Gold Wing Road Riders Association

Transcription

1 Gold Wing Road Riders Association Chapter AB-A A (Calgary) Newsletter February 2010 Wing Wag CASTLE MOUNTAIN Text and Photos by: Lisa Miller Day 9 - Wednesday, September 16, kilometers (8.5 hours) Oroville, CA to Grass Valley, CA via Quincy, CA; Forbestown, CA; East Quincy, CA; and Yuba Pass We got up a little earlier than we had set the alarm and got down in time to have the free breakfast at the hotel. Then we packed up the bike and rode next door to fill the tank before getting on the road. Today was a day for riding Destination Highways again. We rode to Quincy along DH3 which is known as California SR-70 and follows the north fork and east branch of the Feather River. The road started out a little iffy because of tar (Continued on page 3) Feb 8 Mar 8 Mar 27 Coming Events Monthly Meeting Monthly Meeting First Aid & CPR Course What s Inside Twisty Bits Pics...2 Meeting Stars...6 Level 3 Patches...6 Level 4 Patches...7 News & Notices...8 Safety First...9 Meetings Information...9 Classifieds...10 Calgary Area Staff Listing /50 Winners...10

2 Wing Wag February 2010 Page 2 Photos by: Lisa Miller

3 Wing Wag February 2010 Page 3 (Continued from page 1) snakes all over the road and especially in the corners. These ribbons of tar really grab the tires and force the wheel to follow their path but after a short time thay cleared up and the road surface was generally quite good for the rest of the day. There were signs along the way that referred to the course of the river as Rock Creek although that name does not appear on our maps. Anyway Rock Creek was a very apt name as it was sometimes hard to see the water for all of the rocks, and I am talking massive boulders! This route also included three tunnels blasted out of the rock of the mountain which we had to pass through and we could see several similar tunnels that had been blasted out to accommodate trains. DH3 which had started about 5 miles outside of Oroville ended in the town of Quincy. to the bottom of this road we joined SR-70 and travelled south to SR-89 south. At this point it was time for lunch and we stopped at a restaurant called the Coyote Café and had a wonderful meal, Colin had a mesquite chicken sandwich, and I had a mesquite chicken quesadilla, we would recommend the restaurant to anyone. After lunch we continued south on SR-89 and went west on SR-49 to climb up to Yuba pass. This route is designated as DH9 and when we began to climb we encountered a sign that said Bikers Beware, Dead Man s Curves, Next 15 Miles but it really wasn t as bad as the sign suggested. Yuba Pass was 6,708 feet and the ride was beautiful all the way to Nevada City, CA. The one problem was that the sun was quite low in the sky by this time and we were riding west right into the sun which was very blinding at some points. From Quincy we got onto DH7 which is known as Bucks Lake Road and also called Forestry Route (FR) 119. This was another very twisty road with lots of elevation changes which were great because the temperature at the higher elevations was about six degrees C cooler than it was in the valleys and for me six degrees cooler is the difference between a happy Lisa and a miserable Lisa. As we neared the end of DH7, which terminates at Lake Oroville, we could see hundreds of boats, cabin cruisers and houseboats, anchored in long rows. We don t know if they we being stored there by owners or if they were rentals but whatever the case you would need a boat to get to them as there was no dock or anything like it. We followed a little cut off road to get to our next Destination Highway, DH21, which is marked as FR 120. This road goes through a town called La Porte. Some maps show this as a gravel road but it is all paved. This route again had incredible elevation changes and at one point the downhill section was so open and had such a steep drop-off that it actual unnerved Colin and he rode that section very carefully. When we eventually got We got to Grass Valley about 6:00 p.m. and filled with gas before we got to the hotel which took a few minutes to find. When we checked into the Holiday Inn Express we were invited to have a couple of free drinks in the lobby until 7:00 p.m. so after we dropped our stuff in our room we went down to enjoy cocktail hour. After a couple of drinks we went for a walk around town which is a very quaint place with lots of old buildings, a historic hotel from 1850, and a movie theatre from 1929 in the art deco style. It even had the separate ticket booth that you see in movies. The original single theater has been divided into three theatres much like the one in Moose Jaw, SK where I spent my teen years. We had a great supper at the Owl Grill and Saloon which had been operating as a restaurant since the mid 1800 s. Then we headed back to the hotel to clean, program, and cover the bike, and then write up the day before going to bed. Day 10 - Thursday, September 17, kilometers (7.5 hours) Grass Valley, CA to Minden, NV via Lake Tahoe, CA and NV (Continued on page 4)

