was rewarded with a great 480mi day behind the bars of my trusty GT. Fantastic!

Pathetic! There is no doubt that lane splitting SAVES lives. Hopefully the OR legislature can muster an override - they only need 2/3 and the bill passed both houses with that majority...

Thanks, and, yep, it was toasty. But having been on the ground a couple times in my four decade riding career and sustaining only minor injury (broken collar bone once), I have seen the benefits of safety gear. Especially when I'm out sport touring. Although I must admit that if it's hot and I'm just running down to the corner store, I may shirk that responsibility. I guess that makes me human. 😉

Tomales Bay?

That road...! Looks like it survived the winter very nicely. 🙂

Re Mattole Rd - thanks for confirming our good fortune! Your experience is kinda like me with Glacier National Park. I've ridden there twice over the years and still have not seen it. The first time it was so foggy that I could barely see the road on Going to the Sun. The next time there had been a freak late season snow storm that closed all the roads. Someday... Re SR microclimate: I see. The funny thing about going through SR on Monday was once we went south of it the temp shot back up above 90 through Novato before finally coming down when we got near the Richmond bridge. Also, back up at Cape Mendocino, while down near the beach the temperature was low 60s but there was one stretch there where came around a bend/hill in the road and the temperature shot up to mid 70s within, like 1/4mile. We seriously considered stopping and doing a little sunbathing on the beach at that point. It was back down to low 60s again literally about 1 mile later, though. But this is why riding a motorcycle is so much more fun than traveling by cage!

Looks terrific! On day 1, perhaps you've already done it since you live in the area, or maybe you're looking to make time, but taking the diversion on Ave of the Giants along the way is a great way to break up the long 101 freeway drone. The northern half is better than the southern. Re: short day 2 - Definitely make time to do a couple short hikes at Crater Lake - it is spectacular. On day 4 when you get to Mt Hood, if you can divert closer to Portland on rt 26 (you don't have to go all the way downtown; can cut over on surface roads) and then hop on the Historic Columbia River Hwy near Troutdale you wouldn't be sorry (it parallels I-84 and passes some terrific waterfalls and the Vista House). Whether you do this or not could come down to the day of the week. I don't know but suspect that midweek should be fine for this - it was in early October when I was there - while weekends may be a zoo (locals on this forum will know better). On day 8, you could break up the freeway drone by taking the Cow Creek loop, starting near Riddle and ending near Glendale. It's a pretty good road and adds about 35mi to your total. Enjoy!

