The Sierra Sidewinder is going back into the passes in 2022, but this time we’re shooting for the beginning of the season – rather than the end of fall where we’ve been dodging storms that have closed the passes with snow.
Dates are Friday, July 8 to Sunday, July 10, 2022.
We’re also mixing it up a bit with our ride base set on the eastern side of the Sierra and longer routes that will have use going over four passes, three summits and miles of twisty road we haven’t hit in previous Sierra Sidewinders.
Friday, July 8 is our day of summits. For those that want to ride up together, some riders will be getting a post-breakfast start at the Best Western California City at the edge of the Mojave Desert (we're riding up Thursday).
Then it’s north through Red Rock Canyon State Park and along the rising spine of the Sierra Nevada. We’ll make a hydration stop in Lone Pine - a great vantage of Mount Whitney, the tallest peak in the contiguous U.S. We’ll parallel the Alabama Hills, made famous in numerous westerns, and then ride through Big Pine and Bishop, with a planned stretch at Convict Lake.
We will grab lunch in Lee Vining at the base of Tioga Pass and it’s past Mammoth Lakes and over our first summit – Deadman Summit at 8,036 feet. Next comes a scenic detour through June Lake Loop, which passes 5 alpine lakes. Just north of Mono Lake we get a few fast curves before cresting Conway Summit, 8,148 feet.
At Bridgeport we will peel east up 182 to follow East Walker River on a less-traveled 2-lane road that passes Masonic Mountain and Mount Patterson before cresting Sweetwater Summit, 6,812 feet, in Nevada. From there we drop 1,600 feet to land at Ride Central at Topaz Lake, just inside the Nevada border, where the promise of cold beverages, a hot meal with lake views await.
Rally headquarters will be at Topaz Lodge overlooking Topaz Lake on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada. The lodge has a cafe, steakhouse, pool and casino, as well as an on-site gas station with Nevada prices (the lodge is a few hundred feet east of the California border.) The Topaz Lodge is discounting the rooms 25% and holding 16 rooms with 2 queen beds ($109). Rates are about $36 off rack, so tell them you’re with COG group when you reserve. - 800-962-0732.
Saturday is the day of passes and will have us twice crossing the Sierra Nevada.
We’ll get an early start and immediately tackle Monitor Pass, 8,314 feet, which offers dramatic views of straight back down to the Antelope Valley 3,000 feet below. After breakfast in Markleville, it's up Woodfords, through Hope Valley and to Carson Pass, 8,560 feet. Then we coast past Kirkwood, Silver Lake and Lower Bear Lake to Pioneer on the west side of the Sierra, where we’ll take a scenic shortcut through West Point and Sheep Ranch before joining Highway 4 at Avery.
Back on a main road, it’s east again as we ride through Arnold, past Calaveras Big Trees and Lake Alpine and over Ebbett’s Pass at 8,731 feet. Back on the east side of the Sierra, the road turns into a rollercoaster as in the space of 31 miles it drops 2,700 feet to Loope, then gains 2,300 feet to crest Monitor Pass again, and drops 3,000 feet to put us back in Antelope Valley. After a fast descent, its just a few miles north back to our ride hotel where folks can get cleaned and gussied up for dinner a few miles up the road at Iggy & Squiggy’s Trailerhood Bar & Grill.
After breakfast Sunday at Topaz, we will head south on 395 along the winding West Walker River through Coleville and Walker to Sonora Junction. Those who choose the route west – rather than straight south towards Las Vegas and L.A. – will ride up 108 and over Sonora Pass, 9,643 feet. Surrounded by mountain peaks, we’ll descend the western slopes of the Sierra to Pinecrest Lake, past Long Barn and Twain Harte to our familiar Sidewinder haunt of Jamestown for lunch.
From there, the options of superslab are a throttle twist away, but I’ll likely lead anyone willing down through Gold Country through the “Little Dragon” before turning towards Merced and home.
For more details and to register for the ride, check the COG calendar listing.
Dates are Friday, July 8 to Sunday, July 10, 2022.
We’re also mixing it up a bit with our ride base set on the eastern side of the Sierra and longer routes that will have use going over four passes, three summits and miles of twisty road we haven’t hit in previous Sierra Sidewinders.
Friday, July 8 is our day of summits. For those that want to ride up together, some riders will be getting a post-breakfast start at the Best Western California City at the edge of the Mojave Desert (we're riding up Thursday).
Then it’s north through Red Rock Canyon State Park and along the rising spine of the Sierra Nevada. We’ll make a hydration stop in Lone Pine - a great vantage of Mount Whitney, the tallest peak in the contiguous U.S. We’ll parallel the Alabama Hills, made famous in numerous westerns, and then ride through Big Pine and Bishop, with a planned stretch at Convict Lake.
We will grab lunch in Lee Vining at the base of Tioga Pass and it’s past Mammoth Lakes and over our first summit – Deadman Summit at 8,036 feet. Next comes a scenic detour through June Lake Loop, which passes 5 alpine lakes. Just north of Mono Lake we get a few fast curves before cresting Conway Summit, 8,148 feet.
At Bridgeport we will peel east up 182 to follow East Walker River on a less-traveled 2-lane road that passes Masonic Mountain and Mount Patterson before cresting Sweetwater Summit, 6,812 feet, in Nevada. From there we drop 1,600 feet to land at Ride Central at Topaz Lake, just inside the Nevada border, where the promise of cold beverages, a hot meal with lake views await.
Rally headquarters will be at Topaz Lodge overlooking Topaz Lake on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada. The lodge has a cafe, steakhouse, pool and casino, as well as an on-site gas station with Nevada prices (the lodge is a few hundred feet east of the California border.) The Topaz Lodge is discounting the rooms 25% and holding 16 rooms with 2 queen beds ($109). Rates are about $36 off rack, so tell them you’re with COG group when you reserve. - 800-962-0732.
Saturday is the day of passes and will have us twice crossing the Sierra Nevada.
We’ll get an early start and immediately tackle Monitor Pass, 8,314 feet, which offers dramatic views of straight back down to the Antelope Valley 3,000 feet below. After breakfast in Markleville, it's up Woodfords, through Hope Valley and to Carson Pass, 8,560 feet. Then we coast past Kirkwood, Silver Lake and Lower Bear Lake to Pioneer on the west side of the Sierra, where we’ll take a scenic shortcut through West Point and Sheep Ranch before joining Highway 4 at Avery.
Back on a main road, it’s east again as we ride through Arnold, past Calaveras Big Trees and Lake Alpine and over Ebbett’s Pass at 8,731 feet. Back on the east side of the Sierra, the road turns into a rollercoaster as in the space of 31 miles it drops 2,700 feet to Loope, then gains 2,300 feet to crest Monitor Pass again, and drops 3,000 feet to put us back in Antelope Valley. After a fast descent, its just a few miles north back to our ride hotel where folks can get cleaned and gussied up for dinner a few miles up the road at Iggy & Squiggy’s Trailerhood Bar & Grill.
After breakfast Sunday at Topaz, we will head south on 395 along the winding West Walker River through Coleville and Walker to Sonora Junction. Those who choose the route west – rather than straight south towards Las Vegas and L.A. – will ride up 108 and over Sonora Pass, 9,643 feet. Surrounded by mountain peaks, we’ll descend the western slopes of the Sierra to Pinecrest Lake, past Long Barn and Twain Harte to our familiar Sidewinder haunt of Jamestown for lunch.
From there, the options of superslab are a throttle twist away, but I’ll likely lead anyone willing down through Gold Country through the “Little Dragon” before turning towards Merced and home.
For more details and to register for the ride, check the COG calendar listing.
