12 May 2007 - Altamont Pass Roads

12 May 2007 - Altamont Pass Roads

{Click on images to view Full Size}

The meeting place was the Rivers Edge Café in Isleton. Pdub and I were there at 9:00 AM. Tom has called from the road and told us that he will be a little late.

The three bikes lined up outside the Rivers Edge.
The three of us ate breakfast. Great breakfast at the Rivers Edge.
Eric shows up at 9:40. He ate breakfast at home and was joining us for the Ride. Pdub is not riding. So there are just Tom, Eric and I who will face the roads today.


It is windy today. The bikes are leaning over as we head down the River Hwy 160 to the Antioch Bridge. Deer Valley Road to Marsh Creek Road to Camino Diablo to Vasco Road. The breezes along Vasco Road especially near the summit keep our speed in check. That plus the traffic. First break is at the Shell station just north of I-580.


Tom has to replenish his electrolytes.


Off we go over the Old Altamont Pass Road. This is the remnant of Hwy 50 and was the first US Highway through the Altamont. It is a twisty up and down two lane road. Since the Waste Management land fill is about half way up the road, the pavement is wonderful on the Livermore side of the hill. After the landfill entrance the road surface becomes worse but is still in pretty good shape.

From there we look for and find Midway Road which takes us past the Altamont Speedway. It was near the Speedway that the infamous free Rolling Stones Concert took place. The one in which the Stones hired the Hell's Angels as security, a really foolish thing to do.

Then turn onto the single lane Patterson Pass Road, which signs tell you Do Not Pass for the next 8 miles. We do encounter a few cars traveling on the opposite direction. Two cars can barely squeeze through but the motorcycles have plenty of room. It is a wide one lane road, just be very careful in the many blind corners.

The original plan was to continue back to Livermore and another break, but we were getting used to the high winds so took Crossroads over to Tesla Road. Tesla turns into Corral Hollow Road at the San Joaquin County Line. It is a fairly well traveled road and the alternative choice when I-580 becomes a parking lot. For the most part it is a sweeping road that can be traveled at a fairly brisk pace. But at the top and coming down the east side is an 8 per cent grade with a bunch of tight corners and a switchback or two. Quick down shift to second and crawl our way down the hill.

At the County Line off to the South is Carnegie SVRA the off road vehicle park. There are a lot of dirt bikes and a few atv's making use of the Park today. The road becomes a highway, but we encounter a cage and have to slow to 70 mph.

Over I-580 and into Tracy. We need a bladder break so detour to the Taco Bell for a quick rest break.

Across Union Island and Roberts Island. The roads are sweeping and flat and really fast by now. Speedo hits 90 at one point along the ride. Crumb we have to get on I-5 to get around Stockton. Farm roads to Lodi and a little city streets to Andre's. Tom has the patty melt with potato salad, Eric is a good boy and has the side fruit bowl with his BBQ burger. I stick to the traditional bacon cheese burger with fries.


Gas up in Lodi near Hwy 99 and head for home. Windy day but a nice back road ride. Too many people in the area now though. These roads used to have very little traffic, but now have a little as on Patterson Pass to a ton on Vasco Road.

Where was everyone today. Perhaps the Mother's Day weekend. Oh well. The Pdub Wedding Ride should have a bigger turn out.

---
norcalrat

14 April 2007 - Sausage Feed

{CLICK on the photos to see the full size image}

Well the Second Annual Sausage Feed was a success despite the rain. There were eight (8) hardy souls that came down to Stockton in their rain gear {read as cages}.

The sausages came from the Lockeford Meat and Sausage Company in Lockeford right on Hwy 88. There were five (5) varieties. The Dakota brat, which is their signature sausage, a brat filled with garlic. Then there was a mild Italian, an unsmoked Polish, apple sausage and Bavarian.

All were very good except Eric and Garlic don't mix so he sat on Pdub's lap and skipped the Dakota brat.


Besides the sausages there was veggies and a green salad with a low cal raspberry vinaigrette dressing. Gian's Deli potato salad. Bush's Baked Beans simmered with jalapenos which were gone after putting a serving in a container for Yvonne, who had to work. There were seven (7) different mustards but the sausages really did not need the mustard so I have a lot of left over mustard. I also had four loaves {we used 2} of the very good bread from the River's Edge Cafe. Some chips to go with the drinks. Cookies from Elk Grove and also the River's Edge for dessert. {forgot to bring out the strawberries}


Tom P, sausages, Don I, Jess H, Jennifer B, Pdub, Eric, Scott, Lisa and Phil T.