4 Wing Wag February 2010 Page 4 (Continued from page 3) After two big meals yesterday neither of us was hungry and breakfast was only until 9:00 a.m. so we skipped it altogether. We got on the bike at 10:00 a.m. and went in search of motorcycle shops to see if we could purchase a couple of water activated cooling vest. After stopping and asking in three different shops over the course of an hour with no luck we gave up and got on the road. We hopped onto California SR-20 which is DH57 east bound and took what the Destination Highway books call a Twisted Edge (TE) to the town of Washington, CA. This little town is at the bottom of a 6 mile twisty ride down into a valley. We somehow got stuck behind a couple of annoying, noisy, slow, Harleys and as result it took us almost an hour to get to the town and back. In fairness it wasn t all the fault of the Harleys as 5.29 miles of the road were under construction, with some sections being totally rebuilt. Road construction has been very prevalent during this whole trip but today it seemed to be the theme for the day with huge sections of almost every road we were on having either large or multiple sections under construction. After our diversion on the TE to Washington, CA we got back onto SR-20 and continued on to the junction with I-80 which was the end of DH57. About the time we got onto I-80 we were both starting to get hungry and began to look for a place to eat. I-80 was a nightmare and the State of California should be ashamed of itself for leaving such a major route in such bad condition. It was like the entire road was made from exposed aggregate concrete which made it incredibly bumpy and it would have been very slippery if it had been wet and we were grateful that it wasn t. That wasn t the only problem as the concrete had huge cracks all over it as well. We were really not enjoying this part of the ride and when we saw a billboard for the Rainbow Lodge Restaurant we took the exit and stopped in for lunch. The Rainbow Lodge is an old hotel with lots of character and a nice little café. At this time of year they don t get enough guests to open the actual restaurant so they open the café at the back of the building. We both had bacon cheese burgers which were very nice but nothing exceptional. After we ate we took some pictures of the building and area and then got back onto I-80 which continued to be bad. A number of miles down the way a massive section of the highway was under construction and none too soon if our earlier experience was any indication of this section s previous condition. We exited I-80 onto SR-267 to Lake Tahoe. This road was also under construction and had an exceptional amount of traffic with many delays due to road closures creating long rows of one lane alternating traffic. We eventually made it to Kings Beach on the north shore of Lake Tahoe and drove 5 miles east along the north shore and got onto Nevada SR-431. We rode north east on this road over the Mount Rose Summit which is 8,933 feet and apparently the highest year round pass in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. This was a great ride with much in the way of elevation changes creating many twisty bits to enjoy. The altitude also made it very cool and comfortable after spending much of the day to this point in hot conditions. We went south on US-395 heading for Minden, NV but along the way we spotted the Chocolate Nugget, a candy shop extraordinaire, and with a name like that we had to stop. We both picked 5 chocolates, a soda, and I selected two pieces of each of about 25 varieties of salt water taffy for Colin and I to share later. When we got to Minden we topped up the tank and got onto Nevada SR-207 via SR- 88. We began climbing again up to Daggett Pass at an altitude of 7,334 feet, then back down a bit to South Lake Tahoe where we ran into yet more road construction and more single lane alternating traffic with long lines of vehicles. We rode west on US-50 to California SR-89 south over the Luther Pass at (Continued on page 5)

