Wrapping it up

It was a chilly 48 degrees as I headed west out of Austin, Nevada at 7 AM this morning, but aside from a bit of fog it looked like it would be a clear day. There was water in the ditches alongside the road from the rain the previous day, but the road was dry and there was almost no traffic - a few cars and trucks from the opposite direction, but I didn't pass anyone and no one passed me. US 50 goes over a few 6500 foot passes before it slowly descends into Fallon, where I stopped for a quick cup of coffee.

There's a new shoe tree 50 miles east of Fallon in the same location as the one that was chopped down by vandals.

Sand dunes off US 50 east of Fallon, Nevada

In Minden I met Dave, an old work friend, for a late breakfast at the Carson Valley Inn (also known as the CVI). We caught up on what we've been doing, discussed politics and the state of the world, and enjoyed the excellent food. He told me that there had been heavy rains and flooding in the area a couple of days before. I said goodbye to Dave and went north on US 395 through Reno and connected with I-80 west into California. Once over Donner Summit (7200 feet) it is mostly downhill to Sacramento. I stopped in Colfax to visit John, another old work friend, who had laid out the original route for the trip, but had to bow out for medical reasons. He and Carol showed me around their garden and asked about the trip, but I was anxious to get through Sacramento before the worst of the evening traffic. As it was, both going into and leaving Sacramento the heavy traffic was going in the opposite direction, and I moved along with the flow at 70-75 mph. The temperature was 95 degrees in Sacramento, but it dropped to 60 once I was over the Golden Gate Bridge and into San Francisco. I arrived home at 6:10 PM, but nobody was there except Walter the dog, and Joey the cat, both of whom were happy to see me.

Aside from a couple of problems, the bike ran strong throughout the trip.

This was a trip that was not without its problems, beginning with the fact that I traveled alone instead of with two friends. Two mechanical problems with the bike made for a bit of worry and delay. On the other hand neither mechanical problem caused a breakdown on the road, and each one was discovered either at a BMW dealer, or close to one. The delay waiting for a part meant that I was able to visit my daughter in Boulder and we found a car for her. The delay also meant that I passed through Utah at the same time that my sister and brother-in-law were at their ski/vacation condo there, and I was able to spend two days with them. Although I hit a little bit of rain while riding, the worst weather happened either when I was in a car, or a day or two before I went through an area. I saw great country, met interesting people, enjoyed every day, and was never bored. Time to plan for the next trip.

The trip by the numbers:
Highest elevation - Pikes Peak at 14,110 feet.
Total miles - 6,670
One rear tire, one pivot bearing, one driveshaft assembly, one oil change