To Utah and back...2115 miles, 7 days, 3 Triumphs and 1 FJR

[stew71]

We started planning the trip back before the holidays. Six guys would hop on their bikes in Sacramento and Reno, point them east and ride for the sights of Western Utah.  There was just one problem. You guessed it.  Nevada. There’s just no way around it, metaphorically speaking. If you’re sitting on the couch in Northern California and you suddenly decide that you want to ride SR-9 though Zion Canyon, you can’t fail to notice that big, triangular void on the map.  

Nevada. The Silver State. Home to the Comstock Lode. Casinos. Area 51. Legal prostitution. High deserts. Straight, boring highways.  Forty mile-per-hour crosswinds. Tumbleweeds. Dust storms. Summer snow storms. Radar-happy state troopers. Ah, good ol’ Nevada.


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Yeah, I know. We could’ve gone north into Oregon and Idaho and come into Utah from the top. But, for some reason, we ultimately decided to take a more southerly route.  The original plans called for those of us from California to head over the Sierra on SR-88 and meet the Reno boys south of town in Gardnerville, NV. We’d then head south on I-395 to the town of Lee Vining and cutover Tioga Pass on SR-120 on the way to Yosemite Valley.  From there, we’d double back to I-395 and head to Mammoth Lakes for our first layover.  We all wanted to experience Death Valley before the Devil himself visited in July, so on Day Two, we’d take in the sights of the lowest point of the US then head north, finding somewhere to stay the night with working A/C, a pool,  and cold beer.  We’d head out early the next morning of Day Three to make an attempt to skirt the traffic hell known as Las Vegas, with the ultimate destination being St. George, UT, slabbing it the whole way.  Hey, you gotta pay to play, right?

St. George would be our base of operations for Days Four and Five, to ride to the various national parks in the area and check those sights off our bucket lists. With that complete, we’d make our way northeast on Day Six to pick up the Loneliest Road in America, Highway 50, outside of Ely, NV.  Upon reaching Reno the next day, I’d stay at my BIL’s place, leaving on Day Seven for Lake Tahoe to visit my sister and work my way down the western slope of the Sierra to my home in Sacramento.

Well, that was the plan.

We lost 2 guys before the ride even started. One was diagnosed with a brain tumor earlier in the year and unable to even sit on his bike, much less ride it. He got out of surgery just 2 weeks before the ride and it looks like he’s going to make a good recovery.  The second guy was unable to get time off from work and decided to bow out.  That left the four of us.

Did I mention that the plans changed?  

The day before we left, May 21st, CalTrans (our DOT for those non-CA riders) decided to close SR-120 between I-395 and the Yosemite turn-off for maintenance before the Memorial Day weekend. Good thinking, guys. Bad timing, guys.  So, the Reno guys decided to come west over Monitor Pass on SR-89 to link up with me in Murphys on SR-4. We’d then ride back over SR-108 to pickup I-385, bypassing Yosemite.  Not to worry. The sights that came later vastly made up for it.

Our ride leader for this trip would be my brother-in-law, Ron, who works as a motorcop for the Washoe County Sheriff’s Department.  He’d be riding a 2009 Triumph Tiger which he picked up last year after selling his SV1000.  He was joined by his friend and fellow police officer, Sean and Sean’s dad, Harry. Sean raced off-road bikes professionally for about 20 years and now rides Ducati’s and a Triumph ST.  Harry is a retired businessman and motorcycle racer, as well as one of the founders of a company that supplied suspension parts to Harley-Davidson back in the 80’s and 90’s. Needless to say, Harry isn’t wanting for cash these days.  He was fond of reminding us employed folks how nice it was to be retired. Bastard.  Anyhoo…he’d also be riding a Triumph Tiger, a 2007, I think. Then there’s yours truly on the Yamaha FJR.

Along the way, we encountered the blazing heat of Death Valley, the cold desert downpours and freezing snows of Central Nevada (in late May!!), and 40mph crosswind-driven dust storms in Western Utah.  We rode through the lowest point in the Continental US and two days later, zipped through Utah’s Dixie National Forest at 10,500ft near Cedar Breaks Monument.  We also experienced the beauty of Zion and Bryce Canyons, the grandeur of the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, and the majesty of the Sierra Nevada. We dodged construction traffic in North Las Vegas and rode for dozens of miles at a time on Highways 50 & 21 without seeing another vehicle.  All in all, it was one of the most enjoyable rides I’ve ever done.  I hope you enjoy the ride report.

