nor cal

[Pat Kelly]

There are constant complaints in our newspaper about 'BATs' (Bay Area Transplants) bringing traffic, crime, noise, etc.
It seems the driving force is the (used to be) inexpensive housing compared to the Bay Area. I know we bought our $40,000 house for $104K 4 years ago and is now appraised at $350K (thank you BATs).
The major downside is the loss of all the farmland (and the increased traffic, crime........ ).
I don't complain. Just roll with the punches. If I don't like it I can moove to someplace less crowded. Then the native locals can complain about me bringing traffic, crime.............

[xs650mike]

Yeah, Modesto has gotten huge. mro's right about So Cal though, it's even more built up and smoggy too. Gotta get out in the desert to get away from buildings and people.

It's still nice up here even though there are more people that there used to be.

Went for a ride this afternoon with Vulcan Tom down to Lake Berryessa via Butts Canyon and Pope Valley. This is a great route and we burned going down, passing cruisers and Harleys like they were standing still. We came back up to Lake County via the Berryessa-Knoxville Road up into Morgan Valley and back to Lower Lake. Didn't see a soul after we left Berryessa until we got to L.L., just a lot of Black Angus beef cattle grazing on 3' high wild oats and a couple of parked pickup trucks. No buildings either.

It was twilight by the time we were returning and I noticed quite a few bats fluttering about hunting insects, saw an owl fly across the road too. Also noticed an animal which I took to be a coyote or grey fox scamper up an embankment as we approached. Had my eyes peeled but saw no deer near the roadway. The road is very narrow in places and fords a creek numerous times. It's paved but is a mass of patched potholes. The thing is like riding an enduro on pavement, I was standing on the pegs a lot of the time as we bounced, skidded and jumped our way back to Lake County. Fortunately we never went through more than a few inches of water but when the real winter rains hit the road won't be passable for a bike, it'll be 4wd territory. Didn't bring a camera and we didn't stop much anyway. I'll just steal some pics from www.pashnit.com to illustrate this post. Hope Pashnit won't mind! Sorry Tim, I did give you credit!

One place we did stop is by a store and bar'n'grill which is known as "Posers' Corner". There's always a lot of bikes parked there and riders looking at each other's bikes. Met a fellow there on a 1951 Indian 80" flathead Chief. Guy is 89 years old and still riding regularly. Guess the saying is true, "You don't stop riding because you get old, you get old because you stop riding!" He looked to be in better shape than a lot of people my age (63).

Vulcan Tom:


Posers' Corner:


Lake Berryessa


The route home. The map says Yolo County but Berryessa is really in Napa County


Berryessa-Knoxville Road


The road narrows...


One of the many fords...


Curves and more curves...


Nearing the County Line...


Wider pavement and a center line!


Nearing Lower Lake, Mt. Konocti in the distance...


This ride was a blast!

[xs650mike]

50,000 miles!

Forgot to mention, Rusty turned over 50,000 miles while we were down at Berryessa.

[DiverRay]

That's a nice ride, Mike.
I went out this morning for breakfast, and then to the Corralitos Market for bacon.( they smoke ALL of the meat on site, and make GREAT sandwiches. As it's been close to 80 this weekend, I HAD to take the long way home. I went up Ereaka Canyon Road to the summit, had a diet soda at the store, and then down San Jose Soquel road and home. An almost 50 mile "long way" home.
Ray

[xs650mike]

Ray,

My Google Globe showed me this picture of Eureka Canyon Rd. from 20,000' running north-south up the middle.


Searched pashnit.com for Soquel-San Jose Road and found these images...



Cool!