| Author | Message | ||
     46champ |
Going to be in Mammoth Mt for my step sons wedding. We are thinking of going from there to San Francisco then back to Oregon. What is the best ride thru the Sierras. Thru Yosemite on 120, Sanora Pass on 108, or Ebbetts pass on 4. Only have time for 1 can't do down and up and down would like to though. | ||
| Motorcyclemike |
Sonora Pass is one of my favorite rides. Tioga Pass is to slow and full of tourist this time of year. Also do the June Lake Loop, short detour, but well worth it. And stop at the Mobil Mart at 120 and 395 for a meal at the Whoa Nellie Deli. Mike | ||
| Pwnzor |
You.... are going.... to enjoy that ride. A lot. I'm a little jealous. | ||
| Blackm2 |
What Motomike said. | ||
| 46champ |
Thanks Motorcyclemike You confirmed my feelings when I was looking at maps. Would have missed the June lake loop thanks for the heads up. | ||
| Fb1 |
46champ, I'll chime in with a couple of suggestions tonight when I get off w*rk. Ferris | ||
| Phlegm |
Cruise up the 395 to Susanville and cut across the 36 to Humboldt County, then cruise up to the 199 and back to the 5. | ||
| Fb1 |
The Mammoth Lakes area is target-rich. I'm with Pwnzor: Color me jealous. +1 on the June Lake Loop. A benny of this road, aside from the beauty of the ride, is that it brings you right back out to 395. While you're in Mammoth Lakes, consider riding through town and up to the actual lakes. In short order you'll have to turn around and retrace your route back into town, but the ride is well worth it. For some reason, in all the years I lived out there I never made it to the Devils Postpile Nat'l Monument. I'll correct that one of these years, but since you'll be right there... Just a little south of the 395/203 junction, on the east side of 395, is a well-maintained gravel road called Hot Creek Hatchery Rd. If you follow this road for several miles, on your left will be a parking area overlooking Hot Creek. Park here and follow the trail down to the creek, peel down to something appropriate, and jump in! There are hot springs in the stream itself, with a natural sandbar that has formed over the years, and it's quite remarkable, and fun, to swim around in the stream or sit on the sandbar in water warm enough to bathe in. Just another minute or so south of Mammoth on 395, on the west side across from the airport, is the turnoff to Convict Lake. It's a very short ride in and out, but well worth the view of the lake and the mountains. If you've got the time, travel just a wee bit further south on 395 to Toms Place and take a lap of Rock Creek Road, which is the highest paved road in California at over 10,000 feet. A nice way out of Mammoth when you leave would be to take the Mammoth Scenic Loop, which will put you on 395 north of Mammoth. It's a pretty ride. You can't miss Mono Lake as you clear Lee Vining. On the northwest side of the lake there's a overlook on 395 that sits high above the lake and affords an awesome view. If you've got the time, visit Bodie Ghost Town on the way by. You'll see the turnoff to the east on 395 between Lee Vining and Bridgeport. Be sure to get fuel in Bridgeport; gas gets scarce in a hurry north of here. If you've got a minute, peek inside the old courthouse in town; it's about a zillion years old, but with classic architecture and timeless beauty. I'd prolly vote for Sonora Pass, too, although any of the passes over the Sierras rock. Tioga Pass through Yosemite is gonna have a lot of peeps peeping, plus if you're overall short on vacay time, blasting in one side of Yosemite and out the other isn't doing the place any real justice. Not long after you turn west on Sonora Pass you'll go by the Mountain Warfare Training Center. It's pretty bizarre to see this place out in the middle of nowhere. Sonora and Jamestown are cool mountain towns with cool vibes, and you'll pop out on Hwy 49, which is an awesome motorcycle road. Have fun, and congrats to the soon-to-be newlyweds. FB | ||
| Gregtonn |
I don't know it anyone here, (Reg Kittrel/Jerry/Fb1?) can give you the Blue Groove 2 routes but, I still grin when I think of them after more than fifteen years. G | ||
| 46champ |
Fb1 thanks for all the side trips we will see how many of them I can get done in the 2 free days we will have. I will make a copy of this. Phlgem I did close to that trip 2 years ago. We stopped in Redding to eat Ice cream cause it was hot when isn't it and I asked the manager if that was the right road to get to Arcata. She said oh you mean puke drive. I said that sounds about right. | ||
