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Published: June 23rd 2012
Day 76……16/06/2012 Today we will visit Virginia City, an old gold mining town that has pretty much kept most of its originality intact. More gold and silver had been mined there than anywhere else in the US. The morning was once again bright and sunny, and the temperature was on the climb, we rode the 26 miles high up into the mountains to the southeast of Reno on a superb newly tarmacked winding road. The views back across the wide valley floor below and away west to the Tahoe Mountains where stunning, there was even a little snow still on the higher slopes. The gold from Virginia City had pretty much funded the construction of San Francisco, with the mine owners investing heavily in the regions emerging commerce. But that was many years ago, today the rickety old boardwalks reverberate to the sound of tourist’s trainers rather than miners boots, and long gone are the bordellos and brothels that would have served the needs of the many thousands of miners from all over the world that had come here to find there fortune. The town now pretty much exists around the main street, but there are still quite a few
old bars and hotels that give a very good idea as to what life must have been like back then. Hotels with original signs stating the room rates back in the 1800s, 50 cents room and bath, negotiable if you went second in the bath. We sat in the Bucket of Blood saloon, listening to some good ole boys playing on the stage, and some of the locals dressed in their finest period costumes dancing around the floor of the bar, but no gunfights though, which was a shame considering Lynne’s new found vocation.
Day 77……17/06/2012 Just a short ride today as we start to make our way north west and back in the direction of the California coast. We intend to visit a couple more National parks enroute that is if they are not blocked by snow. We headed out of Reno in Nevada at around 11am, and followed the road away from the mountains to the southwest and into the high desert area of California. The temperature cooled slightly as we climbed, but the wind got up a little, and at one point we were hit by a small dust devil, (tiny tornado) that touched down
on the road in front of us, it felt weird just like being battered by a high wind from all directions at once, and it trying to lift your crash helmet off, but only lasting a second or two as you passed through. We carried on the remainder of the ride watching for others, but I imagine that it was as rare to pass through one as it is to be hit by lightning, maybe rarer. We found a nice motel in the small town of Susanville, and after unpacking both bikes got a well deserved jet wash and check over, by me that is, Lynne decided that her book was more exciting than getting her hands dirty. The evening’s entertainment involved watching some deer feeding from our bathroom window, right in town and not bothered by much at all, and then a nice burger at the local bowling alley.
Day 78……18/06/2012 Up and away fairly early this morning, and hit the post office to send another box of Lynne’s acquisitions that had been purchased along the way, seems that the “we’ve no room for anything else on the bikes” rule has been well and truly circumvented. We
rode west through ever more thickening forest, on beautiful sweeping roads, and every so often it opened up into huge flat tree lined meadows, where cattle grazed on rich green grass, all made the ride pretty special. After 60 or so miles we arrived at the entrance to Mount Lassen Volcanic National park. This had been a place that I had visited the last time I travelled here, but then it had been closed due to heavy snow higher up in the park, we were pleased to see that this time it was open. As we made our way in it was clear to see that there were still remnants of the previous winter’s snowfall but thankfully none on the road. We climbed ever higher onto the mountain passing beautiful snow formations, and waterfalls carrying the ice cold water down into the frozen lakes that were dotted along our route. Surprisingly the temperature was really quite nice, well there were no complaints from Lynne which is always a better indicator than any forecast or gauge. We passed through areas where the volcanic aspect of the park was very evident, the sulphurous odour making itself known now and again, I just
like to think of it as an Earth fart. The higher levels of the mountain slowly gave way to the more tree covered slopes on the other side. Our stop for the night would be at Manzanita Lake, and at a little over 5000 feet it gave Lynne a little concern as we would camp for the first time. It was a stunning site, right in the middle of a pine forest by a lake, with a shop, conveniences, benches and a campfire ring by each pitch, the state run park had the lot, even strong secure metal lockers to put your food, toiletries, or anything with an odour in. Oh dear not good.
