Great Ride on the West Side

[Ben70_imp]

I had another stellar ride on the CB today. We are enjoying a few days of false spring, got up to 70 yesterday, today was mid sixties.
I headed southeast to Maxwell, about 40 minutes through mostly rice land occupied by thousands of migrating waterfowl.
From there the road west goes straight as a ruler to the foothills, about five miles distant. It was a little hazy today, maybe humidity, and it gave a neat 3-D effect with the near hills popping out and the hills and mountains in the distance fading to darker gray hues.
Then the fun began in earnest as the road gets twisty. The grass is turning green and makes a beautiful contrast with the rocky outcrops.
A 15mph caution sign warned of a sharper than normal curve, a pretty obvious right angle (at least in daylight). The posts of the barbed wire fence on the outside of the curve wore a variety of motorcycle helmets, at least a dozen, all styles! That curve marked what I took to be the town of Sites, could be wrong, didn't see a sign, just a cluster of old homes with wood smoke curling from the chimneys. Cattle were grazing off and on all along the route. I passed through the towns of Stonyford and Elk Creek and stopped for a look at the creek. When I was in high school we used the bridge on the left, now it's good for a unique view.


This couple was enjoying the view from the middle of the bridge when I stopped, nice folks with about the same flight plan I had. I saw about a dozen bikes and about the same number of cars and trucks all through the foothill route today.
From there I opted to head over the bridge and east, back towards home.
About a 140 mile jaunt with the typical smoothness and grace and total lack of glitches I have come to expect from this machine.
Tomorrows highs will be upper 49'ers- low 50's, so back to our version of winter in Northern California. Good day to watch football.

Ben

[GoldOxide_imp]

Looks nice - like southern Ontario late April, early May.

[the Ferret]

Looks like a great ride.

[pdedse]

I had another stellar ride on the CB today. We are enjoying a few days of false spring, got up to 70 yesterday, today was mid sixties.
I headed southeast to Maxwell, about 40 minutes through mostly rice land occupied by thousands of migrating waterfowl.
From there the road west goes straight as a ruler to the foothills, about five miles distant. It was a little hazy today, maybe humidity, and it gave a neat 3-D effect with the near hills popping out and the hills and mountains in the distance fading to darker gray hues.
Then the fun began in earnest as the road gets twisty. The grass is turning green and makes a beautiful contrast with the rocky outcrops.
A 15mph caution sign warned of a sharper than normal curve, a pretty obvious right angle (at least in daylight). The posts of the barbed wire fence on the outside of the curve wore a variety of motorcycle helmets, at least a dozen, all styles! That curve marked what I took to be the town of Sites, could be wrong, didn't see a sign, just a cluster of old homes with wood smoke curling from the chimneys. Cattle were grazing off and on all along the route. I passed through the towns of Stonyford and Elk Creek and stopped for a look at the creek. When I was in high school we used the bridge on the left, now it's good for a unique view.


This couple was enjoying the view from the middle of the bridge when I stopped, nice folks with about the same flight plan I had. I saw about a dozen bikes and about the same number of cars and trucks all through the foothill route today.
From there I opted to head over the bridge and east, back towards home.
About a 140 mile jaunt with the typical smoothness and grace and total lack of glitches I have come to expect from this machine.
Tomorrows highs will be upper 49'ers- low 50's, so back to our version of winter in Northern California. Good day to watch football.

Ben

Cool! I found all those places you mentioned, possibly even "that curve" before Sites.

I think it's neat when forum members mention some of the towns they typically ride through, and/or include the hiways they use...along with a few photos. I like to use google maps and see what the route looks like, switch to satellite view to see the topography. It's fun to see what everbody has available in their back yard.

[Ben70_imp]

Exactly what I was hoping, as I enjoy doing with others as well! You, pdedse, Cormanus and too many others to mention entertain me in just that way!
On this particular route the next few months are astonishingly pretty, with lush green grass. The current appearance on Google Earth is the typical dead grass that prevails most of the year.

Ben