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@biffnix avatar
UTC

Hooked
2011 GTV-300ie Touring
Joined: UTC
Posts: 349
Location: Bishop, CA
 
Hooked
@biffnix avatar
2011 GTV-300ie Touring
Joined: UTC
Posts: 349
Location: Bishop, CA
UTC quote
So, I've been wrenching more than usual lately, what with the new Malossi top end work, and replacing the speedometer cable. My mechanic-to-rider ratio has been way out of whack, so I thought it was high time for another trip out of town.

I headed up to Bridgeport, CA, which is about 80 miles north of the house. It's up over 6400ft elevation, so it's also a lot cooler up there. I'm at about 4500ft elevation, and it's been in the low to mid 90's here in Bishop.

I had a nice lunch at the Frosty Cone, a local fast-food joint. Heading back, I stopped for a short day hike up to Virginia Lakes, just west of Hwy 395 at the top of Conway Summit, above Mono Lake.

Hope you all had equally pleasant weekends, and enjoy the photos.
View of Mono Lake, taken from the scenic overlook on Hwy 395, above Lee Vining, CA.
View of Mono Lake, taken from the scenic overlook on Hwy 395, above Lee Vining, CA.
Looking down at Lee Vining to the south, next to Hwy 395 and Mono Lake
Looking down at Lee Vining to the south, next to Hwy 395 and Mono Lake
Lots of tourists put stickers on the guard rail at the scenic overlook
Lots of tourists put stickers on the guard rail at the scenic overlook
The GTV at the scenic overlook at Mono Lake
The GTV at the scenic overlook at Mono Lake
The wildflowers are in full bloom up in the high country. Taken up at Virginia Lakes trail.
The wildflowers are in full bloom up in the high country. Taken up at Virginia Lakes trail.
Still lots of snow melting out at the higher elevation lakes. Taken at Virginia Lakes trail.
Still lots of snow melting out at the higher elevation lakes. Taken at Virginia Lakes trail.
The creeks are all running quite high right now.
The creeks are all running quite high right now.
More wildflowers by the waterfall.
More wildflowers by the waterfall.
Snow tunnel, melting into the creek.
Snow tunnel, melting into the creek.
Overflow creek, from one of the upper Virginia Lakes
Overflow creek, from one of the upper Virginia Lakes
view of one of the small lakes/ponds on the Virginia Lakes trail. Lots of trout in this one...
view of one of the small lakes/ponds on the Virginia Lakes trail. Lots of trout in this one...
Just another lake view at elevation.
Just another lake view at elevation.
Rocky crest above the Virginia Lakes trail.
Rocky crest above the Virginia Lakes trail.
Indian paintbrush flowers along the trail.
Indian paintbrush flowers along the trail.
More Indian paintbrush, and some wild sage plants
More Indian paintbrush, and some wild sage plants
Wildflowers along Virginia Lakes trail.
Wildflowers along Virginia Lakes trail.
Stopped at the Crowley Lake General Store on the way home for some ice cream and a soda. Not a bad weekend trip!
Stopped at the Crowley Lake General Store on the way home for some ice cream and a soda. Not a bad weekend trip!
⚠️ Last edited by biffnix on UTC; edited 1 time
@willo avatar
UTC

Hooked
2005 ET4 150
Joined: UTC
Posts: 421
Location: Portland OR
 
Hooked
@willo avatar
2005 ET4 150
Joined: UTC
Posts: 421
Location: Portland OR
UTC quote
Nice photo's, nice ride, thanks for sharing
@fledermaus avatar
UTC

Veni, Vidi, Posti
2007 LX150 2015 GTS (on the bench) 2017 BV 350
Joined: UTC
Posts: 11929
Location: Fond du Lac, Wisconsin
 
Veni, Vidi, Posti
@fledermaus avatar
2007 LX150 2015 GTS (on the bench) 2017 BV 350
Joined: UTC
Posts: 11929
Location: Fond du Lac, Wisconsin
UTC quote
Awesome photos. I really need to get back to the mountains soon...
OP
@biffnix avatar
UTC

Hooked
2011 GTV-300ie Touring
Joined: UTC
Posts: 349
Location: Bishop, CA
 
Hooked
@biffnix avatar
2011 GTV-300ie Touring
Joined: UTC
Posts: 349
Location: Bishop, CA
UTC quote
fledermaus wrote:
Awesome photos. I really need to get back to the mountains soon...
I've never been to Wisconsin - do you have mountains nearby? Or at least within riding distance?
@ks7877 avatar
UTC

Ossessionato
Joined: UTC
Posts: 2337
Location: So Cal
 
Ossessionato
@ks7877 avatar
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Posts: 2337
Location: So Cal
UTC quote
Thanks for the ride report and the beautiful photos.