[sagerat]

Hey, I like the Silver State.  Glorious vistas, choose your own speed roads, usually a lack of rain, choose your own speed roads, the fun of US 50 and US 6, choose your own speed roads, Great Basin National Park, and choose your own speed roads.  

And a +1 for creatively setting the stage for your ride report.  

 

[stew71]

Day One


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Day One started with the packed FJR ready to go.  I hadn’t slept very well since I was so excited about hitting the road. I checked the gear one more time, kissed my wife, rubbed my dog’s head, fired up the bike, and headed out.  Or did I rub my wife's head and kiss my dog? Oh well, either way, after gassing up at the local station, I quickly made my way over to Highway 16, turned right onto SR-49 and headed for Murphys to meet up with the guys.

Ready to go!!




I was testing out a RAM mount for the camera but the vibration was causing the damn thing to malfunction. So please forgive the thumb showing up in some of the photos.

Rush hour in the town of Sutter Creek on Highway 49.


A cool old building along the way.


The Highway 4 turnoff to Murphys.


Just another beautiful day here in the California foothills.



The boys from Reno arrived just as I was gassing up the bike at the Village Mart in Murphys. That's when we discovered that Sean's ST wouldn't start. No problem. Harry went inside the store and bought a cheap set of jumper cables. Hopefully, Sean wouldn't have to stop his bike too many times.  



Now we've picked up SR-108 and we're heading east back over the Sierra to link up with I-395. Here we're entering downtown Sonora. A nice little town.




Climbing up Sonora Pass.  



And the obligatory summit shot.





I told the guys I wanted to stop along the way and take some photos and that I'd meet up with them at the junction.


The Eastern Slope of the Sierra Nevada. Good ol' 395.





At the end of day, we stopped in Mammoth Lakes, CA and dropped the gear in the Sierra Nevada Lodge. Good place. Clean rooms. And the bed was very comfortable. By the way, every place in which we stayed throughout our trip was less than $100 per night. Split that in half between Ron and myself = great value for the money.  




Thankfully, there was a local watering hole/pizza joint about a half mile up the street that served fresh pints of Mammoth Brewing Company IPA. John's Pizza Works. Their Atomic Hot Wings were out-of-bounds. Very very tasty.



(And I kid about Nevada. I do actually like the place.)  

Working on Day Two as we speak.

[stew71]

Day Two


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Well, Day Two started bright and early. We determined that Sean's battery was not holding a charge and the nearest shop with a replacement was just down the road in Bishop. The plan was to leave Mammoth, hit the shop in Bishop, and make our way through Death Valley to a place in the Amargosa Valley in Nevada. We packed the bikes, donned our gear, and headed for the Shell station around the corner. That's when I experienced a strange issue that would plague me throughout the ride. The FJR would die as soon as I let the clutch out. I had to rev the damn thing to keep it from stalling. Once it was going, it was fine. It seemed to only occur when the engine was cold and at higher altitudes. When we were below about 6000 feet, it started and ran just fine. Anyways....

Here we are entering the Greater Bishop Metropolitan Area looking for the shop.


While Sean is inside buying the new battery, Harry was removing the old one. Triumph did not make it easy to remove the damn thing. Jeez guys...


A couple of old school bikes on display inside. A Yamaha and a Maico.



So after swapping out the battery, Sean hit the starter and....nothing. WTF?? Hmmmm....the shop manager was nice enough to bring out a voltmeter and after dinking around a few minutes, it was apparent that the solenoid was crapping out. And the nearest Triumph shop was in Las Vegas. Crap. So in a flash of brilliance, Harry says "Give that f@#ker a rap with the wrench."  Whack! Whack!

The ST started each and every time for the rest of the ride. Go figure.  

By the way, next time you're passing through Bishop and feel the need for some motoshop lovin' say hi to the guys at Bishop Motorsports on South Main St. They'll fix ya right up.  


Once back on the road, we headed south, looking to pass through the Three Rings of Hell known as Death Valley with the ultimate goal of reaching the Longstreet Inn & Casino in the Amargosa Valley, Nevada.

