Falling Toward Virginia City
by Tom Borman
The newsletter said that Pat Glenn will lead the tour. She'll leave
promptly at 8:00 a.m. from Pleasanton to miss the heat in the valley.
The newsletter had it right. Sachi and I arrive just before 8:00 at the
Buttercup Pantry Restaurant as everyone stands up from breakfast.
Something like eight to 10 people on six or seven bikes. I buy
coffee-to-go, having not had breakfast. Sachi and I slurp down a few
quick, very hot mouthfuls and start getting back on the bike. By the
time we're earplugged, helmeted, jacketed, connected to the
intercom, seated, ready, the last of the other bikes is just rolling out
of the parking lot. We get moving, pick the wrong exit from the
parking lot, and roll promptly up to a light just changing to red. Of
course Pat and the rest are on the far side and getting away. We
finish our 30 seconds of retirement, break the speed limit law to get
the tour back in sight. Sachi and I rejoin the group just as the tour
reaches the freeway and we all motor sedately east on 580 until
Vasco Road gets us out of the traffic.
Vasco winds us northward to Camino Diablo, where we turn east
again into the valley. I wonder, as we pass Discovery Bay, just what
was discovered there. Treasure in the form of suburban home sales,
I guess. We join up with Highway 4 in Byron and head for Stockton.
Anyone who has toured with Pat knows that she's not shy about
heading off somewhere without having first planned every detail of
the route. She'll get you there,none better, but she might lead you
past sights you haven't seen before. This time we get to see a fair
amount of a Stockton neighborhood which I'm sure I couldn't find
again even if offered money to do so.
Eventually, we join back up with Highway 4 and continue east
toward Angels Camp. Though the day is hot, in the high 90's, the
plan of leaving early to beat the heat works well and we don't suffer
much.
East of Angels Camp we climb into the foothills and begin to get
some benefit from the altitude. Highway 4 (Ebbett's Pass) is a great
little one-lane road which wanders by three high mountain lakes. I
love to ride the bike, but after the second lake, I am ready for a
canoe, a fishing rod and a cold beer. We're over Ebbett's Pass and on
into Markleeville for lunch. We park the bikes (almost carefully
enough) outside the Alpine Restaurant and Bar and go inside for a
tasty lunch. After a Thanksgiving dinner that just couldn't be beat
..... no, that's a different story ..... After a little while a woman comes
in to tell us that one of the bikes has fallen over against the building.
It is mine, of course. The center stand has broken through the
surface of the asphalt into a 6" deep air bubble left there when the
pavement was poured. Oh darn!
Get the bike upright, finish lunch. Out 89 to 395. Drone to
Virginia City and find the camping area. Sachi and I are then off to a
B & B called The Crooked House for a shower before the meeting.
The tour left (promptly), went, detoured, meandered, made good
time in a relaxed manner. Good job, Pat.
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