Friday August 12, 2005

I did not have any difficulties getting up a little before 5am . After all, I was spending the day riding the backroads through the Sierra Nevadas. Fortunately, I had finished packing the night before (not something that I always do) and was out the door at 5:45 . After a quick stop at the ATM (did you know touch screens do not work with gloves on?) I met Ralph at "his" Starbuck's on Alicia in Mission Viejo about ten after six. After a quick cup of coffee and route confirmation, we were off by 6:45 . Our exit from the L.A. Basin was via Hwy 57 and I-210. Traffic was light, much less than what I was expecting particularly on the 210. We stopped at La Canada / Flintridge for one final check.

We left La Canada via Hwy 2, aka Angeles Crest Highway , then to Hwy 3 ( Angeles Forest Hwy ) to a stretch of superslab (Hwy 14). We stopped for gas and a stretch in Mojave. We continued north on 14 until we reached the turnoff for Hwy 178, Walker Pass. This is a beautiful back way into Kernville and not quite as energy depleting as the route through Caliente/Bodfish. We observe, while traveling at a pretty good clip, that Lake Isabella is nearly full. There are some benefits to experiencing a Seattle-like winter ( L.A. had about 37 inches of rain the preceding season, exceeding even Seattle ).

We stop to fill up the Camelbak and a stretch in Kernville. It's only 10 am and it's already 85 degrees. Before I put my jacket on, I soak my long sleeve shirt as well as my bandana.

Ralph relates that he has never ridden this road north of Kernville. I think to myself that he is in for a treat. The next several hours are filled with as many twisties to the left as there were to the right (fortunately) and very little traffic. My pace is a "little" quicker than Ralph's so I wait for him at each fork in the road. No problem. This gives me a rare chance to lift my head and enjoy the scenery around me.

We arrive at a restaurant about a mile north of Camp Nelson . It's about 1:30 . Time for lunch! We each have the low calorie cheeseburger and freedom fries. Well, the waitress said it was low calorie (wink-wink).

By this time, it's very hot. My thermometer is reading 100. Ralph's is reading even higher than that. I ask Ralph if he wants to bail out and go through Porterville . Ralph notes that this would require a little backtracking and believes we should continue on our current route.

More twisties ahead. The road is in very good condition. I reach a young man in a VW who desperately wants to stay in front of me. I let him enjoy that for about a mile until I get bored with the view. I reach the turnoff for Exiter (just before Springville). I have enough time to re-soak my shirt and bandana before Ralph arrives. Ralph states that yes, his fuel light is on and it has been on for a while. I try to calm him down by letting him know that the next fuel stop in Lemon Cove is not far away. I see that Ralph is skeptical, but he follows anyway.

We reach Lemon Cove without incident. Ralph only puts three gallons of gas in his tank "because it's a nice round number� ($9). I remind Ralph that there is very little fuel in Kings Canyon . He adds another gallon and a half.

We reach the park entrance and pay our fee. The road in the park is narrow and has much tighter turns. Ralph later says he was hampered by the cars and (especially) the RVs. Funny, but I didn't recall seeing any :o). We reach the camp about 3:30 pm and find Werner already in camp. Werner took the same route as us, but he left about an hour and a half earlier.

We set up camp and then try to find a shower. We ride up to Stony Creek Lodge to find that the showers were out of order (no hot water). Werner gets a token for half price ($2) and takes a cold shower. Ralph decides to skip the cold shower experience while I decide to take a half (waist up) bath in the sink in the restroom at the campsite.

We then prepare our dinner which consists of spicy sausage from Trader Joe's, low fat turkey chili and trout fillets. We build a nice fire and spend the rest of the evening telling bear stories (while packing our food in bear boxes).

Saturday, August 13, 2005

I had no trouble getting to sleep after a full day�s ride and only wake once during the night. I�m up by 6:30 and put on a pot of coffee. Werner and Ralph are up within the hour. While enjoying breakfast consisting of granola bars and fresh brewed Starbuck�s coffee, Werner shares that he had forgotten to remove a ripe Fiji apple from his pack and slept with it instead of packing it in the bear box. Ralph mentions that he heard an air horn during the night indicating that whatever bears that were in camp that night found something more rewarding than Werner�s apple.

While enjoying the coffee and the morning in the park, I start thinking about all the things I need to get done at home including unpacking the new plotter sitting in my garage. I express my desire to return home a day earlier and get no argument from Werner and Ralph. All three of us left loving spouses at home waiting for us and it seems that agree that spending a Sunday with them would be nice. We break down camp and are ready to roll by 10:30 am . For some reason, Werner and Ralph want to ride the more direct route home. As for me, I see this as an opportunity to experience the one pass through the Sierra Nevadas which I have yet to cross: Sherman Pass. I leave camp at 10:45 and start back-tracking my route south. The route looks different going south than it did going north. I encounter very little traffic since this is Saturday morning.

I pick up the route over Sherman Pass a little north of Kernville. The road is a little dirty and there are quite a few potholes. Werner warned me of both and he was right. I decide to take this leg a little less aggressively and just enjoy the scenery. There is evidence of a recent (within the last few years) of a major forest fire and the landscape is eerie with the blackened trees and green undergrowth. I reach the peak (9,200 feet) and the view is spectacular. I stop at a rest area and vista point where I can faintly make out Mt. Whitney , the highest peak in the Lower 48 states. This is the first time I�ve seen this landmark.

I ride down the Eastern Sierra slope via nine mile canyon road and stop for gas and water in Inyokern just off Hwy 395. I set a brisk pace to Cajon Pass where I call Nancy and let her know I�m going to be home a day early. I traverse the L.A. basin fairly efficiently. The challenge is that this is the first time in two days I�ve encountered traffic. Without incriminating myself, the previous leg on Hwy 395, which is wide open, was ridden at a �brisk� pace. It�s a little bit of a challenge riding more �civilized� in town but I manage to do just that. Traffic on the 91 is extremely heavy and the toll road is closed for some reason. I am forced to take Hwy 55 to Hwy 5 but both are fairly light.

I arrive home at 7:45 , exactly nine hours after I left camp, and, more importantly, still in daylight which meant that I did not have to change face shields. I am greeted by my family, Nancy and our two dogs. I halfway unpack and relax for the rest of the evening reveling in the fact that I don�t see how I could have packed much more into two days of riding, 840 miles and very little super slab, and still have the bonus of being able to spend Sunday with Nancy . What a great weekend.

View from Sherman Pass

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