Reno to Lake Topaz

Sun 3rd & Mon 4th July

Bob has pulled a muscle in his back/shoulder which is causing him some discomfort so we stayed at Reno for a 2nd night for some recovery time. The temperature in the shade is over 100 degrees here at the moment and I hate to think what it is in the sun. On Sunday we visited a couple of motorcycle accessory stores where I succumbed to the promises of a cooler ride by purchasing a mesh jacket. The downside is there is now even more to carry around.

Monday is ‘Independence Day’ over here and everyone is on holiday. We headed for Lake Tahoe like the rest of the population and who can blame them………

…..as soon as we climbed into the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, the suffocating heat was replaced with cooler temperatures and the landscape changed from desert to fragrant pine trees. What a change in just a few miles.

Mount Rose Pass

The weather over here has been so extreme that people are still skiing, an apparently unheard of phenomenon on July 4th.

Once over Mt Rose Pass (9000 ft) Lake Tahoe appeared like a vision, all the more dazzling because of the landscape we’ve been riding through over the past few days.

I stopped at Incline Village on the edge of the lake to take a photograph and was accosted by a lovely lady named Helen. She insisted that we knock on her front door and introduce ourselves to her husband, a BMW rider who is intending to ride up to Alaska. Being the dutiful lads that we are, we did as we were told and had a great hour or two with Eric, who donated his map of California with all his favourite biking roads marked on it. Thank you both for your hospitality, it was great to meet you.

Bob getting into the spirit of the July 4th celebrations

We shall be riding some of Eric’s recommended roads tomorrow when we come back to Lake Tahoe after the holidaymakers have gone home. Tonight we stay on the edge of Lake Topaz about 30 miles further south.