SoloBiker.com

Ever had a really bad day that turned into 2 years?

That’s where I find myself right now.

It’s been a rough stretch to say the least. I won’t go into details, since this is a bike blog and not a personal one. But suffice it to say that I will soon be bikeless – a situation I anticipate to last at least 6-8 months.

I’m hopeful of being able to buy an older (but dependable) bike in the spring. When I do, the trips will be shorter, but hopefully more frequent. Over the winter, I’ll work on getting the broken images fixed, and maybe even settle on a theme that I like.

Until then, if I have any readers left, please feel free to leave me stories of your own rides in the comments section. For now, I’ll have to live vicariously through them.

Sorry…couldn’t resist using a Monty Python line somewhere in this blog….

It’s been quite a fall / winter / spring. Normally that’s the best riding season in Las Vegas, but life dictated that I do very little riding since I got back from the Tour of California in September.

Part of those “life things” included a move back to the region where I grew up – Northern California.

I still expect my riding time to be limited for the forseeable future, but knowing all the beauty that will surround me once again in NorCal, I think I’ll find it a little easier to sneak out for a hundred miler then I have over the last 9 months.

Stay tuned for new pics of new locales in the months ahead!

For those who are interested, all of the pics from the trip, including ones that weren’t in the Trip Report, are located here.

It’s been three weeks since I returned home.

I still can’t believe how much fun I had

…how much I enjoyed riding alone, on the open road, for days at a time

…how much variety I saw in geography and climate

…how many mental blocks and challenges I overcame

…how much I improved as a rider

…how much confidence I gained

…how much I learned about myself

If I could do it all over again, there is almost nothing I would change. Though I don’t like always sticking to a tight schedule, it worked very well for a trip like this.

My only regret is a small one – I was a little too focused on the destinations, and didn’t take enough time to stop and truly enjoy what was around me.

Next time, I’ll make my max days a tiny bit shorter. I really would have liked to spend more then 40 minutes sitting on the beach by the ocean, but my schedule for the day made any more time then that impossible.

For the first time since I started riding three years ago, I feel like a “real” rider. While most people on the forums I frequent have done trips far longer and more difficult then this one, the fact remains that a vast majority of bike riders will never venture out like this.

For better or worse, I feel like this trip legitimized me as a rider, and for that and so much more, it’s an adventure that I will cherish for the rest of my life.

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My bike, a 2008 Suzuki GSX650F, was an amazing companion throughout the trip. Always firing right up every morning, raring to go, she was comfortable, plenty quick, and a barrel of fun for the entire journey.

A problem with handlebar positioning was the only fly in the ointment, leaving me with a left shoulder problem that is only now beginning to clear up, three weeks later.

I honestly can’t imagine a better bike for this ride. It provided an absolutely perfect balance of touring capabilities, and sporting fun. If you’re looking for a bike that will handle this kind of riding, I can wholeheartedly recommend the GSX650F. She’s a winner and a keeper.

The final day. I’m heading home.

It feels strange. I’ve been on the road for over a week. It’s become routine…

Ride…eat…ride…gas…ride…clean bug guts off face shield…ride…sleep….repeat.

I find myself a little sad to see it end.

I didn’t sleep well last night, and I’m finding it a bit hard to get going. I figure that I’ll make a quick stop at the McDonalds on the way out, since food stops are few and far between once I turn east from 395.

I’m so out of it, that I nearly ride right by the entrance. I see it to late, and hit both brakes too hard. They’re repaving, and there is loose gravel in the shoulder. The rear starts sliding…I’m too rummy to release the brakes, so I end up just riding out the slide. Only my second “stupid” in 1,900 miles. It could have been much worse.

I eat, and head out on a crisp, cool morning. It’s about 55-60 degrees and just a beautiful day.

About 25 miles in, one of my little fears of riding comes into play. Out of nowhere, I see a bug fly right by my neck. I think I’ve missed it, but the next thing I know, there is a very stunned bee laying right on the inside ridge of my chinbar.

In case you’re wondering, no….I really don’t like bees. At all. I’ve only been stung once, but I swelled up badly enough for me to be concerned about what might happen the second time.

Amazingly, I calmly lifted my visor before he regained his senses, and he quickly blew out. Another potentially dicey situation avoided.

Gas in Bishop, then eastbound on Hwy 168 through the White mountains.

On any other day, this section would have been a load of fun. But I was so determined to get home without a single issue on the whole trip, that I really babied it through the canyons. Next time I’ll be more adventurous.

You might notice the lack of pictures. I have to admit, even though the first couple of hours were beautiful, I knew the last 180 miles were going to suck, and I just wanted it over with.

I did take break at the Fish Camp junction long enough for Stomper to straighten out his ears though…

This is a very pretty, calm, serene area. I’d hung out here for awhile and watch the hay trucks go by….the kind of place I’d hang out and eat lunch for awhile if I could. Maybe next time.

Up and over Lido Pass I rode. I noted that these would be the last trees I’d see on this long journey. It was the first moment of the trip that truly made me sad. I live for water and trees, and Vegas has neither. I was really going home.

Back to life…

Back to reality…

With that, the photos come to an end.

