34 Days Through the Western United States and Canada

Day 6 – Thursday August 4th
Truckee, California to Pollock Pines, California

I’ve never had a problem with oversleeping while traveling by motorcycle. Besides the fact that I’ve always been a natural born “morning person”, the sheer excitement and anticipation for the next day’s ride never allows me to sleep too late. I always seem to wake up before the alarm clock, and that is particularly true today. Looking forward to meeting some of the Pashnit gang, I’ve planned to meet Tim of Pashnit fame for lunch today in Folsom, along with Gary and his wife Donna (Demenshea), and Jim (Wanderlust). I’ve also allowed plenty of time to take in the sights along the way. This morning’s ride promises to be another spectacular ride on two of California’s finest motorcycle roads, Highways 89 and 50. The ride will follow Highway 89 south along the west shore of Lake Tahoe, then Highway 50 west all the way to Folsom.

The morning ride from Truckee to Folsom



The early morning has its advantages on a great road like this one. There’s hardly a car on the road as I twist my way through the towering ponderosa pines, and red and white firs of Tahoe National Forest. As I head into higher elevations, it quickly becomes apparent that my fur-lined gauntlet gloves would have been a better choice for this morning's ride as the temps have once again dipped into the 40s. As I head out of Truckee and onto Highway 89 south, the road twists its way along the Truckee River. Each twist in the road brings into view another breathtaking river vista. The sound of the water rushing along its way is loud enough to be heard over the steady purr of the engine.

An early morning view of the Truckee River



I take a moment to change my gloves, stretch out a bit, and take a deep breath of the brisk mountain air, heavily scented with ponderosa pine. Taking in my surroundings, I couldn’t be happier. It’s my first full-day of riding in the Golden State. I've finally made it back again and it sure feels great to be here on two wheels! Yet, apparently, I’m not the only one who likes it here. As I near the town of Olympic Valley, the many ski lifts in the area hint that I’m not only in motorcycle paradise, but in skier’s paradise as well.

Prime ski country



The morning chill quickly dissipates as the sun begins to rise higher in the sky. I shed the extra layers of thermal t-shirts and sweatshirts just as quickly. Highway 89 twists its way around the west shore of Lake Tahoe and provides many scenic views of the lake. Between Tahoma and South Lake Tahoe are several very scenic areas to stop for photos, including Sugar Pine Point, and D. L. Bliss and Emerald Bay State Parks.

A view from D. L. Bliss State Park



Photographing Eagle Falls turned into more of a project than I anticipated. I thought I could save a few steps by short-cutting the trail. Not hardly! The jagged cliffs made it difficult to reach a decent vantage point. But as the saying goes, “where there’s a will there’s a way”, even if I didn’t get back to the bike until 30 minutes later! If you’re ever here, you might just try walking down the trail!

Eagle Falls in Emerald Bay State Park



Eagle Falls



Lake Tahoe is the largest and deepest alpine lake in the United States. This early morning view of Lake Tahoe’s Emerald Bay shimmering like a blue sapphire could make a morning person out of almost anyone.

Emerald Bay



Emerald Bay with Lake Tahoe in the background



I Wonder why they call it Emerald Bay?



Heading south of Emerald Bay, Highway 89 makes its final descent into South Lake Tahoe.

Threading the hairpins



Carving the switchbacks



What a great road – and NO traffic!



Weaving an exciting ride



In South Lake Tahoe I pick up Highway 50 and head west. Highway 50 is a gorgeous road, especially the section between South Lake Tahoe and Pollock Pines, passing through such scenic points as Johnson Pass, Echo Summit, Twin Bridges, and Strawberry. Once west of Pollock Pines, the traffic starts to get a bit heavier as I start nearing the Sacramento and Folsom area. I get into Folsom around 10:30am and make contact with Tim and Gary. Tim’s at work, but Gary is home and invites me to stop by his place while we wait for lunch time.

Gary and Donna



Jim (Wanderlust), Gary (Gary), Donna (Demenshea), Tim (Pashnit), and Mark (Helmetdance) at the Cliffhouse restaurant in Folsom


Over lunch we naturally spend more time looking at maps and talking about riding than eating, although I must say that the food was very good. Here is one lone Hoosier sitting around a table with four Californians, maps in hand, all very intent on determining the most awesome motorcycle route to show to a Hoosier in one afternoon – now that is one very interesting conversation! It’s always nice to take a break from the maps and the GPS for a few hours and just play follow the leader. In fact, I later had to ask Gary to share his recollection of our route so I could reference it here.

