M4MM, I-5 SB @ CA-120, 7/21 5:30pm

[vaara]

Split to the front of a big backup and found myself right up against a big rig that had overturned and dumped a house onto the freeway, and was then hit by another semi. There was a ~2ft space between the still-upright truck and the guardrail. It didn’t look passable. Another moto rode up, and then a third. The third guy heard that CHP was planning to turn everyone around, which would have taken hours*, and headed back the wrong way in the median breakdown lane.

The other guy (on a Harley) got the CHP to let him try and get through the tiny gap. First they had to pour sand over some oil that had spilled. Then Harley Guy went over and dog-paddled through the wreckage.

Then it was my turn. I lane-split in SF traffic all the time, so I managed reasonably well - twisting bars as needed, one foot on the guardrail, and pushing aside chains dangling from the big rig. Afterwards I stopped (right there in the middle of the #4 lane - it’s not like there was any traffic) to check my tires for nails. None found. I made it home safely, and hope the others did too.

Postscript: A short time later, as I was heading up the Altamont Pass, I saw an accident on the other side of 580 that apparently involved at least one motorcycle. Hope everyone’s OK.

* It took 2 hours. I found the CHP incident report but am not sure how to permalink it.

 

[vaara]

The space between the *overturned* semi and the guardrail is where we had to go.

 

[CDONA]

I pucker every time I drag my stuff thru there, too many converging lanes of traffic.
I can't relax until the north end of Stockton.

 

[spear]

I pucker every time I drag my stuff thru there, too many converging lanes of traffic.
I can't relax until the north end of Stockton.

Same. Plus with the wind blowing you around.... Just makes thing a bit sketchier thru there.

 

[vaara]

It was pretty windy, but fortunately it was “only” 93 as opposed to the usual 105.

This was on the tail end of a 3-pass ride. I sometimes like to take 88/104 across the valley from Jackson to Ione to Galt, then continue to the Delta to 160 to 4. But yesterday when I got to I-5 on Twin Cities Road, I thought “fuck it, I just want to get home.” Little did I know.

 

[GPzPop]

It was pretty windy, but fortunately it was “only” 93 as opposed to the usual 105.

This was on the tail end of a 3-pass ride. I sometimes like to take 88/104 across the valley from Jackson to Ione to Galt, then continue to the Delta to 160 to 4. But yesterday when I got to I-5 on Twin Cities Road, I thought “fuck it, I just want to get home.” Little did I know.

mmmmm, 3-pass ride ! yum!

 

[vaara]

mmmmm, 3-pass ride ! yum!

Full disclosure: I did Sonora and Monitor but *not* Ebbetts... it would have been too much work. So I took 88 (Carson Pass) instead. It didn’t suck.