Day 79……19/06/2012 Well we are still alive, and anything that got to our food last night would have had to have been, wait for it “smarter than the average bear Boo Boo” if you laughed at that you must be at least 45. All joking aside we did speak to three bikers camped near us, who had said there were bears everywhere but mainly of the black variety, that although timid were to be treated with the utmost respect, unlike the grizzly type that
are not so timid. There were notices dotted around that said all bear sightings were to be reported to the nearest ranger, that would be fine I thought as long as the ranger was riding a motorcycle at a 100mph in the same direction as me, then I would pass the message on. With our camp packed up we rode out of the park on some more beautiful roads and down into the valley below the temperature rose considerably as we continued west. The ride towards the coast took us through one more mountain range with more spectacular scenery, deep drop offs and shear rock faces. Now everyone has seen signs at the roadside that warn of impending danger over the next however many miles, falling rock, curves, deer, and a multitude of other hazards, and while we all acknowledge them we do tend to get a bit complacent when you see them all the time, but never see the evidence. Well it was not so on this stretch of mountain road, by the time I had turned my head back from a glance to the left the 5’ Mule deer was already passing at speed some 15’ in front
of me, holy crap that was close, and in the middle of the afternoon too, there is just no telling here. Needless to say I was a lot more vigilant for the rest of the ride, but you really cannot do anything about the deer they just appear from nowhere, just like the wasp that got into Lynne’s helmet a few minutes later and stung her on her eyebrow, I might complain to the highways agencies that there had been no warning signs depicting wasp’s on an orange diamond. At the coast we found a motel by the sea in the small town of Arcata, and reflected back on Lynne’s sting and the consequences that might have been had the deer bit me?
Day 80……20/06/2012 The ride today was north again along the California coastline and it was a little foggy again something we had gotten used to as a normal morning by the coast. As we progressed further into the day the sun broke through and just in time to see the giant redwoods that this part of California is famous for. A spectacular ride through miles of dense forest, it was most surreal, like a film
set, Lynne said it looked almost enchanted, and expected to see fairies dancing and skipping their way through the ferns around the mighty trunks, I told her not to be silly as we were miles from San Francisco. We had a great ride today, highway 101 took us along the Oceanside and then darted back inland every so often to the forests. We looked for a motel in the northern coastal town of Crescent City, and with a few to choose from opted for the one right next to a Mexican restaurant and bar.
Day 81……21/06/2012 Once again the sea had sent the fog back in to greet us this morning, but it would only be at the coast, and as we were now going to make our way inland today it would soon be gone. Our destination today will be Grants Pass in Oregon, State number 22. The ride will take us on another superb bike road that I have been on before. More curves and sweeps, gorges and waterfalls, we rode alongside fast flowing rivers that tumbled over massive boulders, and then still emerald green pools without a ripple. This was shear heaven on a bike
given the opportunity to snatch glances at these wonders every now and then, unfortunately not so easy on a trike when trying to keep the thing going around the bends instead of the machines preferred direction of straight on and into the mountainside, several stops at overlooks were the only real views that Lynne got, but then that’s the unfortunate trade off of being able to ride when being vertically challenged. Once through the mountains we made our way north east and onto Grants Pass, the whole ride had only been 80 miles, but a beautiful one none the less. We found a nice hotel in the centre of the town, and that afternoon took a walk out to try to balance up the old riding sightseeing levels, and there were a few shops to give Lynne her fix again, but the novelty soon wore off due to the heat and a fair bit more humidity than we had been used to, so we found a bar instead, I am so easily led, I will have to try and be more assertive.
Day 82……22/06/2012 Well what a contrast from the last thirty or so days of clear blue
skies, and definitely the reason why Oregon is so green, yes it’s raining. So today will be a stay put day, and as we only have five or six hundred miles to go before we get to Seattle, and just over two weeks to do it there is no real rush. The mountains that had looked so majestic out of our hotel window last night, were now shrouded in an eerie mist, and the bikes that had been very clean were now very wet. Well you have to make the best of what you have and get on with it, so we put our coats on and went for a mooch, but really only as far as a small tavern up the street, where we got friendly with some of the towns , well let’s just say more colourful locals. The main topic of conversation was and has been the case so many other times when we have spoken to some ordinary Americans on our travels, and it concerned that “a**sehole” in the Whitehouse. Just about everyone we have spoken to has not really had many kind words for him, but it seems as he is neck and neck with
his opponent in the election run ups, so we can only imagine that as we have not been to too many large city’s that this is where his support is, and the more rural areas where we have travelled is where it is not. A pretty non eventful day was finished off with a rather nice meal at a nearby Thai restaurant, and then an early night back watching some rubbish on the TV. American television involves a lot of channel hopping between the rubbish and the rest which is just moderately crap, oh and the countless adverts calling for you to sue for just about every form of negligence known to man. Let’s hope the forecast of more grey skies for tomorrow are a little off, if not there will not be much to write home about.
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john
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Great stuff,Loved the photos, keep it comming