California road trip advice please!

[kvdv_imp]

Hey there fellow CB1100 friends! I had a wild notion to tour Death Valley on my DLX this year. I'll be leaving from Seattle about May 11, staying in DV a couple of nights, leaving myself about 10 days or so to get back home. I need some advice from you Cali folks out there...is it worth it trying to follow the Sierras back north via Sequoia NP, King's Canyon, etc, or will it be too early (aka too cold and snowy) for most of that route? It looks like roads and visitors centers are quite high in altitude, and maybe it won't have warmed enough by mid May...I mean, I have heated gear and all, but no snow tires for the bike I heard y'all have gotten record snowfall this year...
As an alternate, I could head straight to the coast from DV and follow the PCH all the way back to Washington. Might involve a lot less shivering... Any thoughts / alternatives / opinions are most welcome.

 

[LongRanger_imp]

The roads across the Sierra should be free of snow, but they may not be dry in all places, and not all high passes may be open by then (Tioga, others). However, the major passes are maintained year 'round and should be fine. DV will be nice and hot, and the wildflowers should be incredible this year. If you're considering a ride down the central California coast, I believe Hwy. 1 near Big Sur is closed indefinitely due to bridge repairs, but you may want to confirm.

 

[kvdv_imp]

The roads across the Sierra should be free of snow, but they may not be dry in all places, and not all high passes may be open by then (Tioga, others). However, the major passes are maintained year 'round and should be fine. DV will be nice and hot, and the wildflowers should be incredible this year. If you're considering a ride down the central California coast, I believe Hwy. 1 near Big Sur is closed indefinitely due to bridge repairs, but you may want to confirm.

Super helpful - - thanks Long Ranger!

 

[flynrider]

Early May can be hit or miss in the higher elevations in the Sierras. It might be 75 degrees or it could snow (I've experienced both). If I were you, I'd plan the mountain route and keep the coastal route in my back pocket if the weather dictates.

 

[Randy B]

You'll have to plan your route ahead of time to be sure. There are a TON of roads washed out due to land slides right now, and a few with repair times close to 6 months or more due to them still formulating the plan(s) to repair them.
Look up hwy 35 and see what you find. That one is a doosy.

 

[kvdv_imp]

Good stuff, you guys! Thanks so much. Randy...thanks for the tip on Hwy 35...that looks amazing!! If I don't get a chance to hit it this time, I will someday, for sure. I just picked up some Butler maps for So and No Cal too and I'll start studying those for alternates, but it's great to get real live local knowledge

 

[Randy B]

Good stuff, you guys! Thanks so much. Randy...thanks for the tip on Hwy 35...that looks amazing!! If I don't get a chance to hit it this time, I will someday, for sure. I just picked up some Butler maps for So and No Cal too and I'll start studying those for alternates, but it's great to get real live local knowledge

This is what I was talking about...



The road is closed indefinitely with a tentative repair time of AT LEAST 6 months.

 

[the Ferret]

Holy Smokes... Evil Knievel could not jump that hole (successfully lol)

 

[Randy B]

Holy Smokes... Evil Knievel could not jump that hole (successfully lol)

Yeah, it's pretty bad. They are contemplating a few fixes including a bridge, rerouting the roadway, or building up the earth to restore it where it is.
I tend to think that last one is out of the question and that they will most likely go with a bridge of some sort. The ground just doesn't seem stable enough to do anything else with it at that location.

 

[Elipten_imp]

As a geologist I am here to tell you nothing on the planet surface is stable. Some areas are just less dynamic. That is a highly dynamic area.

What ever the fix is will be for a limited time. But length of time spans is relative. I think in many millions of years.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Rolls_imp]

Randy is right, and he sourced the pic I would've to make the point. Many of our go-to roads here have suffered damage in the rains. Still, we are spoiled. There are so many life-changingly beautiful roads remaining you cannot go wrong with a visit. Weather in May is lovely. If you have the opportunity, do not be put off by a few lengths of road temporarily closed. Happy to help any way I can. Enjoy!

 

[Retsel_imp]

There is also a bridge out near Big Sur. It will still be our in May.

[/URL

Here is the link to the news feed.

[url=http://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Bridge-failure-severs-Big-Sur-s-ties-to-outside-10958200.php]http://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Bridge-failure-severs-Big-Sur-s-ties-to-outside-10958200.php

 

[the Ferret]

Wow...I've ridden across that bridge.

 

[kvdv_imp]

Wow...I've ridden across that bridge.

Wow is right!! I just rode that bridge back in September. I'm glad I got through there before the damage occurred.

And Randy...that picture of Hwy 35 damage...amazing.

Either way, I'm excited for the May trip and I guess I'll just improvise my way back north from Death Valley as needed. I'll try to report in with pics and stories as well. - K

 

[flynrider]

Wow...I've ridden across that bridge.

Wow is right!! I just rode that bridge back in September. I'm glad I got through there before the damage occurred.

And Randy...that picture of Hwy 35 damage...amazing.

Either way, I'm excited for the May trip and I guess I'll just improvise my way back north from Death Valley as needed. I'll try to report in with pics and stories as well. - K

Looking forward to it! Better take some sunblock. It's already in the mid 90s this week. I suspect it'll be in the 100s by May.

 

[iamheero_imp]

Hey Flyn, I just did a 700 mile LA-DV-LA road trip in a day recently and I can't speak to the northern reaches you're going to be traversing but I should warn you the high desert (and the passes and mountains leading to it) will be really, REALLY cold at night. I went maybe a month ago and I should add that it's already so much warmer down here in LA but I was literally hypothermic on my ride- Pack more sweaters than you think you may need!

 

[LongRanger_imp]

Yep, the high desert gets cold once the sun goes down, but it shouldn't be too bad come May. That said, the winds can be brutal out there.

I used to lead a one-day San Diego to DV and back ride each Thanksgiving Saturday, about 800 miles round trip. It'd be in the 70's in DV but we'd freeze our you-know-whats off coming home over Cajon Pass at 10:00 PM. Low 30's on a motorcycle is cold when you're not used to it. Come to think of it, it's cold even if you are used to it.

 

[the Ferret]

800 miles in one day? Wow. That's 16 hours of saddle time. There was no place to stop and stay? ( I've done 942 in one day and it was pretty brutal.)

 

[kvdv_imp]

Holy smokes you guys are hard core! I'd be whining if I had to spend more than 5 or 6 hours total in the saddle in a day. I love riding, but I also love to stop, stretch, look around, meet people, take pictures, have a lunch or ice cream somewhere... 800 miles at a 70 mph average is just shy of 12 HOURS saddle time. Maybe that's someone else's idea of fun, but not this guy!

 

[Django]

800 miles in one day? Wow. That's 16 hours of saddle time. There was no place to stop and stay? ( I've done 942 in one day and it was pretty brutal.)

That's pretty close to a SaddleSore (1,000 miles/24 hours).