Ready to ride - no panniers today as we would be back here tonight
Today was an easy start – no luggage to pack! We were staying 2 nights in Sonora, so today was a loop ‘there and back’, and one of the most perfect days riding you could ever hope for.‘There’ was up and over the Sierra Nevada’s via Sonora Pass (route 108), which at 9,624 ft (2,933 m) is the second highest pass over the Sierra Nevada’s – only Tioga Pass to the south is higher, and we were doing that tomorrow!! Sonora town is 1,825 ft (633 m) above sea level, so we had a climb of just under 8,000 ft (about 2,300 m). To put this into perspective for Australian readers, Mt Kosciuszko, the highest mountain in Australia, peaks at 7,310 ft (2,228 m).
‘Back’ was via Ebbetts Pass (route 4) and reading the description is enough to frighten many, but to motorcyclists like us it just gets the right hand twitching with anticipation. This is lower than Sonora Pass at only 8,730 ft (2,660 m).
The quaintly named village of Strawberry
Heading up route 108 from Sonora was a great morning ride – the road undulates and gradually steepens, and it seems to be an endless succession of sweeping bends. The road makers really left the personality of the surroundings intact when building this road and it invites you up the range to explore what is ahead.
After Pinecrest and the quaintly named Strawberry the road tightens considerably, and this has got to be one the great all-time riding roads.
This shot was taken by Zea while we were on the move, over her shoulder, camera facing backwards. Pretty impressive!
You can rarely see more than the corner ahead, and the road rises and falls with the contours of the land. Very little ‘cut and fill’ technique was used when building this road, and it’s a sheer delight to ride as it rises and falls, and twists and turns. At times I was smiling so hard in my helmet my face ached.
A great day for riding, and even midweek we were not alone
Zea had her time cut out trying to take piccies from the pillion seat, as it was very hard to slow down, let alone consider stopping. We were grinning from ear to ear in our helmets – this is what touring a new country is all about – seeing new sights, riding new roads.
We did manage a stop at the scenic lookout over Donnell Lake, and what an awesome sight the mountain range was. Almost too many sights to describe – magnificent mountains, verdant valleys, riding roads, happy hearts – I could go on, but I think you get the picture.
Wide open roads and the USMC Mountain Warfare School
Over the crest of Sonora Pass/Sierra Nevada range and we were into very different topography on the eastern side, and after a while of more terrific twists and turns, we were into very different road conditions. Wide open spaces that just invite you to test the other dimension of the FJR – the open road high-speed touring (and we did), although we did slow down somewhat as we passed the USMC Mountain Warfare School.
My original plan was to stop for lunch at Topaz Lake, but we decided against this and headed back to a small roadside diner. We were out of luck there too – it was her last day open before closing for winter, but she did direct us to a very nice little place in Coleville. We did buy some drinks off her, though – maybe her last sale of the season.
The morning had been such a fantastic ride – could the afternoon match it?
