Death Ride Passes

[yellow]

V, I loooooooooooooove Monitor. Expect some serious speed on the east side! MP, all the cattle guards are gone now on Monitor, yes?

Another nice ride in the area that isn't a "Death Ride Pass" is up Blue Lakes Road off of 88 near Hope Valley. They just paved it for the first time about 3-4 years ago.

[maillotpois]

Yellow - I recall no cattle guards on Monitor.

Monitor's a lot drier. More the type of terrain you'll get at ESDC (eastern Sierra like). The view from Monitor can be amazing. Ebbets is pine foresty and just beautiful. Ebbett's is the hardest of the passes in terms of steepness, but done on its own it's a fun ride. Carson's easy, flattish (except at the bottom and top), meadow with lakes.

[smilingcat]

yeah I vote for Ebetts pass.

So now its Monitor-Monitor-Ebetts-Ebetts-Carson? hmmm Haven't been down the back side.
Monitor just seem just too open for me. Luther is gone... Well it is a very beautiful ride.

No cattle guards!!! The real cattle guards have been replaced with white lines painted across the road.

wondeful memories...
smilingcat

[maillotpois]

Yep, that's been the route/order for at least the last 7 - 8 years. (One of those years they threw in Pacific Grade as a bonus 6th; I think that was 2001.) They haven't done Luther in a while. Did they also do Luther as an out and back? Daggett pass out of South Lake is fun - much like Monitor but a faster descent with wider roads.

You gotta love how cows are just as petrified by LINES painted in the road as they are by grates. I wish people had figured that out a long time ago!!!

[smilingcat]

My memory is bit fading. It used to be monitor front and back then up to ebbets then into town for lunch. Then up carson, back down part way then up Luther and back to turtlerock (the big park). or was it Luther then Carson... and no it didn't have back side.

Daggets... Oh my! they haven't gone that route since '89/'88 or so. Or was it even before then.

Do you still get to sign a poster if you finished all 5 passes? and do they have the wake up call on the morning of ride at the park? I used to camp at the camp ground. I think most of us woke up before the sound of Jimmy Hendrix rendition of national anthem, the sound of train and the rooster crowing.

[maillotpois]

You do get to sign a poster!

Nowadays, they're waking people to "Fanfare for the Common Man" by Aaron Copeland. In the mountains, with the cold morning air and a starry night above it is VERY moving. Worth getting up at 3:00 to drive over from South Lake just to hear that!

[smilingcat]

maybe I should try next year and hope I get lucky with the lottery. Its been like 16 years since I last did that ride. '91?? When I was young, some what cute... Atleast, I'll have ample time to be ready for it.

Fond memories of camping out. The guy I was with pitched the tent over an ant hill. so it was an interesing night I couldn't really blame him cause we got there tad late and the sun was setting so we really couldn't see the ground too well.

smilingcat

[spokewench]

V, I loooooooooooooove Monitor. Expect some serious speed on the east side! MP, all the cattle guards are gone now on Monitor, yes?

Another nice ride in the area that isn't a "Death Ride Pass" is up Blue Lakes Road off of 88 near Hope Valley. They just paved it for the first time about 3-4 years ago.

YAHOO - The serious speed is the best part! said by Crazy woman who still hasn't learned she is getting old!

[maillotpois]

Yup.

I hit 59 mph coming down Carson in 2005. Still a personal land speed record (on a bike ). Not likely to go any faster than that, either....