A different perspective

[Les is more]

Barry(Copeland)Beemer suggested a San Diego ride for Saturday afternooon and Jamie and I were able to go.

We met near Jamul and made our way to Lyon's Valley Rd. via Steele Canyon and Jamul Dr. We rose and fell and wound along through the ranches and oak woodlands and chaparral of this marvelous road. We continued through Japatul Valley and crossed over to the 79 to climb through Cuyamaca. We paused at the restaurant by the lake for hot chile, warm apple pie and hot cocoa, continuing from there to S1 and the exhilarating sweepers and views from Sunrise Highway.

Then it was a leisurely pace down old 80 and back through Japatul to Lyons and then right on Skyline Truck Trail and back to our meeting point.

The trip was wonderful in and of itself with everything you could ask from a ride, but something else was the real highlight for me.

 

On this ride I decided to ride pillion behind Jamie. There is a certain loss of control involved here, along with missing the sensations of creating your ride, but the mind is also freed for other delights.

 

What I began noticing was a child-like anticipation to know how Barry, who was behind us, was experiencing all of the wonderful sensations available to us this day.

 

Was he as enchanted as I with the sound of the RT powering out of the curves as we undulated through Lyons Valley?

 

Did he feel the air get crisp and notice the clean fresh sensation of it filling his nostrils as we twisted up through Cuyamaca?

 

As we turned onto Sunrise Highway, did he think about the charred earth and wonder at the courage of the ones who made a stand to halt the fire's progress?

 

Did his heart skip a beat when the desert revealed itself in the distance?

 

Did he experience yearning as he viewed the sinuous form of Highway S2 4000 feet below?

 

Did he notice that particular smell of soaked ground and fallen leaves beneath the remaining snow?

 

Was he mesmerized by the unbroken pace over the smooth, even curves as we approached the end of that stretch?

 

Did he muse about the people living in Pine Valley and Guatay and did he have some primitive part of his brain stir at the smell of the wood fires?

 

Was he filled with gratitude for the chance to share such a day with those who would call themselves friend and did he take his leave confident in the thought that many such times lay ahead on the road?

 

All of this formed itself into a wish for a fellow traveller and deepened my perception of riding together.

[BarryBeemer]

Wow! I wish I could say "Yes!" to all of those concepts, Leslie. (I missed a few.) I was on an emotional high the whole time enjoying as much as my "concrete/sequential" senses could take in.

As everyone can tell, this woman has a way with words. She and Jamie are a Class Act! They opitimize the spirit of this board: friendly, hospitable, excellent riders who want to do it well, intelligent, other outside interests...........

 

I won't try to add anything about the ride, except to remind those who are fairly new to this type of riding that it really pays to ride with some better riders from time to time. (Just like any sport.) One can learn so much by following someone doing it well. Cornering speeds, their lines, the timing and frequency of that brake light ahead of you, their ocassional weight shift........

 

Thanks to both of you! Looking forward to the next time!

[PeterScottNJ]

Nice tale. Makes we want to go out, chip the ice of my drive and go for a ride Really!

[kowboy]

Leslie

 

I sure wanted to go along, but it was late when I found out when and where you'll were meeting. Just to get there and back I would have had my 200 mile ride for the day.

 

Sure sounds like I should have made the effort anyway. O well maybe next time.