Saturday, November 3, 2007

3 Nov 2007 - Ione Meeting

Annual Planning Meeting at the Pizza Factory in Ione, CA

Click on any photo to view the full size image

Jess, Las, Bill and Pdub ordering lunch.
Linda looking quizzical...
Eight bikes including 4 Triumphs.


Jess, Jenn, Pdub, Daniel, Mario, Bill, Las {hidden} and Linda.
Tom P. shows up.
Pizzas......................

Linda and Mario arrived a little before 11:30 AM our meet time. They were way early. They have already finished eating.

Tom is not sure what he is eating........ Jess is finishing his calzone.

Tom still has not figured out what he is eating.............

Now what is Tom doing??????

Las thinks I will take a photo of her taking a bite..... Tom is eating.

Ooops. I did post a photo of Las eating.

Jenn about to take a bite...... Mario has finished long ago. Eric is the last to show since he works at Mule Creek and does not know the rest of the way to downtown Ione.

Mr and Mrs B checking out Bill B's Speed Triple.
Getting ready to leave.


2008 Rides listed at: Meeting Minutes

Those there today:
Las................. Carson City
Mario D........ Pollock Pines
Linda D........ Pollock Pines
Bill B........... Arnold
Eric B........... Elk Grove
Jess H.......... Sacramento
Daniel B....... Mt Aukum
Jenn B.......... Mt Aukum
Tom P.......... Orangevale
Pdub............ West Sac
Don I............ Stockton

fin

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

11 Aug 2007 - Ice House Road

{Click on any photo to view its full size image}


The day started at the Bella Bru coffee shop off El Dorado Hills Blvd
in El Dorado Hills.
My father-in-law and I showed up a little early for
coffee and pastries. As we sat outside we start seeing the bikes roll in.
Phil on
his Nomad waves and says that a few are at McDonalds and will be there shortly. Paul and Yvonne show up on the America and bring with them their neighbor Laura on a tricked out track ready 650r Kawasaki Ninja. Jennifer and Daniel, Eric, Phil, Ron, Ron's Friend (I am sorry, I can't remember his name), and Jess all roll in.

We waited till about 9:15 for Andy B. but he was a no
show, turns out, he went to the wrong Bella Bru.

We started out on El Dorado Hills Blvd to Salmon Falls Rd. Beautiful road
but had a little bit of traffic that slowed us down a bit, gathered at
highway 49, rode toward Cool, and turned on highway 193 toward Georgetown.
Eric on his Triumph Speed 4 and Jess on his Red Sprint ST were out in front
waiting for us as we pulled into Georgetown. We stopped for refreshments at
the Worton Market in Georgetown. Our bikes took up the entire front parking
lot, 11 bikes in all.







The Group heads out down Wentworth Springs Road towards Stumpy Meadows
Lake.
Again Eric, Jess and Pdub rode off together in front of the pack, Speed
Demons. Ha Ha. We gather at the Stumpy Meadows Lake boa
launch, and
then continue on toward Ice House Road. This part is by far m
favorite part
of the ride. Thirty mph switchbacks with clear views to the next turn
perfect
asphalt that you can really lean into the turns without bein
bumped around.
Also, georgous views of the surrounding Sierra Nevada's.


We take a short break on Icehouse Road about 200 yards from highway 50 and
discuss lunch options.




Jennifer suggests a Mexican Restaurant called
Los Hermanos in Sly Park.
The group agrees and off we go. The food and
conversation was good.



This is a typical NorCal Triumph Rider with a Yamaha tee shirt and a full fork :-) :




This being the end of the ride, I asked if anyone wanted to join my
father-in-law and I for a beer at the Gold Hill Winery / Brewery in Gold
Hill outside of Placerville, next to Coloma. Eric, Jennifer and Daniel all
accompanied us. Somehow Phil was left behind. Sorry Phil.

This was the Ride Route:



Andy Neves
2003 Triumph Speedmaster

Sunday, July 15, 2007

2007 July 14 - Occidental

{Click on each photo to view the full size image}

Most of the photos were taken by Jess H. And some are mine.

We gather at the Jelly Belly parking lot. The weather is perfect around 70° and sunny.

Jess coworker and FJ1200 Rider, Theresa W. at the JB.We start out with 13 bikes and 15 people as two are riding two-up.
Because the weather is so nice, there is a bunch of traffic as we head west on Hwy 12 to Hwy 121 to Sears Point. Here we get on Hwy 37 to Atherton Ave/San Marin Ave around Novato. We catch Novato Blvd to Petaluma-Point Reyes Road. We pass the Cheese Factory and the smells are wonderful.