Manzanar National Historic Site. A reminder of one of the more shameful episodes in our country's history.  Locking up tens of thousands of Americans just for being of Japanese decent.  Sorta makes one rethink that whole "Can't happen here" thing.  Here's the link to the Park Service website for more information.  http://www.nps.gov/manz/index.htm



It's hard to believe that only 70 years ago, we forced American citizens to live in this desolate place.  

The only shade for miles around.  


Gassin' up in Lone Pine, CA


We're goin' thataway...SR-190.




Yes. It's as hot as it looks. What's it like to ride in 111 degrees? Put on all of your gear, sit on the bike, then have your mom, wife, sister, mistress, girlfriend, and gay hairdressing neighbor take all of their hair dryers and put 'em on high 10 inches from your face.  Climbing out of DV, it finally cooled down to a refreshing 98 at around 3000ft. Visor up or down, it didn't matter. Just plain freakin' hot. I have NO desire to ever see this place in August.

Now, how do you stay cool in 111 deg heat?  Pour cold bottled water over your head, down your back, and keep riding to get through it.

Stopped in Stovepipe Wells for cold water, shade, and some fuel.



See that dude on the shoulder of the road? I'm pretty sure he was dropped on his head as a baby. He insisted on standing out in the sun on blacktop to see how long he could take it. One of them furriner's I think.

What in God's name would inspire a person to live here??   I mean, really??
 
Our fearless leader giving me his response to my unsolicited input on the route selection.  


Furnace Creek Resort.  Ummm....maybe in the spring. But now? Hell no.


Our destination...an oasis in the middle of f@#king nowhere. The Longstreet Inn and Casino. A must see and stop. Cheap clean rooms. Great food. Remember my comment about finding working A/C, a pool, and cheap beer?? Right here, baby. Just across the state line on SR-127.

Ron signals his approval.



Nice view. Just over those mountains is Death Valley.



This guy decided to park his scooter near the slot machines. Totally carved out of wood. Cool.


Now we're talking...


Sunset over the desert.


These little fellas were following us around the place like puppies..



This big bruiser was out back. They said his name is Howard and lets himself into the casino sometimes if the door is unlatched. Try to visualize, if you can, a 2100lb Holstein wandering the casino floor. I think I'd pay money to see that.


Every casino needs a huge cow out front. An homage to Howard, perhaps?


Quite the tasty burger for dinner. We hammered their supply of $1 Bud Lite Lime beers at the bar.  


Time for bed. It's been a long day.


Tomorrow, we head for St. George, Utah and Zion Canyon National Park!!  

[sagerat]

Great pics.  Yes riding through Death Valley in warm season is an experience, BTDT.  

Sorry to hear the sinful ghosts of Lucas Electrics, aka Prince of Darkness, had infested the Triumph.  

Ain't 190 a kick in the pants, though?  

[viffergyrl]

More please.  

We rode some of these same roads back in March - when it wasn't quite so hot. I know people who have ridden into Death Valley in August.  

And then there are the very few who take sport bikes on dirt roads...  

[stew71]

Ain't 190 a kick in the pants, though?

Yup...coming down that long twisty grade into the valley was a hoot. Sean and Ron immediately took off and raced each other to the bottom. Harry and I took our time to enjoy the view. I should have stopped for a couple of pics.

Day Three

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Day Three called for an early start since we’d be trying to skirt the construction and traffic hell known as Las Vegas.  After a 7am breakfast (sorry no pics), we were wheels up and heading north on SR-127.  Hanging a right onto I-95, we hauled ass into LV where we picked up I-15 for Utah. Now, there's a perfectly good reason why I have no photos of this section of the ride. There’s nothing to see. When I mean nothing, I mean NOTHING. It sucked. Well, except when we were doing 100+ between the Amargosa Valley junction and Indian Springs near Creech AFB. It was just flat, straight, and empty. Not a trooper in sight and thank God for iTunes and music playlists.

I remember the transition ramp from I-95 to I-15 looked like someone dumped a barrel of oil on the road. All I remember thinking is "Don't gas it!! Don't gas it!!"  At one point, I felt the rear wheel get a little goosey and thinking how crappy it would be to crash in a place like this.

There's a section of I-15 that was very interesting.  Just before you cross over into Utah, you’ll hit a section of the highway that goes through a very nice, deep, picturesque canyon with high-speed sweepers alongside a river.  Very mucho fun dodging traffic and Harley convoys.

