I fired up the CTX this morning and put the prettiest girl I know, my wife on the bike and off we went into the high mountains for the first time this year. California, drought stricken as can be for the past several years has had an abundance of rain and snow this past winter. We hold the rain in our reservoirs, but it is the melting snowpack that keeps those reservoirs full all summer and waters the state. It was forecast to be 90 degrees down here in the Sacramento Valley, and in the mid 60's at Lake Tahoe's shore. So, I wanted to see how much of the snowpack was left in early May...some of the ski areas had reported 40 feet of snow at their resorts so I expected to find an unusual amount.
Normally I'd take the more scenic Highway 20 up toward Emigrant Gap, but today I stayed on Interstate 80. Between my home and the small town of Truckee, I-80 isn't a bad choice...it's pretty, usually not a lot of traffic and recent repairs have made it so you can cruise along through it's sweepers at 70mph comfortably. We could feel the temperatures drop at Blue Canyon's 5,000 ft. elevation, and by the time we got to Donner Pass (7,057') it was pretty chilly. I lived up here for a couple of years, so I expected this and was prepared. Once over the pass, we made a quick coffee stop in Truckee which looks pretty much like it did in the 1800's, minus the horses. A cup of coffee down, we ignited the CTX again and cruised down Highway 89 toward Lake Tahoe. I slowed down as we passed the entrance to the Squaw Valley ski area. The Olympic flame from the 1960 Olympics which were held here is still burning in a cauldron at the entrance. It's a habit...when I come by here, I always slow down to make sure! All of the wondering about how much snow there was up here vanished as we rode beside the Truckee River along the highway. The snow was still along the banks of the river. Not unheard of in May, but it sure hasn't been like this in several years.
At Tahoe City I made the right turn to stay on Hwy. 89, passed the historic Fanny Bridge and headed down the western shore of the lake. It was amazing. There was snow down to the roadway for the entire lake shore drive. The high mountains that surround the deep blue waters of the lake were packed with snow. It looked as if it was a nice sunny day in mid-winter! We cruised along slowly...there was absolutely no traffic (a benefit of doing this in May) and enjoyed the new vistas at every turn. We took some time to take a few photos and rode into South Lake Tahoe where we found a Mexican restaurant with outstanding salsa. From there, we said goodbye to Lake Tahoe and made the climb up to Echo Summit (7,382') passing the area where cannons are used for "controlled avalanches" in the winter in order to keep the road open during storms. As we descended from the high country into the lower foothills, the thermal shock was too much to take. I stopped the bike in Pollock Pines, swapped my leathers for a mesh jacket and made my way home in summer like heat. The nature in California is so diverse and so accessible. Only a few weeks ago, my wife and I were CTXing in the California Redwoods and along the Pacific Coast. It is without a doubt an excellent place to be a motorcyclist!
My wife along the Truckee River...look at how much snow is on the banks
Tahoe is just a beautiful lake...sorry to mess it up...
I used to climb in the mountains around the lake and often called it my granite Disneyland
Emerald Bay and Fannette Island
Normally I'd take the more scenic Highway 20 up toward Emigrant Gap, but today I stayed on Interstate 80. Between my home and the small town of Truckee, I-80 isn't a bad choice...it's pretty, usually not a lot of traffic and recent repairs have made it so you can cruise along through it's sweepers at 70mph comfortably. We could feel the temperatures drop at Blue Canyon's 5,000 ft. elevation, and by the time we got to Donner Pass (7,057') it was pretty chilly. I lived up here for a couple of years, so I expected this and was prepared. Once over the pass, we made a quick coffee stop in Truckee which looks pretty much like it did in the 1800's, minus the horses. A cup of coffee down, we ignited the CTX again and cruised down Highway 89 toward Lake Tahoe. I slowed down as we passed the entrance to the Squaw Valley ski area. The Olympic flame from the 1960 Olympics which were held here is still burning in a cauldron at the entrance. It's a habit...when I come by here, I always slow down to make sure! All of the wondering about how much snow there was up here vanished as we rode beside the Truckee River along the highway. The snow was still along the banks of the river. Not unheard of in May, but it sure hasn't been like this in several years.
At Tahoe City I made the right turn to stay on Hwy. 89, passed the historic Fanny Bridge and headed down the western shore of the lake. It was amazing. There was snow down to the roadway for the entire lake shore drive. The high mountains that surround the deep blue waters of the lake were packed with snow. It looked as if it was a nice sunny day in mid-winter! We cruised along slowly...there was absolutely no traffic (a benefit of doing this in May) and enjoyed the new vistas at every turn. We took some time to take a few photos and rode into South Lake Tahoe where we found a Mexican restaurant with outstanding salsa. From there, we said goodbye to Lake Tahoe and made the climb up to Echo Summit (7,382') passing the area where cannons are used for "controlled avalanches" in the winter in order to keep the road open during storms. As we descended from the high country into the lower foothills, the thermal shock was too much to take. I stopped the bike in Pollock Pines, swapped my leathers for a mesh jacket and made my way home in summer like heat. The nature in California is so diverse and so accessible. Only a few weeks ago, my wife and I were CTXing in the California Redwoods and along the Pacific Coast. It is without a doubt an excellent place to be a motorcyclist!
My wife along the Truckee River...look at how much snow is on the banks
Tahoe is just a beautiful lake...sorry to mess it up...
I used to climb in the mountains around the lake and often called it my granite Disneyland
Emerald Bay and Fannette Island
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