Roll Call Downieville 05/10/14

GreenMachine · May 09, 2014, 03:30:15 PM

What is their forecast for CalTrans sand?

dub · May 11, 2014, 12:44:21 PM

Well it seems the weather forecasted for up in Downieville was moving South as we were moving North.

Mostly bright blue skies with some white fluffy clouds thrown in in Yosemite.

Weather was still nice and clear up at Sonora pass. Although the wind was whipping and it was freezing up at the summit.

Heading up towards Ebbets pass from the West there was definitly some weather looming in the distance. I was hoping it was further North than us or it was moving East. But no such luck. We came down the East side of Ebbets in a driving snow storm.

dub · May 11, 2014, 12:47:35 PM

Oh, and no CalTrans sand on any of the passes.

nvgixxer · May 11, 2014, 01:17:56 PM

Thanks for sharing those pics Dub! Makes my old body shiver just looking at them! I live in CC and here on the east side of town the winds were so severe we lost power at 3:00PM for 2.5 hours. My son-in-law was out in Washoe Valley at the time and said it was snowing so hard as to be almost a white out.
Well, things are looking up now, I do believe winter is finally over!!

288RR · May 11, 2014, 07:22:18 PM

Quote from: nvgixxer on May 11, 2014, 01:17:56 PM
Well, things are looking up now, I do believe winter is finally over!!

Don't say that Jimbo. Winter will be sure to come back now that you said that. But let's hope not and lets get some riding done.

GreenMachine · May 11, 2014, 09:14:42 PM

Quote from: dub on May 11, 2014, 12:47:35 PM
Oh, and no CalTrans sand on any of the passes.

That's good news, I guess. Might have helped with the snow.

TB5 and I got caught on Ebbetts last year in a downpour. I stopped and he rode passed me, didn't even see me just three feet away. Been there, done that! Nothing to learn there and nothing to prove. Plus, lightning started up. Great! I'm dead for sure if I get struck.

dub · May 11, 2014, 10:29:24 PM

NSC James and I came over Ebbets in a torrential rain last year too. Those downhill hairpins aren't the most fun when the tarmac may be slick. I also came over Ebbets last year in the pitch dark, after an unexpectedly long SCR ride

I'm working towards my Ebbets pass certificate of mastery.

RichVee4 · May 13, 2014, 09:18:06 AM

Dub, I enjoyed the pics and map, thanks for sharing. Glad to hear it was a safe outing. I printed the map for a future ride, nice route. How long did it take you guys?

dub · May 13, 2014, 07:43:59 PM

Quote from: Richman on May 13, 2014, 09:18:06 AMI printed the map for a future ride, nice route. How long did it take you guys?

On that map, we skipped the out and back over Monitor Pass, since, you know, it was snowing.

According to my GPS, 509.1 miles in 12:54 total time, 9:34 moving time, 3:19 stopped time. That's from my house in South Lake and the stopped time includes the 30 or so minutes of BSing at the meet up spot, a rest stop at the top of each summit, a few gas station breaks and one of the guys got a flat on Hwy 4 just before the Monitor junction, which was probably at least 30 minutes. I left my house at about 6:10am and made it home well before dark. The rest of the group didn't make it home to Sacramento until 9-9:30. The inclement weather on Ebbetts really slowed us down, too.