5 Wing Wag February 2010 Page 5 (Continued from page 4) 7,735 feet then down to Nevada SR-88 and back to Minden, NV where our Holiday Inn Express hotel was waiting for us. When we were riding along SR-88/89 (about 6 miles is listed under both route numbers) we encountered a place called Sorensen s which looked really nice and since we will be back that way on Saturday we are planning to stop there for lunch. After getting settled into our hotel room we went to the nearby AM/PM to buy some beer and snacks for later and then back to the hotel for a swim. We had a quick supper at the Arby s next door to the hotel and then to our room to catch the season premier of Fringe on Fox network and to write up the day s activities and settle into bed. Day 11 - Friday, September 18, kilometers (7.5 hours) Minden, NV to Sonora, CA via Markleeville, CA and Sonora Pass, CA When we opened the curtains this morning the sky was a bright blinding blue. Colin ran downstairs and got us a cinnamon roll each and a chocolate coffee for me and we watch an episode of Monk while we were getting ready to leave. We had to stop at a gas station to top up the tank before we got onto SR-88 and crossed back into California. We then traveled south on SR-89 over Monitor Pass at 8,314 feet which is DH1 for Northern California. This was a fun road to ride but from a touring perspective we would not select this road as DH1 although we can understand why the authors did. The road had great twists and turns with wide open corners and great sight lines but the scenery while interesting was not as spectacular as most of the other roads we have ridden this trip. For sport bike riders it is often more about how fast they can ride the twistys than what they can see while doing it. SR-89 ended at an intersection with US-395 and we turned to travel south along this road to until we reached SR-108. We traveled west on SR-108, which is designated as DH8, and climbed to cross the Sonora Pass at an altitude of 9,624 feet. With as hot as it was It is hard to believe but although this area does not have any glaciers there were still patches of snow visible at some points on the mountains. The mountains of the Sierra Nevada s are very different in appearance to our mountains. Instead of looking like sharp, angular, sheets of slate they look like massive, smooth, rounded, boulders and they seem to have been dropped in place instead of looking like they have been pushed up out of the ground. We were both starting to get hungry so when the road dropped back down to about 6,000 feet we saw a sign for the Kennedy Meadows Resort that showed the knife, fork, and plate symbol and we decided to go there for lunch. Once we turned we made our way about a mile down the road past camping sites and the Kennedy Creek to the resort. This resort seems to be dedicated to people out to peruse outdoor activities like fishing and horseback riding. The cabins look quaint but very rustic. There was a store, a café, a saloon, as horse paddock, and horses. The facility offered half-day trail rides to a reservoir and parking for trucks and horse trailers for those choosing to bring their own horses. The place was a real going concern and it was hard to find a place to park the bike. We went to the café for lunch, a grilled cheese sandwich for me and grilled ham and cheese sandwich for Colin. Then we walked across to the saloon for a beer before exploring the resort a little more to take pictures. We wandered over to the creek where a couple of women who had been fishing were trying to get a hook out of the tiny fish they had caught, they asked Colin if he could help but he hasn t really done that since he was a teenager and Dale usually took the hooks out if they caught anything. We saw a real fisherman (easily identified by the fishing hat and vest he was wearing and the string of fish he was carrying) a little way down the creek and I went to see if he could help. He was willing but (Continued on page 11)

6 Wing Wag February 2010 Page 6 Milt Sorensen GWRRA Can Nat Rider Educator Milt Sorensen who was at the meeting to hand out Level 4 Patches. Jim & Dorothy Baker Ron & Betty Syoishka presented a plaque and flowers to out-going Chapter Directors. Congratulations to the chapter members who received their Level 3 Patches from Alex Middleton at the January Monthly meeting, they include. Shelly Burrill, Brian & Rose Perrin, Gord & Brenda Stevenson, Harvey Matthews. Not present at the meeting to receive their patches were Fred & Judy Rea and Darryl Snyder.

7 Wing Wag February 2010 Page 7 Congratulations to the chapter members who received their Level 4Patches at the January Monthly meeting. Not present at the meeting to receive her patch was Susan Premech. Alex Middleton Ron Myers Carol Myers Dorothy Baker Jim Baker Gary Premech Harley Sanders

8 Wing Wag February 2010 Page 8 1. Once again the Motorcycle show was a great success with many visitors to the booth. Thanks to Sid Robinson and Ron Syroishka for organizing our representation at the show. 2. A very special THANK YOU to the Chinook Mall Sony Store and Store Manager Austin Darcy for the use of one of their TVs during the Show. 3. Chapter BC-G Kamloops will be holding Victoria Days Motorcycle Rally May 21 24, If you are interested in participating in this rally information is available at or from Kirk Elliot at or ocis.net 4. The Irma fire fighters are sponsoring 400 Km poker rally starting and ending in Irma, AB on Saturday, June 12, If you are interested in participating in this rally please call Doug Larson at Evenings or Our Calgary Chapter has been asked to host the 2011 Region Rally on the August long weekend. Anyone interested in being involved please contact our Chapter Directors to express your interest. WW

9 Wing Wag February 2010 Page 9 If you are interested in attending any courses please contact Alex Middleton at rider goldwing calgary.com to express your interest or for additional information. Scheduled Courses: A First Aid and CPR Course will be held on March 27, 2010, with the location and time yet to be determined. If you are interested in attending contact Alex Middleton at rider goldwing calgary.com WW DAY/DATE Feb 8 Mar 8 Mar 27 MEETING SCHEDULE February Monthly Meeting March Monthly Meeting First Aid & CPR Course Friends for Fun, Safety, and Knowledge Come ride with us...everyone Welcome! For the latest updates on what we are doing and where we re going, check out our website: Monthly Meetings Monthly meetings are held on the 2nd Monday of each month. This is a time to share information and to meet old and new friends who like to ride together for FUN, Safety and Knowledge. See you at the next meeting at the Fox Hollow Golf Club, 9th Street and 32nd Avenue N.E. 6:30; Meeting at 7:00 PM. Rain, snow or shine, we meet for breakfast every Sunday morning about 9 AM. This is a great year round way to stay in touch with your GWRRA friends. So, if you have missed the opportunity to join us for breakfast recently, why don t you come on over to the Fox Hollow Golf Club, 9th Street and 32nd Avenue N.E.

