In fact I was just looking into getting a National Park Service yearly pass. It’s $80 but well worth it IMHO.
-
There has been a recent cluster of spammers accessing BARFer accounts and posting spam. To safeguard your account, please consider changing your password. It would be even better to take the additional step of enabling 2 Factor Authentication (2FA) on your BARF account. Read more here.
Ridea™: All 58 Counties
- Thread starter vaara
- Start date
In fact I was just looking into getting a National Park Service yearly pass. It’s $80 but well worth it IMHO.
wannabe
"Insignificant Other"
If you plan to use a GPS and want to have an adventure, set it to find the SHORTEST route not the fastest. I accidentally did this in SoCal on one trip between two national parks. You end up on roads with names like Old Stagecoach Road #5 and uber twisty mountain roads that are not nearly as fun on a Goldwing.
cal scott
Wookie
If you're doing National Parks, you could add the Yosemite to you photo collage. It is one of the few National Parks with its own courthouse ;-)
The trip is under way. But it’s not the same trip I originally had in mind - and that’s OK.
Today’s highlights included Highway 49 from Coulterville to Oakhurst, and Highway 155 from 65 to Lake Isabella, which was just beyond epic. I made the interesting discovery that there can be snow on the road even though it hasn’t snowed for a while.
Tomorrow: into the desert.
Pics & maybe videos to come, eventually.
Oh, and in the spirit of my original post: today’s ride visited ten counties.
Today’s highlights included Highway 49 from Coulterville to Oakhurst, and Highway 155 from 65 to Lake Isabella, which was just beyond epic. I made the interesting discovery that there can be snow on the road even though it hasn’t snowed for a while.
Tomorrow: into the desert.
Pics & maybe videos to come, eventually.
Oh, and in the spirit of my original post: today’s ride visited ten counties.
wannabe
"Insignificant Other"
Outstanding! I’m looking forward to following along. 
boney
Miles > Posts
The trip is under way. But it’s not the same trip I originally had in mind - and that’s OK.
Today’s highlights included Highway 49 from Coulterville to Oakhurst, and Highway 155 from 65 to Lake Isabella, which was just beyond epic. I made the interesting discovery that there can be snow on the road even though it hasn’t snowed for a while.
Tomorrow: into the desert.
Pics & maybe videos to come, eventually.
Oh, and in the spirit of my original post: today’s ride visited ten counties.
artyFollowing!
berth
Well-known member
Whats your plan?
Tally Whacker
Not another Mike
East Jesus and Salvation Mountain are must-visits. Bombay Beach might get to that point, but it isn't there yet.
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2002
- Location
- Menlo Park, Ca.
- Moto(s)
- Keep me rocking life
- Name
- Budman
- BARF perks
- AMA Life Member #203453
Tally Whacker
Not another Mike
Hey, if you're headed west on I-8, stop off at the Desert View Tower at the top of the climb out of the desert and tour the rock carvings.
- Joined
- Apr 5, 2002
- Location
- San Jose, bottom of dirty 130
- Moto(s)
- ‘18 Alta EX006, ‘17 Alta MX019, 06R6, 05TM530 Black Dream, 01TM250 2T, ‘24 Yam Tenere 700
- Name
- Butch
- BARF perks
- AMA #: 1093637
Wow. Big fun. I have USGS typo maps for a lot a California that need a new home… for a map fiend.
Quick ride 1 recap:
Days: 6
Miles: 1671 (includes miles spent faffing about in Joshua Tree and Palm Springs)
Temperature: 41 to 92 degrees
Elevation: -192 to +6105 feet
Precipitation: about 11 raindrops
Mishaps: 0 (unless you count missed turns and/or having to backtrack 12 miles to find gas because there are like no gas stations along the east shore of the Salton Sea)
Itinerary: SF - Manteca - Oakdale - Waterford - Coulterville (RIP Hotel Jeffery
) - Mariposa - Oakhurst - Fresno - Visalia - Porterville - Kernville (via 155) - Inyokern - Barstow - Lucerne Valley - Big Bear - Yucca Valley - Palm Springs - Mecca - Niland - Calipatria - Brawley - Julian - San Diego - Long Beach - Santa Monica - Malibu - Ventura - Santa Barbara - Solvang - San Luis Obispo - King City - Hollister (via 25) - Gilroy - SF.
Pics & RR to come.
Days: 6
Miles: 1671 (includes miles spent faffing about in Joshua Tree and Palm Springs)
Temperature: 41 to 92 degrees
Elevation: -192 to +6105 feet
Precipitation: about 11 raindrops
Mishaps: 0 (unless you count missed turns and/or having to backtrack 12 miles to find gas because there are like no gas stations along the east shore of the Salton Sea)
Itinerary: SF - Manteca - Oakdale - Waterford - Coulterville (RIP Hotel Jeffery
) - Mariposa - Oakhurst - Fresno - Visalia - Porterville - Kernville (via 155) - Inyokern - Barstow - Lucerne Valley - Big Bear - Yucca Valley - Palm Springs - Mecca - Niland - Calipatria - Brawley - Julian - San Diego - Long Beach - Santa Monica - Malibu - Ventura - Santa Barbara - Solvang - San Luis Obispo - King City - Hollister (via 25) - Gilroy - SF.Pics & RR to come.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2002
- Location
- Menlo Park, Ca.
