Yosemite Cal

After a very noisy evening in Reno (car stereo in the parking lot, people coming and going at all hours of the night, and someone wearing cinder blocks for shoes in the room above me) I got up with plans of hitting the Triumph dealer in Reno. So I got ready slowly and got some breakfast (good to see my bike still in the parking lot) and went over and checked to see the damage this morning. Nothing, no drips. Well, so much for delaying, it's time to get rolling!

Oh, one more thing before I roll on with the rest of the day. The non-functioning right headphone ear bud from yesterday. I decided I'd take a look at it last night and see if I could figure out what was wrong with it. I plugged it into the laptop and I had sound in it, but it was faint. After further trial and error, I remembered that there were filters on the speakers and thought I'd try and replace it. Well, the headphones are functioning properly again. I think there were other circumstances, since it did not work at all earlier in the day.

Alright, enough of the stuff that was broken and onto the day. Another gorgeous day out. Bright blue sky and a few fluffy white clouds. Beautiful temps in the 50s in the morning and really comfortable riding all day.

Rolled on through the rest of Nevada down 395 and came on into California. Almost there to the halfway point. Not sure how I feel about that right now. It feels like I've been on the road for a month already. It's not that I'm tired of the trip or anything like that. It's just the world I'm living in right now. Me, the bike, and the road. Sometimes it is hard to believe I'm here on the west coast and have seen the things I've seen in the past two weeks.

Regardless, welcome to California in Mono county!




It was a weird transition from the past couple of days. I had gotten used to seeing nothing but desert, sage brush, and rocky hills. Now I was seeing green grass and green trees again. Almost felt like home again..but not quite. There were still these things poking about.


I rolled through a really nice canyon before that last picture. It just winding around the base of some mountains with a raging river right beside. It was just a taste of the sites that were to come later on.


After rolling up out of the canyon (and many temptations for hanging a right onto two well known mountain passes) I pressed on to Bridgeport and topped off the tank. Paid the most I've ever paid for gas; $4.89/gallon (That's alright though, the Tiger sips fuel). 91 octane was $5.03. So I guess you can say I've seen five dollar gas.

After a fill up, I arrived at a beautiful lookout over Mono Lake. Take a look at the day on hand. You can't ask for better weather.


Stopped off in Lee Vining, CA for lunch. A nice tasty BBQ Pork sandwich, fries, and some macaroni salad. Sounds tasty, but add that on to being on a deck looking out over Mono Lake. Perfect. While I was there, one of the other motorcyclists I see pull in is a true traveler. I'm fairly certain his license plate was from Switzerland. Top notch!

After lunch, I headed up the road just a little bit and started up the Tioga Pass and towards the entrance to Yosemite National Park.


Such an incredible front door to the national park. What a feeling of insignificance being amongst these granite giants. The same "WOW"s of the Colorado passes were back. The pictures just don't do it justice.


Eventually wound my way up to the park entrance and checked in. I think the last time I was in Yosemite I was 11 years old. What a welcome back the park gave me.


It seems nothing is small in Yosemite, including its trees. Home to the giant Sequoia. The proportions of these trees are something else. The tower above you make you feel like a dwarf.


Here's a little something to try and help you for scale (and this is a small one):


Took a nice little break here to take in the wonderful sites and to relax some. There was plenty to look at all around. Some big things...


..and the small things (which I didn't have the camera on me) such as some marmots and even a tiny little lizard hopping around on the rocks. Another nice peaceful moment.

Rode on into the main draw to the park. The falls and Half Dome.

(Bridal Veil Falls)

The final view back over the valley. It really is something that just doesn't seem quite real when you look at it. Even in person it doesn't look real.

(Click for a much larger version. My favorite of the trip so far.)

So here's an update on total miles so far:

(No, I didn't go 200+ miles an hour)

Today's Pics

Play It Again

After a rousing night of Bingo (yup, the "casino" was playing Bingo until midnight), woke up early and got ready for the trip. Checked the weather and it was a nice balmy 33 degrees, but the sky was an incredible blue.

