Last Day On the Half Dollar

Near Echo Pass on US 50

Redding, CA

Here we are, our final day on the Half-Dollar Highway. On day three of this journey we traveled the Million Dollar Highway across the Rocky Mountains. Today’s ride took us through the Sierra Nevada range.

The climb to Echo Pass was amazing. For starters, we had another one of those bright and cloudless mornings. My oversized engine was made for this sort of riding. Old Danny Boy did his best to hold me back but a motorcycle’s got to do what a motorcycle’s got to do.

The ride up the east side didn’t take that long. Carson City sits at 4,705 feet. The pass is 7,382. By the way; we’ve been through Yosemite on a clear day like this one. The El Dorado is Yosemite’s first cousin – stunning vistas and one very pretty lake, Tahoe.

We stopped in Placerville on the way down on the other side of the mountain. They call it Old Hang Town. She Who Holds Down The Fort calls it, “My home town.”

From P’ville things kept going downhill. Echo Pass is 7,382. Hang Town sits at 2,146. By the time we reached the official end of US 50, 94 miles from the pass, the elevation was 15 feet. That’s a long way down.

I’m afraid Mr. Boy was a bit down, as well. He was pleased that we did what we set out to do. He didn’t hurt himself, hurt me or anyone else. He didn’t get any tickets. We navigated The Most Dangerous and the Loneliest Roads in America. We followed 83 from Mexico to Canada. We followed 50 from end-to-end – Ocean City to Sacramento. We visited family and friends. And I wrote the journal. Still, his satisfaction was tinged with sadness. He’s been chasing this dream for a long time. Now, it’s almost over.

We’re northbound on I-5. This afternoon it felt a lot like a really long commute from Eugene to Salem. He thought about pushing all the way home but I wouldn’t let him. I insisted we follow the plan. We stopped at 102-degree Redding and parked it for the night.

Bright and early in the morning (I told him it was okay with me even if it was dark and early) we hit the highway for home. One more day to ride, one more report to post, and this trip is in the books.

(Google Map Update)