Here we have reached Hwy 1 and are waiting for a break in traffic to get a bunch of bikes onto the highway.


Our first rest stop at Point Reyes Station. With so many bikes the normal gas station stop is not possible so we wind up at the edge of town.

This is Linda hamming for the camera.
Jess and Theresa.

Scott with a smoke.

Here I am taking a photo.We just take over the whole street.

Jenn decides she needs another bike, so she checks out Theresa's 1990 Yamaha FJ1200.Phil is cleaning his face shield as Jeff watches.
"Hey Eric, Wait for me!"

We split into two groups to Ride to lunch at Howard's Station Café in Occidental.
We start in sunny conditions but not too far up Tomales Bay we get into the fog.




Okay. We get to Occidental and lunch. We just miss breakfast which ends at 12:30PM. But it also means that we get there just as a whole bunch of people are leaving, so we get seated right away. The place was crowded for breakfast.
Here's Cranky and Larry and Glenda C.

The back of Jeff's head, me and Mario and the back of Las.Eric, Jess, Jenn and Theresa.
Here is the "Food" shot.


After lunch Eric twists while Jeff, Phil and Las discuss the facts of life.
Another photo with Las in a strange position. Hey, Jess took this picture.

We split into two groups after lunch. A string of now 14 bikes, as Will J from Coloma has caught up with us after lunch, is too many for Coleman Valley Road. So we split into two groups of 7 bikes each.

Starts out sunny on this two-way one-lane road which is the road that the locals take to get from Occidental to Bodega Bay or vice versa.These are pics of Group 1.
Cranky from San Jose wrote the following:

"There were some foggy parts that puckered your shorts, and the one goin' over Coleman Valley Rd on a one lane two way road with 40 mph fog blown in your face was to say "a bit interesting"!!! And yes there was traffic coming our way... and I had trouble seeing Don at the front, I'm talkin' serious fog and wind.. but old smart me.... had come thru some sun.... took my sweatshirt off, from under my mesh jacket.... and took off my leather gloves and put on my mesh gloves..... !%)!#$%~#$)%*$)%*~$"
The camera lens is better than the human eye in looking through fog. The visibilty was not nearly as good as the photos indicate.

Here is the first group heading north on Hwy 1. Two bikes had decided to head to Bodega Bay since they had never been there.

Gas stop at Guerneville for the second group.
Same gas stop as the first group.

Second group.

Heading out of Guerneville.
From Guerneville the Ride continues along River Road into Santa Rosa where River Road turns into Mark Springs West Road. This gets us into Hwy 128 just north of Calistoga. At Calistoga though the Ride heads over to the Silverado Trail which is a much nicer Ride than the really busy Hwy 128/Hwy29. Hwy 128 crosses the Silverado Trail where the Ride heads toward Winters.

Epilogue:
It turns out that Group 2 had to stop again to eat:

"As we came to the stop sign in Calistoga, we looked to our right and noticed the bbq place (I forget the name), so we made a quick stop for more grub. Jess and Theresa had to go, though. This really is an eating club that utilizes motorcycles to get from restaurant to restaurant!
I've tried 2 times to send the picture of us there, but it's too big.
Thanks for a great day!
Jenn"

So anyway here are photos of Buster's from previous Rides.
This is the photo of the Group 2 Riders after eating. {Jenn finally sent it}

Now Group 1 had the "older" folks who are headed to Oregon for the FOOL Ride {Fogies, Old, Oregon Loop}. The young stomachs stop at Buster's to eat. The Fogies stop at the Soda Canyon Store for a soda, but more importantly a potty break. :-)

Jess wrote:
"I only trip oddoded at 296.5 miles total from my home round trip. Not bad for a great day's ride. "

Jenn checks out one more bike:


We had two Triumphs, seven Vulcans, two BMWs, a Yamaha, a Suzuki and a Harley.

Eric B ............................Elk Grove ..Low Rider
Jennifer B ....................Mt Aukum ..Low Rider Pillion
Larry C .........................Vacaville ..1500 Classic
Glenda C .......................Vacaville ..1500 Classic Pillion
Linda D .........................Pollock Pines ..VN 900
Mario D ........................Pollock Pines ..VN 2000
Jesse H .........................Sacto ..Sprint ST
Don I .............................Stockton ..F650
Will J ............................Coloma ..1500 Classic
Jeff L .............................Citrus Heights ..Nomad
David M .........................Roseville ..K1200LT
Las S ..............................Silver City ..Boogar
Scott S ...........................Sacto ..Sprint
Cranky S ........................San Jose ..Nomad
Phil T ..............................Citrus Heights ..Nomad
Theresa W ......................Rancho Cordova ..FJ1200