The route:
We'll head out 580 to Livermore and top off our tanks. Then it's out to
Patterson via Mines and Del Puerto Canyon road. Once through Patterson
up onto Hwy 132 to La Grange and Coulterville. After Lunch it's down
HWY 49 The Little Dragon to Bass Lake. Then we'll work our way down the
back roads to Lake Millerton.
|
Route
to camp
View Larger Map
|
|
|
 |
HWY 132 may not be the sexiest sportbike
road in the world, it is however a beautiful smooth scenic ride that
won't leave you bored. It runs betwen Modesto and Coulterville
along the Toulmine River.
|
|
Mad Cow:
While pre-riding this ride just east of La Grange on HWY-132, a cow
fell of the cliff right in front of me. a second later she might have
landed on me. |
|
|
 |
This is a shot of HWY 132 coming into Coulterville.
|
|
Dating
to the mid-1850's, the Hotel Jeffery, with walls 3 feet thick, still
stands on the corner of Hwy 49 & Hwy 132. While the town is
pretty quiet these days, it once had 50 saloons. Also present are
the Magnolia Saloon and the Chinese Sun Store.
Today, there's
little hint of the towns former hubbub, in fact Coulterville is one of
the tiniest towns along Highway 49. Merely a few buildings
surviving on tourist traffic and an occasional motorcyclist.
|
 |
|
 |
I ate here at the Magnolia Saloon. I'm not sure how many stars
I'd give it. Definitely better than the Junction Cafe. The vegetarians
are going to have a tough time with the menu
I had the clam chowder it was good.
And they will make a grilled cheese.
Coulterville is small enough that you can walk all over town --
including "downtown" where you'll find the historic Magnolia Saloon. In
operation since 1851 (check
out this vintage photo), the Magnolia is still serving up brews and
grub today.
|
|
One of the last unspoiled
gold towns, many of the old buildings from the Gold Rush Era are still
standing along Main Street. Photographers love the fact that utilities
are underground so great shots aren’t spoiled by utility lines.
Coulterville is perfect to explore on foot. Everything is close by
including several old cemeteries dating back to the Gold Rush Era.
|
 |
|
|
 |
HWY 49 and 132 meet here in
coulterville.
Whistling Billy is one of the most notable relics from Coulterville’s
mining days. The eight-ton locomotive’s final stop was beneath the
branches of the town’s old hanging tree. Note both engine and tree in
this photo.
This little steam engine was shipped around the Horn and came to
Coulterville in 1897 by mule team. Billy ran on thirty-inch gauge track
and was capable of hauling fifteen ore cars, each weighing five tons
when full. Its four-mile route was a steep and twisting climb, for
which it earned the title, “Crookedest Railway in the World.”
|
|
Heading
southward, leave Coulterville and get prepared for a thrilling stretch
of pavement. The ride itself is a smooth one, but a heavy dose of
twisty goodness. Speed depends more so on the bike you ride and
the amount of traffic if any.
|
 |
|
|
 |
Once
you reach the top of the hill on the Bear Valley side, a wide open
vista point opens up often holding a few motorcyclists all taking in
the view of the road they've just traversed, or are about to.
Also, a great picture taking opportunity.
|
|
|
 |
As quickly as the road descends to the
valley floor, then crossing over
a modern concrete bridge, it courses right back up the opposing
ridgeline with a renewed veracity.
The climb south, away from
the Merced River is one of rapid-fire curves,
consistent lean angles, a thrilling combination of hillclimb
goodness. A left then right, then do it all over again, a
switchback, then head right back the other way smoothing around the
hillside rapidly gaining in elevation as the Merced River slowly falls
away into the canyon below.
Any type of motorcycle,
come one come all.
|
|
This shot should give you an idea of what HWY 49's little Dragon is
like. I had a great time pre-riding this ride. I got schooled by one of
the locals on his EX500 on that cold Groundhogs Day in 2008.
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
That's Bass Lake in the background
and
yes, that is snow on the ground.
|
|
|
|
|
Oneal Rd was a surprising fun little road
into the park.
|
|
View Larger Map
|
The ride home;
a slight variation of the
ride out. We changed the roads up a little. And thrown in a rest
stop at Grimms house in Bootjack.
|
|