Our goal was to meet up with Harry’s friend and former business partner, Jay, in Hurricane around noon. From there, he’d lead us up SR-9 to Springdale where we’d have lunch at Oscar’s before taking us up Zion Canyon road to our turnaround point at Checkerboard Mesa. After that, we'd park the bikes and take the shuttle up the "real" Zion Canyon to the various stops along the road.

Heading into Springdale for lunch.





The World Famous Oscar's Cafe.  

If I'd been thinking clearly, I would have remembered to bring the camera into the restaurant and take a photo of some of the best cow sammiches on the face of the planet. These will have to do.



Let's go visit the park, shall we? This road was a blast. Keeping the speed down to 25-35mph meant you could motor through enjoying the sights with plenty of photo ops. Very enjoyable. A must see and do if you're in the area.  




A big-ass arch...



Jay and Ron admiring the view.


Waiting to enter the one-way tunnel on the way up.


Checkerboard Mesa, our turnaround point.




Waiting to enter the tunnel. This time on the way down.



This guy was concerned that his RV wouldn't fit inside the tunnel. He made it with some room to spare and it was certainly interesting to follow him through. I figured all he had to do is go to either side a couple of feet and his A/C unit would become very intimate with the guy behind him.


Twisty.



The Gang from left to right....Me, Ron, Sean, and Harry. Thanks to Jay for the piccy.


Damn that Yamaha sure is a nice lookin' bike.


Once we reached the bottom, we parked the bikes along the main road and jumped a park shuttle that hauls visitors along the Virgin River through the actual Zion Canyon. No vehicles are allowed in this area except for those who have camping & lodging reservations.
The walk along the river at the far end was amazing. I was only able to snap off a handful of photos before the battery died.






We then headed back to St. George where we checked into our hotel. We stayed at the America's Budget Inn just off I-15 as it had the 3 requirements to make the cut....a pool, free breakfast, and a place to park the bikes in safety. Plus it was cheap and clean.  Jay invited everyone over to his place for a BBQ and swim, which was well received after a day like this. This is the view from his backyard....not too shabby. I didn't think it proper to post any pictures of his place for obvious reasons. But his man-cave was packed with bikes, tools, and toys.  




Well, that's it for Day Three. Tomorrow, we'll be heading to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. We'll be getting a bit lost along the way, but in the end, it was worth it.

[ripdaddy]

   Check the Fjr owners forum.  I seem to remember a thread on that starting problem at altitude.

[sagerat]

As you go by Jacob's Lake on the way to the North Rim, check to see if the cafe has any cookies or brownies available.  Their cloud cookie in particular...but bring a 55-gallon drum of insulin as a countermeasure.

[stew71]

Day Four


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Well today, boys and girls, we're heading for the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. I've heard tales of horror about the crowds, buses, and RV's jamming up the South Rim of the GC so we decided early on to avoid that mess and stay north. And boy, am I glad we did. We'd experience some of the best riding to date while on SR-67 and SR-89A. The overall plan was to leave St. George and make our way to the NRGC for lunch, then head north through Kanab to the small town of Tropic, UT near Bryce Canyon. We almost stuck to the plan.

Just a few miles out of Hurricane, we ran into the inevitable construction delay.


Harry took the opportunity to fiddle with his GPS.


After only 10 minutes, we were back up to speed just outside of Colorado City, AZ on the AZ/UT state line. I'm pretty damn sure I heard banjos in the background because this area is reputed to be the Mormon Polygamist Capital of the US.  Yeah, we didn't stop.  And some fool kept sticking his fingers over the lens.  


Now we've worked our way up into the Kaibab National Forest.


We were having too much fun riding to take many photos at this point. In fact we were having so much fun. our leader took us down the wrong highway, down SR-89A towards the east when we reached Jacob's Lake Junction.  For whatever reason, Ron's, Sean's, and Harry's GPS units indicated that SR-67 to the NRGC was a dirt road and attempted to route us along an alternate road. I was the one guy without a GPS, (paper maps almost never fail....ahem) and the only guy without a Chatterbox helmet comm system. So, there I was shouting and gesturing at the others trying to get their attention, about taking the wrong road.

Well, 30 miles and 30 minutes later, we pulled over to gas up here at the Cliff Dwellings Lodge and General Store.



