Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126074
Bike packing/Tm 12 o page left side. The road here is very sandy and after three miles you pass an Inyo Forest sign . Continue and at 3.5 miles you start climbing up a very rocky and gully -marked track. Several tight switchbacks appear and with about six m iles on the odometer there comes a little level , then some down. After this - you start a real tough uphill zig-zag course. When it finally levels off, park your bike and walk to the right for a look down into Coyote Creek Canyon. Then , walk left up the bank to the top of the rise and you will be able to look down about 5500 feet into Bishop. Motorcycle Olympiad Malcolm Smith , Wanted . The World's Best Motorcycle Racer $20.000 Reward $10,000 + Overall Winner In February of 1977 the Race of Champions will bring to Saddleback Park and O .C . I . R . the top thirty motorcycle racers in the world! They will compete in a 2-day series of seven events, much like the O l ymp i c Deca thalon , They will compete in each of these seven racing events o n the same motorcycle, making only minor adjustments before each event. The racer may choose any motorcycle brand and size - no restrictions on cc's, but he must ride this same bike in all seven events. Invitations will be sent to the top thirty racers as selected by a poll o f CYCLE NEWS r ea d e rs. A ballot will be p u b lished weekly along with a list of the top vote getting riders. Carefully select your choices as the "BEST M OTO RCYCLE RACER IN THE W O RLD How would top AMA stars like K en Rober ts or Gary Scott d o in a Moto-X, or how would Moto-X champions like Rodger DeCoster or Marty Smith do on a r oad race course? Names are not final MalcolmSmith Larry Roeseler Jay Springsteen Jim Pomeroy MartySmith Brad Lackey KennyRoberts Mike Hannon Ro" Tibblin Billv Uhl Bob Hanneh Joh n Penton Gary Nixon DickMann J im Ashback J immy Ellis Tom Penton Carl Cranka Dave Aldana J im Weinert Jo hn Heteley Dick Burleson Roger DeCoster Mitch Mayes Gary Scott r: The ROC Events I~~~=~-----R---O--C-----------1 Cycle News Ballots will BALLOT I * Kawaski Drag Race I * Bu/taco Scottish Tria/s I * Short Track (Speedway) I * YamahaTT * Road Race * Hi//C/imb * YamahaMX RI DER N AME 1 I I -- 2 COUNTRY -- -- --....... . -- _ .......... _ ............................................. 3. I I I I I I I I be co unted .. MAIL TO : _ _.... I RACE OF CHA MPIONS ........... Wilson/Mavnard Promotion I I 1286 2 Garden Grove Blvd.• Suite E Garden Grove, California 92640 ------------------- ---------- --- ----- ------- ~ - ~~Jawa C® Sales- Service Headquarters for CZ Racing Motorcycles (714) 645-8008 2334 Newport BTvd.. Costa Mesa, CA NERVE SUCCEEDS W b • . • • DEA L ERS ,. ATTENTION· I F YOU A RE HAVING DIFFICUL TY FINDING • • ·DKWISACHS~ • MOTORCYCLE PARTS • • • YOU CAN NOW ORDE R DIR ECT (DEALERS ONLY) • • HERCULES DIST . LT D. 982 7 ~ •••••• Mason Ave., Chatsworth, C rJl. 91311 • Phone (213) 882·8272 ....... p ..... n t. MOTORCYCLE KNOBBY 213-693-9608 K·B . 9~;ING Ave . oaKdale . Ja\~~6' SPEC\AL loneer . Frames 209-847·2572 Shocks Hand Washable _ ~'"ri • Swing Arms Wheels • ~ :~ Othman Distributing Co; Bo x 356 San Luis Obsipo, CA 93406 (805) 544-6181 Co mpare • Riding • Racing • Street GLOVES Dealer Inquiries Invited ie, yea our pricesl! 19721 Beach Blvd. Huntington Beach, CA 714-556-7555 Back on the bike and now some downhill to your first stream crossing, about ten feet wide and one foot deep. Remember this has been a dry year, with a good wet one these streams could dampen your posterior just a bit. A half mile beyond is the remains of Salty Peterson's mill. It was Sa lty who constructed this road in 1942 . The mill was used to test tungsten are from the nearby mines, but there was very little production. After the mill another rocky uphill run and after about 1.5 miles a fork appears. Turn left, go down the hill and cross the creek again. It is now fairly level within a mile a cowboy's line shack will be seen on the left side. This is on private property, so I would stay on the main road . At 14.3 miles from the start an airstrip on the right seems to pop up from nowhere. This strip with one hanger was built by the Department of Defense in 1968 to test high altitude characteristics of helicopters and aircraft . it is used only in the summer months , but it was closed on both of our trips . The elevation at this point is approximately 10,000 feet , and it's known as Coyote Flat. As I mentioned earlier the weather was not good and since about 9000 feet it had started to rain. When we stopped to take a picture of the airstrip it suddenly got very cold and started to snow. Not being fully prepared for this type of riding we decided to turn back. It can and has snowed many feet in a very short time in the Sierras. I lea rn ed later the weather deteriorated so much that it would have been called a bad winter da y in Buggywhip, Montana. on the way out the rain followed us all the way down to 6000 feet . This made the rocks (and there are plenty of them) mighty slick . If the conditions are good you can continue another five miles across Sanger Meadow , cross Cow Creek and then you come to a cattle gate. A short hop and you come to a fork, go right. The left goes down into Baker Creek Canyon and deadends. After the right turn and one mile of very bad rocks you will reach the end of the road. There is a forest service outhouse here so you should have no trouble kn owing ~hen you get to the end. . Under good conditions this is a ride everyone should take. The riding possibilities here and in the Bishop area are endless. There are roads that can take you through just about every kind of terrain you'lI want, with superb scenery, and on most roads the traffic is almost nonexistant. After your lunch or break you must return by the same route. There are some other roads and faint trails but do not ta ke them as most will deadend and some will turn into hiking or stock trails. With the problems we have in some areas already, you and I know that hiking and stock trails are no place for motorcycles. Have a good ride and maybe I'll see you there next year as .I'm going back to see what's down that other road or over that other rise. •