Day 7 - Bishop to Folsom

Day 7
Today is the final leg of this trip. Riding out of Bishop early in the morning, there was no wind this time. I was eager to get home but really enjoy highway 395, and was excited to ride it in better weather than before.

Clear and warm but not too hot, you couldn't ask for better conditions. Stopped at Mammoth area for quick breakfast, which was only about 45 minutes from Bishop. Very pretty there with lots of snow left. I had over six hour ride to make today, so didn't take time to explore.

Back on the road there was little traffic. Very pleasant ride with the Walker river running alongside as you sweep through the canyons and crest peak after peak.

Eventually I reach Mono lake area. It's a big space and probably takes 15 minutes to pass through and climb the mountain on the far side. What an excellent view!

At one photo op/water break, the roadway was cracked along the edge. It was a strange angle, and I was going to lube the chain, so I put it on the center-stand. As I was getting out te chain spray lube from the pannier, it started tipping quickly the opposite direction! I grabbed it and it took all my strength given my lack of leverage to keep that loaded-down beast from taking a rest on the asphalt. I dropped my jacket and water in the dirt, and worked my way around the other side to keep her from going over.

The asphalt was soft, and that side of the centerstand had sunk down in about 1.5" and wanted to go more. I worried I'd drop it taking off the centerstand from the weird street angle, so I straddled the bike awkwardly, and shoved it hard forward off the stand. Whew! That would have been a last day bummer. Decided the chain would wait, and continued the ride.

Made Minden a couple hours later, and stopped for lunch and gas. Then the ride over the pass to Tahoe, which was so snowy last time, was beautiful and dry now. Only a few patches of snow off on the hillsides, and the frozen lakes was unthawing from the edges inward. This is a nice ride, and as many times as we've been to Tahoe, have never been this way. Made note to take the family this summer.

Then from Tahoe, had no traffic climbing Echo summit and the Vstrom led me effortlessly up and down the mountain. It was over 90 degrees down in the valley, and about halfway down I stopped to shed the riding jacket, drink some fluids, and take some pictures of the American river, which follows highway 50 down the mountain.

It felt great to see familiar ground, and had to keep my newly learned fast riding interstate methods in check. Ok, I did make some nice fast sweepers on the beautifully smooth and well-maintained roads, but nothing crazy. I didn't want to make any stupid mistakes on the last familiar bit, so I upped my alert levels and played it safe. Two fingers covering brake, and watching for deer (even though wrong time of day).

Then through Placerville, and on down the hills into the large smoggy San Juaquin valley. Pulled off to Folsom, and into my driveway at exactly 4pm local time. To my surprise, there was a big welcome home sign hung above the garage awaiting me. It was a fantastic trip and it felt so good to be home safe and sound, with limb and bike used but in good shape. Thank you god.

I felt good, having ridden my new horse two thousand miles to one one the 7 "wonders of the world" (Grand Canyon, AZ), and ridden Badwater road at dusk in Death Valley, CA, not to slight the weird and beautiful geology of Zion, UT and Valley of Fire, NV. I didn't make it to Area 51, so guess saving that experience for another day.

Stats:
Day 7 top speed: 104 (gps) whoops, was just making the passing lane around an RV before it closed back to one lane)

Overall Total trip miles (my driveway back to my driveway): 2002 !!! (2001.8)

Already time for that next oil change, just a week later. :-)

- Mike