200 miles on 2 wheels
July 3, 2006
I once got this crazy idea....that I would ride all the way between Tahoe and the Bay Area.
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The ride is almost 200 miles - and for the most part - gorgeous!!
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I strapped a GPS to the handlebars, and left South Lake Tahoe at 8am sharp (elev 6300ft=1920m).
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You're crossing three major passes along he way: Luther Pass @ 7740ft (2359m)
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Carson Pass @ 8574ft (2613m)
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and Carson Spur @ 7990ft (2435m)
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Inbetween these lies my favourite ski resort - Kirkwood.
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First stop to fill up the water supply.
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Hope Valley is one of many pretty vistas along the way.
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Red Lake
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Dropping down the Sierras, the elevations signs were offering a steady countdown.
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taking in a massive view
...but a long ways to go! Time to move on.
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More water - and an ice cream - at Ham's Station.
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Onwards!
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flyin' down Shake Ridge Road (to avoid traffic on hwy 88)
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Egg sandwich...to go!
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farms along the way
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Descending into the Central Valley...and it's starting to get sweaty.
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entering golden age town Sutter Creek
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A well-needed rest stop.
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Prime time for lunch, in fact!
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did a few miles along hwy 49...
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...then a new windy & hilly backroad around Camanche Reservoir.
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Even the cows know to stay in the shade on a day like this...
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Ok, this one beats 'em all: Watering a POND???
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All set for navigation through these hills...speedometer, maps, GPS.
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a quick rest stop in Stockton
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Hwy 4 goes westbound through the rice fields, many bridges across windy water ways.
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Good for me; almost all traffic is going the opposite direction. Including the wind... :-(
[Mt Diablo looming in the background]
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Ice cream stop at a rowdy Mexican pub
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Evening dew, sweat, sunscreen, and lots of dust....dirty!
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It's 8.30 and the sun is setting....
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It's quickly getting dark...and I do three more hours of hilly riding.
A good 1000ft (300m) climb around Mt Diablo, and I drop down into Walnut Creek....
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...where a pretty beat up guy boards the midnight train through the Berkeley Hills tunnel - and home to bed!
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Here's the path: Basically Lake Tahoe, then hovering aorund hwy 88, then hwy 4 to Mt Diablo, then backroads to Walnut Creek.
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Here's a detailed map over the hwy 88 by-roads. Shake Ridge Road to the right, then a bunch of small roads via Camanche Reservoir.
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Elevation curve: The total climb seems to be around 8500ft (2600m)
over a total distance of 191 miles (307km)
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GPS stats: 191 miles(307km), 17hrs of riding, avg speed 11mph (18km/h)...not too bad for strong headwind through the whole Central Valley :-)
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