Once we figured out the error, and anointed Ron with his new nickname, WrongWay, getting back on track was no issue. On the plus side, we were able to ride a section of drool-worthy highway twice in an hour.    Here, we're back up on the ridge heading for the park. More fingers. Sorry 'bout that.



The Lodge & Visitor Center




And the views.....wow. This is the 1st time I've seen this big ol' ditch. One of the rangers said the only way to see the GC in it's entirety is from orbit.






A few more from my Android phone..




This brass statue in the visitor center pays homage to a burro named Brighty that worked the trails back in the 1910's.  It's said that rubbing his nose will bring you luck. Seemed to work for us.


 
SR-67 takes you through some spectacular meadows. You'd swear there's a team of people out there mowing the grass and picking up debris they're so clean.



Well, here we are at the end of the day in Tropic, UT at our hotel. I wish I'd taken a few pics on the road between Kanab and Tropic. I was just enjoying the ride and simply forgot about it. Thanks to Harry for showing us his ass.


I highly recommend the American Best Value Inn and Suites in Tropic. Again, cheap, clean and comfortable. No pool, however. But as you can see, the bike parking was most excellent.


Right across the gravel parking lot is a restaurant called Clarke's Place. The spicy chipolte penne pasta is awesome. Sean thought the ribeye steak was excellent. Prices are a bit high due to the large number of tourists, but the food and service is excellent.



Well that's all for now. Tomorrow, we'll be heading for Bryce Canyon and ultimately, Ely, Nevada on the return leg of our trip.

[sagerat]

Ahh, my home state and its signature Grand Canyon.  I'm properly envious.

Try the White Pine Cafe in Ely.  There ain't much else.  

[1Arm]

I think you picked a great route, thanks for the excellent report!

[1moreroad]

Ah memories.  Those are some great roads.

[stew71]

Thank you for the kind responses. Yeah, I think we did okay this year.

Day Five.

Oh boy. Day Five. It started out just peachy. I mean, spending the morning riding Bryce Canyon National Park early enough to miss all of the tourists.  A bright sunny day with perfect conditions. C'mon!! Then to top it off with another twisty mountain road in the Dixie National Forest, ending up in Cedar City for lunch....oh yeah. Then paying the piper with the long slog to Ely. Little did we know...


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Did I mention that Harry had started the annoying habit of waking at the ungodly hour of 5am, making sure that we all had a wake-up call from the front desk? Yeah, that was going over like a fart in church. I know we're supposed to respect our elders and all, but he was getting close to having Exlax dumped in his water bladder or something. Anyways, after a quick breakfast at Clarke's, we gassed up and turned west for Bryce Canyon National Park.

I'll just let the pictures speak for themselves. Just spectacular.
















After gawking all morning at Mother Nature, we headed out for Cedar City. The plan was to take SR-20 north of Panguitch, but DOT informed us that it was closed for maintenance. So, pulling Plan B from the GPS, we decided to take SR-143 to Cedar Breaks then head south on 148, picking up 14 into the east side of town. (Google Maps, for some odd reason, won't let me map this point of the ride and has us going north into Parowan. Very odd.)  

The winds had picked up considerably by the time we reached Panguitch Lake along 143. We're talking whitecaps and debris blowing across the road. Little did we know, this was only a preview to what we encountered further west.

Nice lake. Great roads. Really, really fun riding there.  



Further and further we climbed until we reached Cedar Breaks somewhere in the neighborhood of 10,500ft I think. This place was interesting in that it looks like some idiot came along with a giant garden hose and simply washed the mountain down. Very cool.





The ride down through Cedar Canyon was a blast. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to take any photos due to the malfunctioning camera mount.  

After a quick Powerbar and Gatorade at a local gas station, we headed northwest out of Cedar City, hoping to make Ely in good time.
Cedar City, UT. Sorry, these are borrowed photos. Looks like a nice place to live, actually.




From this point until we reached Ely, Nevada, weather conditions dictated that we haul ass to reach our destination and not bother with taking in the scenery. Those winds we first encountered on top of the hill were now blowing 30mph with gusts to 40. At first, it was a tailwind as we rode north on SR-130 to Minersville. But as we headed more westerly on 21 near Milford, they became horrendous crosswinds. We were literally leaning to our left into the wind, left knees low, laying on the gas tank behind the windshield. The wind was so loud that it drowned out the tunes in my helmet. As we dropped into each successive valley, we had to ride through some lovely duststorms, such as these. Once again, borrowed pics for illustration. These are actually very close to what we encountered and along the same route, I believe.