- Moto(s)
- Keep me rocking life
- Name
- Budman
- BARF perks
- AMA Life Member #203453
Aaaand here we go.
Prologue:
Once upon a time, I thought it might be fun to visit all 58 counties in California during a single ride. Then I figured out that it would be a 3000-mile ride, and thought better of it. At the very least, it should be broken up into multiple rides, because I’m not one of those Iron Butt weirdos.
As we started getting a bit further into 2022, I realized that this is my 58th year, so what better time to do this thing?
I pondered a bit more and ultimately decided not to bother documenting every single county I visit. As a friend pithily observed when I mentioned the ride to him at dinner a couple of weeks earlier, “Why?”. Instead I thought I’d just ride a lot and see how many counties I can get to. When I mentioned this to Tom, a different friend, at around the same time, he asked if he could come with. I’m fine riding alone, but was happy to have a riding companion.
The day before the ride, Saturday 2/26, was mostly spent working. I was going to wash my bike, check the tires, lube the chain, etc., but never got around to any of it. Also, the previous day I had noticed an annoying and painful zit-like thing on my leg. Insert ominous music. I tried just putting Neosporin and a bandage on it, and that seemed to work.
Which takes us to…
Day 1, 2/27/22:
San Francisco to Kernville
396 miles
I met Tom at his place in the Mission, and we hit the road at 8:45am or so.
last_SF_exit
We paced a BART train for a bit…
[YOUTUBE]qvTwWLH0YtQ[/YOUTUBE]
… then bought gas in Manteca.
From there we headed to Oakhurst, then shifted over to 132 via Waterford. There were almond trees in bloom everywhere, with petals carpeting the ground like snow. From Waterford, we rode east through La Grange…
[YOUTUBE]WRkBxt1KMrU[/YOUTUBE]
and on into Coulterville.
The riding was perfect. It was nice to transit the Valley without it being 100 degrees. We wanted to have lunch at the Jeffery Hotel, but alas, it seems to be permanently closed. So we hopped onto 49 and made Mariposa our lunchtime destination. More fantastic riding, though there are plenty of big burn scars. We stopped at the Fremont’s Fort lookout to admire the view of the road we had just ridden.
Finally we reached Mariposa, where, after a bit of indecision, we settled on lunch at the 1850 Restaurant & Brewery. I had a bacon ranch burger. I had never thought of combining those two tastes, but it seems so obvious in retrospect. Recommended.
There followed some rather less spectacular, but still fun riding into Oakhurst. And then some not-very-nice riding on crowded Highway 41. Soon after a gas stop on the eastern fringe of Madera, 41 turned into a freeway, and we quickly transited Fresno. Right after we got on 99, I saw a bit of the California HSR project – I didn’t realize they had actually built part of it already. Maybe I should pay better attention.
I wouldn’t exactly say that the ensuing hour or so we spent on 99 was fun, but all things considered, it actually wasn’t so bad. It’s better than 5 in two respects: (1) it has 3 lanes in each direction instead of 2; and (b) there are things to see. Mostly farms and businesses serving farms, but still. We exited onto 198 at Visalia and rode east toward the towering, snow-covered Sierra. Then south on 65 through Exeter and Porterville – more beautiful riding, with the late-afternoon sun highlighting the vibrant green of crop fields and the ever-present mountains. Finally, just after entering Kern County, we turned left onto 155 for the ride over the summit to Kernville.
Gradually the rolling sweepers tightened into twisties. Upward we climbed, through incredibly green pasture-covered hills to 3000 and 4000 feet and beyond. Plow-stacked snowbanks appeared at the side of the road. All the while, the low sun was throwing the scene into sharp relief, and painting the sky pink and orange. It was inexpressibly beautiful.
But it was cold, and there was a lot of grit and gravel on the road. We were losing daylight, so I was disinclined to stop and take pictures (I should mention that I was leading for almost the entire trip; Tom has an FJR1300 and appreciates my slow pace, since otherwise would be tempted to open it up). But eventually, I did. This doesn’t even remotely capture how gorgeous the ride was.
Shortly after this, we encountered patches of slush on the road itself. The temperature was around 41 degrees, so I wasn’t worried about ice, but still. Slush in twisties in near-darkness. We made it through without incident, and crested the summit at 6105 feet. Then we quickly plummeted into Wofford Heights and turned left for the last few miles into Kernville. We reached the Kernville Inn at 6:03pm. Their front desk closes at 6, but I had called them earlier and arranged a late check-in procedure. Then: beer, food, and more beer. And a peaceful night marred only by the increasingly persistent throbbing of the sore on my leg.
Counties visited on day 1: San Francisco, Alameda, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Mariposa, Madera, Fresno, Tulare, Kern. (Plus a tiny bit of Tuolumne, like 3 miles, but IMHO that doesn’t count).
