Rode north on increasingly steep and twisty CA-36 and CA-89 about an hour. I stopped at the park entrance. The ski lifts were gone, but the concrete footings for the towers and the A-frame concession building were still there. I had a mid-morning coffee and roll out on the elevated deck that overlooked the valley below. There, I talked with two other motorcycle riders who started even earlier than I did to ride over the summit from the north. They were riding BMW R100's loaded with luggage and were headed for the Feather River Canyon and over to the coast. I liked their route and planned to follow it on my way home.

The view from the parking lot was inspiring. I needed inspiration; my butt was still sore from the previous day.