Photos of your bike on location

[gixxerjeff]

I was going about 45 mph and noticed movement on the right edge of road. I had about a second, enough time to brake but I didn't, thinking I'd get past it.

Wow Gary. A close call with the best possible outcome.
We were riding on Hwy 1 between Point Reyes and Marshall and nearly the exact same experience. Three deer crossed our path with enough room to spare without rolling off the throttle but a fourth I hadn't noticed stayed on the shoulder. The little spotted thing was clearly trying to decide whether bolt across the road to be with mom or hang back until we passed. It was a big pucker moment for all of us.

 

[Blankpage]

Let me out

 

[Johndicezx9]

Great pic...

 

[ScottRNelson]

Three deer crossed our path with enough room to spare without rolling off the throttle but a fourth I hadn't noticed stayed on the shoulder.

That is your mistake right there, not slowing down.

The best way to avoid hitting animals is to slow down immediately as soon as you see them.

I've hit two deer but neither of them actually touched my bike. The first one was the day after I brought my new 1997 Ducati Monster home from the dealer and had gone on the Palomares Road loop early in the morning. Coming back down Dublin Canyon on the frontage road I saw a mother deer crossing the road ahead, then saw the baby deer on the other side of the road. I figured I could just use more throttle to get between the two - after all, this was a 900cc Ducati I was riding. The faster I went, the faster the little deer went and I ended up punching it in the head with my right knee. I did not go back to check on it.

The other one was while riding in the early evening hours at the south edge of Pleasanton in late October - the time of year when deer are more active. I was going slow already, like 25 mph, and this deer came at me. I just stuck out my right foot and pushed it out of the way.

Animals are unpredictable and your best hope is to be going slow enough to avoid injury if you manage to make contact.


I promise to post some on-location photos later today. Just need to go out and take them.

 

[ScottRNelson]

War Eagle Mountain, Silver City, Part 1

Always love to see those Pavement Ends signs. This is a "shortcut" through Celebration Park.

Guffey Bridge crossing the Snake River on the other side of Celebration Park. I've ridden across it before - didn't try to get out on any of the roads and trails over there, though. Private Property and all that...

The "shortcut" to Silver City Road, which bypasses the town of Murphy. I'm sure it took twice as long as going the long way. Lots of silt and loose dirt to deal with.

I was wondering about the Road Work Ahead sign down below. Passed this excavator on the way up. It was very slow. After riding to the top of the mountain and into Silver City, that thing was still on the road headed up as I was going down. Don't know where it was going to be working at. The last time one of these was up there they were removing the big rocks from the road.

Got into the forest a little bit on the way to the top of the mountain.

 

[Gary856]

That deer probably didn't learn anything but I did. Walking with a bruised heel is no fun, and it could've been much worse. Pretend deer are little kids with no parents around - slowing down is the best defense.

I promise to post some on-location photos later today. Just need to go out and take them.

San Jose, E William at S 23rd. The track dead ends. I couldn't cross railroad tracks like this to get out. Need to practice pivot turns on my dirt bike.

 

[ScottRNelson]

War Eagle Mountain, Silver City, Part 2

This was the goal, the top of War Eagle Mountain. On a clear day you can see down into Treasure Valley from here looking northward and parts of Oregon looking the other way.

Heading back down, there are hundreds of sheep where that road heads up the hill in the background. I wanted to take a photo of the sheep, but saw a pack of dogs headed my way, running, and decided it would be better to head on up the hill. It looked like at least eight Border Collies. I would love to pet a bunch of friendly Border Collies, but I DO NOT want to deal with a whole pack of unfriendly dogs, and there was no way to tell which they were. They were waiting for me under a tree on my way down - I didn't even slow down as I went by.

Welcome to Silver City, Idaho. Now go home. No services here and they don't really welcome strangers. Several hundred people live here in the summer. Only one guy stays over the winter.

The old schoolhouse, built in 1892 if you believe the number on the front.

The old church (bike hasn't moved from the schoolhouse photo). Not sure if you can drive up to it or not. There is a rock path and hand rail from this point on up.