Next time you ride up toward Mono Lake, stop in at the Whoa Nellie Deli. It's in Lee Vining next to the Tioga Gas Mart. Good food with a nice view of the lake.
OP
@biffnix avatar
UTC

Hooked
2011 GTV-300ie Touring
Joined: UTC
Posts: 349
Location: Bishop, CA
 
Hooked
@biffnix avatar
2011 GTV-300ie Touring
Joined: UTC
Posts: 349
Location: Bishop, CA
UTC quote
ks7877 wrote:
Thanks for the ride report and the beautiful photos.

Next time you ride up toward Mono Lake, stop in at the Whoa Nellie Deli. It's in Lee Vining next to the Tioga Gas Mart. Good food with a nice view of the lake.
Meh. Used to be good. Not a fan of the owner now. The Epic Cafe in Lee Vining is better, in my opinion. But, it's still a beautiful ride...
@fleece avatar
UTC

Ossessionato
1991 Vespa T5 Pole Position, 2008 Vespa S 125, 2023 Piaggio MP3 300HPE Sport
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Posts: 4120
Location: Staffordshire England
 
Ossessionato
@fleece avatar
1991 Vespa T5 Pole Position, 2008 Vespa S 125, 2023 Piaggio MP3 300HPE Sport
Joined: UTC
Posts: 4120
Location: Staffordshire England
UTC quote
These are the rides big Vespas are made for, beautiful, thanks for sharing 8)
@vespasfw3 avatar
UTC

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2006 Vespa GTS250ie, 2004 Vespa ET4, 2022 Royal Enfield Himalayan, 2001 Kawasaki W650.
Joined: UTC
Posts: 2400
Location: Central Pennsylvania
 
Ossessionato
@vespasfw3 avatar
2006 Vespa GTS250ie, 2004 Vespa ET4, 2022 Royal Enfield Himalayan, 2001 Kawasaki W650.
Joined: UTC
Posts: 2400
Location: Central Pennsylvania
UTC quote
Wonderful account of your weekend ride.

I've never been to the Sierra Nevada mountains. My mental picture of the area has been constructed by the photography of Ansel Adams and Edward Weston. So it's kind of striking to see it in color rather than the black and white landscapes in my head.

Your scooter is beautiful. And shiny. Makes me feel a bit guilty how grungy mine is.

Here's a shot of Mono Lake that depicts my thoughts of the place.
White branch at Mono Lake by Ansel Adams.
White branch at Mono Lake by Ansel Adams.
OP
@biffnix avatar
UTC

Hooked
2011 GTV-300ie Touring
Joined: UTC
Posts: 349
Location: Bishop, CA
 
Hooked
@biffnix avatar
2011 GTV-300ie Touring
Joined: UTC
Posts: 349
Location: Bishop, CA
UTC quote
VESPAsfw3 wrote:
Wonderful account of your weekend ride.

I've never been to the Sierra Nevada mountains. My mental picture of the area has been constructed by the photography of Ansel Adams and Edward Weston. So it's kind of striking to see it in color rather than the black and white landscapes in my head.

Here's a shot of Mono Lake that depicts my thoughts of the place.
Thanks. I'm pretty fortunate to live in such a naturally beautiful place. The east side of the Sierra has a very stark character. Because most of the range is made up of federal lands, many of the places Ansel Adams photographed remain virtually unchanged.