| Ltbuell |
....if you're gonna head up 395 through CA,just before Lake Topaz(NV).....turn left onto 89 up an over Monitor Pass...twisties,great views into junction of 89 and Hiway 4....89 goes NW to Markleeville(neat little town,one gas station...about 5 bucks a gallon 2 weeks ago)head west to the Grover Hot Springs or continue on 89 to Woodfords and the junction with Hiway 88.Hiway 4 goesSW towards Jackson(twisties that way too,haven't been down there in ages though)You can head west and at Hope Valley either turn right towards Lake Tahoe via Luther Pass or continue on 88 West towards Kirkwood.Me i'm partial to Tahoe...use to live there..got some killer vistas to pull over at an really take in the great views of Lake Tahoe.....yeah i know some really killer vistas to take it all in(i now live in Gardnerville,NV,which is literally a stones throw from there...so if you decide to venture this way...please let me know and if i'm not working yet...i'll show ya some fun places to go ridin')Just throwin' an invite out to ya if you head this way.LT | ||
| Fb1 |
Fb1 thanks for all the side trips... You're welcome. The Eastern Sierra is awesome in general, and in and around Mammoth is about as spectacular as it gets. Hey, no pressure, but if ya don't post up a ride report afterwards including lotsa pix, it never happened.  I don't know it anyone here, (Reg Kittrel/Jerry/Fb1?) can give you the Blue Groove 2 routes... Ah yes, the Blue Groove rides! Greg, I don't have the specific routing for the Cali Blue Grooves, although they sure rocked. I've still got all the routing info for Blue Groove/Northwest, which morphed in '98 into SPLASH (SPort Lap Around St. Helens), which still takes place every July (although the route has been changed up here and there over the years). Props to the folks up there in the NW who are keeping the tradition alive after all these years. (The Border Raid up into British Columbia is still going strong, too - amazing.) If Denise and I ever make it back to Cali, we're hankerin' to re-light the fire under the used-to-be annual OktoberFast ride, which does a pretty good job of cramming a whole bunch of the Southern Sierra, Kings Canyon and Sequoia Nat'l Parks into a three-day riding (and partying) weekend. So many roads, so little time... Ferris | ||
| 46champ |
Thanks guys we are taking off tomorrow could be in the rain up here in oregon. Ltbuell that is the route we plan on taking thru markleeville only from the other direction. We are going to Susanville then thru the feather river canyon then to Trukee. | ||
| Ltbuell |
...well,when you get into the area....let me know an we might be able to meet up or something...just a thought.I work odd days and my days off aren't always the same from week to week.LT | ||
| Ltbuell |
...sent ya a pm.... | ||
| 46champ |
got it and returned thanks | ||
| 46champ |
Well didn't get to go over Sanora Pass it was raining from on top thru the central valley of California and on to the coast. Fact is when we were leaving Mammoth it was starting to rain. Only an Oregon boy can bring rain to the back side of the Sierras during a drought. We did do a lot of riding though went over Monitor Pass on the way down. Truly one of the best motorcycle roads and my personal favorite lots of 40 to 60 mph constant radius turns with great pavement and great views. Convict lake is a sight to see I was the only one there without a fishing pole. June Lake loop road is another spectacular road Aleta said she could wake up to that view every day for the rest of her life. We went to Bode the paved part is much better than when I went there in 87. The rock dirt road is if anything worse. Bode is cool those people who lived there when the mining was going on were truly some rugged individuals. Went thru Truckee on the way down that place has changed since I worked there in 87. It was still a lumber town then and they called the inhabitants of Lake Tahoe "lake people" and said it with disdain. I knew it changed when I saw a sign that said Sierra something development "houses starting from the low 500s. Sorry no picts guys couldn't get the phone out of movie mode. Not the phones fault operator error. Oh yes the wedding went well. Talked to Ltbuell to bad we couldn't get together. maybe next time. |
