Sonora
Pass, 2003 Home Map
Click on any picture for a larger view.
The climbing does not let up after the Gunsight but the sections of
10% grade that follow seem very manageable in comparison to the
kick-in-the-teeth
that preceded them.
We snaked our way up the valley below the granite splendor of
the high sierra.
Patrick and I each had a camera and we used 'em plenty.
We both like taking pictures
and there was no one along to get impatient with our snap-happy
antics.
What a place to take pictures! We had great light on a brilliantly
clear day. Here we approach the Golden Staircase, the last tough
pitch before we reach Sonora Pass.
Here's the gratuitous over-the-shoulder shot. Was Pat cutting zigzags
up the climb? Nah. He says this photo shows him putting his camera
back in its case.
Here I follow the curve of the road as it turns onto the Golden Staircase.
This part can prove very tough, but we got here early in the morning,
the temperature was cool and we both rode reservedly.
Patrick goes by the 9000 foot sign.
Timothy follows. The sign is not at the top of the Golden Staircase but
near to it. From here it's just a few miles to Sonora Pass.