After what seemed like, well, forever, we reached the town(?) of Baker where we took a break and fueled up for the last leg to Ely.  About 10 seconds after I took this picture, a huge gust of wind came up, blowing the entire tumbleweed crop of Nevada into this gas station. We were still extracting bits and pieces from every nook and cranny on the bikes the next day.


At this point Harry thought we should check out Lehman Caverns since we were making pretty good time. It's a series of caverns discovered (and somewhat plundered) back in the late 1800's and is now protected as part of the Great Basin National Park.
http://www.nps.gov/grba/planyourvisit/lehman-caves-tours.htm

I'm sorry to say that my photos simply do not do this marvel justice. And it's not for you if you're claustrophobic. The tour took us several hundred yards into the mountain and a few hundred feet underground. For $12 bucks, it was a great way to escape the wind and take a nice cool break.



Because this is considered a "living" cavern, we were told not to touch any of the structures, walls, or ceilings.





These stalactites are still growing at a rate of about 1" per 100 years!!





No sign of Batman or Robin.





After our little side trip, we finally made our way to Ely, Nevada where we checked into the Ramada Inn and Copper Queen Casino. At first, we thought it was going to be just another roadside hotel. But, alas, it too, had all of our requirements.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g45938-d141993-Reviews-Ramada_Copper_Queen_Casino-Ely_Nevada.html

Cheap, clean rooms. Check.
Secure bike parking. Check.
Pool and spa. Check.
Nearby pub and grub. Check.

Margarita pizza and an IPA.



Well that's about it for Day Five. Tomorrow, we'll be leaving Ely to tour the Loneliest Road in America, Highway 50.









 

[ConPilot1]

Nice.  

[stew71]

Day Six


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Day Six. What can I say about Day Six? Our original intent was to bomb straight through to Reno as quickly as possible. At this point, anything we see beyond here certainly isn't going to compare to the sights we've seen all week. The only reason to stop at this point was for fuel, food, and to stretch the knees. Little did we expect that ol' Mama Nature had other plans for our valiant crew.

We had the bikes packed and ready to roll around 7:30am. Breakfast consisted of some tasty eggs, bacon, and taters washed down with OJ and a liter of coffee. I was adjusting the mirrors when I heard Harry start up his Tiger and head out of the parking lot. There suddenly came a loud BANG, a rattling sound, a loud curse, and the sight of Harry's Tiger at a complete standstill. Oh f*^k, now what?!?

Uh oh...Yep. He forgot to remove his cable disc lock.    Sean ran over to help and after a couple of seconds, turned to give us a thumbs-up.  Thankfully, the lock snapped before causing any damage or entangling the front wheel and launching Harry to the pavement.

What's the old saying..."If it weren't for bad luck, we'd have no luck at all?"

That's when we noticed that snow had started drifting down from the low overcast. Crap. 28 degrees and we're only going higher up in altitude.   Whatcha gonna do? Right, hit the road. Would someone tell that knucklehead to quit taking pictures with his digits fouling things up?  Jeez.

So long Ely!! Good morning, Highway 50!!



We pulled into the town of Eureka to add a layer of clothing (rain suit) and some fleece. The nice lady behind the counter laughed as we huddled inside her store, warmed up, and donned our extra layers. She was pretty cool about the whole thing.  Bless her and her heater!!!  




About 30 miles outside of Eureka, we started seeing more and more of these ominous storm cells scattered about. Hopefully, we'd avoid the worst of them.


Wrong. 12 miles from Austin, the drizzle turned into a downpour, which then evolved into a lovely (notice the sarcasm here) snow storm.
For the record, an FJR handles snow and slush pretty well in 1st gear as long as you stay in the tire marks of the guy ahead of you. There was some definite puckerization going on here, let me assure you.

Finally rolled into town...


And parked the bikes, along with many others, under the overhang of a vacant gas station. By our count, there were another 30 or so bikes stranded at the 2 hotels and 3 saloons in town. That meant the roads were not being plowed in either direction. Not good.


Old Man Winter getting in one last lick for the year. Looking east from our newly found sanctuary.