 

[CDONA]

Brown air, not so photogenic.
I stopped with my stuff until I can get blue sky.
So much brown air in the Black Hills, nothing looks good.
Everybody's vacation pix are going to sux.
Nothing different from last year, along the Avenue of the Giants.

 

[MTERK]

I am jealous! So many cool places where you are Scott! Hope all the Californians moving there don't mess the area up!

 

[ScottRNelson]

Hope all the Californians moving there don't mess the area up!

They're mainly messing up housing prices. And we have people coming in from all over the country, not just California. It's rare for any new guys to go up in the hills, so it's still very uncrowded up there.

More photos tomorrow - heading in the other direction to try and find a few more roads that I haven't ridden on yet.

 

[Johndicezx9]

Brown air, not so photogenic.
I stopped with my stuff until I can get blue sky.
So much brown air in the Black Hills, nothing looks good.
Everybody's vacation pix are going to sux.
Nothing different from last year, along the Avenue of the Giants.

The pics will look like those old time pics you get at the county fair... only without the corn dogs.

 

[CDONA]

Sepia tone,
My confusion, the golden light as the sun rises & sets, is the best light, but smokey skies give the same, but the blue is all gone, with no definite shadows.
Smokey pix reminds me of the last total eclipse, the weird light. We had smoke that day too.

 

[ScottRNelson]

Much less smoke in the air today. And way cooler temperature. Just about perfect riding conditions except for the air not being perfectly clear.

About to head down Johnson Creek Rd. It has some serious ruts with a section of stream bed that is all rocks, but not really all that difficult.

Along the Payette River trying to find a way across to head for the town of Ola.

The church in Ola. I wish I had taken a photo of the one in Sweet. It said "Sweet Community Church" on the front. Lots of interesting business names in that town, kind of like how it is in Cool, CA.

A stop to look at one of the long valleys, before heading over the hill into High Valley and then Smiths Ferry.

On Boise Ridge Road looking back toward Idaho City. We found a more interesting route through Placerville, skipping most of the paved roads from Garden Valley southward.

 

[Gary856]

Always love to see those Pavement Ends signs. This is a "shortcut" through Celebration Park.

Me too.

This series of photos makes me really want to get a real dual sport. 10 years ago I had a chance to buy an '07 DR650 w/ a big tank, Pro Taper bars, a skid plate and CNC'd luggage rack, only 2.7k mi, for $3.2k. It was only a few miles from me. I went to see it at night, in heavy rain, but I couldn't make up my mind. A few days later I decided to buy it, but it was sold. I've regretted it to this day. Still, there's not much dual sport opportunities around the Bay...


Quimby Rd. Recently chip sealed. Yup, slippery even at pretty modest lean.

Mt Hamilton. Apocalypse Now.

An Afghan fortress

 

[ScottRNelson]

This series of photos makes me really want to get a real dual sport. 10 years ago I had a chance to buy an '07 DR650 w/ a big tank, Pro Taper bars, a skid plate and CNC'd luggage rack, only 2.7k mi, for $3.2k. It was only a few miles from me. I went to see it at night, in heavy rain, but I couldn't make up my mind. A few days later I decided to buy it, but it was sold. I've regretted it to this day. Still, there's not much dual sport opportunities around the Bay...

It's definitely easier to find an XR650L for sale in Northern California than in the entire state of Idaho. If you check weekly what's for sale, you should be able to find something.

 

[Gary856]

I check daily what's for sale, but can't get too excited about the old tech Japanese 650s unless they're in the low $3k range, even then...

A lot less smoky today.

Mt Hamtilton

San Antonio Valley

Mines

Calaveras

 

[kpke]

After completing installation of new fork seals I decided to toodle around town a little bit.

The wind changed directions clearing the smoke up a bit.

Downtown

Wetmore St

 

[Johndicezx9]

Oh, I'm sure there was smoke following you everywhere you went!

 

[CDONA]

That there is called mosquito abatement.

A big issue in Suisun.

 

[stratslingr77]

Picked this up in Lemoore yesterday and took the scenic route home.