Went and doubled checked the work that was done the other day over in SLC. Still got a leak. Doesn't look like it's leaking in two places any more, but the impossible to get to clamp looks like where it's still leaking. I'm not sure what the solution is at this point. It's leaking less but still leaking.

Much to my surprise, I took a "to hell with it" attitude, loaded up and got on the road. It didn't bother me at all throughout the day. I think the gorgeous day had something to do with it.


Route 50 continued to impress throughout the whole day. It's varying terrain, sites, and even smells were all so enjoyable.





The miles were clicking by as I listened to music. It was 80 miles to Eureka, NV and it seemed like it took only a half hour to get there. However, as I got close, there was a slight delay.

(Click it to see it bigger)

While it's not very clear, it was some gigantic piece of machinery being hauled by two vehicles. It completely impeded progress and took up both lanes. It was first gear time for a few miles. Just outside of Eureka they pulled off the road and let the couple of us by. The other motorcycle rider and myself stopped in town to top off. He said he'd been behind it since Ely that morning. That poor guy, he had to have traveled at 15 mph for close to 80 miles.

Once again, after filling up, it was back to the races. More scenic riding for me. Something about this type of area is almost as thrilling as the ride up the passes in Colorado.





Throughout this area between Eureka and Austin, there was great smell in the air. Every time you inhaled you smelled flowers, but there was no flowers to be seen. It must've been the sage brush or shrubs all around.


Eventually arrived in the little town of Austin. The approach into Austin was a lot of fun. Lots of twisting and winding around through the hills. It was a nice change from the the long straight stretches I had traveled.




A fill up and a snack in Austin and it was time to make the big push to Fallon, NV. It was going to be a long haul over to that town. And it sure was. It was also here that my right ear bud failed on my headphones. Man, what next?!




There were some interesting sites as I approached Fallon. First the large sand dune and then the huge dry lake bed. An interesting note on the lake bed. All along the sides people had taken lava rocks (at least that's what they looked like) and wrote names, sweet nothings, an email address, and quotes. I can't believe I actually scored a picture of them.



These things probably stretched on for a good 3 miles or more and were on both sides of the road.

Came into Fallon and got out of the increasing temps. I was wearing a full set of long johns, the pant liners, electric jacket, and a sweatshirt. I was still pretty comfortable though.

Eventually rolled into Reno here and checked in. It's a little noisy in this neighborhood, but I think I'll survive. There's plenty of pictures to sift through from today. To stem the tide of boredom, I kept snapping away. At some point it just all starts to look the same. But it was a great ride across 50 today.

That stretch of road is known as The Loneliest Road in America. It actually follows part of the old Pony Express route from 1860-1861 (until the completion of the telegraph system). Who knew?

Today's Pics

California dreaming tomorrow...

Desert Song

Ahhh, it feels good to be back on the road again. Got started around 9 AM from the hotel this morning; destination Ely, Nevada. I unfortunately decided against southern Utah. I figured it best that I get on to California right now. I can take a slower approach there. Tomorrow will be a longer day with a ride into the Reno area.

So it took awhile getting started this morning. Sure enough I-15 continues bite. I had to stop several times in stop and go traffic on a 5 lane interstate highway. Salt Lake City is a very beautiful city but moves too fast for my tastes. I would've gotten some pictures as I left the city, but I was dodging thunderstorms on my departure. Saw some lightening off in the distance, lots of rain, and lots of traffic. The whole horizon looked ominous, I figured I'd be dodging lightening bolts all day long.

(That is where I came from. Doesn't look real bad, but hey, that's 60 miles behind me.)

Fortunately I started heading in the right direction and away from the rain. Thank goodness. With that, I took off the rain gloves and decided to entertain myself by snapping some shots...finally.




Being distracted with snapping pictures got my mind focused on riding and to just forget all about the weather. While it was barren and desolate, it sure was beautiful. Eventually rolled into Delta, Utah and filled up the tank. Next gas station...75 miles down the road. Next town...94 miles down the road.

The route into Ely was such a varying section of road. Starting from Delta (the last bastion of civilization) it opened up onto the desert proper. Nothing but far off ridges and shimmering illusions on the road. You can see so far but you can never quite make out what you're seeing until you get much closer.


