"Saying Good-bye to BellaDonna"

DAY RIDE:

MOUNT TAMALPAIS

3/31/11

nedopdyke@gmail.com

About the Author

As with all my stories, this one is primarily for me. As I grow older than I ever dreamed I'd be, I've begun to realize that if I don't make an effort to document the important things about me… some of my thoughts… and some of the things that I believe are important about me, that there is a very good chance that after the people that have had the opportunity to get to know me are gone, so will I be.

I am the third generation in my family to be a residential general contractor. I have done nothing else in my life as a source of income. I always wished I could figure out how to make money off my charm and good looks, but alas… my innate sincerity has always kept me from being able to take advantage of people. As with the empathetic abilities I got from mother, I call it a blessing and a curse. I have always been very grateful of my parents for instilling a foundation of respect in me. I don't always make it obvious, but I really do care about people.

When I was a child, I decided I wanted to be different from everyone else. Something inside me told me that I was special. Most likely it was (and still is) my ego fighting back my human insecurities and self-doubts. Whatever the reason, it is my wish to be remembered. Mostly the good parts of me, but I also want to be remembered for all the different aspects of my personality. The good, the bad, and the ugly, as they say.

This story is written basically as a first draft, and as such, there will be rambling sentences, bad grammar, way too many commas, quotation marks, parenthesis, and past-present-future tenses all jumbled together, into the same paragraph, and sometimes even in the same sentence. I write as I speak… open mouth, insert foot. Usually I don't know what I'm gonna say, until after I hear myself say it.

For those of you who have not read any of my previous autobiographical action adventure stories… I will tell you… my stories are meant to serve three purposes:

(1) To allow me to express my own thoughts and feelings, for the selfish reason of my own self-awareness and betterment.

(2) I hope some of you will perceive it as gift to you, to be able to become more aware of your own thoughts and feelings, in such a way that you may also gain personal insight and therefore benefit in some way, within yourself.

(3) Simply for something to distract you for a while.

Although I have lived almost my entire life in this three dimensional world that we refer to as reality… I have also experienced brief moments in a completely different reality, and it is at these times when I feel most alive, nourished, and grateful to be alive.

I have chosen to use my three-dimensional adventures, out on the open roads of our Country, as a vehicle to travel into the inner realms of the vastness which exists inside each of us. Personally, I am most comfortable when I am exploring these regions of duality… the physical geography of the 

Country where my body thrives, and the emotional geography of my soul where my spirit resides.

The weather forecast was for temps along the coast to be in the low to mid eighties, and after several weeks of torrential rain and otherwise miserable conditions… I decided it was my duty, as sane unemployed motorcycle rider, to take advantage of this glorious Thursday.

I'd never been to the top of this particular mountain, and wanted to cross it off my list, so after a typical work out at the gym, I jumped on Honey and headed north on Highway 1.

Honey and I were both very happy to be back out on the road after so many weeks of virtual hibernation. It had been since last October since our last ride worthy of mention, and we were both smiling, me from ear to ear, and Honey from hand-grip to hand-grip... with the sound of her engine and her tires on the pavement singing a joyful song, that went directly to my heart.  The times I spend with her, out on the open roads of this Country, are some of the very best times of my life.

The ride north on Highway 1 was beautiful and uneventful. Perfectly calming and relaxing; just what I was hoping for. It wasn’t a crystal clear day, and the camera on my cell phone leaves a lot to be desired, but you can still get an idea of what the San Francisco Bay looked like when I got to the top of the mountain.

I made the two mistakes as I was leaving the parking lot at the top of Mt. Tam. I had a brief conversation with a bicyclist from Germany who was going to be in Santa Cruz the next day, and I didn't take her picture or ask her if she wanted my phone number. The changes in my personality that have been occuring over the last year or so, continue to amaze and astound me.

As I worked my way back down the road, I decided to take a short sidetrack and reconnect with Highway 1 in Stinson Beach. It would add only about 15 miles to the trip, but the added satisfaction of not retracing the section of the road I'd already traveled was well worth it.

