Trinity Alps

[Helmetdance]

Greetings,

This is my first post on this site. I probably should have thought of a different title for this post. I am a regular on a forum for GL1800 riders. I am relatively new to riding at age 48, I have only been doing this for 3 years. Last year I used Pashnit.com extensively in getting ideas for a 13,000 mile trip that took me through California, as well as 32 other states.

I have a great admiration for this site and the main purpose of this post is to give expression to that. A big "thank you" to Tim is long overdue - I hope I have an opportunity to shake this man's hand some day. Why? This site gave me a lot of material to plan a trip through California, which I knew absolutely nothing about. The result was an incredible trip of a lifetime. My trip lasted 30 days, the entire month of August '04, and overlapped with the 30-day trip I have read about that Tim took up into Alaska. I also have a great admiration for Tim's adventurous spirit, not to mention the creativity and hard work that went into making this site.

Tim, I'm sure you have heard this a million times, but you are doing something very special here - you are a real-life Mark Twain, and a darn good photographer also. I admire your ability to go long distances on the Busa, and would like to know more about that bike, as well as sleeping under the stars at night.

I will be doing another 30-day trip again this year, but will tone the mileage down a bit to between 8K to 9K, will be heading out to CA again, and up through Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and Alberta.

I took over 900 pictures along the way last year, this one was taken along Highway 3 in the Trinity Alps Wilderness.

Mark
Munster, Indiana

[pashnit]

Mark, you're welcome! All of this exists simply because it gives me a chance to share my fascination with motorcycle riding with the rest of the world (literally!). Lo and behold I'm not the only one that has this passion of riding! I think this forum is just what the doctor ordered to make the pashnit site a little more interactive with your fellow riders.

Originally Posted by Helmetdance

a 13,000 mile trip that took me through California, as well as 32 other states.

Oh me, oh my! Talk about epic! 900 pics? You have to indulge us!

[Toyuzu]

Yes, more pics Please! We'd love to hear about some of the highlights of your trip as well.

[DaleC]

I had the good pleasure to ride with Mark last August for one day on his trip through California. I met him down south of Santa Cruz and we made our way along with another Bay Area couple up to Yosemite and explored some of the other surrounding roads in that neck of the woods. Needless to say, I was totally envious of his whole trip and the many roads that he traveled (some I had traveled myself and many others I will have to do another time). Mark assured me that Half Dome was very similar to many of the "hills" all around him in Indiana so it was difficult to convenience him that it was totally unlike anywhere else in the world, but I did notice his nose seemed a little longer following his statements. He also assured me that Indiana roads are very much like the twisty / up and down roads of Northern Califorina, but he blinked a lot while making that statement so I had "some" doubts about his accuracy.

I saw many of his photos from his trip and it only confirmed what we all quickly realize when we travel via a motorcycle. What a marvelous country we live in, and what a great way motorcycling is to see and travel it.

DaleC

P.S. That's Mark on the left with that beautiful red Wing, our good friend Dorian Blue (Mike) in the middle and no comments about that "charactor" on the right with the illusion red Wing.

[Helmetdance]

Toyuzu,

I will be posting more pics along with some narrative soon. Have to find some time outside the j-o-b (sorry for the 4-letter word, I will try to watch my language in the future).

My good friend DaleC has gone and let the cat out of the bag about Indiana and me too. I think I may have a few more pics of Dale in my collection. Dale, if you let the secret out about Indiana, then all the Californians will end up out here and all those awesome CA roads will be empty when I arrive again in August. I know how hard to resist our corn and soybeans and nice straight roads can be, especially compared to Yosemite, Mount Lassen, The Lost Coast, etc... I mean c'mon now, just what do CA boys think you have over us Hoosiers anyway.

Got some awesome pics - will post them soon.

Mark

[tommy]

hi Mark - if i can be of any assistance on your next ride let me know - i'm 45 miles north of Sacramento - right at the gate-way of lot's of great roads - tommy

[Helmetdance]

Thanks Tommy,

I expect I will be taking you up on your offer soon. I have a pretty clear of what I want to do this time as it involves a lot of what I did not have time for last year. I will probably hit the coast in San Diego and Coronado Island and work my way all the way up the coast except I would like to hit Yosemite again and some of the Sierra passes, at least Sonora which was my favorite.

Since a few people suggested that I post a few pics from my 13k journey last year, I thought I would start a new thread for that purpose. I will break it up into groups by days. Hope everyone enjoys them as much as I did!

And also-

Thanks Tim!

I didn't post my Avatar. Dale says he didn't do it either (and took me a while to realize that he couldn't do it anyway). That leaves you. That was downright neighborly of you! Much obliged sir!

Mark

[Helmetdance]

Dale,

I have just the cure for that envy you mentioned. Here's a picture of my house last weekend. The two tiny white dots to the left of my pick-up in the garage are the reflectors on my bike's mirrors! How would you like to contend with this for 4 to 6 months every year!

Mark

[z_bassman]

A little snow might be nice, but that's too much. *nods*

[DaleC]

How would you like to contend with this for 4 to 6 months every year!

Mark - I served my time there in Indiana in the service at Fort Benjamin Harrison (Indianapolis) in the early 70's, so Uncle Sam said I could come back to the west coast, Thank you. I also spent the first four years of my life along the Minnesota / North Dakota border and my family moved to the west coast. So does the expression, been there, done that count?????

You just need to come visit your sister here in California much more often if you are going to continue to love that 4 to 6 months of snow every year so so much.... I thought last years trip on all our great roads and all the terrific sites was going to be all it took to get a moving van going out this way, but maybe it just takes a few more trips out west and more terrific roads.

DaleC