Once on US 95, I wicked it up a bit in an effort to get the most awful part of the trip over with as quickly as possible. I passed on lunch in Beatty, knowing that there was a stop in Amargosa Valley with good food.

So much for those plans.

The place had closed, and the only other option was a seedy little gas station with a Brothel behind it. No thanks. Not for me.

The only other lunch stop between Amargosa Valley and home was in Indian Springs, were the State Prison is located. Despite that, I was ready to stop…

…until a big rain cloud opened up on me.

That’s right, 2,200 miles into my trip, I hit my first rain.

In the middle of the Mojave desert.

It’s a good thing I have a sense of humor about life.

At that point, I made the decision to just head straight home, and rolled into the garage after a 337.5 mile day.

Getting off the bike and putting it onto the center stand, I was suddenly overwhelmed with emotion. I’d done it. A trip I wasn’t sure I was capable of making, either physically or mentally, and I was ready to go again.

No mishaps, no major issues.

I’ll remember this trip for the rest of my life. It’s one more thing I can cross off my “I wish I would have done…” list. I want that list to be as short as possible at the end of my life. I’m way behind schedule, so I need to continue to get with it.

Until next time….keep the rubber side up, and take the time to notice what’s around you. You never know if it will be your last pass through.

Planning routes from Reno to Las Vegas is difficult. It’s a bit more then I would want to ride in a day, but there really isn’t a place that’s “halfway” where I would actually want to stay.

So I usually stay in Mammoth and just deal with the “short day / long day” thing. Today was, of course, the short day.

I took advantage of this and slept in a bit. My friends were off to work and school early, so I had the house to myself. After doing a load of laundry, I finally departed at 10am.

I was surprised at how little had changed in Reno and Carson City as I rolled through. The planned I-580 bypass is proceeding much more slowly than anticipated (it was supposed to be done by now, but has been pushed all the way out to 2011 now I believe).

The Galena Creek Bridge is finally starting to take shape though. It’s going to be a thing of beauty when completed. I sure wish I could have stopped for a picture, but I know the dangers of trying to do that while fighting the traffic in Pleasant Valley.

Gassed up in Minden – one of my favorite small towns that I’ve ever been to.

I’m getting a bit bored with 395 I have to admit. As pretty as it is, it’s also increasing in traffic, and I find myself more occupied with passing traffic then admiring the scenery.

I did have a quest in mind however…

Every single time I’ve covered this stretch of road (has to be approaching a dozens times now, I’ve always wanted to stop at Walker Burger (in Walker, CA) for lunch. But every single time I’ve passed through, it’s been closed for one reason or another.

But today was finally my lucky day…

Complete with “Garden Dining”.

They weren’t kidding either! I placed my order and walked behind the building into a place that was damn near the Garden of Eden…

While I consumed an excellent burger and fries (I keep forgetting to take food photos!!) Stomper was busy practicing his Zen meditation at the Koi pond.

After a lunch that managed to be both filling and fulfilling, I hopped back onto 395, and cruised along until Mono Lake appeared in the distance…

This is my first shot a stitching together a panorama. Please excuse the watermark. I didn’t want to pay $70 for software if the end result was poor. But I think this turned out okay, especially for my first attempt. Click on the picture to see it full-size.

Gratuitous bike shot, with Mono Lake in the background.

I continued along 395 and turned off at the June Lake Loop. It looked like it would be a great ride, but it was not meant to be. For the first time in the entire trip, I was trapped with slow cars in front of me, impatient cars behind me, and never a long enough sightline to get myself clear.

Then, just as the last of the slow cars turned off, and I thought I was finally going to have some fun riding in front of me…

Now, see that Black Dodge truck at the front of the line?

He hates motorcyclists.

Or he’s drunk.

Or he’s falling asleep at the wheel.

I’m not sure which it was, but less than 10 minutes later, I had my first unpleasant encounter with a auto in nearly 1,900 miles of riding.

After clearning the loop and returning to the four lane stretch of 395, I attempted to pass the truck. He was in the right-hand lane. Immediately as I signalled and changed to the left hand lane, he began to drift into the left lane by about three feet. I backed off and he returned to his lane.

Now he’s slowing a bit. I decide that getting around him quickly is the best answer here, so this time I don’t signal (we’re alone out here) change lanes, and hit the throttle hard.

As I come up alongside him, he starts drifting again. Pretty soon I’m right up against the double yellow. I’m up to 90 and climbing, and he has it floored, and has me pinned to the double yellow. Finally I clear him and get back into the right lane. He decides to stay on my tail for awhile, but finally gives up.

One asshat in 2,300 miles. I suppose I should consider myself lucky.

A few miles later I turn off onto the Mammoth Scenic Loop, and remember to pull over long enough to grab a quick shot.

I rode right by the Sierra Lodge three time before I finally found it hidden amongst the trees. I walked across the street to Angels for dinner (no food photos again…sigh).

Before calling it a night, I pondered tomorrow’s ride – my last on the road. I wasn’t sure if I was happy or sad about that, but I knew one thing for sure. I definitely wasn’t looking forward to returning to the Mojave desert.