Saturday, November 17, 2012

Ebbetts Pass Nov 6th 2012

The weather has been great for the last week and a storm was due in two days. Tuesday looked like a great day for a ride. I like riding on a weekday and not on the weekend now that I am retired. The coast looked nice but the Sierra Passes were all open. The Sierra wins; in two days they may be closed until next spring.











Headed out Hwy 88 trying to decide if I wanted to go up Hwy 88 to Markleeville or if I should go up Hwy 4. Ran into traffic caused by tour busses just past Clements CA. The busses turned up Hwy 88 so I continued up to Hwy 4. Not much traffic until Angles Camp, took Murphys Grade road to Murphys. The town was full of tourists even on a Tuesday.  The temp was 82 degrees in November fantastic weather. Almost no traffic going up to Bear Valley, stopped there to mount the GoPro. The Lake Alpine lodge looked closed for the season. I was up there Oct 21 with Fred Kaplan and Bob Kendall, it was COLD that day and felt like snow.









Lots of sand all over the road after Lake Alpine, going to be a slow ride. Only saw a few cars and 4 motorcycles going over the pass. Going down the back side saw a pickup with the hood up. Stopped to ask the driver if all was OK. She said no and needed a ride to her camp down the hill. She said no one else had stopped, WTH is wrong with people.  I gave her a slow ride down to her camp and headed for Markleville. The trees still had color going by the river, with the storm coming this would be the last Sierra color I would see this year.











Only one cafe was open for lunch so that is where I went. Special was Pork Tamale and it was good. Four other riders stopped and had lunch while I was there. Two were going over the pass and two were heading back to Tahoe where they rode from.  The K1600GT is turning into a great ride. I am enjoying the whistles and bells that it came with.



After lunch I headed for Hwy 88 and Carson Pass. Almost all the color was gone in Hope Valley
sad as it is some the best in the Sierra. Temperature in Markleeville was over 80 eating outside.

Leaving Hope Valley it started to cool off fast, by Kirkwood and the Carson Spur it was down to 54 degrees and felt lower. Up and over the Spur the sun brought the temp back up and it was warn all the way to Stockton.















Another Great Ride, Hope you enjoy the videos. First one is a trailer I made using IMovie; the second is my first try at a full edit with music.


TRAILER TO VIDEO.




UP AND OVER EBBETTS PASS