BIT BY ZEUS

The middle of August 2014, some friends and I took a few days off of work and took the bikes out to the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada range. We met up on Friday morning the 15th in Dublin, being that all of us were from all over the Bay area. We crossed the Sierras that afternoon via hwy 88 and Carson pass. Descending the east side we set our sights on making it to the ghost town of Bodie by mid afternoon, then a supply run in Mammoth Lakes and settle that evening at the campground on Convict Lake. After a fairly cold night sleeping on the black top next to my bike (I almost always refuse to bring any kind of shelter to save weight, hassle of repacking and for a little shit talking rights) we crossed hwy 395 and headed a bit east to one of the regions hot spring fed tubs. Locals have built make shift hot tubs around the valley and rigged piping and mixing valves to regulate temperature and levels. Pretty amazing experience, I can't wait to get back out there in the winter with clear crisp air and some snow on the ground. After the bath, we pulled the triggers and shot south to the Alabama Hills outside of Lone Pine, CA. We toured the hills on foot with a clear view of Mt. Whitney looming above us, and the heat of 100 degrees in direct sunlight searing our skin. As we left the hills we headed back north with a destination of the Ancient Bristle Cone Pine Forest and camping in the White Mountains that night. Problems arose for me and my rear tire on the ascent of hwy 168 when had a tire puncture and became stranded with no cell service and tourists un willing to stop or even offer help. The other 4 in the group continued on to the camp as I dealt with the tire. A nice local man with a rock crawler jeep stopped and had air onboard which I used to inflate my tire with a half ass repair I had performed with tire plugs. I returned to Big Pine below and performed a more permanent 3/4 ass repair then with much consideration and hesitation, I decided to head back up the mountains and attempt to join the group. I made it and after well earned beers, and a nice fire we packed it in for the night. The next morning scoped out the oldest trees in the world for a few minutes and then started the trek down the mountain and back north to the 395 / 89 junction. A quick ride by view of Mono Lake and we were at the junction by 2pm. Scaling the Sierra with Silver Lake as the next stop on our journey, we made excellent time while I finally regained some confidence in the ability of my rear tire to retain air pressure. A 2 hour stop over at one of the guys' bosses USFS cabin and he gave a speedy boat ride. After saying good bye we then quickly found ourselves on the mormon emigrant trail descending upon Placerville and the final night's place of reprieve from the road. Monday morning was bitter sweet, after spending a month of my life on a motorcycle in 2011, these "smaller" trips never seem near long enough. We had a final breakfast meal together and split, 3 of us down 5o to the east bay and the other two toward the south bay. - George