Rode To Idyllwild For A Cup Of Coffee

[BassCliff]

Hi,

EDIT: The video is up: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ReLglPxuBI

IanF and I decided to ride a little over 150 miles today to have a cup of joe in Idyllwild. It's a little community up about 6000 feet in the San Jacinto mountains a couple of hours east of LA.

This is a Google map link of the fun part of the ride:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=banning+ca&daddr=idyllwild+ca+to:Mountain+Ave%2FRamona+Expy+to:beaumont+ca&hl=en&geocode=FcOpBQIdhpsI-SnF_6GobUHbgDEKWaqI9hsdRw%3BFfXUAgIdxAIL-Sn_6hNQEg7bgDGuLb4TtXvOrQ%3BFdxLAwId2MwH-Q%3BFfW4BQIdoBEH-Slv4RUbrkTbgDHLGn04yqcMIw&mra=dme&mrsp=2&sz=11&sll=33.804256,-116.869125&sspn=0.387983,0.727158&ie=UTF8&z=11

It was a brisk ride today. At my house the high temperature was about 60?F and the high in Idyllwild was about 40?F.

Here we are starting up the mountain.

The higher the elevation, the more snow we ran into.

As you can see, there was something in the road that made us slow down a little. We couldn't decide if it was something that was laid down because of the snow or if it was just pea gravel that was washed onto the road from the wind, rain, and snow.

We stopped at a couple of places on the way up just to take some pictures. I really dig motorcycles in the snow.

My Jessie Blue.

This is Ian on his VX800.

And me on Jessie Blue.

We continued on our way, up the mountain to Idyllwild. Spring has not yet come to this part of California.

We rolled into town and found the coffee shop. It was a jumpin' joint.

That's 10 pictures. More to come.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

 

[JEEPRUSTY]

Why is Cali so pretty when it inhabitants are soooo ugly.
Nice pictorial thank you for sharing

 

[BassCliff]

Finished With Our Coffee

Finished With Our Coffee

Hi again,

We finished our coffee and had a little pit stop. I didn't notice very many peculiar looks cast our way, even though we were dressed like fighter pilots in 70's colors. Our trusty steeds were there waiting to continue our journey.

Here are a couple of random shots of downtown Idyllwild.

IanF and I continued south on 243 and picked up Hwy 74 toward Hemet. That's where we found a stunning vista and snapped a few more pictures.

We were below the snow by now but you can probably see the rain off in the distance. After we turned back on the 10 freeway toward home it started getting windy. And we did pass through a couple of showers.

So we got it all today; sun, clouds, wind, rain, snow, hot coffee, lots of curves, a long slab ride, and a ton of fun. It was a great afternoon. I've also got about six and a half minutes of video that I'll put up later.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

 

[wkmpt]

Great pics! It's like going a mile to get a camel, but further and less likely to cause cancer...

Does your bike lean out like crazy when you start getting way up there in the altitude? One time I took my dad's GS1kG from his home in Cedar city, UT un into the mountains near Brian head, and it was getting rich to the point that it was very noticeable. Then again Cedar city is pretty far up there to begin with and Brian head is higher still...

 

[BassCliff]

Hi Matt,

No, I didn't notice anything different as we climbed. Jessie ran like a champ the whole way. Last weekend I had just adjusted the valves and sync'd the carbs. She's running great!

It ended up being a 155 mile ride, just perfect for an afternoon jaunt.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

 

[JEEPRUSTY]

Hi again,

We finished our coffee and had a little pit stop. I didn't notice very many peculiar looks cast our way, even though we were dressed like fighter pilots in 70's colors. Our trusty steeds were there waiting to continue our journey.

Here are a couple of random shots of downtown Idyllwild.

IanF and I continued south on 243 and picked up Hwy 74 toward Hemet. That's where we found a stunning vista and snapped a few more pictures.

We were below the snow by now but you can probably see the rain off in the distance. After we turned back on the 10 freeway toward home it started getting windy. And we did pass through a couple of showers.

So we got it all today; sun, clouds, wind, rain, snow, hot coffee, lots of curves, a long slab ride, and a ton of fun. It was a great afternoon. I've also got about six and a half minutes of video that I'll put up later.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

4 and 5 are stunning.

 

[Steve]

Does your bike lean out like crazy when you start getting way up there in the altitude? ..

Actually, it would richen up, if anything, but CV-type carbs tend to compensate a bit, so it's not really very noticable.

