The Palms to Pines Highway is just what the name would indicate. It?s a climb and descent through a wide spectrum of environments. Photos by the author.

Gassing up in the already-toasty Palm Desert morning sun, it is hard to imagine that I will be riding in the cool, tall pines in less than an hour, and visions of serpentine hairpins dance inside my steaming Shoei. The rapid elevation change on the famous (some would say infamous) California State Route 74 is a major part of its appeal to motorcyclists.

Route 74 is the stuff of motorcycling lore. This is not the Tail of the Dragon; it?s the whole mythological creature. The dragon?s head breathes fire into the Coachella Valley. Its claws cling resolutely to the rugged cliffs above the desert. Its wings spread into the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto mountains, and its coiled tail cascades down the Santa Ana Mountains to dip in the cool waters of the Pacific. OK, enough metaphor, let?s get this ride started.
California Route 74 snakes from Palm Desert to the Pacific Ocean. Map of the route taken by Bill Tipton/compartmaps.com.

Palms to Pines

Yes, summer is hot in the Coachella Valley desert. The upside to spending time in the upscale town of Palm Desert in the dog days is that as the mercury rises, the resort prices plummet. I am fresh off a great night?s sleep in an air-conditioned suite that cost me a fraction of what it would have in the winter. I?ve chosen Palm Desert as my staging point since it is the true gat...