There was a rather lake bed I came across that was off to my left. The heat shot up in waves from the ground and mixed with the atmosphere and it would mirror the mountain range. It was fascinating to see and just as much fun to let it mess with your mind.


Shortly after that, I was running right with the mountains and then up through a canyon of them twisting and winding around. Came out on top at Skull Rock Pass (awesome name) and a huge valley opened up below me.




Then once I neared the Nevada border a site I wasn't expecting. Snow capped mountains.


This area was spectacular and quite breathtaking. I found my self just looking around and staring. As I was moving at 70 mph, it felt like I was standing still due to the immense distances laid out in front of me.


In the distance I saw Dust devils swirling about. Sometimes there would be two or three very small ones moving across the ground. It's unfortunate I couldn't snag any shots of them.

I ended up taking a stop along side the road just before ascending another pass. There was a gas station/cafe back a few miles but I felt like going on. When I saw I had another 60 some miles to Ely, I figured I needed a break since I had been riding from Delta, some 100+ miles back.

(Looking back from whence I came).

This place was so serene. I'll attempt to describe it, but I'm pretty sure I won't be able to to do it justice. First off the silence is incredible. Not a mechanized sound. I was so used to the constant traffic next to I-15 in SLC that I didn't understand that I wasn't hearing anything at all except the gentle wind that was blowing through the brush and the pines across the way.


Then straight out of a Hollywood film, a screech from a bird of prey (I kid you not) pierced the desert air. It was a very peaceful moment. The desert sang its siren song.


I rolled on after that break (after munching on some grapes and peach rings) and then I noticed my battery for my point-and-shoot camera had given up the ghost. It was a shame, there were a few things to capture. But to pass some time, I'd pick out a visible landmark on the road ahead and guess how many miles away it was. I was off several times. The furtherest distance I could see ahead was around 8 miles. Incredible.

So here I am in Ely, NV at the Ramada Copper Queen. Right outside my room is the "casino." By casino they mean an array of slot machines. Whoooo boy!



Today's Pics

Ship Shape and Ready to Ride

Just got back from the dealership. Loose clamps (as I had suspected) was the culprit. Shop said they tightened the loose ones and double checked the others, then let it warm up until the fan kicked on and took it for a spin. Seems to check out just fine. Awesome work. Definitely would recommend stopping at their shop if you're on the road. What a bunch of friendly folks at BMW of Salt Lake!

Picked up some more chain lube and plan on using the last of my Honda stuff and now have a can ready for more. Will probably get that done this afternoon as well as figure out where the heck I'm going tomorrow..

Peace of mind is priceless.

Day of Rest

So it looks like the dream of Moab is about to die. But that's not before something else died. That would be the protective laminate over my GPS.


How the mighty have flaked.

This was the nice surprise awaiting me this morning. I pulled it out of the tank bag this morning and my screen was all bubbled. As I went to smooth it out to see if it worked it just flaked away.

Called over to Triumph of Salt Lake and made an appointment with them for 9AM local time for them to check the bike out. I have no idea how long it's going to take. I'm hoping it's nothing serious.

Later in the afternoon I ran up to a Radio Shack (didn't find it) but did find a Office Depot. They had what I was looking for; electronic screen protectors. So I came back to the hotel (avoiding getting T-Boned by someone not paying attention...thank goodness for a peppy bike and being ATGATT) and put on the new screen. Looks like it should work out until I get home.

A nice day for down time and contact with folks back at the home front.

Travel Day

Today was a haul butt day to get to Salt Lake City. Mission accomplished. Traveling interstate is absolutely no fun. Thank goodness for the iPod, that really helped click the miles away today.

Hit a bunch of rain in the afternoon. Crossing over Soldier Summit in Utah was interesting. Cold and raining plus through a construction site. Instead of normal road grime there was lots of muddy water every where.

I-15 still sucks as much as it did two years ago when I went to Ogden. Man, wall to wall traffic moving really fast really close together. If you want to spice it up even more, throw in a torrential downpour for added fun. Yup, lots of fun right there.

