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Like many of you, there are too many rides to account, but several stick out above the rest.
For example; last June I took a trip to Reno for testing at the State College. Planning a trip from Fresno to Reno is pretty easy in that there are only two main roads to take...Highway 99 for approx 170 miles, then a right turn on I-80 East for an additional 130 miles. With my tank and saddle bags full, I left on a Friday after work around 4:30pm. Although Highway 99 was boring and warm, it allowed me time to decompress from the stresses of work and enjoy the 'open road'. Due to a requirement of taking a test I chose to stay the night with a friend in Sacramento so that I would not be wiped out for the 6+hour long test. Leaving early Saturday morning I jumped onto I-80 and made my way up the mountain. Some of the best wide and empty roads I've been on! With nobody to share the road with I found myself cruising at a moderate pace of 90+ MPH nearly the whole way; only stopping once to refuel. Making it to the college by 7am I was able to find a local diner to stop and eat breakfast. Tests began @ 8:30am and lasted until 2:30pm, at which point I had a good lunch and headed home. Deciding which way to return was not difficult in that I am an adventurer at heart and loved to find and ride new roads. Briefly reviewing the map I chose to make my way towards 695 South, which leads me down the East side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Then I would turn west going up and through Tioga Pass (a.k.a. Yosemite National Park). The ride down 695 was phenomenal! The country was beautiful with the contrast of desert on the left and Snow capped mountains on the right. On the open (and once again empty) roads I found myself traveling comfortably at 90+ MPH again. The roads were VERY smooth and clean. The canyons were equally dynamic and required a slower pace for the turns, but more so for the beauty. I found myself topping the tank twice before reaching Tioga Pass (nearly 400 miles). Making it to Tioga pass around 5:30pm, I realized I would be driving through Yosemite at night (More concerned about other drivers and critters than anything else). So, after paying my $9 toll fee I decided to pick up the pace a little. Driving through Tuolumne Meadows was fantastic in view and ride. Traffic was a bit more congested, but with a number of straight-ways I found passing them was no trouble. However, the roads became tighter as the mountains grew closer. My speed dropped from 90, to 60, then to 35 MPH. It was getting dark and I noticed my fuel was getting low. Finally, a stop sign; should I turn right onto 49, which leads me to Merced so that I could refuel, or should I go left, a considerably longer route, through Yosemite Valley towards Fresno? The thrill Seeker I am, I chose to go left. It was now dark and the view of the valley was greatly diminished; however, the riding sensation increased as I focused on the tight curves of the yellow and white lines, the cars, and any motion my peripheral vision could detect. Although it was probably a good thing, I became greatly agitated of the EXTREMELY slow moving cars in front of me. I'm sorry, 25 mph for sight seeing is fine; however, at 9pm, with the sun completely down, there is simply nothing to goggle over. Moreover, there were a number of pull-outs they could have taken, but NOOO! Moreover, the road was too curvy and dangerous (for me anyway) for passing. Finally, after just leaving my High-Beams on continually for several miles, the cars in front took the hint and pulled aside. By this time I had made it to the South entrance/Exit gate of Yosemite. The rest of the trip was down hill (pun intended). I made it to the nearest gas station, Coarsegold and the ride ended about 10pm at Starbucks in Fresno on Blackstone St. With tongue in cheek, I asked if anyone was ready to ride. Ironically, most of these ‘riders’ at Starbucks call riding from Starbucks to In-N-Out Burger (approx 5 miles) a ride. As usual, they declined as it was too dark for country riding.
In all, I road about 900 miles in just over 24 hours, and has been probably the single most adventurous ride to date. Is it because I rode alone, or because I road nearly a thousand miles in 24 hours? Alas, I do not know. But I do know this. Now that I’m on the East Coast (Pennsylvania), I am planning on a New Hampshire trip this summer and hopefully a trip around the Great Lakes next summer.
Keep the Sunny Side Up.
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