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Last ride for me was Monday the 9th. I was at home in SE Santa Rosa and woke up to no cell service and smoke. We could see the flames in Fountain Grove. By midmorning it seemed like the air was clearing, so I thought I would ride to the winery and work for a few hours (just south of Healdsburg). I had heard 101 was closed and figured traffic would be hosed, so KLRing sounded sensible. On the way up I took 12 to Fulton road and was getting hit in the screen by cinders and visibility was variably 2 to 5 blocks. I hadn't heard how much of Santa Rosa west of 101 was burning. No power, so no traffic lights, so 90% of the drivers were too confused to do anything. I got there and sent my pregnant wife a text saying I was there (we'd found a corner of my son's bedroom that had enough service to text). I got to it and only realized an hour and a half later that that message had not been sent. I shut everything down and bolted for home. I had gotten lost in that normal little moment, but now was wondering if the fire had turned and was burning my house and/or family. I took the same route home, and traffic was somehow worse. I was on the right shoulder passing dozens of cars. At around Piner I passed a typical Layer Dan, wide Harley, wide fairing, wide ape hangers, wide lady on the back, brain bucket helmet, and a handkerchief over his mouth. For whatever reason he is sitting in the normal lane rapping off his engine and struggling to keep it upright. I passed him too, but I guess that offended him because he pulled out and rode my rear wheel all the way to Guerneville Road. The southbound lane splits but right before it does there's a weird pinch thing and a brodozer was trying to get around a fifth wheel camper blocking all the way to the guard rail. I am track standing looking for a way through and the camper moved forward just enough to swerve through, and I lane split up to the light, and looked back to see him trying to shuffle that pig through the same gap I barely made it through. I laughed the rest of the way home. We packed up and stayed with friends in Sebastopol for a while, it was a hosed up week but we're totally fine now. Laughing to myself at ol'Layer Dan trying not to scratch a lifted Chevy or a massive camper with his stupid tasseled bars helped a lot.
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Oct 23, 2017 07:00
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| # ¿ Apr 28, 2024 13:12 |
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