Sierra Snow Run.

[Papa-Ken]

This Wednesday ride covered over 300 miles of pristine country. We decided
to ride up into the sierras to check out the snow levels. After our
leisurely breakfast Tricky, Wes, Griff and myself headed in an easterly
direction through the neighborhoods and Folsom to ride 50 up to Latrobe Rd.
towards Plymouth. We jogged off on old Sacramento rd. into and through
Plymouth on Fiddletown Rd. that would intersect Shake Ridge Rd. and
eventually highway 88. We then travel in a north easterly direction up past
Cooks Station up to our first stop at the Mormon Emigrant Trail where we
found it blocked by several feet of snow. We knew it would be blocked but
wanted to check the snow load ourselves.

After a short visit, a few pictures and nature break, we headed back onto 88
still climbing up towards Silver Lake where we paused long enough to snap a
few pictures of the snow covered lake. This was the same situation for all
the lakes we saw on our ride until we were on our return trip and went back
into Echo Summit to where the road was blocked by snow and got some pictures
of Lake Tahoe.

Continued on up past Caples Lake over Carson Pass and down to Woodfords
where we picked up 89 to travel on through Markleeville and up to the top of
Monitor Pass. This was about 1:00 PM and we found a nice boulder to place
our butts and eat lunch with a million dollar view. The temperature was
about 61 degrees and all was well with the world.

Just sitting back having a good time trying to out lie the last story when
we heard this awful sound approaching us from the Nevada side of Monitor
Pass. When the offending vehicle came into view it was a Kawasaki
motorcycle starving for air in the higher altitudes. The rider saw us and
pulled in to visit and get some pictures of his own.

A real nice young guy (I can't recall his name) that was on his way back
home to Vancouver Island B.C. He was running out of power on his dual sport
and needing to be home Monday morning for work. After we shook hands we
found out he was coming back from Cabo San Lucas, Mexico where he had been
since January. Said he had been scuba diving and worked a while down there.
Rode his motorcycle all the way from Canada down and back on knobbies. He
had a new spare tied down on his bike along with a few other spare parts.
This was close to 2:00 P.M. and he was hoping to make it to the Oregon
border Weds. night.

After our lunch break we rode on into Minden, Nevada to top off our tanks
head back on 88 to Woodfords to ride 89 back over Luther Pass to Meyers, Ca.
and highway 50. Rode 50 on up Meyers Grade and stopped at Echo Summit lodge
for a break.

While we were talking Tricky Dicks cell phone rang and when he answered the
call, he received the news his older sister had just passed away. It wasn't
a surprise as she had been in poor health for sometime but it is still a
shock to get this type of news. He just buried his son Murphy a few short
weeks back and now compound that with this loss is really stacking on the
misery.

That put an end to our leisurely ride and so we just pointed our noses west
and slabbed it on home.

I was able to load more pictures on this PhotoStory than I could on my ride post............Ken


http://media.putfile.com/Sierra-Snow-Run

[Ally House]

Awesome as always, Papa Ken! Loved the music, especially in light of the tenor of the trip!

Ally

[Backmarker]

Always love your posts Ken. Brings back floods of great memories and I enjoy your narratives. Kind of a fireside theater feel to them. Warm and inviting.

Thank you once again Ken.