2005 Spring Ride to Death Valley

Sunday–Monday, 10–11 Apr 2005

Marc writes:

Nothing is better than riding down the coast on a fine spring Sunday morning under blue skies with an ever-so-slight breeze.
OK, maybe being in Death Valley with fellow riders might have topped it. Maybe. But for various reasons I didn’t make it to Death Valley this spring. Fred, a misguided individual who feels the BSA Owner’s Clubman Show is more important, suggested riding down to Paso Robles Sunday to meet those DV riders who spend the night there before going home. Dan thought that was a good idea. So did I. We did. I wonder if anything interesting happened in Death Valley? Perhaps one of the attending riders will write up a report and let us know.

Jerry’s Norton, my beemer

I waited at my normal spot Sunday morning, wondering if anyone else would go to breakfast. The group typically passes 92 and Ralston at 17 minutes after the hour, plus or minutes 2-3 minutes. At 7:21 I took off, heading to the scheduled breakfast stop, the Country Inn. No one joined me along the way. I ordered breakfast as soon as I got to the restaurant, not expecting any company. Stupid me. I should have waited three more minutes for Jerry to arrive!

Jerry filled me in on some of the Clubman Show happenings over breakfast. The big news (to me) was Fred’s low side on the way to the show Saturday, doing copious amounts of damage to the right side of his Norton. Hmmm, maybe you should have gone to Death Valley, Fred. After breakfast Jerry took off for the Clubman Show morning after ride. I followed him as far as Los Gatos then continued over 17 to the coast and then south.

South view from Nepenthe

West view from Nepenthe

shoreline view from Nepenthe

Nepenthe parking lot

There was little southbound traffic. I expected slow, Sunday sightseers from Carmel to Nepenthe. Didn’t happen. Even the usually crowded Nepenthe was quite empty as can be seen in the parking lot photo, left. After being fortified with a double cappuccino and beautiful views I continued south along the coast. I passed maybe a dozen cars in 50 miles or so. Most of them kindly pulled into turnouts to let me by. The good feelings lasted until Cambria where it cost me $15.15 to fill my tank. Oh well, that’s the price of pleasure, I guess.

Santa Rosa Creek, near Cambria

Road Conditions

Santa Rosa Creek

One of my favorite roads in the central coast is Santa Rosa Creek from Cambria to Highway 46. Road conditions are nice where it starts near Cambria High School but soon turns into a “2nd gear” one lane road going over hills and around the creek. I assume the creek in the third picture, above, is Santa Rosa Creek…. the water on the right, not the little stream running across the road on the left.

heading inland

looking back toward the coast

As the road climbed and turned inland I stopped to take a picture looking back toward the coast. I almost got the binoculars out to look around, but there was some haze in the air. Maybe next time.

Santa Rosa Creek hits Hwy 46. I headed east about 5-7 miles on 46 then picked up Vinyard Road which contains, not too surprisingly, several vinyards. Were I not on the bike I might have stopped in one or three to check out the wares. Maybe some other time.

Vinyard ends at Adelaida which meanders into Nacimiento Lake which turns into to 24th Street in down town Paso Robles. This is very convenient as the hotel is on 24th Street. Check in, take off gear, walk over to AM/PM for beer and chips, put beer in fridge, eat some chips, put on bathing suit, and walk into pool. Life is good. It’s about 2:30 PM. I don’t expect any others to show up until 4:00 PM or so.

Dan

Carl and Glenn

Ginny

Dan was the first to show up. He went to the Clubman morning after ride start, watched all the bikes leave, then headed south on the coast. By 4:10 Rich and Ginny, Glenn, and Carl and Dave had arrived. The seven of us did what breakfast club riders usually do when not riding… stand around and tell each other lies, perhaps quaff a cold drink or three of one sort or another, and maybe munch on some chips. About 6:30 we walked across the motel parking lot to Margie’s Diner where Carl fell in love – with their fruit platter. Dinner conversation eventually turned to the route home. Ginny, Rich, and Glenn decided to go up 101. Carl and Dan had their mind set on the coast. Dave and I decided that Indian Valley Road to Peach Tree Road to Ca 25 was the way to go.

Peach Tree, 198, and 25

Breakfast was back at Margie’s at 7 AM. By 8:15 Dave and I headed up 101 the 8 miles or so to San Miguel to pick up Indian Valley road. After gassing up and one U-turn due to a missed turn we were on our way. Hint 1: if picking up Indian Valley Road in San Miguel follow the signs reading Parkfield until you see a sign that reads Indian Valley. Hint 2: Don’t bother getting on 101 in Paso Robles. Take N River Road one block east of 101 which connects with Indian Valley Road in San Miguel.

The overcast sky turned blue within a few miles and we had very pleasant weather with no wind. Beautify scenery. On the 30-40 mile stretch from San Miguel to 198 we saw exactly 2 vehicles, both within 1 mile of 198. Can’t get any better than that. After a brief stop at Peach Tree/198 it was up Ca 25 to Hollister. Again, little traffic and great weather. We gas up in Hollister and I take a little break, time enough for me to have a cup of coffee. Dave says he’s finally found the groove for his K bike; this is only the 2nd long trip he’s taken that particular bike.

We leave Hollister and go up 101 to 85 for a few miles, then take 87 over to 280 and go up 280. I wave good-bye at 92 and pull into my driveway a few minutes later. It’s only 12:45. Maybe I should have taken the King City cut-off and gone back to the coast via Nacimiento Road…. well, there’s always next time.

Dan says:

Carl and I enjoyed your wine country road suggestion out to the coast.

We meet a nice SoCal couple on their ‘02 LT at a gas stop in Cambria and they tagged along up Hwy1 and they treated us for coffee at Nepenthe. I took some ribbing for my fancy pants cappuccino’s incongruity with the Norton image but was too busy loving the moment to mind.

A glorious couple of days of riding and a needed respite from the routine. Feel free to augment the report with the attached pix.