Prologue:
Once upon a time, I thought it might be fun to visit all 58 counties in California during a single ride. Then I figured out that it would be a 3000-mile ride, and thought better of it. At the very least, it should be broken up into multiple rides, because I’m not one of those Iron Butt weirdos.
As we started getting a bit further into 2022, I realized that this is my 58th year, so what better time to do this thing?I pondered a bit more and ultimately decided not to bother documenting every single county I visit. As a friend pithily observed when I mentioned the ride to him at dinner a couple of weeks earlier, “Why?”. Instead I thought I’d just ride a lot and see how many counties I can get to. When I mentioned this to Tom, a different friend, at around the same time, he asked if he could come with. I’m fine riding alone, but was happy to have a riding companion.
The day before the ride, Saturday 2/26, was mostly spent working. I was going to wash my bike, check the tires, lube the chain, etc., but never got around to any of it. Also, the previous day I had noticed an annoying and painful zit-like thing on my leg. Insert ominous music. I tried just putting Neosporin and a bandage on it, and that seemed to work.
Which takes us to…
Day 1, 2/27/22:
San Francisco to Kernville
396 miles
I met Tom at his place in the Mission, and we hit the road at 8:45am or so.
last_SF_exitWe paced a BART train for a bit…
[YOUTUBE]qvTwWLH0YtQ[/YOUTUBE]
… then bought gas in Manteca.
From there we headed to Oakhurst, then shifted over to 132 via Waterford. There were almond trees in bloom everywhere, with petals carpeting the ground like snow. From Waterford, we rode east through La Grange…
[YOUTUBE]WRkBxt1KMrU[/YOUTUBE]
and on into Coulterville.
The riding was perfect. It was nice to transit the Valley without it being 100 degrees. We wanted to have lunch at the Jeffery Hotel, but alas, it seems to be permanently closed. So we hopped onto 49 and made Mariposa our lunchtime destination. More fantastic riding, though there are plenty of big burn scars. We stopped at the Fremont’s Fort lookout to admire the view of the road we had just ridden.
Finally we reached Mariposa, where, after a bit of indecision, we settled on lunch at the 1850 Restaurant & Brewery. I had a bacon ranch burger. I had never thought of combining those two tastes, but it seems so obvious in retrospect. Recommended.
There followed some rather less spectacular, but still fun riding into Oakhurst. And then some not-very-nice riding on crowded Highway 41. Soon after a gas stop on the eastern fringe of Madera, 41 turned into a freeway, and we quickly transited Fresno. Right after we got on 99, I saw a bit of the California HSR project – I didn’t realize they had actually built part of it already. Maybe I should pay better attention.
I wouldn’t exactly say that the ensuing hour or so we spent on 99 was fun, but all things considered, it actually wasn’t so bad. It’s better than 5 in two respects: (1) it has 3 lanes in each direction instead of 2; and (b) there are things to see. Mostly farms and businesses serving farms, but still. We exited onto 198 at Visalia and rode east toward the towering, snow-covered Sierra. Then south on 65 through Exeter and Porterville – more beautiful riding, with the late-afternoon sun highlighting the vibrant green of crop fields and the ever-present mountains. Finally, just after entering Kern County, we turned left onto 155 for the ride over the summit to Kernville.
Gradually the rolling sweepers tightened into twisties. Upward we climbed, through incredibly green pasture-covered hills to 3000 and 4000 feet and beyond. Plow-stacked snowbanks appeared at the side of the road. All the while, the low sun was throwing the scene into sharp relief, and painting the sky pink and orange. It was inexpressibly beautiful.
But it was cold, and there was a lot of grit and gravel on the road. We were losing daylight, so I was disinclined to stop and take pictures (I should mention that I was leading for almost the entire trip; Tom has an FJR1300 and appreciates my slow pace, since otherwise would be tempted to open it up). But eventually, I did. This doesn’t even remotely capture how gorgeous the ride was.
Shortly after this, we encountered patches of slush on the road itself. The temperature was around 41 degrees, so I wasn’t worried about ice, but still. Slush in twisties in near-darkness. We made it through without incident, and crested the summit at 6105 feet. Then we quickly plummeted into Wofford Heights and turned left for the last few miles into Kernville. We reached the Kernville Inn at 6:03pm. Their front desk closes at 6, but I had called them earlier and arranged a late check-in procedure. Then: beer, food, and more beer. And a peaceful night marred only by the increasingly persistent throbbing of the sore on my leg.
Counties visited on day 1: San Francisco, Alameda, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Mariposa, Madera, Fresno, Tulare, Kern. (Plus a tiny bit of Tuolumne, like 3 miles, but IMHO that doesn’t count).
berth
Well-known member
Good day 1! Looking forward to Day 2.
bikewanker
Well-known member
- Joined
- Mar 29, 2006
- Location
- Eastern Sierras
- Moto(s)
- FJ-09, TR-650x2, Rapid Taxi RR, Tiger 1050, '81 1002 F
- Name
- chris
- BARF perks
- AMA #: 178394
Taskmaster ride leader!
wannabe
"Insignificant Other"
Outstanding! Looking forward to more updates!
heh. I'm sure I'll be riding the Sierra passes this year, and it's kinda hard not to go through Tuolumne County.