Cyemm

Seattle to Tahoe and Back - Part 7

I'll start this section with a shot of my bike... on a long straight stretch, it started acting like it was out of gas...which was impossible since I carry almost 10 gallons. Sure enough, though, it died. I coasted to the side of the road. Checked the petcock, the power, switched the key on and off...no clicking noise from the fuel pump.

Most valkyries don't have a fuel pump, but since adding a 3 gallon belly tank, my valk gets the gas to the carbs via a low pressure pump mounted on the tank. I had added a fused panel and a relay to protect the circuit, rather than wiring it in directly. I pulled the fuseblock and relay, wired it directly, and...tickytickyticky.

Whew. Thumbed the starter, the familiar rev of a flat six getting fuel filled my ears. I'm glad it was an easy fix.

We'd decided to explore Mount Lassen, we arrived just as the sun was setting. We set up camp on the south side of the mountain and watched our campfire dance until bedtime. The following three shots are taken climbing the valeys leading up to the mountain. John had an up close encounter with a BIG deer just after the first shot... about 30-40 feet close.

Got up the next morning in the cold, packed up, and headed out to explore the mountain. The maps showed intensely squiggly lines winding up and over, the cartographers were right. Not 5 minutes from our tentsite, we saw smoke. Heading closer, the stench of sulfur filled the air. It wasn't smoke, but steam. The road actually climbed over these fumaroles, the mounds dyed yellow from the elemental sulfur emanating from within.

This large hole dircetly alongside the road was gurgling and bubbling as the gases bubbled through. Slighty unnerving to be standing right here...

Here's a small preview of the approach to Mount Lassen. I think it was built by a motorcyclist engineer.

We curved around two alpine lakes, brilliant blue in the clear morning air.

Regrouping to allow fingers to unthaw a bit.

Mount Lassen.

John doing a mirror check. He always was vain....

The backside of the mountain was also worth the ride, sweeping through pine groves, tilting the horizon. Still cold but the road kept your attention. No traffic, sunny, smooth surface. Great ride.