We did not have a chance to do wheelies on the Honda C70 this year {Deuce almost ruined the shocks last year}. Too much rain water on the streets.

Gary G and Cindy were half way to Stockton when Gary had to turn around. He was feeling sick with flu like symptoms and did not want to infect any of the rest of us. Sorry you had to miss the food. Gary phoned both me an Pdub about his conidtion.


Here I am moving the brats for their final cooking from the low fire to the hot fire.

During the eating and conversations we did manage to set the Ride Calendar for May through September of 2007.

May - Mines Road - Del Puerto Canyon Road
June - Amador County
July - Occidental - Bodega Bay
August - El Dorado County Loop to Ice House Rd
Sept - Downieville and beyond
Late September - Jess H's Ride to the Grand Canyon

17 March 2007 - Esparto to Marysville

{Click on the photos to view the full size images}

St Patrick's Day. Pdub leads the Ride today starting from the Chevron in West Sacramento. The primary meeting place is at Esparto High School as the Ride heads north on Hwy 16 to Hwy 20 to Marysville and the Silver Dollar Saloon, once a brothel now a steak house.

We actually had four (4) Triumphs for today's Ride, two Sprints, a Bonne America and a Bonne.



Tom N. fills up his Bonneville.



Cindy and Yvonne are all smiles. Riding is better than doing the laundry today. {Actually, I think that Gary G and Pdub are responsible for doing the laundry.}
Gary F. and I talk Pdub into skipping I-505 on the way to Esparto and using County Road 89 instead. But in our groups own inimitable way. Pdub and 10 bikes miss the turn onto County Road 89. Tom P. who is in an unusual position at the rear of the pack and I, riding sweep, turn onto County Road 89 and the burg of Madison where we turn on to Hwy 16 and a short distance to the Esparto High School parking lot. Pdub and the rest show up about 10 minutes later after figuring out that they must have missed the turn. In all fairness to Pdub, some vehicle had knocked out the street sign so County Road 89 was not marked at the intersection with County Road 27. And I had told him that 27 "T"ed into 89, which it does not.


Notice in the next picture that we have two Triumph Sprint ST's on today's Ride.


John A. and Phil join up with the group at Esparto. They both decided to sleep in and meet us at the primary meeting spot.

Ron, John, Gary S, and Jesse at Esparto
The ride starts out fairly uneventful except for the bike that did not show up with enough gasoline. We all need to have enough gas. So anyway we had a quick stop at the Cache Creek Casino gas station.

Hwy 16 through the Capay Valley is a meandering two lane road that goes through a few small towns where we are forced to go slow. But just north of Rumsey we get to the Cache Creek Canyons and a wonderful twisty, turning, climbing and descending road. The best part of the Ride and really the only reason for this detour to Marysville.

By the time I figured out that I forgot to turn on my camera, the group got a bit in front of me. And that is the end of the pack. Pdub and others were way out in front by now.


We regroup at the intersection of Hwy 20 and I remember to turn on the camera.

Pdub, our fearless leader and Yvonne his passenger.


Tom N., Phil T, and Gary G. at the Hwy 20 intersection.We head on toward Williams and our comfort stop. Now in the early days of this group. We would have comfort stopped at the trees where we had stopped. But we are now a more "refined" group. :-)

Here is a shot of the road along Hwy 20. I managed to get alongside of people in a Passing Zone, but my aim got a bunch of good shots of the sky and the road, so nothing printable.
The traffic along Hwy 20 as we reach Yuba City is urban. Strip Malls, signal lights every other block. What happened to the country road through Yuba City - Marysville that was Hwy 20.

We make it to the Silver Dollar without incident. The parking lot across the street is now private. Marysville is losing its rural charm. Even Mama's Place the brothel I remember from the 1950's has been torn down.

Nita and Gary F. at the Silver Dollar.


Josie and Tom P.

Jack, Gary G., Cindy, Ron and Tom N. laughing about Gary's order.

