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Spring ride in the Sierra
Spring ride in the Sierra 2004
The route for this ride was Sonora and Monitor Passes to Markleeville on Saturday and back to Sonora over Ebbetts and Pacific Grade Passes on Sunday. It seems to be getting harder to find time to ride, considering that we got only two riders for this pre-memorial day ride over the Sierra. Ray Hosler and I put or bicycles and baggage in the car on Friday, 21 May and headed across SF Bay from Palo Alto on the Dumbarton Bridge HWY 84, staying off freeways until Sunol on the other side of the east bay hills. Traffic on I680 was dense but moving, whereas on I580 it was a crawl to Altamont Pass where there had been a rear-ender that everyone had to inspect as they passed, slowly. Traffic lightened as we got on I205/I5 to the San Joaquin River, where we took SR120, the Yosemite route through Manteca, Escalon, and Oakdale. Continuing on SR108, the Sonora Pass route, we got to Sonora in good time to put our equipment in order and get some dinner. Having brought along breakfast, we were able to get on the road at 6:00 heading up the hill toward Twain Harte, a town named after the two writers of the old west. This route is unusually straight and wide in places for the little traffic is sees, except in ski season. As the road begins to climb, a two mile divided four lanes of 6% and a flatter part got us past Twain Harte and on to Confidence. Although there were early vacationers, traffic was light, the sky was blue and we had a light but increasing tailwind. Farther up, past Long Barn, a long widely divided four lane section took us through lush green meadows and rich forests of Sugar Pine, Lodgepole, Ponderosa, Jeffrey, Cedar, Madrone, Oak and others. The richness and varieties in this forest are striking in comparison to the coast range where we usually ride. The woods smelled of mountain misery that has a faint artichoke flavor. Lupine, wall flower and wild iris gave color to the woods. It is easy to forget how this area was logged nearly bare in the early 20th century when many of the towns and roads got their names form logging camps. Of course most of this was done with railroads that climbed high into these mountains with gear driven steam locomotives. Interestingly, traces of logging railroads are still visible around Cold Springs, Strawberry and Pinecrest, above 6000ft elevation. These were railroad engineering feats hard to imagine today, considering the steepness and rugged terrain. http://tinyurl.com/2vnvc (map Strawberry) We stopped at Strawberry for a snack before heading up the two mile grade up to the ridge that parallels the gorge of the Stanislaus river with Ebbetts Pass road on the far side. Along this section, remnants of winter snow and bright red snow plants decorated the road as it winds through massive dark gray rock formations on its way to a high point (6300ft) at Donnell Lake overlook. http://tinyurl.com/yuocw (snow plant) http://tinyurl.com/23u6q (map Donnell) Here a sheer cliff gives the visitor nearly 1500ft vertical drop to the Stanislaus river rapids and falls below. The majestic spires and domes of the Dardanelles rise to 9000ft as a backdrop to this huge gorge. This great scene comes just before a long descent to Clark Fork junction (5671ft) after which the "real" Sonora Pass becomes evident in steep whoop-de-doos and narrow curves. The Stanislaus, that was so far below was right next to us now. The road winds over a series of rollers to Dardanelle (5765ft) where we stopped at the store for some food for the climb ahead. The store has a tall pair of antique 1920's gas pumps with the large glass cylinder on top adjacent to a modern Union76 pump with an astronomical price per gallon. Other than that, the place looked unchanged in the last 50 years. The proprietor had a Chevy Suburban fitted with four sets of rubber tread crawlers, essentially snow mobile tracks instead of wheels with which he said he could traverse five feet of fresh snow. http://tinyurl.com/2n82g (map Dardanelle) We crossed the river and began climbing out of this lush flat meadow up the Eureka Valley as the river churned through impassable rapids and falls. Watching fishermen casually fishing on the banks of the river that if they fell in could not avoid being drawn down the rapids just down stream is worrisome. http://tinyurl.com/2jdo9 (map Rock Window) At Kennedy meadows the road begins climbing abruptly and vanishes around a large cliff. Just around this corner the Rock Window (6800ft) about 500ft above and about a quarter mile away becomes visible. That the road levels off just through the gap is good to know while riding up this magnificent landscape as the river is left behind in the valley. From here the steep road seems almost flat as it rolls up to the big ess and rises above Deadman Creek leveling off at Chipmunk Flat (8000ft) in a short climb. http://tinyurl.com/3hdq8 (map Golden Stairs) Here we were getting into larger snow fields and the notorious Golden Stairs that begin with a steep pair of hairpin turns and a quick ramp up to the 9000ft marker. Skiers were enjoying a spate of fresh snow that fell the night before to put a clean white blanket over the slopes of spring snow. Farther up, snowmobilers were climbing as high as their traction would take them to make steep high speed runs down a huge snow bowl, sounding like so many chainsaws. The Golden Stairs have always been a challenge similar to the Rock Window because years ago when we were young and foolish, we raced up to the bottom of this section. Being so out of reserve, resting at the skier's bowl was a must. These days I approach the steep ess bend carefully and ride to the top of this section in relative ease but wonder how fast we went forty years