The only bad thing about this decision, was that it made me remember the two trips I'd taken on that section of the road with my third ex-wife Donna. Letting her get away was perhaps one of the biggest mistakes I've ever made in my life. I will never forgive myself for hurting her the way I did. She will always be the true love of my life. The ride south, back to San Francisco, brought back powerful and melancholy memories of how I felt when I was with her.

Before recrossing the Golden Gate Bridge, I stopped and took another short detour, to visit an area I'd also never been to before. The Marin Headlands gave Honey a view of The Bridge and The City, from a very unique perspective.

Two young Chinese tourists, Jay and Chung, gave me some much appreciated attention and distraction, and helped me get myself back into a mood of good will and good fortune. Life is a beautiful gift, and although mistakes can be painful, I try to always be grateful for the opportunity to learn from them.

After working my way down 19th Avenue, through SF, I once again chose to take a different route to avoid backtracking, one of the sins I do my best to avoid whenever possible on my rides, no matter how long or short they are.

South on Interstate 280 about 20 miles to Woodside, and a quick stop at the Village Inn, to see if I could catch Melody getting set up for the dinner crowd. I was pleasantly surprised to see her eyes light up when she saw me; it had been almost six years since the last time we saw each other, and we had never had the time or opportunity to get to know each other as well as I would have liked. Yes, another big, beautiful blonde who had caught my eye and attention, several years ago. I used to be easy. Now, I look back on those times and just shake my head, wondering how I could have been so wasteful and wonton with my heart and pseudo affections.

After a few minutes of catch up with Melody, I excused myself and took off up the hill to Skyline Ridge and Alice's Restaurant; a semi-famous and ever-popular hang-out for bikes and bikers that runs 

the full gamut from casual cruisers, to weekend warriors, to hardcore racers.

I thought about going directly back down the other side of the hill to San Gregorio, but decided to pass up on Apple Jacks in La Honda, and instead, run the razor back of Skyline Ridge and then go down into Santa Cruz via Boulder Creek. Here's a pic I took of the not-as-famous pub in La Honda a few years ago. If you look close, you can see the 'custom' road sign on the left, warning the passer-byers to beware of the tree. It's a cocktail glass. Pretty funny huh?

One last stop above Palo Alto and Moffiet Field (to the right of this photo) to look back at San Francisco and Mount Tamalpais beyond.

I'd left Santa Cruz at 10am, and backed Honey into her garage at 6pm. A wonderful eight hours and just under 230 miles of beautiful refreshing air, time, and space. I always try to end my stories with a total letdown, so in keeping with that pattern…

THE END

"Glacier Point & Devils Postpile"

(Sept. 25th & 29th, 2010 )

By: Ned Opdyke

nedopdyke@gmail.com

OTHER STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR

Please Allow Me To Introduce My Selves

From Here to There and Back Again

I Love Texas

Sometimes You Find Love in the Most Unexpected Places

California is My Home (But I Still Love Texas)

The Last Adventure… of 2009

Momma's Boy

Killeen Texas Is My New Home

A Memorable Memorial Day Weekend in Galveston

The Hill Country, Our 2nd Visit

A Very Strange Day

- and -

An Ongoing and Growing Selection of Misc. Musings and Melodies

About My Spiritual Evolution and Enfoldment

The Gospel According to Ned (Part I and II)

The Yucatan Peninsula vs. Hurricane Wilma

A Different Kind of Adventure Story

Spiritual Exercises… The First Steps

The Best Kind of Adventure Story

Morning Thoughts

The Sound Current

Learning From The Silence

As I Grow

A Better Life

Daily Interpretations of The Eck & Rumi

-------------------------------------------------------

I am still lucky. I'm not sure why God loves me as much as he does, but I am certainly forever in his debt. I survived my exodus in Texas (that sure sounds like a good title to a story, or perhaps a country western song, doesn't it?), and am now temporarily habitating at a family friend's home near Yosemite National Park, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, in California. Yes, I am a very lucky man.

