FRIDAYS WITH ARIA: BOWMAN LAKE ROAD

click to enlarge

A PLEASANT FRIDAY and after a breakfast meeting in Nevada City, I chose not to drive straight home. Figured a jaunt up State Route 20 might afford shot glimpses of fall color.

Not so much, I'm afraid.

So the sojourn became a vehicle for taking portraits of the Aria, the Guzzi B-1100.


THE MID-OCTOBER mid-day sun provides interesting light for photography.

Bowman Lake, to the right, is on the old Henness Pass Road. Only a few miles east northeast of here, Bowman Lake Road turns to gravel. So Aria doesn't go on it.  [This I leave to the likes of GSA, currently home in the garage. The Church of the Open Road has ventured up that way many-a-time.  See the admittedly very poorly titled: http://thechurchoftheopenroad.blogspot.com/2010/09/californias-first-recession-probably.html]

THE PAVED PORTION proved a nice tryout for the new Michelin Pilot Road 2 tires I'd installed a few days back.

This picture would have been enhanced had there been some cloud cover to mute the forest and add interest and depth to the sky.  Still, I imagine this might be pretty much what the gray squirrel saw that I just missed running over as he darted out and back and out again in front of me. I’m sure you know the little guy – or one of many of his cousins.

AUTUMN FLOW on the South Yuba River. Many years, this stream this time of year, would be nearly dry, but owing to a late, wet spring and early storms this fall, the water looks delightful.

The fifty-five-degree weather of just a week ago had been driven out by a high pressure system. This day, at about 1:00, the temp was in the mid-80s. The water looked mighty inviting, but I was over-dressed in my leather jacket, and the concept of peeling everything off, thankfully for all denizens of the forest, passed rather quickly.

JUST A BIT SOUTH of the Yuba is the Discovery Trail. Here we get a close up view of the Bear River, only a few miles west of its source. The pooled water reflects the just-about-to turn-golden color of the black oaks broadly lobed leaves.

Less than a mile off State Route 20 about 3 miles east of I-80, this is a nice place to picnic and show the (grand)kids around. That’s one that’ll have to be added to the to-do list.

Oh...  And...


HERE, MORE EVIDENCE that some – only some, mind you – folks who own firearms are morons. In this example, the National Forest sign that is neither good eatin' nor is in any way a threat to anyone's safety or property, proved to be some idiot's victim.

Again: C'mon, gun owners! If you don't want regulation, regulate your-own-damn-selves and quit doin' dumb stuff like shootin' up government signs. Sheesh!


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Church of the Open Road Press