The Trinity Alps region of northern California has been calling to me for some time and finally in 2021 I am in a position to do something about it! I had nibbled the edges previously on routes 36 and 299 but this time I wanted the whole enchilada. The twist on this trip, though, is that it was going to be two-up on my ’19 Tracer 900GT. It had been a while since I did an overnighter with my wife and, in fact, it would be her first multiday ride on the new bike. I roughed out a three day itinerary for Memorial Day weekend and a check of the weather forecast showed that it would be heating up as the weekend progressed. No two ways about it, we were going to be hitting some hot stuff on Saturday and Sunday before getting relief on the coast for [parts of] the ride back down on Monday. First stop was Trinity Center where we stayed with an old COG friend. It was great reminiscing about the old days when we rode Concours back in the 90s and 00s. To get there it’s not easy finding an interesting route without really going out of your way. Even with some highway droning, one thing I knew was that the day was going to end with the eastern half of route 36 and a nice chunk of route 3 – two primo roads in that area. In the morning before we left I decided to toss in another diversion out of Fairfield on Suisun Valley Rd to pick up route 121 and 128 around the bottom of Lake Berryessa. It was a terrific last minute decision because the twisty ride through the hills and vineyards of southeastern Napa County was tranquil and a great way to escape the interstate. After that was another diversion onto route 16 north through Rumsey to intersect with route 20 back over to I-5. Outside of Capay the unmistakable shape and color of lavender fields in bloom caught my eye as we sailed along, precipitating a u-turn to investigate. We had the unexpected surprise of seeing the Capay Valley Lavender Memorial Day Festival in full swing. They were serving up really good lavender ice cream which hit the spot as the day was starting to heat up. Seeing those fields of lavender blooming certainly brought back memories of another great [non-moto] trip not long ago to Provence and visiting the lavender fields there. Shades of purple and the sweet smell of lavender at Capay Valley Lavender with my best friend and wife (yes, they are one and the same!) After this stop it was an easy cruise up through Rumsey and the ensuing hill country, connecting with 20 back down to I-5 and a 75mile drone up to Red Bluff, 100deg heat...and route 36. 🙂 Unfortunately the heat stuck with us for a good hour before we gained some altitude. But if you’re gonna suffer, there is no better place to do it than on 36 which is a premier motorcycling road. Those 65 miles led to another scenic and twisty 70mi on route 3 to Trinity Center. As someone recently said on this forum, route 3 is an underrated road – probably due to its proximity to 36. But my memory of it from some years ago, which was confirmed on this ride, was that it is really delightful as it alternates between super twisty sections as it winds up and over mountains, interspersed with easy, visually pleasing transits across the valleys below. This portion of Trinity Lake at Trinity Center is normally under water but like a lot of lakes in CA this year is pretty low Day 1 route from San Jose to Trinity Center For the trip's main course on Sunday I mapped out a figure-8 through the Trinity Alps area beginning with a quick jaunt on route 3 up to Callahan to pick up Cecilville Rd. This is another super duper stretch of road all the way up and over a summit at around 6000ft where the Pacific Crest Trail crosses and back down to the tiny village of Cecilville. Summit on Cecilville Rd - beautiful mountain scenery and crisp, clean air Tracer saddlebag as art? Leaving Cecilville, the road becomes one lane for the next 18mi to Forks of Salmon and then another 10mi on Salmon River Rd before it becomes a two laner again heading into Somes Bar. Some have referred to the one lane sections here as “the racetrack”. I certainly wouldn’t endorse excessive speed here since it is one lane wide with many blind corners, hundred foot cliffside dropoffs, and the occasional oncoming vehicle. That said, the road surface is surprisingly good and the flowy nature of the road, coupled with its narrowness, is conducive to getting into a nice rhythm – not unlike riding on a track. Even riding two up it was a whole basket of fun! Racetrack or goat path? You decide! From Somes Bar, the next leg of the figure-8 took us north on route 96. After the goat paths of Cecilville Rd and Salmon River Rd, this one was tame although scenic and remote with little traffic. The pavement was definitely past its prime in many places but the road had a nice collection of sweepers and river views along the Klamath River all the same. After looping over the top of the figure-8 past Happy Camp, the next section was Scott River Rd out of Hamburg. This is another out of the way route paralleling the Scott River, also with sections of one lane road high on cliffsides above the river. Coming into Fort Jones, we were rewarded with a brief view of majestic Mt Shasta followed by a relaxing, scenic traverse of the Scott Valley as we rejoined route 3. The smell of fresh cut hay filled our noses, adding to the sensory experience. In Etna we picked up Sawyer’s Bar Rd and the first 15mi up and over the Etna Summit were on a sweet, twisty two laner. The views at the 6000ft summit looking south towards the Trinity Alps were inspiring. The presence of snow on the mountain tops was an added refresher as the temps for most of the day had been in the mid 90s. Etna Summit on Sawyer's Bar Rd - what's not to like? After that the road necked down to the familiar well-paved, twisty goat path like we had been on earlier in the day. After passing through the