The following pictorial essay will update you on my physical surroundings and my thoughts about what's going on around me, and… you guessed it… inside me:

The town center is 5 miles from the home I'm staying at. This is my kind of town.

This is the Tindall cabin. My room is under the front deck. It's private, stays cool on hot days, and is very comfortable.

This almost-dead-and-now-coming-back-to-life oak tree reminded me of me. I pass it every day, on my daily walk to the little lake just ¼ mile or so from my front door.

This is Stout Lake. I built the raft about 15 years ago. It's holding up well and looks like it should last at least that much longer. I hope I do.

Ok, that gives you an idea of what's around me when I'm home. The rest of this 'story' is gonna be about what's around me when I'm not.

9/25/10 - GLACIER POINT

First stop, Rainbow Pool. It is located 17 miles from my front door, on the South Fork of The Tuolumne River on Highway 120, about 15 miles from Groveland. This year marks the 40th Anniversary of the first time I jumped off the rocks, and swam behind the falls. This is one of my favorite places in the world. It is my nirvana… my heaven on earth.

About another 12 miles up the road from Rainbow, is the north entrance into Yosemite National Park. I wish I'd counted all the times I've been here in my life. An honest estimate is 50. We'll say this was my 50th, and I'll keep track from here on out. It's impossible to see this place too often. I'm shooting for triple digits before I see it for the last time. I think Honey has been here about 15 times or so. So far.

Surprisingly, it took me driving by the turn-off 50 times, before I finally decided to drive the 16 miles out to Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. One panoramic view and another one from the damn dam.

Honey just loves this view coming into the Valley from Crane Flat entrance. Me too.

Half Dome, and beyond, Clouds Rest, are the primary obstructions in this view, from Glacier Point. Words of description?… they just get in the way, don’t they? Spectacular, unbelievable, breathtaking, awe-inspiring. I just had to try a few of the first ones that come to my mind, when I take in the grandeur of Yosemite. It's only been a week since I was there, and I'm already looking forward to going back.

My heart soars and my pulse-rate drops, when I think about what it's like to be there.

I don't remember seeing this angle of Half Dome on a post card. I wonder why?

This guy was pretty funny. He said he wanted half of all the profits I got from this picture, but readily agreed with me, when I said, "Just being here is our profit."

On the following page is one of my favorite vistas of Yosemite Valley. It is on Highway 41 coming down the hill from Glacier Point from Wawona, the south entrance to the Park, out of Fresno. There are signs at the end of the mile-long tunnel, warning you to be prepared to stop for traffic and pedestrians. Do yourself a favor. Follow the warning… and  S-T-O-P.

I did something this day that I haven't done in many years… I spent about two hours, driving through the Valley floor. Honey and I went to every (paved) nook and cranny we could get to (legally). Here is what Glacier Point looked like when we were down there and looked up to where we had just come from. I wish I had a camera, other than my cell phone.

Before heading back, I detoured about 20 miles, down to El Portal entrance to the Park. The picture didn't turn out, but the one I took on my next ride, at east entrance, and Tioga Pass did! But that's the next part of this story. This Trip… six hours and 185 miles. Turn the page for our Devils Postpile ride, somewhere neither Honey nor I had been before!

9/29/10 - DEVILS POSTPILE

This ride was on a glorious Saturday afternoon, and I chose the ride 'cuz I knew I'd be in the 'High Country,' 6~10,000 feet in elevation, for most of the day, and it would be much cooler than the 90~95 degrees that was the forecast for the Greeley area, which is at about 3,000 feet.

My first stop was at Jordon Oak, off of Smith Station Road, about 5 miles out from Greeley. Story is that this oak is as old as some of the oldest redwoods, dating back to the time of Christ. Jesus that it. I hung my size-46 leather jacket it to give you an idea of the size of this thing. Allegedly its trunk has the largest circumference of any oak tree west of the Mississippi.

