California Loop 2018 Day 5 Part 2

Click Photo Above for Video

In this video, I rode from Redding, CA to Cottonwood Campground Creek Campground in the Tahoe National Forest, just south of Sierraville, CA. Following Google Maps like a lemming, I turned onto the wrong road, Verdi Grade Road which was a bumpy dirt road with numerous sizeable rocks and wash outs.

Once I decided that I was on the wrong road, I turned around and was headed back to the California Highway 89 where my forward progress was halted by a large rock and of course there was a deep washout where I went to put my left foot down.

Dexter’s curb weight is about 850 pounds, figure about 200 pounds of gear and add my weigh of around 265, total weight is in the neighborhood of 1,200 – 1,300 pounds. That is freaking heavy lol and near impossible to hold up once the bike tips past a certain point. So, Dexter took a dirt nap. I tried to pick Dexter while still loaded, yeah not gonna happen. So there on the dirt road / path I unloaded the heavy stuff and did manage to pick Dexter up, reloaded and turned into the Campground which was maybe 500 feet from where I turned onto this interesting road.

Dexter is a 2005 Harley Davidson Ultra Classic, this bike is very much designed for pavement or at least a groomed gravel road. I had no business being on this road…buy hey, now I have a story to tell 🙂

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