ago. The gradient breaks suddenly at 9000ft so I could shift up to a 50-17 gear to cruise to the summit. http://tinyurl.com/2t8qr (map Sonora Pass) After a picture stop in front of the summit sign, warnings about steep grades and county line, we dived down the descent that is probably the hardest part coming up from the east. How steep it is is apparent from the more than 50mph achieved in the dip across Sardine Creek and the hard braking required up the 18% grade to the bend at the crest. The descent is nearly all downhill except for a short bump along Leavitt Creek that gets to the valley by way of Leavitt Falls while the road makes a steep zigzag over densely spaced contour lines on the map as takes one of the steepest runs down to the 26% curve at the Leavitt Pack Station (7155ft) in Leavitt Meadow. From here we had a brisk tailwind as we passed the Marine Mountain Warfare Camp and Air Strip. Even the climb out of the West Walker river was a snap with a 20mph wind with gusts to 30mph. Riding no-hands at 25mph it was practically still air with an occasional blast from behind. http://tinyurl.com/2ewcn (map Leavitt Meadow) In spite of the wind that kept most birds hidden in trees and bushes, we managed to sight a yellow headed blackbird in the Tule swamp next to the road. It was a sort of "mission accomplished" because these birds don't show themselves in the areas we ride in otherwise. We weren't sure which way the wind would blow in the Walker River canyon, it being north-south and the wind coming from due west. We were lucky, the wind was predominantly in our favor except where a side ravine entered from the west. At some of these places the turbulence was so strong it practically brought us to a stop holding onto the bars tightly. After a windy ride we entered Antelope Valley and headed west into Walker where the wind was mostly in our faces but not as strong as in the canyon. We stopped for a late lunch at the Mountain View Barbeque before cruising on toward Coleville and Topaz with a mix of side and tailwinds. We turned west on HWY89, Monitor Pass whose long westward run was directly into the wind but because it was cool, almost chilly, the climb was literally no sweat and the reverse runs on the double ess higher up after the first turn at the creek were with the wind. http://tinyurl.com/2wtoc (Monitor Pass) The top of the climb is more or less at the Alpine County line (7956ft) but today, with the stiff wind it went on up this mild grade to Monitor Pass summit (8324ft). To make up for that, the sky was so clear that the sun felt downright burning hot and the surrounding snow capped mountains seemed amazingly near. We stopped at the Summit for the usual photo at the stone marker in the grove of stubby wind pruned aspen that were just sprouting their coat of summer leaves. From here, although Heenan Creek takes a more direct route, the road descends 100 feet and rises to what looks like another summit at the same elevation although it is 30ft lower. The road descends through a series of sweeping curves around Sagehen Flat at the south end of which it passes Heenan Lake from which Monitor Creek flows down a narrow canyon to the East Carson River. Many old closed mines with ugly tailings and slurry ponds that were never restored after mining ceased line this canyon. The descent can be fast and with a gusting headwind up to 30mph gave made wind speeds greater than 70mph. The turbulence required careful steering as I thought of riders using aero wheels. http://tinyurl.com/ysy5g (map Monitor Creek) After reaching the Carson River we had some crosswinds as we rolled downstream toward Markleeville but that was all downhill anyway except for the short climb out of the river to Markleeville Creek. Looking at the rushing clear river reminded me that no major river flows out of Nevada. They all flow in, find a salt lake and dry up. Somehow I like the idea of rainwater returning to the sea but in this area it leaves its salts behind as it dries up somewhere in the desert. We got a before-dinner snack at the grocery store, got cleaned up in our room and had a fine dinner at the Hotel. Lodging was a bit weird in Markleeville. We had a reserved room at the J. Marklee Toll Station but never saw anyone from the inn. There was a faded note on the office door that said as much as "we'll be back soon" but nothing happened. Anyway the room was comfortable and clean. Can't complain. Sunday We slept in and got ready to go at 7:00 but the whole town was still asleep, probably getting ready for the coming Memorial Day weekend. After tootling around, looking for some signs of life, we rode out of town toward Ebbetts pass to Carson River Resort, a couple of miles up the river. There was no breakfast here either but the store with all sorts of camping and outdoor supplies was open so we downed some sustenance before heading out under a crisp clear sky, the wind still blowing as it had all night. The number of fishermen along the river was amazing. I had no idea that this was such a popular pursuit. SUV's and Pickup trucks were parked everywhere along the river while sedans or station wagons were nowhere to be seen. I thought about bygone days, when people got here in a Model-A Ford or even a Model-T with skinny near smooth tires in contrast to the huge knobby tires and jacked up black pickup trucks that appear to be essential for vacation travel these days. Of course today the roads are paved unlike the old days. The road doesn't start climbing noticeably anywhere in particular but there are a few bumps after leaving the Carson River for Silver Creek. We passed old landmarks, the white house and brick kiln with its huge square red brick chimney standing alone next to a heap of misfired brick debris. I didn't read the historic marker this