So, with no power in town to pump fuel, and no available hotel rooms to wait out the storm, we wandered to this place and set up shop in the bar near the stove trying to dry out the gear. The bartender, thankfully, took pity on us and said we could stay in the bar if the storm didn't pass before dark. At least it was warm, dry, and supplied with endless cups of coffee.  
The International Cafe and Saloon
http://www.internationalcafeandsaloon.com/
Again, not my photo. Borrowed from another source.


After a couple of hours, the storm begin to abate and one of the locals contacted a friend further west in Cold Springs Station with the good news that the weather was clearing and the roads getting plowed. Well, that's all fine and good, but it still didn't solve our problem of low fuel and no power in town to run the pumps. That's when our luck turned again. A couple of local ranchers overheard our plight and offered to sell us a 5-gallon can of gas from the back of their truck for $25. This, along with my emergency fuel canister, should get us to the next available gas stop about 60 miles west, Middlegate Station. Gotta love those ranchers!!

We split the gas among the four bikes, loaded up the gear once more, and headed west out of town. Running downhill, we ran into yet more rain, but at least it wasn't snowing. Passing Cold Springs Station in a downpour, my low fuel light came on. Now, the furthest I've ever run into my reserve before was 26 miles. I'm pretty sure I had another 10 miles worth of fuel beyond that. Since we were about 15 miles from Middlegate, the math was working in my favor.

And it did. Middlegate never looked so purdy.






And inside was even better....


From here, we simply pointed the wheels west and went full blast into Reno and my BIL's place. Honestly, I was looking forward so much to getting to Reno, I stashed the camera along with the rain gear and turned up the tunes. There isn't much worth seeing anyways.

Another adventurous day comes to an end.  


Tomorrow, Day Seven and the last leg home.

[FJR-UK]

Austin, Nevada seems like a pretty hospitable town. We stayed across the road from the International in the Pony Canyon motel and had dinner and breakfast in the International. Very pleasant. We also met a couple who had found temporary work in town while their camper van was being repaired. She was bartending, he was working as a mechanic. Been there two weeks and counting...

We also saw an ominous black sky as we approached Austin that seemed to be moving in the same direction as we were, so the lightning and thunder never caused us a problem.

Nice report. Cheers!

[stew71]

Well, howdy there, UK.  Thank you for the kind words. I've met my share of hospitable folks on your side of the pond as well, while working in London and exploring the surrounding countryside.  That small town hospitality must be universal.  

Yes, even for the French.

[stew71]

Day Seven.


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The last day. Day Seven. At this point, it's more about just getting home than seeing the sights or riding the twisties. We've all been there. So, I made it a priority to take at least some happy snaps of my "backyard" that shows my fellow riders what NorCal can be about. Yes, pity me. I must suffer so.

I awoke on Day Seven at my brother-in-law's place in Reno to sunny skies and a balmy 50 degrees.    The plan was to take I-395 to the Mt. Rose Highway to Incline Village, NV to visit my sister and have some breakfast at Crosby's.  For the first time in a couple of days, I managed to stick to the plan.  

Here we go up SR-433...the Mt. Rose Highway.  



For my fellow non-CA/NV riders, it's not unusual to see snow in the Sierra all year-round in some places.



Ooooo...let's summit one mo' time....




Lake Tahoe.  'Nuff said.  





Heading south along the East Shore. Sand Harbor area.




Heading up towards Spooner Summit.



Bridal Veil Falls on Highway 50 between Tahoe and Placerville.


At this point, it was ALL about just getting the f@#k HOME!!!! No pictures. Nothing but twisting the throttle to get home as soon as possible to hug my wife. I hope you have enjoyed reading this ride report as much as I have had typing/posting/writing it.

In the words of the esteemed Warren Miller, "Thanks for watching and I hope to see you next time."

 

Oh crap. Forgot one thing. Sean is seriously thinking of selling his Triumph ST. I've ALWAYS lusted for an ST. His is the dealer-farkled 2005 model with only about 8000 miles on it. Comments from the funny farm are, of course, most thoroughly welcomed.

[Orson]

Great report  

It's getting to be almost 30 years since I rode the desert southwest   Every time I see one of these desert trip reports, I long to return there. One of these days  

The elevation of the Nevada desert caught me off guard. I remember freezing my but off one time while riding across Nevada.

Glad you made it home safe & sound