Editor’s notice: This story was initially printed within the October 2004 challenge.
The telephone rings. It’s Werner Wachter calling from Austria. “You vill come to Sacramento this weekend to my Edelweiss presentation at A&S BMW?”
It’s a query, but it surely sounds extra like an order. I as soon as requested Wachter, “What’s the distinction between a German and an Austrian?” His response was refined. He didn’t communicate to me for months.
Anyway, in fact we are going to come to Sacramento this weekend. It’s the top of March. We’re having fun with a short lived respite within the often Stalingrad-like winter right here in higher Bieber in Large Valley on the excessive plains of northeast California. My Gold Wing’s battery is starting to want me. And it has been manner too lengthy since I’ve seen the person who proposed to my spouse greater than 20 years in the past on a rocky mountaintop within the Negev Desert. God, had solely she accepted, what I’d have saved…
The idea right here is to journey 300 miles to Sacramento the quick manner, west on State Route 299 over a few mountain passes and thru one riverine canyon to Redding, then south on Interstate 5 down the lengthy inexperienced riparian hall of the Sacramento Valley. Then, after Wachter schnozzles up the riders at A&S BMW (positioned within the Sacramento burb of Roseville, the most important Beemer supplier in america) on the numerous advantages of using the Alps with Edelweiss, I shall lead him on an fascinating route again to Large Valley for a brief course in alfalfa farming and the putative knowledge of transferring about as removed from Los Angeles as one can get.
It goes properly. Wachter’s slide present is a shocking revelation of the reality and fantastic thing about a moto tour of alpine Europe. It made me keep in mind ingesting grappa within the moon shadows of the Jungfrau.
By means of the nice places of work of A&S BMW, Wachter secures the mortgage of a black and white BMW R 1150 RT-P Police Particular. It’s outfitted with these lights and that siren, and on two events in the course of the journey house, Wachter performs cop behind me and scares off a few the few years remaining to me and my loyal pal and passenger, Pam. The route house that I choose, a minimum of two thirds of which I’ve by no means ridden earlier than, is a chancy excessive street in late March involving 6,700-foot Yuba Move within the northern Sierra Nevada: Interstate 80 east to Auburn, then State Route 49 northeast to Calpine, then SR-89 northwest to SR-299, then eastward on the quick remaining hop to the valley we love.
Rolling north on SR-49 within the waning afternoon, it doesn’t take lengthy to flee the densely populated suburbs and site visitors that encompass the state capital of Sacramento. Nevertheless, inside an hour, we’re for all sensible functions alone eventually, using rapturously in a deep canyon alongside the north fork of the Yuba River, the street each bit as sinuous and fascinating because the river itself. This northern part of the Sierra Nevada is called “The Misplaced Sierra” for good motive. Regional inhabitants peaked at 7,340 in 1860 when the gold rush was in full swing after which started to wane because the mines performed out. The up to date head depend is 3,584. Locals assume this pretty development is because of the rugged vertical terrain that appears to defy up to date growth, and we aren’t right here to argue. At a pit cease, with the sunshine failing and the temperature plummeting, Wachter queries me once more. “The place have you ever made reservations for the evening?”
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Reservations? We don’t want no stinking reservations. We spherical a bend of the street and there in all its charming magnetism, tucked away in an alpine gorge on the confluence of the Yuba River and the Downie River, are the twinkling lights of the fetching historic burg of Downieville. We journey throughout a bridge and pull into a spot that appears like a bucolic illustration on a postcard, The Downieville River Inn and Resort, the place the rooms are positioned 50 toes or so from the sonorous riffles of the river. We’re greeted by supervisor Jamie Alichwer who says, “Glad you’re right here, in fact we will put you up for the evening.” Ah, the no-plan technique of motorbike touring, it has all the time borne for me the sweetest fruit.