There is less power, for sure, but the mixture remains close to right.

.

 

[Schweisshund]

Really good pictures. It looked a little "cold".

 

[BassCliff]

Really good pictures. It looked a little "cold".

Yeah, it's funny. A lot of GSR members can't wait for the snow to go away so they can ride. And what do I do? I take a ride to the snow.

At least I can just visit it when I want to.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

 

[cowboyup3371]

Great pictures Cliff. Looks like a fun day.

 

[Rich64N]

Beautiful pictures. I grew up in the area and used to know the 18 miles from Hemet to Idyllwild quite well. At least Idyllwild is still nice, Hemet has really gone downhill (visited last May). Snow on the ground in April? Wow. If you hike there in the summer watch out for the Poison Oak, all over the place.

 

[Charlie G]

Thanks for the pictures Cliff. I haven't seen that place since 1968.

cg

 

[Buffalo Bill]

Nice neighborhood ride?

Nice neighborhood ride?

Pretty stuff?
Bill

 

[Redman]

Thanks Cliff.
Enjoyed that.

Nice on-the-road photos sequnce of how more snow the furter you went.

And I like the photos of bikes (and maybe the rider) overlooking scenicview. ALthough I did notice that these photos didnt have the sunshine and blue sky like your photos usally have (even in January when I am scrapeing ice and snow).

So you went up there knowing it was going to be in the 40s. And let me quess. it was 70s maybe low 80s down lower.

(40s...? That was like here yesterday.)

So, WHat is that Idlewild?
Just the top of the mountain(?), with a coffeeshop/restraunt/tourist area...?

Man, sure seems like nice places to ride in every direction for you. Well, maybe except for into the urban area.
ANd you are on the northern/northcentral edge of the metro area there. So many differerent directions for you to go.

Dave

 

[Gnomeboy]

Great pics and story!

 

[posplayr]

Actually, it would richen up, if anything, but CV-type carbs tend to compensate a bit, so it's not really very noticable.

There is less power, for sure, but the mixture remains close to right.

.

On the trips to Renobruce's, Bill and I have passed over Tioga Pass at 9500 feet, the bike start running pretty bad at the top. There are plenty of other passes but this one is pretty straight and you keep your speed up at 65+mph most of the way.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tioga_Pass


Anything below about 6000 you don't really notice it much other than needing to increase the idle. Above 8000 it is more noticeable and the bike is more doggy.

My bike is setup for sea level.

We never get any pics of riding down 120; it is too much fun to stop. Here is a pick from the web.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:SR_120_Yosemite.jpg

 

[Eli69]

pics are awesome and i just think it's interesting that guys that live in such a warm climate would go out, on purpose, to ride in the conditions that alot of us are forced to ride in for more than half the season.

you are definitely not poseurs.

 

[7981GS]

My bike's are set up to run between 4-10,000 feet and both the 29mm smooth-bores and the 34mm CV's work just fine in that range.
Perhaps it is because they are already set up to run in thin air?

I tried posting some movies in my "cabin fever" thread.
We started at 4,000 feet in this video and you can see the Mountain just ahead that we all climbed:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBz6er24-lM

About 20 miles (?), 5,000 feet later: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Hi50CLoUbI

Daniel

 

[BassCliff]

Video is up on Youtube

Video is up on Youtube

Hi,

I know you've all been anxiously awaiting my shaky-cam video of the ride yesterday. Well, here it is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ReLglPxuBI

Well Dave, it was about 60 degrees when we left my house. I didn't think it would be quite that cold up there in Idyllwild and I sure wasn't expecting as much snow as was there. A late winter (early spring?) storm has passed through a couple of days before and really left its mark.

Idyllwild is just a quiet mountain getaway. There are lots of mom-and-pop shops, restaurants, and lodging. There is rock climbing, hiking, mountain biking, camping, etc. It's just a relaxing small town place to chill.

We've had a really wet winter here in the Southern Cal, almost 150% of our normal rainfall and snowpack. That means the fire season is going to be brutal when all of this vegetation dries out. Let's be careful out there. Only YOU can prevent forest fires.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

 

[wkmpt]

Actually, it would richen up, if anything, but CV-type carbs tend to compensate a bit, so it's not really very noticable.

There is less power, for sure, but the mixture remains close to right.

.

D'oh! And I knew that too...stupid fingers typing faster than brain thinking...