What is the most fun you can have on the way to Tahoe?

monkeythumpa

monkeythumpa

When I go slow, I go fast
I am meeting my dad for dinner in Tahoe on Thursday. I took the day off and am wondering what the maximum amount of moto fun I can have on the way to Tahoe between the hours of 6am and 6pm. Is this route it? I thought of Heading up Hwy1 to Ft. Bragg and then over through Willits, Clear Lake, and Yuba City but it looks like a little less fun. Please respond with your suggestions, comments, and/or insults.
 
Stiffler

Stiffler

Adventure Pig
Mosquito Ridge Road ---> 11 Pines Rd ---> Wentworth Springs ---> Ice House Rd ----> Hwy 50 is the best route you can possibly do on the way up there....buuuut its been burned to shit by the King Fire and there are still a lot of crews up there unfortunately.
 
smm

smm

The Scootist
Well I like this one. Taking Kirker Pass and wandering through the Delta is an enjoyable variation. Too easy to give up and slab it through the Central Valley.
 
flying_hun

flying_hun

Adverse Selection
Stiffler said:
Mosquito Ridge Road ---> 11 Pines Rd ---> Wentworth Springs ---> Ice House Rd ----> Hwy 50 is the best route you can possibly do on the way up there....buuuut its been burned to shit by the King Fire and there are still a lot of crews up there unfortunately.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I would have favored something like the above had it not been for the fire. Instead, if you want to burn up a whole day and cover some neat roads, get yourself across the valley as quickly as possible and start playing around in the hills north of Tahoe.

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monkeythumpa

monkeythumpa

When I go slow, I go fast
flying_hun said:
Yeah, I would have favored something like the above had it not been for the fire. Instead, if you want to burn up a whole day and cover some neat roads, get yourself across the valley as quickly as possible and start playing around in the hills north of Tahoe.

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Click to expand...

Yes, this is more like it, I have all day so I was shooting for something around 10 hours. But alas, I awoke this morn to a flat rear. I temporarily plugged it and need to see if I can get it fixed after work, otherwise I have to do it tomorrow and which will cut into my riding.
 
flying_hun

flying_hun

Adverse Selection
Sorry to hear about the flat. So annoying!

The route I posted is kind of silly in that it's a very big day. You can cut out a loop with some thoughtful review of a good map. You can also just ride straight to Oroville to go up Oroville-Quincy, then come back down LaPorte, then cut across below Bullards Bar to head back up to Yuba Pass. Those are three pretty great roads. :ride
 
monkeythumpa

monkeythumpa

When I go slow, I go fast
I made it to Tahoe! A oddball day at work on top of me scrambling to get my tire plugged (Thanks Catalyst for squeezing me in!) meant that I did not have time to research and reprogram my GPS. So I went with the original route, 108 > 395 > 4 > Sheep Ranch Road > 88 > 89

Photos: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/e07p0zkxf7jf9wz/AACHTdfyfN992yD5gca9_gyMa?dl=0

I left Oakland at 7am made great time to Sonora Pass where I met two Canadians who are riding around the west. They are following a book that rates the roads in Northern CA and mentioned that 89 from 395 to Markleeville is rated #1. Good for me! I would be riding that road shortly. While it is a nice road, I am not sure it is the #1 in N.CA.

As I worked my way up the switchbacks on Hwy 4 up to Ebbetts Pass, I came around a corner to meet three Black Anguses munching on roadside vegetation. I was able to slow down in time but it made my heart stop. The goaty part of 4 was relatively traffic free and the fast part was empty. I filled up in Arnold and had a French Dip. Leaving Arnold road construction delayed me a half hour but I was able to get intel from local bikers telling me about Sheep Ranch Road. Think Alpine Road or Morgan Territory; lots of pothols and some parts were so patched that I am not sure that the original road still exists. It emptied into Hwy 26 which was a great road that takes you to 88.

88 is a fast road and beautiful. By that time in the day I was really in the zone, up until I saw the life flight helicopter. Just after Carson Pass I saw a stretcher being loaded into a hospital 'copter. Then I saw the line of cars. Not sure if it was an accident or road construction, I split up to the front. There, in between the CHP and fire dept was a crimson Harley with a lifeless body laying next to it. All about 50 yards away. It was a little surreal watching CHP investigate and deal with the body and moto. Puts things into perspective, RIP to one and get better to the other.

The west side of Tahoe is lousy with repaving and flagmen. I made it to Truckee around 6pm after a little more than 400 miles. I am guessing road work and the accident scene added about 2.5 hours to the trip.

Tomorrow is a more sane 200 miles to Mammoth Lakes.
 
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