little village of Sawyer's Bar proper, we eventually rejoined Salmon River Rd to keep the party going. Taking a break along Salmon River Rd, part deux Salmon River Rd and its namesake a couple hundred feet below Arriving in Somes Bar for the second time on the day, we turned south this time on route 96 to complete the last leg of the figure-8. This stretch of 96 possessed slightly better pavement but was still past its prime. Still, it had good lines and was quite entertaining with the surface improving the farther south we went. By now my passenger was getting pretty tired but she was the perfect traveling companion on the day. We had ridden some really challenging roads filled with things she is not particularly fond of (like those unprotected hundred foot drop offs that we seemingly were hanging out and over while leaning through the curves) but her sense of balance and body positioning were spot on all day. We made a great team! Etna Summit Rolling into Fortuna that evening we were greeted by the sight of about a dozen big adventure bikes – Beemers, Triumphs, KTMs - parked out in front of the hotel. It was nice to be in the company of others who had ridden the same areas we had that day. The Figure-8 The final day of the trip on Monday began with a jaunt over to the Lost Coast, another area I’d wanted to visit for a long time. There is no particularly good motorcycling road here (as in corner carving) but instead the treat is an overload of visually stunning scenery. Mattole Rd out of Ferndale brought us to Cape Mendocino, the westernmost point in California, and its accompanying black sand beach which was extraordinary. In the hills near Cape Mendocino Compared to the previous two days, the weather was much more accommodating, in the 60s and 70s (near the coast anyway), the grass was green, and the air was fresh with the perfume of numerous purple lupine-like flowers in bloom everywhere. I don't blame the moon for staying up late to gaze down upon this pristine countryside Heading down to the beach at Cape Mendocino. That big rock is Sugarloaf Island, just offshore. The going was pretty slow due to the incredibly poor road surface. It was probably really nice about 75yrs ago when[ever] it was last paved! But this is part of the appeal of the place. The Lost Coast encompasses the largest undeveloped stretch of Pacific coastline left in the US and Cape Mendocino is also the meeting place of 3 major earthquake faults. Near the beach along Mattole Rd We counted ourselves lucky to be there with sunny skies in the morning (thanks to the high pressure system that brought the heat wave, no doubt) and I suspect it is usually overcast with a thick marine layer. Adios black sand beach - and back to civilization We hated to turn away from the shore, even though we knew it would be only temporary, but needed to press on towards home. Heading away from the water, the temperature increased rapidly back up into the 90s. We continued to enjoy the scenery on Mattole Rd as it passed up and down through hill and dale, all the while dodging massive potholes and broken pavement. After passing through Petrolia and Honeydew we picked up Wilder Ridge Rd towards Ettersburg. Throughout the morning we had traversed dirt sections where the county evidently had given up on fixing the pavement. Typically these sections were just a couple hundred feet long and as we left Honeydew I knew there was a slightly longer section with a s-curve in it. We passed that short 1/4mi section and continued on. But then we hit another section that switch-backed up a very steep grade for about a mile or so. I was thankful that we didn’t have to go down that part, loaded two-up as we were, and was beginning to question whether the road was really going to be paved beyond, but it was. We bounced along and eventually made it onto Ettersburg Rd, through Briceland, and onto 101 south. From there it was a quick shot down through a couple redwood groves to South Leggett and the Hwy1 turnoff for the Pacific coast once again where the temperature was a cool 60deg. – sweet relief! The perfect lunch stop on the Mendocino coastline After a couple of hours traveling south on the PCH, we had to turn back inland to make tracks for the Bay Area. Route 128 from Navarro Point (south of Albion) to Cloverdale is a very good motorcycling road. Its 50mi or so starts out running along the Navarro River through a nice redwood forest before getting into some hilly countryside. The curves and pavement were sublime, although if it were 20deg cooler it would have been better! Away from the coast the temperature quickly rose into the 90s as we negotiated Memorial Day traffic also reluctantly leaving the coast. We ultimately rode in 105deg heat for a good hour or so as we approached Cloverdale and then south on 101 before an unexpected break near Santa Rosa. Usually this area is just as hot but somehow was only in the 80s as we passed through on Monday. After that was an ice cream break in Novato before approaching the SF Bay and cooler temps for the remainder of the ride home to SJ. Day 3 Lost Coast and Mendocino coastline (my personal fave on the PCH) The nearly 1100 miles covered in the three days were, with the exception of a couple hundred boring interstate miles, a most excellent motorcycling weekend. We traveled to some remote areas, had very little traffic to worry about, the scenery was stunning, and the riding unequaled. My wife, after not doing an overnighter on the bike in a long time, did a wonderful job as passenger (even if her eyes were closed on many sections of the goat paths we rode through the Trinity Alps!) and was a welcome travel companion. The Tracer 900GT, while not exactly the most accommodating two-up machine, worked very well for us with our slight builds. Now we’re searching for our next great ride – Mt St Helens, anyone?

