April 29, 2022 Highway 88

So this ride was originally thought of last July at our Laguna trip. I wanted to put some tracks together that streetbikes and cars could do. However, none of the streetbike guys could go! Haha. Anyway, the idea was to meet on highway 49 in Jackson, then head up the 88 a bit, to take a track toward Tiger Creek Reservoir and then to Mokelumne campground. The problem is that this is PG&E country and they keep the tracks closed. So we had to backtrack back the 88. It had so much promise too. It was so pretty. We then head up the 88 to Ellis road. One of the guys at the power plant told us to use it. So it was a nice paved back road that took us all the way to the campground. But of course the campground was closed. Which is actually kind of nice. We got the bikes in no problem and then Alan had to do a little rock crawling.

We had a great night. It's a keep of a campground for sure. We had a big snack set up and that's what most of us had for dinner. We then got a poker game going. I tried not to get too drunk this time. And I won 4 bucks! But then next night I lost 23 or something. Ouch. Rig. 5 of a kind and stuff like that. I had four aces and Alan beat me with a straight flush. Damn. When it rains it pours. So Saturday morning we take off on the track and it is gated. Damn. So we stay on the pavement but this goes to a reservoir called Salt Springs. Again, PG&E. But the road ends at the dam. Rig thinks a dirt track will get us out....but it just ends in the woods a few turns later. I will say this is some beautiful area. Granite domes and the whole bit. Funny part was, thought the campground was closed, there were a bunch of people camping in the woods along the river. There was some great beaches and swimming holes, and clearly it must be good fishing.

So we head all the back up to the 88. I talked with a logger up top when I was stopped. He said PG&E is keeping stuff closed due to fires and lawsuits. It's kind of a big deal I guess. So we jump on the 88 and head toward Tahoe....problem is all the exploring we have done has burned a bunch of gas. At the top of the pass, lakes are frozen over, there are walls of snow, and avalanche warning signs. I slowed down. The guys wanted to go faster through the avalanche zone. I don't understand. We get to highway 4 and head into Markleeville. Alan and Swen were the most gas nervous. But nothing like 7 dollars a gallon to get your mood up. So we then go to Cutthroat Brewing for lunch. Man, I gotta tell you, this is a revisit place for sure. GREAT food, service, and atmosphere. Dog friendly with dog items on the menu. Dakota, our new Motojeeps maskot, loved it. Who's a good boy?

So, in Gaia, on your phone, with cell service, you can make a track/route. So we make a track using highway 4 back toward Angel's Camp to reconnect to our track. That would take us up toward Kirkwood and there are several campgrounds on the track there. We go to this little cabin market. The guy had a bunch of knives for sale. Lots of dogs roaming around. Rig couldn't stop talking about the pit bull's balls. Not sure what the fixation was, but they were some hangers, for sure. Dakota got his removed. But who's a good boy? We take off, with Alan in the lead. Road closed in 7 miles. Nah. Can't be. Um. Yes. Damn.

So it's about 3:30 at this point. I wanted to be on the western side of the Sierras for Saturday night's camp. But that would mean at least another hour of droning on pavement/highway, and as Rig said, how could we get anything better than what we have already. He was right. I was super punchy after a big lunch and a beer. So I really didn't feel like droning on the highway. Though a pretty highway section the 88 is, it's still highway and highway speeds. I'd rather be in the woods. So, Forrest, thankfully, finally just said let's camp here. We found a really nice spot right by the river with a half a rock campfire ring. Rig fixed that. Made it whole. We really do leave campsites better than we find them. For sure, always have. So it's a little early, but we decide this fits right.

We get camp all set up. I gotta tell you, having a jeep is a game changer for camp comfort, safety, and convenience. Thankfully Alan enjoys the rides with the Jeep and he also brings the maskot. Who's a good boy? So when the Doc bought the new ride, and Swen, and so on, I knew we'd have a time at camp where we would do the walkaround and check things out, compare, discuss, and just generally admire. Funny enough, after a couple of tequilas (because Alan and I forgot the 7up for the whisky) and then Rig gave me some Fireball, the bike viewing walkarounds started, rather organically, with my bike. It was so fun. I can't wait until we have ALL the new bikes at camp. Somebody has to take my mind off of Forrest's big ugly bolt that holds his crash bars on.

Oh, I forgot. Rig and Doc camped Thursday night at Scott's Valley Reservoir. That's a great meet spot for us by the way. Anyway, I guess in the morning, the doc was rocking his moto of the centerstand and then fell over...but he saved it with his string bean and hurt his knee. He bumped the turn signal. He popped it back in, but we fixed it proper on the 49 Friday. I carry all the quick and right tools for just a small job.

Dakota, camp maskot, got sap on his ball sac. Not his balls, because remember, they are not there any more. It was sad. Alan had to do some nursing. Cleaning, wiping, and so forth. The maskot got better. Who's a good boy? I lost my ass at poker.

I slept really well. I thought it would be colder. We were at 6400 feet after all. Anyway, the next morning we packed it all up and headed back up the 88. We had a track up there. It had promise. It was snowed in. Damn. We hung out up there for about 40 minutes. The maskot ran and played in the snow. He even tested his ABS. It was super funny.

We all headed down and back to Jackson. We thought we'd have some group goodbyes, but we sort of all went our ways. Swen and I stuck together because I was going to Heather and Dano's in Folsom. We had a great backroad ride actually. It was super nice. Swen made a horse friend.

I had an hour with my daughter, then continued on home. I rode Rig's GB to 20 track...it is some money shit. Got some dirt tracks in there. Funny. That's about the most dirt on this whole trip. I hustled in the back way to Chico. Very nice way to end the weekend.

We really have a great thing going here men. We are all getting old. We need to continue to make these connections and trips. They are good for the soul and psyche. We have some for sure go to tracks around our state. I like it when you know things will work and we can ride in the woods. This trip had a lot of failures in terms of tracks. But the camping and camaraderie was fantastic. And while I wanted more dirt, it's nice to at least be on motorcycles that do great on the street.

It's also nice to have the jeeps and Dakota. It really adds some fun to the camp. I like that everyone rolls mellow and is flexible with changes. It's not about the track, it's the journey. It's not about the journey, it's the people. And don't forget: Who's a good boy?