I was out the door at 6:15 Sunday morning. It was almost chilly.
I decided to do the Samoeng loop starting at the Hang Dong side. Man, there are some slippery bits on the first section. I never see anything on the road, but always manage to slide the back end a time or two. Wakes me right up. The pavement dropping into the Samoeng valley is getting pretty funky. The road seems to be getting narrower and narrower. As I come up to the three way intersection, with the police box, the cop looks me over pretty good. My 1000cc V twin is a touch LOUD. I suspect he could hear me coming for quite a ways. [}
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A quick right at the intersection, and I’m blasting up the mountain. This is my favorite section.[
] The pavement on this stretch is in much better shape. The sala appears on the left in no time. I pull off and relax a few minutes, taking some shots of the beast. Before long, I’m thundering on up the hill. This is really my kind of road. It reminds me a lot of the roads in the San Francisco area that I learned on; Mt. Tamalpias, Skyline Blvd, Highway 1.
As I am getting towards the end of the loop, I start thinking about the boring ride home. Mae Sa Falls is on the right. I pull a quick U-turn, and am heading back the way I came. I pass the cop box again, and he is still staring at me. I gave him a nod, and powered up the hill. Before long I have reached the ridiculous switch backs of Krisada Doi pass. It takes first gear, and some slipping of the clutch to manage them. Wonder who thought those up.
Getting towards the end of the run, my butt is starting to ache. I pull off for a cup of coffee at a roadside café. Sipping my brew and feeling the adrenaline subside, I start to wonder once again – why am I the only one out here?? I feel so lucky to live in Chiang Mai, and have rides like this just minutes away. I saw one mid size dual purpose bike going the other way; that was it. I don’t get it. [?]
