addendum for Day 1 - few bikes

Once I got out of the Sacramento valley, I saw fewer and fewer motorcycles on the road. In fact, I was keeping an eye out for them, and hadn't seen another really all day. But as I was coming down out of a particularly nasty bit of mountain pass where conditions were really bad (super windy, snowing real ard, dark evreywhere so limited visibility). There were few other vehicles; nobody following me for miles and 10 or 20 minutes between cars coming the other direction. But storm was especially brutal right there for like 20 or 30 miles. I was trying to tuck in my neck warmer tighter under my helmet, to cover any little exposed skin cause it was getting frost bit.

But I have full on gear and for most part only somewhat uncomfortable, but enjoying the experience. Then, as I'm making my way slowly down to lower elevations, the storm egins to ease up. It was here this motorcyclist comes by in opposite direction. The guy was tucked so tight to that sport bike, you couldn't slip a spatula under him. I ot the feeling he was trying to stay warm by becoming the gas tank. And he was in jeans and regular jacket. We gave the wave, and I thought I hope he makes it over that pass ok.

Only other bikes were just outside Bishop, and they were a couple guys on big BMW GS's, fully decked out for adventure riding. (well, ok, not as loaded down as I'm traveling but they had metal panniers)