10 Wing Wag February 2010 Page 10 Classified Ads The Classified ads are free to all members and associates of the GWRRA. While advertised items do not have to be Gold Wing related, we do insist that all ads pertain to motorcycling. Ads will appear on a space available basis for one month. Should you wish to continue to run your ad for a second or succeeding month, you must resubmit or renew your ad. Deadline for submission is the 25th of the month preceding publication. To post an ad or if the item is sold or the offer withdrawn, please contact Lisa Miller at: goldwing calgary.com CLASSIFIED ADS CALGARY AREA STAFF Chapter Directors Ron & Betty Syroishka (403)???-???? chapter goldwing calgary.com Assistant Gary & Susan Premech (403) Chapter Directors assistant chapter goldwing calgary.com Quartermaster Brian Perrin (403) goldwing calgary.com Newsletter Editor Lisa Miller (403) goldwing calgary.com Treasurer Darryl Snyder (403) goldwing calgary.com Ride Coordinator Terry Collin (403) ride goldwing calgary.com Rider Education Alex Middleton (403) rider goldwing calgary.com Rider Course Terry Burrell (403) Instructor goldwing calgary.com Social Coordinators Carol Myers (403) social goldwing calgary.com & Susan Premech (403) social goldwing calgary.com Membership Darryl Minsky (403) Enhancement goldwing calgary.com Coordinator & Webmaster January 50/50 Winner GWRRA TOLL FREE NUMBER (CANADA & US) NATIONAL LEADERS Executive Director Melissa Nordeoff (623) Natl Dirs for Cdn Ops Ron & Carol Hodgson (403) Asst Natl Director Rider Ed Milt Sorensen (403) Region J Directors Phil & Margaret Craven (250) District Directors Ross & Audrey Woolsey (780) John Nord NOTE: addresses in this publication are displayed in a manner that will deter automatic address harvesting programs. This step is taken to reduce unsolicited to any addresses we post. We regret any inconvenience caused for our legitimate visitors. REMOVE ALL THE SPACES IN THE ADDRESS TO MAKE IT WORK.

11 Wing Wag February 2010 Page 11 (Continued from page 5) the poor little fish was beyond help at that point and destined for a frying pan somewhere. We got back on the bike after a very enjoyable stop and retraced our steps to continue along SR-108 and stopped for gas when we saw a station before turning off on a TE to Tuolumne, CA where we entered onto Forestry Road 14 which is designated as DH52. This road took us 30 miles down to Cherry Lake reservoir on what at times was a very questionable road surface for about 1/3 of the distance. The rest of the way there we often rocks and gravel on the road necessitating extra caution. The road had a lot of twists and turns but the scenery wasn t particularly good and once at the lake there wasn t much to look at either. We then had to turn around and retrace our route back to SR-108. This little diversion took almost 2 hours and in the end Colin and I agreed that it really hadn t been worth the time investment and we would not recommend the road to others unless they were looking for a different place to camp. We got back onto SR-108 and continued to Sonora, CA where we would be stopping for the night at a Best Western. We stopped to fill the tanks before checking in and a couple walked over and started talking with us. Turned out they too had a white Gold Wing and were GWRRA (Gold Wing Road Riders Association) members from San Bernardino, CA who were stopping in Sonora for a GWRRA rally before heading north through Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana. We told them we would be going to the Lounge at the Best Western once we got settled into our room. We were just across the highway from where they were staying and if they wanted to we would meet them for a drink and to chat a little more. When we arrived at the lounge they were in a booth waiting for us and we chatted with them for about an hour before other members from their chapter arrived to have dinner at which point we parted ways after sharing contact information. Colin and I had dinner in the attached restaurant (breakfast for him and spaghetti and meatballs for me) both were good but I wish people would stop think that mushrooms are a vegetable and that they would quit adding them to things like marinara sauce. Do mushrooms even grow in Italy? We programmed, cleaned, and covered the bike then returned to our hotel room. We had set the A/C in the room for 68 degrees F and when we returned the room was nowhere near that temperature and the A/C unit was not running. We called the desk and got moved to a different room where we tuned in to a new episode of the final season of Monk and wrote up the day s events and downloaded pictures to the notebook. The internet access wasn t working so we couldn t send out a new before we climbed into bed for the night. (Part 4 in the March Edition) WW

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