Downieville highlights: The very best calamari steaks we’ve ever had at The Grubstake. After dinner I whip Wachter three video games of eight-ball in a row on the favored native saloon, the St. Charles. Within the morning, throughout breakfast on the Downieville Diner, I ask a sheriff’s deputy seated at an adjoining desk in the event that they’ve not too long ago used the historic gallows nonetheless fitted with a noose that continues to be standing close to the county courthouse positioned simply behind the inn. He seems to be up at me from his plate of eggs and says with a pleasant smile, “Not but.”
“Bikers Beware: Useless Man’s Curves Subsequent 15 Miles.” This signal nailed to a pine tree alongside SR-49 close to Sierra Metropolis simply because the street begins to wind tightly as much as the highest of Yuba Move solely amplifies the warning we heard in Downieville. Watch the snowmelt, the blind curves, the rocks. Many riders have gone rubber side-up right here. Since Wachter and I’ve each recognized the ache of that have, we proceed with extra warning than traditional, and the reward on the high of the cross is a shocking eagle’s view of the sprawling inexperienced ground of the most important alpine valley in North America, Sierra Valley, the place working ranches date again to the 1800s and, like a lot else right here, appear little modified from quieter days.
Give a have a look at the map at SR-89 because it plunges north from Calpine to Lake Almanor by the guts of Plumas County in Feather River nation after which farther north because it continues by Lassen Nationwide Forest. Discover the distinct dearth of dots and features and marvel now not why this huge area of northeast California is commonly referred to by the relative few who stay right here because the California nobody is aware of. The marvel of it isn’t misplaced on Wachter. He retains referring to the opportunity of a brand new Edelweiss U.S. tour. He needs to go swimming in Lake Almanor the place the water is nearly too chilly for the trout this time of the 12 months. He does go swimming in Lake Almanor. Pam and I watch him splashing and turning blue from the shore. She asks me, “Is he loopy?” “After all he’s,” I reply, however he’s one of many happiest guys I do know, and there’s a lesson in him that isn’t misplaced on me both.
Lassen Nationwide Park is probably not rideable but, however the view of the immense volcanic mountain sheathed brilliantly white from an overlook above Outdated Station on our detour route on SR-44 is one other sight that shocks up understanding {that a} lady is the true ruler of this planet, Ma Nature herself. There are individuals nonetheless dwelling right here who keep in mind her wrath when Mount Lassen spewed roaring rivers of molten rock aglow with hellfire in 1915. That it’s going to occur once more in the future is a foregone conclusion.
From this level, the ultimate 60-mile leg to Bieber in Large Valley is all house floor to me. Another cease appears required, Burney Falls State Park, positioned on SR-89 just some miles north of its junction with SR-299. 100 million gallons a day gorge up from volcanic basalt to create Burney Creek, after which all that water falls off a 130-foot cliff right into a misty gorge lined with enormous old-growth fir and pine, each tree hovering as much as heaven with sufficient board toes to border a mansion. We take the quick one-third-mile hike right down to the bottom of the roaring falls and into the mist the place the air is as clear and tart as freezing watercress.
We have now a good time at house in Large Valley. I present Wachter the farm equipment, the wells, the irrigation strains, the golden sweep of the nonetheless dormant fields, the lonely fantastic thing about the excessive plains. He understands why I moved right here 10 years in the past from SoCal. However he has guarantees to maintain down there, at Keith Code’s California Superbike College at Willow Springs Raceway. He needs me to go together with him, however I inform him I am going to superbike college each evening, in my goals.
As he’s re-packing his bike to depart just a few mornings later, I warn him once more concerning the fortunate break we’ve had within the climate, and it’s altering quick as a light-weight snow begins to blow in from the southwest. “Head west to the valley,” I inform him, “take the low street.” “No,” he says, “I need to go east on an fascinating route.” “What concerning the climate, ice on the street?” He drills me with that look of the outdated empire in his eyes and says merely, “We’re males.”
Wachter, I really like you since you’re far crazier than I’m and so I do know, for me a minimum of, there may be hope.
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Denis Rouse is the founding writer of Rider. He and Werner Wachter had been pals for a few years and rode collectively all through the U.S. and overseas. Wachter handed away in 2021; Rouse wrote an obituary that may be discovered within the March 2021 challenge and on the Rider Journal web site.