So no pictures today, was more concerned on getting into town here. Tomorrow I find out if BMW of Salt Lake will take me in and have mercy on me. Here's hoping!

Green, Blue, and White

You know the saying, "Out of sight out of mind"? Sometimes it's good to be ignorant about things but, unfortunately this time, I had to check to see if I could find the source of my coolant leak. Sure enough, it looks like it's leaking in two different places.


Crap. While there were no drips on the pavement in the morning (thus no significant drop in coolant levels) I decided since being in the southwest where everything is hours apart and the land is unforgiving, I decided I'd try and find some coolant to top off and that a trip to Salt Lake City to visit the Triumph dealer was required.

There was much debate between blue coolant, green coolant and orange coolant. No one had blue and no one was quite sure if orange or green would work. After some reading and nail biting I ended up buying a gallon of Prestone pre-mix (by the description, it seems to jive with what is required by Triumph....and it's green) and topped off. If it took a half a pint, I'd be surprised.

With that out of the way, it was time to get a move on. Knowing that I had a full reservoir of coolant, I could kind of sit back and enjoy the ride. First up, a ride on over to Shiprock, NM.

That tiny thing on the left side is Shiprock Peak. It is a very significant monument to the Navajo in the area. You'll also see it in the Transformers movie (I recognized it immediately).

The land, she was a barren around here. But as I traveled north, the scenery took some dramatic changes. Peaks on the horizons and mesas and plateaus were cropping up everywhere.




It was a beautiful ride into Cortez, Colorado. After a quick bite to eat in town I headed on over to the Mesa Verde National Park.


What a wonderful road back to the main attraction (the cliff dwellings). However the main attraction costs an additional fee and is a guided tour. I didn't have time for a guided tour since I left so late (plus I had no place to stash my gear). So back on out of the park. Really some beautiful scenery.




And here's where I was headed.

Those peaks are about 50 miles away. Cool.

Filled up with gas and got on state route 143. Started off pretty lame but man did it start getting good. I burned almost a whole MiniDV tape on this route. It just winded along the Dolores River. All along the hillsides you could see the Aspen foliage starting to sprout. I can't even imagine running this road in the fall when the leaves would be golden.


So, river on right side, red rock on the left and mountains dead ahead.


The road started climbing and the mountains started getting bigger and closer. I had this stupid grin on my face and laughing the whole time. Accompanied with the "oo's" and "ahh's".


I finally broke out on top of Lizard Head Pass and the scene was just indescribable. I don't think ANY picture could convey the immenseness of the surroundings. I was in awe.

(Note my new found friend the yellow funnel and Prestone jug strapped to the back.)





I kept on rolling towards Telluride, Colorado and the scenery just never gave up. It was one show stopper after another.




I could post picture after picture and go on and on about the road and the vistas. Hopefully the video that was shot will give everyone a little bit of a feel for it. It's nothing quite like being there and seeing it in person.

Which brings me to one of the reasons why I love riding (especially in these types of areas). No obstructed view. You can look any where you please and take in as much as your eyes can see. Bigger than the biggest widescreen television. Flip the helmet up and feel that cool air on your face. Listen to nothing but the air rushing over you and sound of the engine just humming along. It's such a great experience.

Anyway, wound down out of the mountains and hung a right and rolled in Ouray (U-ray is the proper pronunciation). What a neat little town. Surrounded by mountains on three sides, it's just a great setting.


On a recommendation from the hotel proprietor, I went to the Outlaw Cafe. Had a great coversation with the one bartender Ben (I hope I got that right!) about bikes and traveling and just some general good conversation. The people of this town are really friendly and I want to come back again for certain.

It's amazing what a good ride and tasty fillet can do for your soul. This morning started off really crappy. I was really bummed about having to head to SLC and the bike having a minor (or is it major) problem. But being able to top off that coolant and get riding again, really made me feel a little more at ease.

Well, laundry is done, folding needs to commence here directly, and I'm all set for SLC tomorrow.



Today's Pictures (There's about 4 pages from today).