Dan A. decided not to stick out his tongue this year.
Tom N, Phil, Ron, Yvonne, Cindy, Gary G, Pdub, Tom P, Josie, Jack, John


The crew in front of the Silver Dollar after our lunch and meeting.
The next Ride is a "free-for-all" to get to Don's home in Stockton at 12:30 PM on Saturday, April 14, 2007. This will be the Second Annual Sausage Feed. Not on a bun this year. Sausages, potato salad, maybe beans, maybe red cabbage or sauerkraut and Genova Bakery French Bread.

Today's Riders and their bikes: {starting with the Triumphs}
Paul W "Pdub" ..................Bonne America
..Yvonne
Tom N ..............................Bonne
Gary F ..............................Sprint ST
..Nita
Jesse H .............................Sprint ST
Phil T ...............................Kawasaki Nomad
John A ..............................Goldwing
Dan A ...............................BMW R1200R
Gary G .............................Kawasaki Vulcan 1500
..Cindy
Ron H ...............................FJR
Jack F ...............................Suzuki Boulevard
John H .............................Stratoliner
Gary S ..............................FZ1
Tom P ..............................FJR
..Josie
Don I ................................BMW F650

fin

17 Feb 2007 - Knight's Ferry

February 17, 2007

{CLICK ON THE PHOTOS TO VIEW FULL SIZE}

Ride from Galt to Ione to Valley Springs to Knight's Ferry to Farmington and ending at Beto's Drive Inn at Linden.

What a beautiful day for a Ride. Temps in the middle 70's. Barely a breeze. Just a few high clouds and lots of sunshine.

Four riders meet up at the Alhambra and N Starbucks. All riding Triumphs. Very unusual for our Northern California Triumph Riders and Friends (NCTRF) group.

Pdub and a new rider to our group Gary F. at Starbucks

I left Stockton around 9:30 heading north up I-5. Stop at the Chevron in Flag City for gas. Continue up I-5 to Peltier Road over to Hwy 99. Head north to Twin Cities Road and "It's a Grind" coffee house. Phil T. rides up on his Nomad a few minutes later. Then the four Triumphs pull in a little before 10:20.

A cigarette break and stops at the restroom and off we go heading toward Ione on Hwy 104. Damn. Stuck behind a truck and a pick up all the way to the Mule Deer Prison in Ione.

We see Preston {The Castle} as we enter Ione. Preston looks like what a reform school should look like, very foreboding. We negotiate downtown Ione and I almost missed the turn to Buena Vista. The roads have been pretty straight until now but as we leave Buena Vista the road starts to have a few turns in it. Next we head to the Vista Point above Pardee Dam for our first break and to check out the water levels.



We head on over to Valley Springs for lunch. Phil and I stop at the Burger King. The other four venture into Campbell's Country Kitchen.

After lunch and a gas stop we head off toward the Calaveras County Dump. Well at least to the road to the Dump. Through Jenny Lind on toward Milton we ride. Nice curves and good pavement after all the big garbage trucks need to get to the Dump.

The pavement gets a bit more choppy as we cross into Stanislaus County. And the road just south of Hwy 4 becomes really rough. But we continue on to Sonora Road. The Winter has not been good to Sonora Road. I had to set a slower pace because we were constantly looking out for the pot holes.

We then take our next break at the Corps of Engineers Park over looking the Stanislaus River at Knight's Ferry.






Pdub, Don I, Phil T, Andy N, Andy B, Gary F

Orange Blossom Road to Rodden Road around Oakdale. These are nice twisty roads. I point out the castle like house on the hill that is Castle Oaks Ranch.

After getting around Oakdale on the back roads we now are in the Valley and straight and flat farm roads. Through Valley Home we go and over to Farmington. At Farmington we head north and work our way to Linden and Beto's Mexican Drive Inn. Just before Linden there was one corner where I did not see the gravel on the road. A little bit of wobble as I went in as if it were a dry clear road. Anyway at Betos we eat, drink and have our meeting.

I tell everyone it is a breeze getting back to Hwy 99 from Linden. "Just head that-a-way." But I continue to lead and that turns out to be a good thing. CalTrans has closed the on ramps to Hwy 99 from Hwy 26 (the road we are on). So there is a Detour. But I lead to Hwy 88 and that entrance to Hwy 99 and wave good bye.

A nice day. A nice Ride. Got a touch of sunburn, even.

The Riders and their Rides:
Pdub...................................Bonne America
Andy N...............................Speedmaster
Andy B................................Speedmaster
Gary F.................................Sprint ST
Phil T...................................Nomad
Don I....................................F650

---
Don Inamasu
NorCalRat

.