Day 4 – Two Shots, No Stops

We started the day shortly after 7:00am. Knowing it would be hot when we returned to the Sacramento valley, we decided to get on the road early. We got dressed in our riding gear and walked down to the coffee shop. We downed a double espresso each and shared some muffins on the lawn at the motel.

The weather was perfectly cool as we headed north on 395. The desert smells so good in the morning. Just outside of Bridgeport are large cattle ranches with the Sierra mountains looming in the distance.

We followed the west fork of the Walker River, lined with fly fishermen, for several miles.

We turned west onto Highway 89 and climbed up to Monitor Pass which offered spectacular views of the desert below.

At the summit the aspens were twinkling in the breeze. On the descent, the landscape became rocky with more pines.

At Markleeville we turned west onto Highway 88 and climbed to Carson Pass. This is one of our favorite rides. It goes through alpine meadows, high country lakes and rocky outcroppings.

As we started to drop down in elevation, the scenery was very familiar. We often take day rides through this area so we knew we were close to home. After three hours with no stops, Cathy had to stretch so we took five minutes to rest before taking Ridge Road to Highway 49 and then home.

The pandemic made this trip even more of a challenge with limited dining options, trying to avoid crowds, disinfecting the hotel room upon entry and remembering to wear our masks. It was also unfortunate that Tom’s knee was so painful. We didn’t do much exploring on foot.

Considering the flat tire and raccoon incidents, it was a pretty good trip. We are so fortunate to live within a few hours’ drive to some of the most spectacular scenery this planet has to offer.

We will take a few more short trips this summer and fall in lieu of our normal 3,000 mile journey. Until then…