time as we passed the miniature cemetery with its cast iron fence posts, and real and plastic flowers. Then came the silver painted school bus body that was blanked off at the firewall and had its wheel wells covered. It seems to have been unoccupied all the years I have seen it but it's still in good condition. Mule ear, or was it skunk cabbage, was blooming in the meadow between road and river, and aspen were full of green among the firs that took over as we gained altitude a bit at a time. After we crossed to the north side of Silver Creek, we left it below as we hit the first steep rise. The continuous double yellow center-stripe on this narrow winding road finally gave way to a single intermittent stripe before vanishing altogether. It is here that reality of this road makes itself known although there were signs warning of 24% grades and no vehicles over 25ft back in the valley. Back there the road looked like any other two lane state highway, but now it became apparent that those were not idle warnings as we rounded Cadillac curve, a steep hairpin that when missed descending assures a long tumble toward, but not reaching, Silver Creek. The Cadillac that went over the edge here and gave name to the curve is now also long gone. http://tinyurl.com/ypoxy (map Cadillac Curve) Scars in the pavement and football sized debris gave evidence of rockfall and the sudden steep climbs reminded us of the pioneers that built this road when Caterpillar, Komatsu, Euclid, and Wooldridge had not yet been heard of. The north side of the canyon exposes cliffs similar to those on Sonora pass, places where eagles soar. It was here on another tour where my friend asked why they were called golden eagles when they were so dark. Just then the bird made a turn in the afternoon light to reflect an entirely gold wing spread as it soared motionlessly as an airplane, "fingers" spread to catch the finest updrafts. A sapsucker made the usual furtive exposure, hopping around the trunk of an aspen just far enough so I could just get a side view of this colorful red headed woodpecker. The tree had the typical rows of holes left by prior visits of these birds. Meanwhile Clarks' Nutcrackers gave their noisy calls but lesser birds' calls were muffled by the roar of the wind in the trees. http://www.stanford.edu/~petelat1/ (sapsucker) http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_...3183+0921+0101 Above we could see Cascade Creek, aptly named as it found its way down the ravine as we climbed steeply toward Kinney Reservoir. From here on the last mile to the summit the forest floor was still in deep snow. Ebbetts Pass, although a steep and interesting road, does not have and exciting summit. It is around a corner in the forest with a flat approach form either side. In fact the road climbs a little to the west before stating its beautiful descent along the south rim of Hermit Valley and the Mokelumne River. http://tinyurl.com/2epqg (map Hermit Valley) This descent is not steep and is a fairly uniform grade with excellent pavement and a spectacular view to the south of seemingly endless wilderness. It is a view that makes one feel small and insignificant in a mountainous landscape, not quite like the Himalayas but for city folk, it is big. On the way down we passed six or more bicyclists going east, one of which was a friend with whom I have toured at times. After crossing the Mokelumne the road makes a steep jump and continues over steep to moderately steep grades to Pacific Creek that was running at a fair clip although not like the times that we got here before the road was officially open to traffic and snow was deep from Bear Valley to Silver Creek. We stopped at the bridge (7450ft) and put away power food. My choice for this isn't packaged. I prefer Medjool dates that are tasty and full of that which makes legs climb steep grades. From here it is a short distance to the steep hairpins of 24% grades. Last time I rode around the outside (left side) and found the grade moderate. This time I tried the inside and it is probably truly 24%. The gradiometer claimed the outside was 18% but then that isn't so accurate because there is averaging over a measured distance. In any case, the seep sections are short enough that goofing off on them isn't fatal. http://tinyurl.com/2d64q (map Pacific Grade) As we approached Pacific Grade summit (8087ft), the view back to Pacific Creek was hard to believe. The creek is so far away that it is hard to believe we were just down there about 640 feet below. The steep stuff is all behind now as we rolled along toward Alpine Lake (7300ft) and over a small rise to drop us to Bear Valley. We chose not to stop at the store there and rolled on down to Dorrington where we took advantage of the gourmet fare at the Grease Rack Grill that calls their hamburgers Lube jobs. With that refill we climbed out of that valley and rode down to Arnold, Murphys and Valecito where we took Parrots Ferry road toward Sonora. The persistent westerly winds had pretty much died by now although there was still a pleasant breeze as we passed Moaning Cavern and coasted down to the high bridge over the Stanislaus that is not shown in this old map. The new bridge crosses between the two hairpin turns on the map above the river. http://tinyurl.com/238u8 (map Parrots Ferry) With about 200ft less climbing that in the old days and cool weather, the two plus mile climb of 1000ft to Columbia went OK except that it has some 13% pitches on it. After Columbia (2143ft) it was all downhill to Sonora and a short climb back to Tuolumne Road and the car. We had great weather, low traffic and no mechanical problems. Saturday: 124 miles, 13660 feet climbing Sunday: 94 miles, 7290 feet climbing Jobst Brandt |
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