I decided to take another side road I'd never been on, and Honey and I found ourselves at the Crane Flat fire lookout station. This guy was a fellow member of the biker-hood, and a helicopter pilot. What a life, huh? He gets to fly low, and high!

The elevation at Crane Flat is 6,192 feet. Porcupine Flat, about 30 miles from there is around 8,000. I sure have some good memories about this place. We used it as base camp almost every summer for about 5~6 years. Mom would guard the trailer while my Dad, and my twin brother Don and I, would take hikes all over the High Country. Hey Don… would you like to collaborate on a story about the 11-day loop hike? Yes, he and I are both very VERY lucky men.

Ten more miles brought us to Olmstead Point. Marilyn, a Road Scholar, took a picture of Honey and me, enjoying the view of Clouds Rest and Half Dome, 180 degrees from the view we had of them a few days earlier, from Glacier Point.

Here's a couple pictures from and leaving Olmstead Point. For those of you who are reading this story on your computer, you may be able to play the video! If you can, please excuse my blunder when I said it was "July 29th." I guess I was feeling tipsy from the elevation. I know it wasn't from beer. I've been sober now for 13 weeks (and tobacco free for 9)!

After getting down the east slope of the Sierra's, and running down Hwy 395 about 25 miles to Mammoth Lakes, and just before getting to my destination for the day, Honey asked if I would take her picture in front of the Minaret Mountain Range. Ain't she purdy?

Devils Postpile was actually a little disappointing. It's my parents fault. They spoiled me from before the time I was born. I was conceived while they were visiting the Grand Canyon, and I grew up with what is in my opinion, the most picturesque geography in the world as my back yard. Damn them.

This is the last picture of the four entrances to Yosemite that Honey and I had been to, in the last 5 days. Tioga Pass, elevation 9,945 feet. It is on the east side of the Park. We were still about 80 miles from Greeley, but we both felt as if we were already home.

Round trip: 10 hours and 310 miles.

Next story… the entire length of Highway 49 through the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, from Coarsegold at the south end near Fresno, to Loyalton at the north end, near Reno.

See you then!

"9 States in 13 Days"

... this is a story that happened 5 years ago:

CA~NV~UT~WY~MO~ID~WA~OR~CA… 3,388 miles in 13 days

                                   … from the 'lost archives'

                                                                        PREFACE

My middle daughter Ashley was going to graduate from high school, and I wouldn't have missed it for the world. But as important as it was to me to be there, it was equally as important for me to turn the opportunity into an adventure.

Since road trips on Honey (my motorcycle) are one of my favorite things in the world, I decided that rather than riding directly from my home in Aptos, California, to Seattle, Washington, through the State of Oregon, I would take the 'scenic route'… through Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho.

Unfortunately, I lost my journal-log from the trip, so this story is based only on my memories from a trip that happened almost five years ago. Mostly, it's a pictorial essay about the trip.

Day 1 - 6/10/05: Aptos, California to Austin, Nevada

The first three hours of the ride was the same route I'd taken many times in the past.
Due east, over Pacheco Pass (Hwy 156)… thru Los Banos… then Hwy 33 to Merced, then the fun part of the ride, into the foothills on Hwy 132 thru Snelling and one of my favorite pit stops at the saloon La Grange, a little blink and miss it cattle town at the edge of the Sierra Nevada mountain range foothills.

One of the reasons it's my favorite, is because of the waitress that worked there for a long time… Laura serves a killer margarita, and then for special customers, put the second one in a plastic cup to go. She trusted me. I'm usually pretty good at making people feel like they can trust me. You can trust me on that.

Normally when I'm driving this route, it's when I'm on my way to "Tokosaben," the property my family owned, and I've always driven that section of road with great care, no matter how many killer margaritas I've had.

