2022 Pashnit Touring on a Hayabusa
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There’s this section of Highway 9 along the spine of the Santa Cruz Range that checks all the boxes. Between Boulder Creek and the turnoff for Highway 236, Highway 9 runs downhill through multiple S-curves, not hairpins, not left-right-lefts, S-curves, one right after the other, signed at 35 mph, which motorcyclists typically double that number. Hit a stretch of no traffic, no other people, and the bike drops into full tilt, then flips over to the other side, then again, and again, you get the idea. It’s a delightful stretch of road and drops you into Boulder Creek, a small rural town in the redwoods.
Long stretches of brand-new pavement through the redwood forest
Long stretches of brand-new pavement through the redwood forest
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The goal was lunch. The building has a giant redwood tree growing through the middle of the dining room. They simply built the building around the tree.
Yes, that's a redwood tree growing up through the middle of the Treehouse Café in Boulder Creek
Yes, that's a redwood tree growing up through the middle of the Treehouse Café in Boulder Creek
In August 2020, a dry lightning storm came in off the coast and set the Santa Cruz Mountains on fire. Big Basin State Park is a redwood preserve that suffered greatly.
I shot photos of the storm (below) as we were out riding that day.
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The visitor center and all the buildings in Big Basin State Park were lost to the wildfire, and the park has been closed the last two years. We were excited to learn it opened up a few days ago.
I shot photos of the storm (below) as we were out riding that day.
Montezuma Hills Day Ride
Our motorcycle ride today begins along the ocean in Bodega Bay. This is a rather short ride headed inland across the state headed for the Sacramento River Delta. Been wanting to check out the Montezuma Hills and today is the day. Never heard of the Montezuma Hills? That makes two of us. I had to...
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The visitor center and all the buildings in Big Basin State Park were lost to the wildfire, and the park has been closed the last two years. We were excited to learn it opened up a few days ago.
What makes it so fun as a destination is the single lane paved road to reach the center of the park is non-stop tight twisties and numerous blind corners with new pavement. Hit it with a bit of luck and zero traffic, and the ride into Big Basin is adrenalized fun! Welcome back Big Basin SP, you were missed.
Summers in California are hot, you probably already know that, 95-100 degree days are the norm.
Awhile back, I had this idea, what if we could spend an entire weekend along the Pacific Ocean where the temps are ideal during the hottest time of the California summer. Choose 100 degrees or 75, it wasn’t a difficult decision. Creating an all-new organized motorcycle tour and having it run perfectly the first time out can be a challenge. When I design an all new motorcycle tour, my commonly held adage is it takes a few runs (ie years) to make the tour perfect. More often, a tweak here, a minor route change, a change to the timing of the day, usually small things have big effects on the overall feel.
The goal is to make it perfect, at least my ideal of perfect. If you have a motorcycle, and you’re conscious, you’ll love riding along the ocean. Central California’s Big Sur Coastline is breathtaking and known the world over, and easily one of the most beautiful stretches of road in the United States.
Last year, during the first running of this tour, we headed south on Highway 25 from Hollister. Highway 25 is known for several very long straights and a road cut into the base of a ridgeline, giving it a repetitious wiggly s-curve motif. It’s fun. Real fun.
Last ride season, we rode south on Highway 25 first, then back north to complete our loop up Highway 1 Big Sur in the afternoon. But not this year. Let's try something else.
It was Mark that posited why not just ride Highway 1 both directions & stay out of the heat all day long. Ride a stretch of road the opposite direction, and you’ve got a whole new ride with new sights. And the temps would be 75 and sunny all day. Hard to argue against that.
Awhile back, I had this idea, what if we could spend an entire weekend along the Pacific Ocean where the temps are ideal during the hottest time of the California summer. Choose 100 degrees or 75, it wasn’t a difficult decision. Creating an all-new organized motorcycle tour and having it run perfectly the first time out can be a challenge. When I design an all new motorcycle tour, my commonly held adage is it takes a few runs (ie years) to make the tour perfect. More often, a tweak here, a minor route change, a change to the timing of the day, usually small things have big effects on the overall feel.
The goal is to make it perfect, at least my ideal of perfect. If you have a motorcycle, and you’re conscious, you’ll love riding along the ocean. Central California’s Big Sur Coastline is breathtaking and known the world over, and easily one of the most beautiful stretches of road in the United States.
Last year, during the first running of this tour, we headed south on Highway 25 from Hollister. Highway 25 is known for several very long straights and a road cut into the base of a ridgeline, giving it a repetitious wiggly s-curve motif. It’s fun. Real fun.
Last ride season, we rode south on Highway 25 first, then back north to complete our loop up Highway 1 Big Sur in the afternoon. But not this year. Let's try something else.
It was Mark that posited why not just ride Highway 1 both directions & stay out of the heat all day long. Ride a stretch of road the opposite direction, and you’ve got a whole new ride with new sights. And the temps would be 75 and sunny all day. Hard to argue against that.
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A couple of things worked to our advantage for the second running of this tour. We had perfect riding weather, zero fog, and blue skies above. The ocean is pool table flat and stretches off to the horizon, changing color throughout the day. Today, it was the deepest blue, just perfect.
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