Wilsons Sandbox

--- In DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, "Jim" wrote: > > On Friday I jumped on my KLR and onto the freeway and in 15 minutes > was out of the valley and into the hills east of town. I worked my > way over familiar paved roads toward an unfamiliar area to me called > Jose Basin. This area is a beautiful canyon that is the San Joaquin > river drainage and sits about 3 to 4 thousand feet above sea level. I > followed the road which narrows down to single lane and loops around > Redinger Lake. I only saw one or two pickups moving slowly in the > area and they looked to be hunters. I watched for dirt roads forking > off the pavement and followed several until they ended. I followed > one two track several miles until the massive ruts, increasingly steep > terrain and expanding areas of mud convinced me to turn around and > move on. Back on the pavement I crossed a narrow bridge and came to > another fork in the road. I follow the smaller road until I find a T > and a numbered dirt forest road. There is a sign at this junction and > I recognize the two destinations in opposite directions. One > destination is 20 miles away will not be reached before dark and the > road becomes impassable due to snow. I was already finding ice > patches in the corners. So I head the other way to discover where > this dirt road intersects the pavement at the ridge 6 miles away. As > I am riding and increasing elevation, the puddles in the road are iced > over and in the shade of the north facing slopes the holes are full of > block ice. I pick my route up and find the intersection at the main > road and make note of the turnoff for future reference before heading > back down and home the long way. About 1/2 mile on my return I come > around a corner to see a silver full size pickup flat out flying up > this single lane forest road. The driver is wide eyed with the > steering wheel below his chin in full run mode. I crank the bike to > the right just in time to slip by thanking my good fortune that I > wasn't smashed head on by this guy. Something was strange about this > situation and I forced myself to make mental notes about what I saw in > those split seconds. Sure enough about another 1/2 mile down is a > Sheriff in a blazer also in full race mode in hot persuit. I see him > on a short straight section and pull wide right to a stop and he skids > to a stop next to me shouting "you see a truck up there?". I said, > yes a silver one going like hell, and he floors it without saying a > word and is off. I pass another LEO in a blazer down a bit further > also going fast and manage to get out of his way also as he is not > slowing down. I pull over for a short break and notice a helicopter > flying over head I figure part of the posse. I get back on my KLR to > finish the 3 miles or so back to the lake and then home when I come to > a road block with two sheriffs blazers and two LEOs, one with his > AR-15 slung around his neck. They wave me to a stop, question me and > take down my ID info and I can tell by listening to their radios this > guy is still not in sight despite all their efforts. I find out this > guy is a local Native American living in the area and is a parole > violator who knows the back roads. With an hour of sunlight left I > figure his odds are pretty good at staying out of jail for at least > one more day. I rode home the long way being carefull of ice in the > corners and thinking about cowboys and indians. Another great ride in > the can. A few pics in the photo section in AA ride folder for you > enjoyment. > --Jim > A-15