When I was 13, my family and 4 others bought 40 acres just outside of Greely Hill, and the name I came up with was voted as the unanimous winner. Here's how I came up with the name:

I took the "T" from the Tindall family; the "O" from the Opdyke (my) family; the "KO" from the Kobiashi's; the "SA" from the Sato's; and the "BEN" from the Benthin's. The really cool thing about the name was that before we voted on the name, we all voted on our choices for which of the five 2-acre parcels each family would get to build their cabin on. Based on the statistical math (5 x 5 x 5 x 5 x 5), the odds of each family getting their first choice were 3,125 to 1. And that's what happened.

Then, as if to prove what a 'special' place it was that we were creating… the parcels that each of the families chose as their first choice, was in the same order as the way I had put the letters from their names together. The odds of that happening are 9,765,635 to 1 (3,125 x 3,125).

Basically, Tokosaben had a one in ten million chance of happening the way it did. All of the families have always felt that this was how lucky we were to be together in the place we were. Two of the families have since sold their parcels, but the feeling of 'community and love' is still being carried on to this day, and I hope it continues that way forever.

I've spent parts of 39 summers up there (and counting), enjoying that part of the Sierra's, and it never gets old.

 Stout Lake

And then Rainbow Pool, one of my favorite places in the world, located on Highway 120, about half way between Groveland and the Crane Flat entrance to Yosemite National Park.

So... back to the Adventure Ride.  It was at the La Grange Saloon that my route changed on this trip. Instead of continuing east on Hwy 132, I veered slightly to the north, and went thru the town of Sonora, over the pass with the same name on Hwy 108, and down the other side to Mono Lake.

                                                                       Elevation 9,624'

Even in June the air was cold, and the snow was deep on the sides of the road, but the pavement was warm and dry, and I remember thinking to myself that I really needed to do a lot more of these road trips. Five years later, I've written stories about this one, and seven others.

Please visit my blog listed at the beginning of this story, to read about them, and see all the other pretty pictures.

As I remounted Honey, I said good-bye to the cool mountain air, and prepared myself for the hot desert variety I was gonna be in for the next couple of days.
After reaching the bottom of the east side of the Sierras, I traveled north on Hwy 395 for just a few miles, before turning east on Hwy 50, "The Loneliest Highway in America." My day ended in Austin (Nevada) after a first day of (+/-) 570 miles.

Day 2 - 6/11/05: Austin, Nevada to Heber City, Utah

                Welcome to Utah - still on Hwy 50… and still lonely… next services 83 miles.

Besides remembering how nice the road was, unfortunately, I'm at a loss to remember anything else noteworthy. Oh… there was one thing… I remember a stretch of about 100 miles coming into Salt Lake City, where I was riding thru a cool early summer rainstorm. Day 2: 317 miles.

Day 3 - 6/12/05: Heber City, Utah to Jackson Hole, Wyoming

                        Welcome to Wyoming - drive thru cocktails… I Love Wyoming.

It was surprisingly cold, but fortunately I'd packed my warm weather gear, and it wasn't too uncomfortable for me. And no, I did not stop at any of the drive thru's.

Day 4 - 6/13/05: Jackson Hole, Wyoming to Livingston, Montana

          The Grand Tetons

That morning it was cold… really cold… and I stopped at a random person's home and was given hot tea and as much time as I had wanted. I just love (most of) the people I meet on my adventures. Most of them are really nice. It warms me to my cockles to think about all the wonderful people on this planet. That day however, I needed a little bit more to warm my cockles.

                      The road crisscrossed the divide three times, before taking me to…

                                                                          Old Faithful

But not willing to wait another 54 minutes… I continued on, and stopped in Livingston, Montana. It was a spectacular 213 mile day.

Day 5 - 6/14/05 - Livingston, Montana to Spokane, Washington

I remember enjoying the ride and the terrain, but cannot remember anything specific about this 426 mile day.

Day 6 - 6/15/05 - Spokane, WA to Seattle, WA

Same as above about this 293 mile day.

