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Ride Report and photos by Bill B., breakfast host and Ride Leader.
The morning began with the alarm going off at 6 AM after a fitful night of sleep. Excitement and anticipation kept me restless. I knew that Pdub and Jess were also getting up over in Sac town as they intended to leave at 7 AM to arrive in time for breakfast.
I failed to get pics of the early breakfast. Pdub and Jess showed up right on schedule just after I rolled up my garage door at 8:10. Sonja had let herself in at 8 AM and Stan showed up at 8:30 just as I was turning out eggs over easy. Each plate had a pancake, two sausage patties and two eggs and blueberries and peaches. Oh yes a sprig of mint from my garden. Everyone ate and got to know one another and by 9:15 we were suiting up and getting ready for a 9:30 departure.
Photo op after breakfastThe first leg would take us out of town through the dairylands and into gently rolling hills to La Grange. We travel about 40 miles in the first hour.
Then as we begin to slowly ascend into the foothills we wind our way to Hornitos where we stop, drink water, take pictures and talk with a local fellow who had once ridden Triumph Bonnie 650's back in the day.
Talking to the old timer {no, Pdub is not the old timer}
Click here for Some trivia about Hornitos, an old gold mining town.
Among the ruins in Hornitos are the walls of the Ghirardelli store, where Domingo Ghirardelli traded with the miners before moving to San Francisco in 1852 to found his chocolate company. {This corrects the dead link.}
Sonja on her Street Triple
Wonder who has a new bike
Pdub's and Jess' bikes
Stan's AmericaOn to Bear Valley and Hwy 49 which is another 12 miles and then we pull off to a vista where we can see the Little Dragon laid out before us. More pics.....people are anxious to ride at this point as the helmets never come off. Off we go...........
Vista just a bit north of Bear Valley on Hwy 49
A view of the Little Dragon from the vistaWe ride the 16 miles to Coulterville and break under the tree where it seems there are always bikes and riders.
Under the tree in CoultervillePics, talk and more water.......off we go for another 20 or so miles of a mix of twisties and open road around Lake Don Pedro and on to Jamestown. This is where we begin to encounter our first traffic. We fuel up and leave Jamestown towards Tuttletown and Lake New Melones via Rawhide Road. Another 20 miles or so stretch of twisties mixed with long straightaways.
Arrive in Angels Camp and head down Hwy 4 to Pool Station Road where again we leave traffic and travel a little known gem of a road making the 11 miles stretch between Angels Camp and San Andreas a much more interesting 25 miles of twisties.
We are nearing the end as we regain Hwy 49 and head to Moke Hill and on to Jackson where we arrive at 1:45. Again this stretch was well traveled but smooth with a mix of straights and twisties. My bike tracks our vitals as follows....152.8 miles from my house to Mel's Diner the former Mel and Faye's....3 hrs and 37 minutes of riding time....Total trip time was 4 hrs and 15 minutes.
The ride was scenic, challenging and fun.
The Ride Route:
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Then it was time for lunch.
From left to right: Stan, Pdub, Bill, Sonja and Jess
Pdub grubbin' out
Time to wave good byeToday's Riders and Their Bikes:
Pdub .............. Wee-Strom
Jess ................ Sprint
Bill ................. Speed Triple
Sonja ............. Street Triple
Stan ............... America
It was a good day and everyone had a ball.
~End
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