45 Days on a Gen3 Hayabusa - 2023 Pashnit Touring

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Randy is a Buell guy, but for touring, he rides his Ninja 1000.

 

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I may have originally told the guys we weren't going to ride over the 4000 feet, but I might have been a bit vague.

4000 is the snow line. And that sand...

This area above Auberry had a forest fire awhile back.

 

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It's sunny out, but we're starting to ride up into the clouds.

 

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That's not fog. We're in the clouds.

Rebuilding after the wildfire

 

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Temps got down to high 35 over the pass. The Gen3 temp gauge is more optimist, I only saw 39. But it doesn't last long, we bump up and over the pass and start heading back down towards Tollhouse.

Shaver Lake & Huntington Lake are just up the road.

There is sand everywhere from all the rain. Easy does it. All downhill coming out of the clouds.

The clouds are close enough to touch.

 

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This bike has anti-lock brakes right? All that sand in the road.

 

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Community of Tollhouse down in the bowl-shaped valley surrounded on all side by ridges. Not really a town.

Switchbacks coming off the mountain

 

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It's so green out, and no haze in the air. It normally looks like this, same overlook:

 

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Switchbacks - Tollhouse Rd is a very fun ride if you're headed uphill and there's no sand in the road from the runoff.

 

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Water, water, everywhere

Amazing views. Playground for adults.

A moment ago, we were up in those clouds.

 

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Burroughs Valley Rd

 

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Road closed #2 At Maxon Rd which is a single lane ranch road, but on the far end is Trimmer Spring Rd along Pine Flat Reservoir, and that fell off into the canyon. This closure I knew about in advance.

Oh yeah? Take that Randy.

 

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Watts Valley, Sample, Pittman Hill, Morgan Canyon, more twisty backroads

 

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Through the canyons

 

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Why we preach delayed late apex technique religiously. Never know what's on the other side of the corner.

Taking the inside line at speed, you might need a snorkle.

So green!

 

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Seems I have to feed the fellas. Prather is the only town for miles that has food.

I have to text my wife the menu because she knows what I like better than I do.

Who goes to a Mexican restaurant to order breakfast? I do.

 

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If you're one of those shiny bike people whose Craig List ad reads never ridden in rain, I'm probably not your guy.

I might take you places that get your shiny bike dirty.

But, oh, the places we'll go and things we'll see. Spectacular. And the color. The puffy clouds look painted into the sky.

Pine Flat Dam

 

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Super Bloom

This place is called Wonder Valley - there are meadows of yellow & blue wildflowers everywhere.

Headed back into the Foothills

 

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More mountains to climb

Open Range means exactly that, it's a cattle range, and it's open.

Elwood Rd - There's a fence, and the cattle are on both sides of the fence.

Now what was the purpose of the fence again?

 

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Elwood Rd rides up a fast, fun valley, and connects to Highway 180, the road into Sequoia NP, gaining elevation rapidly up the valley

Although, I did promise to stay below 4000 ft