Day 7 - 6/16/05 - Seattle and surrounding areas

I spent most of the day with Kellie, my oldest daughter. It was a gorgeous day in the Emerald City…

... but I also made time to take a ride up to a place I found just before moving back to Santa Cruz way back in 1989:

                                                                           Denny Creek

THE DENNY CREEK DOCTRINE

You need to know where to go To meet the people you want to know
Life in the city is full of illusions
People in the city are full of... Shit in the water?! Don’t you care?
What are you thinking of?
You’re a fool to live in the city

You need to know where to go
To find the people you want to know
Life in the country is simple
People in the country understand
Shit in the water, and you get
Sick of the people in the city

I want to sit on the rocks
And watch the crystalline water
Tumble across my feet... no shit In the Denny Creek water

Day 8 - 6/17/05 - Party on the patio…

 Ashley's pre-graduation party took place at her mom Mimi's house and was attended by a small handful of her friends. Including, but not limited to: (3) friends - one seated in ponytail, one dressed in yellow, and one in aqua… aunt Tracy (Mimi's sister) - standing/ eating… sister Kellie - standing next to… her (then) boyfriend (now ex-husband) Jon… and (Mimi's mother) Blah - sitting, with last name the same as the color as her hair (Grey).

Day 9 - 6/18/05 - Father's Day…

                                                             … with Daughters #1 & 2

Day 10 - 6/19/05 - Ashley's Graduation from High School

When this picture was taken, it was only the 2nd time I'd worn this shirt. The first time was for Kellie's graduation from high school, two years previously. Since then, the shirt has (only) been worn for… in order… Kellie's graduation from college, Eron's (my youngest Daughter) graduation from high school (when she was only 16!), Kellie's graduation from college, and Ashley's graduation from college. One more (at least) graduation to go, before I can 'retire' the shirt, and put it in my cedar chest along with my high school and college graduation gowns and a few other priceless heirlooms.

Some pictures of the happy occasion:

The proud parents

The loving sisters

Art & Pat, the grandparents

… Look out World!

Day 11 - 6/20/05 - Seattle, Washington to Newport Beach, Oregon

Now I was headed south, back to Santa Cruz, but I had a passenger with me. My oldest daughter (Kellie) was sitting behind me! She'd already done a fair amount of riding with me, but this was our first 'inter-state' ride.

Instead of heading due south, we went west. Luckily, Kellie is like her Dad… she doesn't like straight lines either. At one of our stops on the north coast of Oregon, we found a photo op… several years earlier, I'd picked my 'road name,' and now… I have a picture of me standing next to my namesake…

             "I am Thor, master of the universe."

Of course there's always time to stop and kiss the girls

When we got to Newport Beach (Oregon), we were greeted and welcomed by two very loving relatives. They are technically 'ex' relatives… the brother and sister in law of my second ex wife, but to me they will always be my brother and sister… the same as Tracy and David, my first ex wife's sister and brother in law.
  

                                                                   Brad and Wren
Day 11: 334 miles.

Day 12 - 6/21/05 - Newport Beach, Oregon to Arcata, CA

It's interesting to me, how different people are when they get on the back of a motorcycle. Kellie had a really hard time. She was so relaxed and comfortable, that she kept falling asleep.

Kellie and Dad:

                                             Leaving Newport Beach

Kellie and I really enjoyed the Oregon coast, even though I had to wake her up when we stopped! =)

Day 12: 308 miles.

Day 13 - 6/22/05 - Arcata, CA to Aptos, CA; the last leg!

                                  We rode thru a redwood tree in "The Avenue of the Giants"…

                                             … and across the Golden Gate, in San Francisco

I dropped Kellie off in Los Gatos, just short of Aptos, so she could hook up with her mom, and the rest of her Seattle family, to attend a family reunion that weekend. It was a tremendous adventure. A 306 mile day, and 3,338 for the trip. And for those math wizards out there, this total includes 300 miles while I was in Seattle.