Seeing Mount Whitney from Lone Pine still looks like this:

https://shop.anseladams.com/Winter_Sunrise_from_Lone_Pine_p/1901018.htm

Yosemite valley still looks like this:

https://shop.anseladams.com/Yosemite_Valley_Thunderstorm_p/1901006.htm

The west has always evoked romantic visions. Even if all we see of it is as a background in Instagram selfies. Such remarkable landscapes transcend the medium, I think.
@fledermaus avatar
UTC

Veni, Vidi, Posti
2007 LX150 2015 GTS (on the bench) 2017 BV 350
Joined: UTC
Posts: 11929
Location: Fond du Lac, Wisconsin
 
Veni, Vidi, Posti
@fledermaus avatar
2007 LX150 2015 GTS (on the bench) 2017 BV 350
Joined: UTC
Posts: 11929
Location: Fond du Lac, Wisconsin
UTC quote
biffnix wrote:
fledermaus wrote:
Awesome photos. I really need to get back to the mountains soon...
I've never been to Wisconsin - do you have mountains nearby? Or at least within riding distance?
Nothing you would call a mountain. Our standards are lower here. We do have billion+ year old mountain range that's worn down to 500 feet or so. Nerd emoticon There's a place called Rib Mountain, but again, not very high (741 feet to be exact, 1,947 feet ASL) . Nice hills, here, but that's about it.

The Upper Peninsula of Michigan has the Porcupine Mountains....off the top of my head, maybe a thousand feet high.....
OP
@biffnix avatar
UTC

Hooked
2011 GTV-300ie Touring
Joined: UTC
Posts: 349
Location: Bishop, CA
 
Hooked
@biffnix avatar
2011 GTV-300ie Touring
Joined: UTC
Posts: 349
Location: Bishop, CA
UTC quote
fledermaus wrote:
Nothing you would call a mountain. Our standards are lower here. We do have billion+ year old mountain range that's worn down to 500 feet or so. Nerd emoticon There's a place called Rib Mountain, but again, not very high (741 feet to be exact, 1,947 feet ASL) . Nice hills, here, but that's about it.

The Upper Peninsula of Michigan has the Porcupine Mountains....off the top of my head, maybe a thousand feet high.....
Heh. Back when I used to work for a wind energy company, we built a project near Lake Benton, Minnesota. It was called the "Buffalo Ridge" project, and when I traveled there for commissioning the project, I remember looking for a ridge, and seeing nothing. I asked, "Where's the ridge?" The locals would say, "It's right over there!" Then pointed to a slight rise above the plain. So I'm at least a *little* familiar with what Midwesterners would characterize as features that qualify as more than "rolling plain."

I also learned what "hotdish" was on that trip. It was on a local diner's menu, and I had never heard of it until then. Apparently, that marks you as a non-local immediately!

Cheers.
@fledermaus avatar
UTC

Veni, Vidi, Posti
2007 LX150 2015 GTS (on the bench) 2017 BV 350
Joined: UTC
Posts: 11929
Location: Fond du Lac, Wisconsin
 
Veni, Vidi, Posti
@fledermaus avatar
2007 LX150 2015 GTS (on the bench) 2017 BV 350
Joined: UTC
Posts: 11929
Location: Fond du Lac, Wisconsin
UTC quote
biffnix wrote:
I also learned what "hotdish" was on that trip. It was on a local diner's menu, and I had never heard of it until then. Apparently, that marks you as a non-local immediately!

Cheers.
Hey, hot dish has kept Midwesterners alive for generations! Laughing emoticon
@bilbo avatar
UTC

Hooked
GTS 300
Joined: UTC
Posts: 270
Location: Northern Cal
 
Hooked
@bilbo avatar
GTS 300
Joined: UTC
Posts: 270
Location: Northern Cal
UTC quote
Thanks for the Motivation
Wonderful way to spend a hot day. Great post. Motivation for many, including myself, to get out of town for a day.
@bob_copeland avatar
UTC

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2013 Vespa 300 Super, 2022 Kymco AK 550
Joined: UTC
Posts: 3505
Location: Minneapolis USA
 
Ossessionato
@bob_copeland avatar
2013 Vespa 300 Super, 2022 Kymco AK 550
Joined: UTC
Posts: 3505
Location: Minneapolis USA
UTC quote
Beautiful Country
You really captured the beauty of the area in your photographs.
I would have loved to ride that with you. Hopefully, the strong melt
and water run off will help the area.

We seem to have more than our share of water here in Frost Bite Falls Minnesota. The rain this season has made the area look like the Emerald Isle of Ireland.

Bob Copeland
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