The last time I went over Tioga Pass was at 3:00am with a nasty early winter storm blowing in. Riding two up after we got our tent stowed in what felt like 40 - 50 mph winds at a camping spot somewhere around Lee Vining, we chugged up the pass. Slowly down shifting the farther we went. Rocks were all over the road from slides already and at every turn we nearly got blown off the road. Several times we got stopped completely with head winds and I was down to first gear running wide open. And I do mean completely stopped but then took off again. The guard at the shack for the entrance to Yosemite looked up and just waved us through with the widest eyes I think I ever seen a man have.
We stopped at that lake shortly after the shack. The temperature felt like it had dropped 60º.
And wind still howling. No problem at all seeing your breath. COLD! We both kept our hands on the exhaust pipes trying to get warm before moving on. We stopped somewhere after leaving Yosemite to get breakfast. Everyone was talking about the pass being closed. One customer was a ranger and said some fools were the last ones through before closing it because it was too dangerous. He had been talking to that ranger at the shack and was on his way to bring him back too. He laughed when we said I think it was us unless there was more that came through. There wasn't. Just two fools at that time of the morning.
I took him outside to show him the hand grips where I'd had a death grip.
Perfect finger spots that were never there before and they were still there a year later when I sold that bike. And they were some hard rubber of some kind but finger indentations were very prominent. That was one nasty trip up that pass. Several times I just knew we were going over the edge. From far inside to far outside in an instant from a gust. Don't think I've ever been as scared before or since. All I know is our guardian angels were watching out for us because I know it wasn't my superb riding skills.:Angel: Yup, two up on a stock 85 Electra Glide. I don't recommend doing that to anyone by the way. Anyone with a lick of sense would just get a motel room and waited it out. I was too smart for that.
