Text & Photos: Martin Haid & Manuel Marabese

DAY 5

The last riding day and the sky is not really friendly to us.

Oil fields in California - whereever there is one, they'll find it.

At our coffee stop in the middle of nowhere we meet ...

... Paul from the magazine RIDER (in the middle) with danish tour guide (on the left) and friends. Have fun Paul in a few weeks on our tour in Croatia!

Really curvy.

Lunch time.

Bolts - the colors are new and secret - we got it, sorry!

And suddenly forgiving sunny weather at the pacific coast.

We're happy!!!

Last picture on the road.

Bruno, Martha, Gaby, Rina, Manuel, Tim and Martin again on the other side of the camera .

At Santa Monica pier.

Our farewell dinner location - a REAL italian restaurant. Martha, Bruno and Manuel even more happy!

Good bye U.S.A. - you were very impressing and your people are very, very friendly!

THANKS to Gaby, Martha, Rina, Bruno, Jonathan and Tim - you were the best group (including Denisse and Cesar from the CBA1501) we could wish for our first CBA+CBE! Always happy and friendly - in the sun, the rain, the snow and the fog !!!

... From me, Martin special thanks to my first group for Edelweiss, you made it easier!

And an extra thanks to you, Manuel!

Hope to CU all again.

DAY 4

Today we've no snow again, yippee! ...

... but a new kind of weather on this tour - FOG!!! It' a little bit cold and very, very wet.

So we'll have only a few photos from today, but everytime, when we see anything, we take a picture.

Is Santa Claus here?

Tunnel Log

Out off the fog - coffee stop out!

U.S.A. - big as big can!

Our Holiday Inn in Visalia ...

... see, how important we are at this place, we're an event!

DAY 3

For today the forecast says "rain showers and light snow" but... look at the sky! Quite blue indeed!  

Reaching 3031m at Tioga pass, crossing the big Sierra. And it's still not snowing, incredible!

Martin is preparing a picnic for us in the Yosemite Valley, and it looks like he is having some helpers, or shall we call them nice guests?

Everything ready for our small group... Cesar and Denisse did only the first part of the tour until Las Vegas and John had to leave today for some issues at work.

The snowmelt is a good source of water for these enchanting waterfalls... Bridal Veil, Upper Falls, Lower Falls...

The view at Glacier Point is stunning: endless peaks and Half Dome (it's actualle trequarter of a Dome but it doesn't sound as good, right?) in foreground.

After a good ride a great mountain lodge with heated pools is waiting for us... See you tomorrow for another adventure!

DAY 2

The difference beetween departure temperature & elevation and arrival temperature & elevation is very big today. We start in Death Valley at about 20° C /68° F (in the morning) and end in Mammoth Lake at about 3° C / 37° F (in the afternoon). The elevation of Death Valley is - 85,5 m / -280 ft below sea, the one of Mammoth Lake 2400 m / 7874 ft. And we will again have the full range of possible whether conditions: sun, rain (only a few drops) and snow (didn't stay on the road).

Our first photo stop takes place at the sand dunes near Stovepipe Wells. There is nearly nothing in Death Vallea and suddenly there are these dunes, crazy! > temperature very warm / elevation very low

Panamint view point - in the background the white shining Death Valley. > temperature nice / elevation a little bit high

We have mexican lunch inBishop - very nice and delicious! > temperature spicy! / elevation a little bit higher Bruno, Martha, Jonathan, Tourguide Manuel, Gaby, Rina and Tim.

Near our arrival hotel  in Mammoth Lakes. > temperature freezing cold / elevation high to very high / short but heavy snowfall

Our view ...

... and the view at good conditions.

Still joking! Jonathan, Tim, Martha, Rina, Gaby, Bruno.

Impressions round the Mammouth Lakes Inn, were we are sitting in the hot outdoor tub. Mmmmh, nice!

Our Hotel, outside ...

... inside ...

... inside the garage ...

... inside the rooms.

DAY 1   OF THE CALIFORNIA EXTENSION

After leaving Las Vegas we drive in the direction of Death Valley. The forecast for the region surrounding Las Vegas says thunder and lightning, but maybe we have good luck. What the hell ... Jonathan, Gaby, Rina, Tim and Manuel in their rain gear.

Martha and Bruno in their Chrysler, their substitude for the Harley Davidson, which broke shortly before Las Vegas. Understandably they don't trust a Harley at the moment.

The rain is only short, but nature shows what is possible. A 360 round view draws a picture of sun, rain, thunder and lightning at the same moment.

On the Old Spanish Trail

Gaby, Martha, Manuel, Bruno, Jonathan and Tim at our lunch stop. Somebody's missing? Martin is behind the camera and Rina ...

... is taking pictures!

At Zabriskie Point

Entering Death Valley

Death Valley without watering ...

... and with watering, e.g. our Hotel Furnace Creek Ranch