Sport Touring California-A moto ride blog

I do the 108/89/4 loop often, always at a loss during the winter months of where to ride. The coast is great but then you have to deal with the Bay Area traffic and all that goes along with that.

Sooooo many great roads all over this area. I'm in Tracy and any direction I go there are top quality road options. Stay tuned for more. Yes, the coast can get busy, I find timing is everything. Leaving early, route direction, etc all matter IMO. I have found this site https://www.pashnit.com/ to be very helpful.
The foothills thru Amador, Calaveras counties are loaded with great roads as well. I will be documenting these coming soon.

Nice report

I had a chance to escape on a Friday for a ride. One of the last days before daylight savings time ends. Another spectacular day from the weather gods. Had a few things to take care of in the morning, but saddled up and rolled out at 10:30 am. It's been a while since I did a weekday ride that was not a holiday. Had the roads all to myself. I was shocked at the lack of traffic. This was more of a 'goat trail' touring day at not too much 'sport touring'. Pretty remote backroads today. Forrest service roads, etc.
The route:

CA 132 gets good just past Waterford, east bound. Nice fast sweeping turns thru here, just had all this to myself, what a treat.

Passing thru LaGrange

CA 132 East


Lake Don Pedro-very, very low


Lake McClure, very, very low


Coulterville

Here is Coulterville, small historic town. Has no gas, but does have a cafe or 2. I did not stop here. This road is still CA 132, also called Greely Hill Rd here. Fun road up toward Yosemite.


Greeley Hill Rd. I fueled up in Greeley Hill.


CA 132 ends here at CA 120. Here it's only a short run to Yosemite entrance. I'm not going into the park today however. I make the left turn onto Cherry Lake Rd (FSR 11).

The Cherry Lake area is home to a big hydro power operation. The only vehicles I seen were workers heading out for the weekend. Remote, narrow, steep.

This whole area had a big fire sweep thru here a few years back, lots of devastation.


Stopped for a break on the way down in the shade.


Hydro power operation at the bottom of the canyon.


Back up the remote canyon. Such a nice feeling being out here solo, just enjoying the day and weather. Lots of 'helmet time'

Up the canyon to Cherry Lake.


Fire damage aftermath


Coming to the junction where it turns towards Sonora. The road here changes to Cottonwood Rd (FSR 14). It gets wider and gains a double yellow line in most parts. It's 31 miles to the Tuolumne City. Last time I came thru here they just did a chip seal on the surface and it was slippery as snot. Today it was butter. More pics of this road in next post.

Pics here of Cottonwood Rd (FSR 14), really a fun road. Zero cars in front of me for 31 miles! Logging is still pretty strong in CA IMO, I see lots of logging going on. Mostly due to fires I suspect. Nothing compared to logging activity in OR, I think they just keep in quiet here in CA.



The Tuolumne River just a trickle here......


Great pavement conditions here

A few more pics of the end of Cottonwood Rd



Next up on the 'goat trail' tour: Wards Ferry Rd to Groveland

A few miles down Tuolumne Rd I turn left on a 'super goat trail'-Wards Ferry Rd. Bumpy, narrow, steep, sketchy in parts. I got quite a few shots going down and back up this steep canyon. Once again crossing the Tuolumne River at 'graffiti bridge'. There is graffiti all over this road actually.
Some cool country homes in the early part.


Rough pavement


steep and narrow

Yup we did Wards a few weeks ago - fun but have to beeeee careful on the blind corners.

I didn't stop at the bridge this time. Here are pics going over tho. It's kinda a cool spot to stop. The 'artwork' here has changed many times. I have crossed this bridge quite a few times in last 10 years or so. A couple Harley's on the bridge.

Up the other side. Steep and narrow, plus more 'artwork.


Turkey crossing.

Wards Ferry tees back into CA 120. I take 'Old Priest Grade' down to CA 49/120, past Lake Don Pedro and and thru Knights Ferry back into the Valley.


Very steep here, great pavement tho. You can see the other 'Priest Grade' across. That one is super fun too, especially going UP.


Lake Don Pedro (again).

Huge lumber mill/storage here. See, logging IS alive and well in CA.


Until next time.......

Beautiful country. I hope to visit someday.

Very nice, sub'd for the next trips!

A googleeooogle map of this would be very cool ! I wanna go here ! The FJR is cool too... I have a 2007!

I second this!

OK, here is the basics of this route, all the good stuff is on this one:


https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Man...ff0!2m2!1d-120.6721494!2d37.8196499!3e0?hl=en