Dos Chinos on Dos Wheels: You would think it’s almost summer

Friday, June 17, 2011

You would think it’s almost summer

While Shu’s kicking back in Toronto with Family and Friends, I’m hanging low with my Pamily in Northern California, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada between Sacramento and Lake Tahoe. I’ve done my fair share of relaxing, but there are also a few things that need to be done with the bike, among which: new tires!

New tires beg to be driven, of course, and I was happy to take them out for a spin. I made a big loop via I-80 to Truckee, from there to SR-89 along the west side of Lake Tahoe, then west on SR-88, back north on SR-49. See the map:

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So first I-80, a freeway that heads into the hills. Good for getting rid of the silicone on the new tires. Then I switched to the old road, which is more quiet, more scenic, more windy and with quite a bit of history to it. It’s the Old U.S. Route 40, or Donner Pass Road.

And a gorgeous view of Donner Lake.

You would think summer has started, I mean, we’re halfway into June, but snow tells you otherwise.

Right turn at Truckee, on California State Route 89 towards the west side of Lake Tahoe. You could tell summer holidays had started, because it was busy on the roads and all the parking lots. No pictures there because of that, and I’ve already been there a few times. But just south of Lake Tahoe I took a small road to shortcut my road, and instantly I was alone again.