Hi Ray, Ditto with my mtn. lion report. The Ranger didn't say much except how lucky I was to see one.
As far as riding narrow mtn roads in and around the forest and parks, I'm comfortable with it. I have taken the Road 1 safety classes offerred by the League and the lessons learned from the program have no doubt saved my skin. Without proper lane positioning it could be dangerous. But by riding clearly in the way on one lane roads, moving over slightly only after the cars are changing lanes, Staying in the lane and using marked turnouts, its safer for everyone involved including the motorists. I'm clearly visible earlier to the motorist, and always making it known to overtaking cars that I am in the lane (for the duration) with eye contact and pointing arm gestures for them to change lanes to pass and a wave. It's just my opinion but I believe everyone who rides in traffic should be properly trained for their own sake and the safety of others. The course didn't take much time and the Road 1 course is the one that was reccomended to me by a CHP here in San Diego County. John Forrester has a great program as well. So yes it was completely safe and really amazing. About that mtn. lion, I was decending at about 30mph and it just popped out on the road right in front of me about 50 yds ahead. I was stunned so all i could think of was to ring my bell. Sounds silly now but the cat turned looked straight at me and darted right back in the forest. I'm sure he didn't hear me until the bell. Gary On Aug 20, 6:51 pm, Ray Shine <[email protected]> wrote: > Gary -- Thanks for the link. I have backpacked extensively through that > region over the past three decades. I have seen many, many bears in that > time, but only one mountain lion - and it scared the heck out of me! It was > in Kings Canyon about three years ago, quite near upper Crabtree Meadow which > is the approach to Whitney Pass on the John Muir Trail at about 10K feet. I > was solo and just two days out from completing the JMT. It was evening, and > I rounded a bend following the creek and there was the lion finishing off the > fresh kill of a yearling deer. Very alarming, as the lion did not see or > hear me approach due to the noise of the cascading creek. My first thought > was that it would attack, fearing I was going to move in on it's kill. It > didn't. It just drug the dear off across the meadow and I got out of there > as fast as possible. I, too, told the back-country ranger about it, but he > wasn't concerned. You know, nature, that > thing. > > Anyway, back to the real world - I am curious how you found the going > through Yosemite on 120 since it has virtually no shoulder whatsoever. Was it > dangerous in the traffic? > > Ray > > --- On Thu, 8/20/09, Gary <[email protected]> wrote: > > From: Gary <[email protected]> > Subject: [RBW] Re: Touring 101 and beyond > To: "RBW Owners Bunch" <[email protected]> > Date: Thursday, August 20, 2009, 3:38 PM > > Hi Ray & Don, > > Here is the route at > mapmyride.http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/ca/sierra-mountains/31718... > I did the route in reverse from what I originally planned and stopped > in Sequoia NP. I almost was unable to go due to time availability so I > did the route in reverse and had to cut it short. Still it was > absolutely breathtaking. I only camped 6 days in campgrounds and the > rest in the national forests offroad. One thing about dirt roads and > loaded touring bikes, its a tradeoff between tire width and stability. > As long as I stayed on decent dirt it was great, but the sand can make > you create a whole new language. I saw a mountain Lion, first time > ever! 4 bears, usual deer, golden eagle and a weasel of all things. I > reported the mtn. lion when I came into the park. Lots of climbing, > amazing views. > > Don, the mapping program works great for getting your mileage down and > the route. For my tours I also use USGS topo maps and compass since I > explore as much as possible off road when in the forest. I dumped the > GPS two years ago due to charging unavailabilty. For your tour it > sounds as if you will be near people and infrastructure so a good gps > may be an asset for finding places just always verify by map. > > Gary > > On Aug 20, 11:11 am, Ray Shine <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > Sorry -- it was Gary's route i am interested in looking over, not Don's > > (yet). > > > Ray > > > --- On Thu, 8/20/09, Don <[email protected]> wrote: > > > From: Don <[email protected]> > > Subject: [RBW] Re: Touring 101 and beyond > > To: "RBW Owners Bunch" <[email protected]> > > Date: Thursday, August 20, 2009, 11:09 AM > > > Wow, > > I just want to say how helpful all of the responses have been thus > > far. Each response has has some real practical information.This is one > > heck of a group for offering help to one another. Thank you all so > > very much. > > Cheers, > > Don > > > On Aug 20, 1:59 pm, Ray Shine <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > Don - do you have a link to the route you mapped? I'd be very interested > > > in looking it over. > > > > Ray > > > > --- On Thu, 8/20/09, Gary <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > From: Gary <[email protected]> > > > Subject: [RBW] Re: Touring 101 and beyond > > > To: "RBW Owners Bunch" <[email protected]> > > > Date: Thursday, August 20, 2009, 7:41 AM > > > > Hello Don, > > > > You can ship your bike to a LBS in the area before hand and have it > > > tuned for you arrival and then reverse the same procedure for your > > > trip home. That way it will be good to go for your trip. I just > > > returned this weekend from a two week solo self contained tour of the > > > Sierras through Yosemite, Kings and Sequoia NP's starting on the 395 > > > in Mammoth. I just used Map My Ride for the route and it was amazing. > > > No real need to follow bike routes if you are up for some adventure. > > > But if you are going to follow a route, try Adventure Cycling for some > > > maps. > > > > Gary > > > On Aug 19, 5:17 pm, Don <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > I am not new to biking but I am new to touring. I've got the bike/s > > > > (Sam Hillborne, Myata 610) and most of the basics. I also have a > > > > handle on touring within my state (Florida). But I need some help with > > > > planning some tours in other parts of the USA and overseas. I have > > > > some (probably dumb) questions about how one transports their bike to > > > > other distant locations and how one get a good guide for some of these > > > > tours. For example, after Easter I will have a week and my wife and I > > > > want to head to Northern California and do some touring that would > > > > take in the wine country and surrounding area. I don't really want to > > > > book a guided tour with rented bikes etc. Now maybe to start that is > > > > absolutely the best way to go. But all of the ones I have seen are > > > > very pricey and extremely structured to the group. Being new to this > > > > group I just figured I would lay it out there and see what information > > > > I might be able to gather. I am sure that there are various websites > > > > or other resources I could be directed to. I am not sure if this is OK > > > > but I will give you my email address so that if any want to send me > > > > stuff they can. Thanks in advance for any help you might give. > > > > Cheers, > > > > Don > > > > [email protected] Hide quoted text - > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. 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