Sierra Trifecta

[Kevin R]

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!

[Salish900]

Oh sir, you cannot know what good it does my soul to see your photos. I'm so happy for you. I miss those mountains so much. They call deeply to me. Sonora Pass is a wonderland hiking north or south from it. What an amazing ride. The only thing about riding it that would bum me out is that I would constantly want to jump off the bike to go exploring. 

Thank you...

[Kevin R]

8 minutes ago, Salish900 said:

 The only thing about riding it that would bum me out is that I would constantly want to jump off the bike to go exploring. 

 

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.

[lolocastsb]

Got up to Monitor Pass last weekend. Beautiful weather and even better riding. My ass is still getting used to riding long distances again (used to have an FJ09 a couple years back but it was totaled) so I wasn't able to make it down to Sonora Pass.

[huck]

I like living in the NW. But I lived in Truckee for many years and rode, hiked, climbed, and skied that area. I try to get back there whenever possible. Yep like living here and the NW has a lot to offer, but man, I miss the Sierras.

Thanks for the wonderful pictures! 

[betoney]

1 hour ago, Kevin R said:

I was off last Thursday to get a taste of those oh-so-sweet Sierra passes: Ebbetts, Monitor, and Sonora.

I'm heading down there in about a week to ride some of those passes, we rode Sonora on our last trip.  We will be staying in Carson City and riding Monitor, Ebbetts and Carson Passes as a loop and ending up back in Carson City.  Are either Ebbetts or Carson better when ridden a particular direction?

 

[lolocastsb]

25 minutes ago, betoney said:

I'm heading down there in about a week to ride some of those passes, we rode Sonora on our last trip.  We will be staying in Carson City and riding Monitor, Ebbetts and Carson Passes as a loop and ending up back in Carson City.  Are either Ebbetts or Carson better when ridden a particular direction?

 

I know you didn't ask about Monitor but, if you can swing it, I greatly enjoyed doing it from east to west (starting at 395 towards Markleeville) over west to east. 

[Kevin R]

13 hours ago, betoney said:

I'm heading down there in about a week to ride some of those passes, we rode Sonora on our last trip.  We will be staying in Carson City and riding Monitor, Ebbetts and Carson Passes as a loop and ending up back in Carson City.  Are either Ebbetts or Carson better when ridden a particular direction?

 

I've ridden 'em all in both directions and honestly don't have a preference. They are pretty sweet no matter what. I just try to switch up the direction every other time I go there.

Not sure of your day's route but if you don't mind getting off the beaten path it looks like there are a couple good back country lanes to connect 88 with 4 near Murphys (not sure of the desire for adventure in the group you're riding with). Google street view is made for this! If you do wind up going all the way down to CA49 then you should include CA26. That one is best ridden uphill (from west to east).