Hey @Dm23, if you haven't seen the write up I posted from my trip up thatta way last October, check it out. https://www.tracer900.net/topic/9216-the-oregon-motorcycle-trail/?tab=comments#comment-116111 I took the great suggestions from @betoney and others and pieced together a heavenly itinerary for my trip from SJ. In addition to the great suggestions already here, I can highly recommend some of the riding in the eastern part of the state if you should have the time/opportunity to get there. I think my two favorite stretches of twisty asphalt were out that way. Have a blast!

Welcome, @TracerFZWR. That '19 is a darn nice looking bike (but who says I'm partial?).

Great trip, @betoney! 36 is indeed worth crossing a couple (or many, for you easterners!) state lines to get to. In fact, I plan on heading up there this weekend. Although I'll be two up this time, I plan to run a figure 8 in the Trinity Alps between 36 and Happy Camp. Will be doing 96, 3 and a couple of "goat paths" in between. Will have to see if I can work Forest Route 1 in as well (hopefully the low snow winter in Cali means a snow-free road there). Can't wait!

duckie, I'll have to miss this one but I'm sure it will be terrific. Have a great ride! Eating lunch in the meadow across the street from El Cap is pretty special. Bring binoculars to watch the climbers up on the face.

LOL. Real first world "problems"! The highlighted portion above is one of the reasons why I moved on from my FZ1 some years ago. It was a surprisingly good sport tourer but the motor on that thing only started to come alive at 5k rpm - then quickly moved to tearing your arms out at the shoulder at 7k and up. So, it was becoming a battle to not ride irresponsibly every time I hopped on. 😲 I ultimately decided to be more prudent with an FJR and now Tracer 900 - but still enjoy lapses of reason on a fairly regular basis (just not every time I ride). 😁 Getting back to your original post, I was near there in October (Columbia River gorge) but didn't push up into WA. Maybe this year.

Sounds like a nice day ride, Kemp. Arkansas/Ozarks is about the only part of the US that I still haven't ridden. I once lived in Quincy, IL and made a weekend trip down to southern MO and the great alphabet soup of roads there, but didn't get over the state line into AR. I figured I'd get there on the next trip but unfortunately my time in Quincy was shorter than expected and I never made it back down that way. Now I live on the left coast and would have to travel far to get there. Some day...

I guess I would expect a QS on a sportbike like the Gixxer to be sweeter that that on a large dirt bike like the Tracer GT (that's what it felt like compared to my long, low, and heavy FJR1300 cruise missile!). Going back to what motopumps said near the beginning of this thread, I concur. The QS on my Tracer 900GT works best when I'm at or near WFO and high in the rev range. I've tried it a few times at part throttle/low revs and it does feel clunky - so I don't use it there. Really, though, who needs it at low revs/part throttle? As a fellow Tracer riding buddy, ducky, has said, it is a real nice-to-have when you're on the gas because it keeps your hands less busy when the world around you is happening fast!

Sounds like Peachy would be tailor made for Mode A! 😄

Just picked up a paddock stand for the front myself yesterday after using cinder blocks and wood blocks for years (= shaky!). Test fit with rear wheel in place is a no go - rear wheel hits ground before paddock stand is fully engaged in the front. This is no problem, though, as I will be pulling both wheels for tire change. I guess If I really wanted to do the front only then I could put a wood block under the center stand to raise the rear before applying the paddock stand in the front.

If you're unfamiliar with the SJ area and need some local info, hit me up. Would be my pleasure to help.

Well done, sir! My dad made it to 79 before it was time to let it go. I hope I am able to extend my riding career into my 80s as you have done. While there is little to compare to the exhilaration of riding motorcycles, I'm sure you will find something else to occupy your thoughts and time. Certainly, reflecting on past rides and trips will be somewhat fulfilling. Sharing those experiences with others like us in the forum will be much appreciated. Good luck with the next!

I get 50+mpg. It is a nice bump compared to the 40mpg I used to get on my FJR (which, of course, had a much bigger engine).

I went from a FJR 1300 to my '19 Tracer GT. At first it felt like riding a big dirt bike/supermotard compared to the FJR cruise missile. I bought a SW-Motech Adventure rack and transferred the Givi top case (and mounting hardware) from the FJR. Works very well so far. You will be even happier after break in when you can really start to ride it (and when the stock tires are replaced). I often rack up 400+mi on local [ish!] day rides and have done a couple multi-day road trips and have to say that it is a great bike. That triple motor is fantastic - and gets terrific gas mileage to boot.

