Since my licensing situation in California is _very_ tenuous, I left Kevin's place at the speed limit - and stayed there - in spite of taking one of the greatest roads around to get out of the area.

Hwy 70 runs along the Feather River for a substantial distance - the road is both beautiful and challenging - as well as heavily patrolled. There I was putting along a road that I had riden in anger many a time - but the idea of explaining why I was back there to a state trooper just seemed too difficult.

Unfortunately, going slow allowed me to listen to one of the major problems that Kevin and I had not been able to figure out - a substantial "clunking" noise in the area of the right front wheel. And, since I am less than stellar _car_ mechanic (and only a fair bike mechanic), things like loose wheel bearings - or worse, wheel bearings disintegrating while in motion - worry me a tremendous amout. Kevin and I had repacked the bearings, but couldn't locate the source of the clunk - oh well, something to think about...

I was just pulling into Quincy, CA when I looked back in my mirror - I saw a glimpse of the kidney grills in a car quite a ways back, but that was all I saw before cresting the hill. About 20 seconds later a guy in a new blue M5 was doing everything he could to slow the thing down from about 120 to the 30 mph zone we were entering in Quincy. YIKES.

I stopped in Reno - called my mom for Mother's Day and ate the worst Denny's lunch I've ever had. I bought some stuff at Sierra Trading Post and took off.

Now remember I am driving a car that I have about 500 miles of experience with - it runs okay, but that's about all I know. Now the question - which way to go? The smart money says stay on I-80 - more services, bigger towns, better cell services. But. But I hate I-80. the salt desert is more boring than words can express.

And I love Hwy 50 - the huge valleys that run between small ranges. I just love cresting one of those ranges - 2 or 3 miles of twisty roads, top out at 4,000 feet or so, then look out across the 40 or 50 miles to the next range. The road in front of you looks so inviting, and I really hate to refuse it.

They say that Hwy 50 is the lonilest road in America - thank god I say. I love being out there, just myself. Even there on a Sunday afternoon, I'd rarely see more than one or two cars in each basin - on either side of the road. I love it!

So at Fernly I took the offramp that said "50" and never looked back. I know the road like the back of my hand. While I lived in Nor Cal ('86 to '95) I crossed this route a couple of dozen times heading to motorcycle rallies and vintage races that were east of me. From Fallon to Austin its exactly 100 miles - Austin features the International Hotel - open for more than 100 years. It's also the only place along Hwy 50 that you can count on finding gas at night (most of the time), but since it was mid day today I had nothing to worry about.

At Austin it started to get cooler and I ran into the back of the front crossing Nevada and it started to sprinkle. If you've ever been in the desert when it rains, you'll know about the smell of the just wet sage - it explodes at you.

The rain was great - it cooled everything down, including the Bavaria - it had been running a little warm in the heat of the day (still below the second white mark), but now it was sitting firmly at the mid point. It was also using some oil, I put in a quart after the first tank of gas - and I'd continue to do so, each full tank. When I ran along at high RPM's, then backed off a little, I could see a thin stream of grey smoke - it looks like the guides and seals are shot for sure.

From Austin its 75 miles to Eureka - now that's a town that has exploded in the 15 years that I have been crossing 50. It used to be there was nothing there and no reason to even slow down, now theres a small casino, a nice looking restaurant and a couple of places that sell gas that might not have sand in it.

Now you have 77 really great miles to Ely and the east side of Nevada - the last 20 miles is fantastic - pure twisties and some serious speed.

And then, of course Ely offers another great benefit - the Sunburst Ranch. Wanting to cool down I stopped in (second left in town, go two blocks and you are there). There was only one girl working at that time, Casey, but she and I got along just fine. I didn't really have the time to take in the Jacuzzi Room with Casey, but maybe I should have in retrospect. Casey gives a great massage too.

Next, Utah awaits.

dj
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