Chico to Tahoe

When we got up the next morning it was pouring down rain. I was really not wanting to ride in the rain, not sure why, because normally I enjoy it. We took our time getting up and moving and walked over to Starbucks for coffee before we loaded up the bikes. Fortunately for me, the rain stopped not more than 5 minutes after we pulled out of the motel parking lot.

We rode South on 99 until we got to Hwy 20E in Yuba, CA. The ride through farmland and small towns was beautiful. At Yuba, we turned east and started heading up the pass. The forest was amazing. I had never seen trees without undergrowth before unless it was in a groomed park setting.






The first few miles were pleasantly warm, then it started colder, and colder. At Lake Spalding the snow started. The highest elevation we noticed was near Donner Pass, at 7227 feet! By the time we hit Truckee, CA we had been through some COLD riding, but it was fun! We blazed through Truckee, and got into Tahoe in time for a late lunch at Rubie's Cafe. I was so cold that I think I enjoyed holding my coffee cup more than I enjoyed drinking the coffee. The restaurant had a fire burning though, and the chili we ordered as an appetizer completely hit the spot.

After lunch we began a slow ride around the lake with lots of picture stops until we got to South Tahoe, where we spent the night in a dive hotel.