Bet it has been beautiful....I wouldn't be racing to death valley either....
Wow, did I luck out on the crossing into Nevada. Took 120 East out of Yosemite, which ended where I was going to turn 80 miles north to Tonopah to avoid a midday crossing of Death Valley. Was talking to 3 guys (more on them in a sec), when a local overheard me. He also rides, and clued me in on a MUCH better route. 35 miles south on Hwy 6 took me to 395, and 15 miles south of THAT, took me to a little town called Big Pines. There, a road called Westgard Pass takes you about 70 miles over the Sierra Nevada's, excellent motorcycle road! Hooks into 266 West which takes you to 95 South about 2 hours outside of Vegas. Two very distinct features, it is the northern end of Death Valley Road, so you are skirting JUST above the valley, and it also takes you past the Ancient Bristlecone Forest, which are AMAZING!
So these 3 guys. So far I have traveled 4900 miles, 9 days. Black hills, badlands, Wyoming from the eastern border, up to Cody near the Montana border, down through all of Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks, OVER the Teton pass (another very cool road) into Idaho, across Idaho to Oregon, where I missed my turn to Burns that would have taken me across the north California border. Instead, I ended up in Nevada, and had to do about 2 hours of I-80 (my only freeway so far, unless you count 101) to Reno, then 395 north to my goal, the 200 mile long amazing stretch of Highway 36. It was gorgeous, difficult, and LONG!!
From there, I just made it to the Avenue of Giants redwood forest by dark. Took a road that only had a camping sign. That damn camp was about 15 miles of climbing twisties up a mountain, took over an hour! So I get in really late, and it's a campsite for HORSE lovers. Shit, I'm coming in on a very noisy Harley at 11:00, Go to set up my tent, and guess what I lost on Hwy 36? Yup. Oh well, stars, moon, air mattress and sleeping bag. What more could I want? The other campers all knew each other, and adopted me. Fed me breakfast, and we talked till noon. That was the longest I have spent in any one spot.
Did the Avenue of giants the WHOLE way, both drive thru redwood trees, then took 101 south, cut over to 1 by Andersonville, stopped for a sip of Bubbly at Roederer (great stuff), and made it to highway 1 exactly at sunset. Traveled that south a bit looking for a campground, and finding nothing and being tired, I took liberties and parked my scoot on the shoulder, hopped a fence, and set my NEW tent up on a cliff over the pacific. Nobody bothered me, and falling asleep to the waves crashing below was awesome. Good thing I don't sleepwalk.
Got run off the road by a hostile Californian on 1, banged up a saddle bag, foot peg, lower fairing and when I steered it back onto the road without losing it, the shoulder gave my front shocks such a bang, the brake cable actually gouged my front fender, and they're a good 8" apart normally. Caught up with the guy, flashed my brights, pointed to pull over. He sped up like a madman so I memorized his lengthy assed Cali plate number, turned back around to go talk to a bicyclist who was nearby and turns out HE got run off the road by the asshole too. Cops took both our statements, and were going to go arrest him for hit and run. I got a bad case of the adrenaline leg jackhammering when I stopped. WHEW! AZZHOLE!! Maybe it's the lane splitting or something? But Californians definitely seem to hate motorcyclists. Rudest state I've been to yet.
After the Highway 1 cliff night, I made it to Yosemite in time to make camp, and this morning, I did a complete loop of the valley, and made it all the way to Vegas by 8pm.
So these 3 guys I met at the eastern end of Hwy 120, intersection of Route 6, little gas station in a town called Benton Station. I thought I was on a long ride. These guys humbled me quick. They are on a ride from Ushuaia Argentina, to Prudhoe Bay,ALASKA.. AND BACK! HAHAHA!!! 60,000 miles!! I'll have about 8000 when I am done I think. Whadda piker I am!
From the lowest tip of South America, to the highest point of North America, ROUND TRIP!!! And they didn't have BarcoDavidsons! They are famous in Argentina for this stunt. They were just coming OUT of Vegas, heading TO Yosemite. I got a picture with them! Their bikes are just... like 500 CC enduro type. Tires, first aid kits, fire extinguishers, all kinds shit strapped to them. I wish I spoke Spanish, because their English SUCKS!! Hahaha.. Now THESE guys are going on a seriously long assed ride. They gave me some of their promo stuff.
https://www.facebook.com/expedicao.2015
Oh, here is a pic of 2 of them, the 3rd was in the mens room. Yes, that IS a payphone, and yes it works, 25 cents. No cell reception in Benton Station...
So now I'm in Vegas for 4 days, and I think I'm going to do some heavy chillaxing before heading up to Bryce Canyon, Mount Zion, and lots of Colorado mountain roads. Dale, I hope you can make it up. The gent who is from Vegas, please PM me, I'd love to catch a brew with ya.
GFY Fugees!