After lunch we say our goodbyes to Tim and Donna, while Gary, Jim, and myself head out on our afternoon journey. We head north out of Folsom and take a quick jaunt down I-80 to the town of Auburn, and then take Highway 49 north to Old Foresthill Road.

The Ride from Folsom to Auburn



About a half-mile from that intersection is a rather unique site, a reservoir that never happened. The Foresthill Bridge was built to span the planned reservoir, but the plans for the reservoir never materialized after the bridge was built. The Foresthill Bridge rises 730 feet above the American River's north fork, making it the highest bridge in the State of California and boasting a half-mile long span and piers only 16 feet shorter than those of the Golden Gate.

The Foresthill Bridge



The lake that never happened



The American River, North Fork



Gary and Jim



We make our way down Foresthill Road for another 10 or 15 miles. The temps have skyrocketed since leaving Truckee early this morning and is now into the triple digits. We stop at a gas station near the intersection of Mosquito Ridge Road and gas up the bikes. I also use the break time to soak my cooling vest in some cold water and fill my Camelbak with ice water.

Foresthill Road


Once fueled up, we make our way east on Mosquito Ridge Road.

The real ride is about to start



Entering Tahoe National Forest



Gary and Jim both know the area well. They have a few photo-stops in mind ahead of time, but also are very understanding of my need to stop and take pictures and generally gawk at what must have seemed to them to be every other turn in the road.

Me, Jim, and Gary


Naturally, we stop along the way more than a few times to have a little fun with the camera, which also gives us a brief respite from the afternoon's scorching heat.

Gary is riding his wife's illustrious “Lola”



Leaning the wing



Jim on his Suzuki Madura V1200



Wanderlust






A view from Mosquito Ridge Road



A bridge in the middle of nowhere



Taking a break in the shade



One of the amazing things to me about California is that you don’t have to go far in terms of miles from civilization to find some very remote and isolated areas. Mosquito Ridge Road sure fits that description.

The rugged terrain of Tahoe National Forest



Three bikes in the Sierra wilderness



California is truly motorcycle paradise. There are so many awesome motorcycle roads here that its really hard to pick one that is the best. Whereas in other parts of the country, people will come for miles around, even hundreds of miles, to find one good stretch of road. In California, you can hardly get from Point A to Point B without traveling down at least one great road.

Mosquito Ridge Road – 35 miles of non-stop twisties



French Meadows Reservoir






After leaving French Meadows Reservoir, we head down French Meadows Road to Eleven Pines Road, twisting our path through Tahoe and Eldorado National Forests. At the end of Eleven Pines Road, we make our way on Wentworth Springs Road and over to Icehouse Road. The surface of Wentworth Springs Road is excellent, freshly paved, smooth as silk with fast and sweeping curves.

Wentworth Springs Road



On Icehouse Road, we stop at a campground, searching for gas. Luckily the owner has a tank he uses for his own vehicles and is willing to sell us some. The Goldwing has a large tank and a range of over 200 miles in these higher altitudes, but Jim’s bike is starting to get pretty thirsty.

Mosquito Ridge, French Meadows, 11 Pines, Wentworth Springs, and Icehouse Roads



After purchasing the gas, Gary heads for home while Jim and I decide to take in one more sight, although it will mean arriving at our destination of Pollock Pines after dark. We head north on Icehouse Road to watch the sun set over Loon Lake.

The ride to Loon Lake



Late evening at Loon Lake



Taking in the colors of the sunset



The earthen dam at Loon Lake



I’ve read and re-read the Icehouse Road and Loon Lake write-up on Pashnit's Moto Roads site several times and have developed a special attraction for this place. I've never been here before, yet I’ve looked forward to coming here for a long time. The story and pictures on Pashnit convinced me that I had to see it for myself. I find it well worth the trip – and a great testimony to the incredible resource that Pashnit provides for people like me who want to plan an unforgettable trip. There is something very intriguing here, as evidenced by the many off-road vehicles that come to Loon Lake, the gateway to the OHV section of the Rubicon Trail. It’s remote and isolated, desolate yet inviting, rugged and incredibly beautiful.

Loon Lake – rugged and beautiful



Rugged terrain of Loon Lake



Colorful evening sun



As the sun sets over Loon Lake, another incredible day of riding comes to a close. Jim and I don’t leave until it's almost dark as the intense colors of tonight’s sunset are just too breathtaking to walk away from. It’s so quiet and peaceful here. I will return to this place someday.

Sunset on Loon Lake



Finally its time to head for Pollock Pines, our destination for the night.

The ride from Loon Lake to Pollock Pines



End of Day 6
Location: Pollock Pines, California
GPS Mileage = 3234 miles
Today’s Mileage = 306 miles

Map Route: Day 6