So, it's getting warmer and the dry parts of California are about as green as they will get this year. Although the big Sierra passes are still closed, there are still great alternatives for spring riding here. Some of them include areas I haven't ridden in many years so I figured I'd do a memory check to see if it is as good as remembered. (Spoiler alert: exceeded expectations!) Others, like the Sierra foothills in the middle of CA are loaded with back roads that I'd never ridden - until now. Here's a few pics - okay, a lot of pics - of the 2 day ride I took this week. I started out from San Jose with a jaunt down CA25 past Pinnacles NP and from there decided to head east and then up and over Parkfield Mt for a new-to-me route. For those familiar with Rossi's driveway (CA229) in central CA, the above is a shot of Rossi's OTHER driveway (aka Parkfield Grade). The ride up and over this mountain was superlative. Rossi's Other Driveway is longer than the original and includes better scenery, too. But watch out for cows. 🐄 North slope of Parkfield Mt looking east towards Coalinga Over the top and looking south towards the town of Parkfield There was a short 4mi stretch of dirt at the top and on the south slope of the mountain but it was easy enough even with my tires starting to look like race slicks, i.e. treads well into the wear bars. Slow and easy on this part of a beautiful spring ride with temps in upper 60s on Parkfield Mt From Parkfield it was a run southwest over to Creston and Rossi's original driveway, CA229. On the way, CA41 was awesome between Shandon and Atascadero for gas - I mean really awesome. Especially the sweet 10mi stretch of twisty asphalt winding through the hills east of Creston. After CA229, it was CA58 to McKittrick. This is one of my all time favorite roads. I even submitted it as a 10 Best once for American Motorcyclist magazine. Over a stretch of 70mi or so it has it all: sections of 2nd gear canyon twisties at either end sandwiching a long section of sweepers through rolling hills plus a wide open vista across the northern Carrizo Plain with huge solar farms and even a few excellent roller coaster hills thrown in. The pavement is superb from beginning to end; even better on the eastern end than I remembered because it looks to have been repaved within the past few years. From McKittrick a boring drone across to Bakersfield was followed by a really nice run up CA178 through the Kern River Canyon to Lake Isabella. I'd forgotten how striking the terrain is up around this area with its giant rocky outcrops and boulder strewn rivers. Originally I wasn't planning on staying overnight there but with all of my dilly-dallying along the road a change in plan was necessary to stay in Kernville. I was glad I did. By a stroke of good luck I found out when I got to Kernville that the roads north through Johnsondale and Ponderosa had been opened the day before. Yippee! Things were definitely looking up, as this meant that not only could I ride CA190 (which I was planning to skip in lieu of CA155) but also could visit the Trail of a Hundred Giants - a short walking path through a giant sequoia grove. Kernville is a really pretty little mountain town that is full of indie motels and eateries, with loads of campgrounds all up and down the Kern River. It's big for fishing and white water rafting (and motorcycle riding!) and it was nice to have my memory of the place refreshed. Heading north the next morning it was a chilly 45deg with a few anemic snow drifts occasionally visible through the trees along the road. I had the road almost entirely to myself (definitely NOT the case in the summer tourist season)as I headed up above 7000ft. Unfortunately, the early opening means the snowpack was low this year which means another dry year for CA. The view up above Johnsondale Giant Sequoias along the Western Divide Hwy On the Trail of a Hundred Giants The big dog in the grove (on the right) is 23ft dia (the puny "normal" evergreen in front of it is about 15" dia and about 30ft tall). Interesting fact: giant sequoias grow in one place on earth, a 270mi long swath that is only 20mi wide on the western slope of the Sierras between 4500 and 7000ft elevation. The eastern terminus of sport riding Nirvana From here on it was only heavenly riding for me. The road itself on CA190 was amazing but the Sequoia Complex Fire in 2020 left its mark in the surrounding mountainsides Along CA190 - a scene all too familiar to those who live in or near the mountains of CA and OR after the fires of 2020 CA190 is 25miles of 2nd and 3rd gear twisties on excellent pavement. It's good for shrinking the size of those pesky chicken strips. At the bottom of CA190 it was on into the foothills via Yokohl Valley. Yokohl Valley vista Beware the local inhabitants I lost count of how many kamikazis ran in front of me but somehow did not hit a single one on the whole trip. Others apparently were not as successful here. Near Yokohl, CA CA245 heading north from Woodlake is another gem in the central CA area. On the southern end it slips through fragrant (this time of year) fields of citrus that had me practically hyperventilating as I deep breathed in the sweet smell of orange blossoms. Easy sweepers get progressively sharper along with a few elevation surprises (reminds me of 555 in SE Ohio) before moving on to full-on 2nd gear corner carving. CA245 culminates 35mi later at 5400ft on the west slope of the Sierras near King's Canyon NP. Along CA245 - It. Does. Not. Get. Better. Than. This. Then back down to the valley floor again on CA180 with nice sweepers and beautiful vistas to the south. And repeat. This time into the foothills past Trimmer and Tollhouse back up to 7000ft elevation at Huntington Lake. Pine Flat Lake along Trimmer Springs Rd - drought is upon is in CA again Another reminder of 2020 - near Big Creek where the Creek Fire devastated 370,000 acres Dam at Shaver Lake - before the Creek Fire this photo was probably not possible (trees blocking the view) All in all it was a terrific 2-day ride on excellent back roads which were mostly deserted. Some of it due to early season and midweek travel but also because some of the roads are quite remote (cell service? gas stations? what's that?). At the end of the day, my memory of the old routes I once took years ago was confirmed (yay, no dementia or nostalgic influences). At the same time, I finally, after living in CA for 20+yrs had the opportunity to explore the foothill backroads in the central/southern Sierras. I definitely won't wait another 20yrs to go back.