2021 Pashnit Touring on a Hayabusa
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The goal today is to ride Highway 395 which borders the Eastern Sierra Range along the CA-NV border regions and extends all the way to Canada. Highway 395 is a complete ride by itself, with a deep dive into the Eastern Sierra regions. I’ve organized several PashnitTours.com that focus solely on Highway 395, there’s a lot to see out here. But, in particular, I wanted to see Hot Creek Geothermal Area.
It’s literal. As in, the creek is boiling. I never knew this was here, and I’ve ridden past it many, many times. No signs, you just have to know this stuff. Hot Creek is right in back of the Mammoth Airport. Within walking distance, who knew?!
It’s literal. As in, the creek is boiling. I never knew this was here, and I’ve ridden past it many, many times. No signs, you just have to know this stuff. Hot Creek is right in back of the Mammoth Airport. Within walking distance, who knew?!
There's a certain science to these visits. Obviously, the plan is to test-run a future tour leg of a future motorcycle tour I might plan with a group to this region. It often starts solely with a picture. This photo below I didn't take, it was shot by a Boris Belov. No idea who that is, but in looking at this photo, I'm wondering where the photographer was standing to get this angle. First time I saw this shot, I thought, where's that?! Hot Creek? Never heard of it. It was taken a few days after my visit when another light snow fell. Turns out he's 100 yards away at the other overlook. Well, now I know. But there's only one way to figure out where the best vantage point is, go there in person and take the shots and compare.
That's Mammoth Mountain in the distance.
All in all, this is minutes off the main highway & if you ride past the Mammoth Airport near June Lake & Benton-Crossing Rd, you're riding right past it.
That's Mammoth Mountain in the distance.
All in all, this is minutes off the main highway & if you ride past the Mammoth Airport near June Lake & Benton-Crossing Rd, you're riding right past it.
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One last view of Hot Creek and time to get back on the road. Cool place. I'll definitely come back here.
en.wikipedia.org
There's about a mile of gravel road to get there.
Easy does it, and back on pavement.
High desert regions - elevation here in these valleys is around 7000 ft
Hot Creek (Mono County) - Wikipedia
There's about a mile of gravel road to get there.
Easy does it, and back on pavement.
High desert regions - elevation here in these valleys is around 7000 ft
The wagon wheel grooves are still there. This is a few miles away from where I'm at, near Swall Meadows.
When I was posted near Medicine Hat Alberta, you can still follow the old wagon trail and see broken wagon wheels and bits and pieces along with old wagon tracks....it's pretty humbling...
Highway 120 along Mono Lake is one of my favorite motorcycle roads.
Remote, long, fast, middle of nowhere, it wiggles along the southern edge of Mono Lake across the high desert to Benton. I have ridden it many times, plus it has Whoops. As in, you can get the bike airborne at the right speed. I have also ridden past Panum Crater many times and never knew it was there. A crater named after the Hunger Games? (jk, Panem vs Panum, probably not related. Maybe a little?) And a short distance off the main road to boot. And demarcated by a tiny sign I’ve ignored many times over as I knee dragged past a righteous set of s-curves.
Karmic Balance to the universe must be restored. Advance research showed two different dirt roads to get there. But this is the high desert, and they aren’t dirt, it’s sand. Sand and Hayabusa’s probably don’t mix, but I forged on to reach the Hunger Games Crater, finally finding the right road. Turns out the parking area was a mere mile off Highway 120 via a dirt road. I was told not to come here in summer as it gets rather hot, but it’s fall and the temps are perfect. Panum Crater was a pretty cool thing to check out, especially if you’re into a short hike in the Eastern Sierra. You need to check box this.
Remote, long, fast, middle of nowhere, it wiggles along the southern edge of Mono Lake across the high desert to Benton. I have ridden it many times, plus it has Whoops. As in, you can get the bike airborne at the right speed. I have also ridden past Panum Crater many times and never knew it was there. A crater named after the Hunger Games? (jk, Panem vs Panum, probably not related. Maybe a little?) And a short distance off the main road to boot. And demarcated by a tiny sign I’ve ignored many times over as I knee dragged past a righteous set of s-curves.
Karmic Balance to the universe must be restored. Advance research showed two different dirt roads to get there. But this is the high desert, and they aren’t dirt, it’s sand. Sand and Hayabusa’s probably don’t mix, but I forged on to reach the Hunger Games Crater, finally finding the right road. Turns out the parking area was a mere mile off Highway 120 via a dirt road. I was told not to come here in summer as it gets rather hot, but it’s fall and the temps are perfect. Panum Crater was a pretty cool thing to check out, especially if you’re into a short hike in the Eastern Sierra. You need to check box this.
How do I get to the crater?
I've often said this bike does all things well, but this might be pushing it. Am I on the right road? Nope. Opted to turn around, not easy with this bike in sand.
Seems kinda sketchy. Note down slope & the huge sand holes. Probably not the right road for a Hayabusa.
I've often said this bike does all things well, but this might be pushing it. Am I on the right road? Nope. Opted to turn around, not easy with this bike in sand.
Seems kinda sketchy. Note down slope & the huge sand holes. Probably not the right road for a Hayabusa.
Mission accomplished. Although, the mile trek off the main highway is likely a bit sketchy for most bikers. Well worth stopping by here to check out the Panum Crater, especially considering how many times I've ridden right by it.
The passes that were closed three days prior have reopened. The snow turned out to be a mere dusting.
A quick stop by Mono Lake. We'll come back here next year.
Mono Lake is a super cool place to check out. I'm designing a new tour for 2022 that includes a stopover to the lake. The lake has 3x more the salinity than the ocean, and the water feels like soap (really!). No natural outlet, so the water flows in from the Sierra and evaporates, leaving the salts behind.
The passes that were closed three days prior have reopened. The snow turned out to be a mere dusting.
A quick stop by Mono Lake. We'll come back here next year.
Mono Lake is a super cool place to check out. I'm designing a new tour for 2022 that includes a stopover to the lake. The lake has 3x more the salinity than the ocean, and the water feels like soap (really!). No natural outlet, so the water flows in from the Sierra and evaporates, leaving the salts behind.
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