Street Vibrations Trip – Day 5

Last year‘s return we woke to rain and the 90 mile ride to Susanville was much too wet and cold.  So cold in fact that snow had collected on the hill sides.   Not this year!  It was perfect riding temperatures and cool, crisp air departing Reno helped focus our minds that we had an 11 hour day of riding ahead of us so giddy up.

From Susanville we took CA-44 through Lassen National Forest.  We headed up toward Old Station and then took CA-89 toward the town of Mount Shasta.  I like riding this route. The road is good and traffic is moving fast for a two-lane road and it has a varied and interesting scenery.

Mt. Shasta

Southern California seems to get most of the riding attention, but the fact is, Northern California has some of the best riding in the state and is much less congested. Most people visiting northern California are surprised at how much “nothing” is here. It’s pure motorcycling heaven that includes winding mountain passes, majestic redwoods and active volcanoes.  We enter the Northern Sierra Nevada Mountains and press on around deep cut curves through beautiful scenery. For those of us who love mountain riding, this ride doesn’t get any better than this. Occasionally, you’ll catch a whiff of toasted brake lingering in the air, proof that not everyone enjoys the ride as much as we do!  We were all about miles today so, no time to stop at Lassen Volcanic National Park.  However, if you get a chance I recommend taking a few hours and visiting this dormant volcano, with its bubbly bits perking out all over.

When we stopped in Mount Shasta for fuel the clothing layers were peeling off as it was getting hot.  We intersected with I-5 and headed north.  This is called the Shasta Cascade region of California.

“Reeeneeneeeneen! Reeeeneeeneen!”  Was the sound of a two-stroke I passed on the freeway.  Not sure where that relic came from, but after passing and giving him a nod–the brotherhood of the biker–I fell in line with all the leather, tattoos and big-bore V-twins and let the orange polyester short-sleeve Polo riding shirt dude fade in the mirror.

Arriving at the Oregon border I-5 crosses 4300 feet in the Siskiyou Summit which is the highest point on I-5.  It then drops down into the Roque River valley through Ashland, Medford and Grants Pass.  We rode over the three passes of the Umpqua Valley and after Roseburg cruised the rolling hills.

We did an Elmer’s dinner stop and then it was the final few miles to home in a little over 11 hours.  Another terrific and safe Street Vibrations trip.

Summer is officially over!!

Read more about the Street Vibrations trip at Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4 and Day 5.