8 Jun 2011
Wwwobble says:
Breakfast begins at a large round table on the patio at Nini’s. Gas heaters are fired but not required, and the table grows smaller as people show up. Dick Zunkel, Simon, Randy, and Joe S have been seated when the ride leader (ahem) finally arrives along with Bill Grass. Pete the Cop shows up, not to eat, just to take up a little space while drinking coffee. Dave Emmett is next and here to eat and drink and help make the table smaller. By the time breakfast SHOULD be over, Marco wanders in, but he sits down as well because breakfast isn’t over. That’s nine at the round table at Nini’s for a MWR. Not bad… Great food and service btw.
[Sounds good, but Marco didn’t sit at the table… he surveyed the remains of what looked like a good breakfast and said something to the effect of isn’t it time to take a little ride.]
So let’s ride! Nine bikes head south along the frontage road to the Poplar entrance of a busy 101. This could make for an interesting beginning. Dave and Pete followed me in the first wave across the Poplar intersection and onto the entrance ramp – and I have NO idea how it went for the other six riders, but by the SM Bridge all appear accounted for. Not accurately accounted for however, because the FZ1’s mirrors show a view behind that resembles a blurry fireworks display of white lights. I consider this entertaining as well as a good sign.
Progress is being made on the 92/580 interchange and we made the transition without any drama that I’m aware of, and soon found ourselves on the lovely stretch of Palomares Rd going 25mph (Pete says…) through the canyon enjoying a perfect morning ride. No traffic on Palomares. Left turn onto 84, past Sunol, and we stop at the Water Temple to give thanks for water. And the day. And the ride. Other stuff too probably, like clean rest rooms. Easy parking. Some parked in the gravel lot. Some parked on the unauthorized side of the no parking posts featuring clean cement. I won’t mention names. But I note NOBODY parked in the shade. So it’s not officially summer yet.
Onto Livermore to top off fuel, (Joe S. did not run out of gas) then Mines Rd. in a couple of clusters. If anybody else wants to try to chase Pete and his new KLR down that goat path be my guest. I don’t care. What the hell, I can’t keep up with Casey Stoner either. The trick with Mines Rd is being able to see the light colored sand kicked up from the verge along a few of the corners. The sand is the same color as the road surface so good luck with that. Truthfully, the road is in pretty good shape and we all made it without incident, didn’t we?
A stop at the Junction to regroup and tell lies, then up to the Lick Observatory to observe San Jose metro below. Warm up there. No wind. Delightful. By now it is on past 3pm so we depart down the hill to go our separate ways. No tickets, no crashes, no mechanicals, good companionship, a most enjoyable MWR!
Pictures from Bob, Dick, and Marc
mwriders1
fotoman
at the junction
top o the world
celestial break
