A PASHNIT ride through Central California!!

[pashnit]

The Last Hurrah!
A Pashnit Motorcycle Ride through California's Central Coast

The other day I found myself at lunch with a few of my newfound friends. On one side of the table was a fella that was a Nuclear Astrophysicist. Another was a music producer. There was a cop, a musician, a physical therapist, a midwife, a laborer, a factory worker, a student, a psych nurse, and a grip (think movies).

All walks of life, all motorcyclists, all Pashnit.

 

[pashnit]

For the last ride of the Pashnit Ride Season, several riders joined my fellow tour guide, Tim, & myself headed for a region of California known for its wide open spaces, very few people, and thrilling mountian vistas.

Ayumi enjoyed herself so much on the previous ride of Northern California, she quickly signed up for the next ride- that of Central Coastal California. Ayumi has spent that last few years in the United States and works as a OB/GYN Nurse in the Bay Area. Few years ago in Japan, she worked as a midwive for some years. Her GSXR1000 was only a few months old, and a rolling example of a marvel of modern engineering. For Ayumi, the bike just fit her well, and she cut another notch into her belt of various GSXR Suzuki's she's owned over the years.

 

[pashnit]

Frank has ridden on 3 different Pashnit rides this year. I think that's what you might call a very satisfied client. Frank is a Financial Analyst, has done a track day or two, and came once more on the venerable Yamaha R1. A heartstopping georgeous machine, I spent another weekend using it as a photographic subject trying to get that perfect photo.

 

[pashnit]

Patrick was my rider on the Honda 954. I didn't have much intel on Patrick - only that he'd be there to meet us Friday morning. He was able to ride with us for the first two days, then had to boogie on back to the Bay Area due to some unforseen circumstance.

 

[pashnit]

Bob originally contacted me about a story idea he had - seems Bob writes for City Bike Magazine and wanted to do a story about Pashnit Motorcycle Tours. Bob is even on the cover of the November 2005 issue of City Bike Magazine. So Bob was my Ride-Along-Journalist doing a story on the tour. Looking forward to the article in an upcoming issue of City Bike Magazine.

I would later learn that Bob's other life was that of Dr. Stokstad, PhD. Expertise: Nuclear Astrophysics, Neutrino Astrophysics, Astrophysical Data Evaluation. Oh yeah, that!

Bob is one of the lead scientists in the United States heading up the search for Neutrinos and has been to Antarctica three times. Talking to Bob would go something like this, say Bob, so what was your day at work like?

"Construction is underway for a most unusual telescope, one whose light collecting mirror will be buried more than a mile beneath the South Pole ice cap and will look up through the Earth to the skies above the North Pole. Called IceCube, because its sensors will encompass a cubic kilometer of ice, this telescope is designed to observe neutrinos, subatomic particles that have no charge, very little mass, and traverse the Cosmos with ease. Serving as messengers from distant violent events, high-energy neutrinos could help solve one of the oldest mysteries in astrophysics“ the origin of the cosmic rays"

IceCube Neutrino Observatory

The IceCube Neutrino Observatory is an array of optical sensors located in Antarctic ice that detects the presence of subatomic particles called neutrinos. It is operated by an international group of scientists called the IceCube Collaboration.

icecube.wisc.edu

IceCube Neutrino Observatory - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Uh, thanks Bob!

Bob's Triumph Tiger Dual Sport

 

[pashnit]

Tim- Your other tour guide, and sometimes known as TheOtherTim rolled up in his glowing white suit. We had no trouble spotting him aboard his FJR.

Tim

 

[pashnit]

And lastly, Yours Truly, the Pashnit One.

 

[pashnit]

After the usual safety brief, it was off to take in the redwood forest along the Pacific Ocean. If you are not familiar with San Francisco, it's actually surrounded in certain places by groves of massive redwood forests. The incredibly tall trees never cease to create a sense of wonderment!

The riders in Big Basin Redwoods State Park on Highway 236.

Tim's FJR -

 

[pashnit]

Ah the Mods, Gadgets & Gear - checking out Tim's wave rotors...

Patrick's Zero Gravity Double Bubble - incidently Patrick had the same exact mirrors I had on the Busa.

 

[pashnit]

The Group in Big Basin Redwoods State Park taking in the massive coast redwoods. The group was small at first - one rider was unable at the last minute to make the ride, and another would meet us in San Luis Obispo that night. The following day would also hold some surprises on the local riders that would show up for the ride.

Three of a Kind

 

[pashnit]

I spent considerable time attempting to capture the perfect magazine cover shot of the R1. So what you'll see is several versions of this same photo I took throughout the ride.

 

[pashnit]

After a quick ride down the coast to the beginnings of California Big Sur, as we were waiting for lunch, I pulled out the laptop which has a copy of the website on it & explained the rest of the day.

The eats at Rocky Point Restaurant

 

[pashnit]

Preparing to leave & ride California's Highway 1 along the Pacific Coast

Unfortunately, much of the coast was socked in this day with fog. While most the pics you see of the Pacific Coast are of awesome vistas, and an intense expanse of endless blue water- not always. What we saw most of the afternoon.

 

[pashnit]

At a few points we were high enough to be above the marine layer to actually see the Pacific Coast.

Which of course requires a stop. Never know how long this break in the fog will last.

 

[pashnit]

These impromptu stops always provide a chance to snap some cool photos...

 

[pashnit]

To get above the cold and damp fog, we came upon Lucia, and climbed up Nacimiento-Fergusen Road which heads up and over the Coast Range to the Fort Hunter-Leggett military base. The more we climbed up the windy goat trail of a road, the further above the coastal fog we got!

Even better view now that there's a Hayabusa in the shot! The fog stetched for as far as we could see, no escaping it.

 

[pashnit]

Nacimiento-Ferguson Road - Hwy 1 is down below along the ocean shrouded in fog.

 

[gunslingerjr]

once again thanks for sharing those great pics!!!!

 

[pashnit]

once again thanks for sharing those great pics!!!!

About 150 more to go guns!

Three day ride! Go grab a drink & some chips!

 

[pashnit]

What it really looks like... This is looking out across the Pacific Ocean.