Death Valley '09

[daveo]

Howdy! The dates are set, 21 Jan.- 4 Feb. '09. We're mostly riding urals, but any and all makes are welcome, especially if hack'd! More particulars can be found here...

http://sovietsteeds.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=4727

[salty_monk]

Could be fun.... Dan

[chef1366]

Starts on my B-day!
Count me in!
We have to make the reservations?

[daveo]

Starts on my B-day!
Count me in!
We have to make the reservations?

Howdy Chef, You don't have to make reservations, but it helps, if you want to stay at the NPS campground at Furnace Creek.. http://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisi...servations.htm
There are a couple other campgrounds across the road, but we mostly stay at the NPS one...The first weekend, 23-25 Jan., is the ADVRider & BMWMOA 'Death Valley Daze' event and the NPS campground can get pretty full of riders, unless it is like last year and the passes get closed due to snow....most folks who ride in canceled due to the weather, but a few hardy souls did brave the snow and elements to ride there... I personally trailer in. Here's some ride reports my friend Dave (Mr. Cob) wrote up over the past few years..

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=310151

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=202761

[willycrash]

furnace creek...it was near there my bike ...well, the two gallons of gas on the back...started burning. Of course I didn't realise that till keeler

[highmileage]

I've been there. It gets pretty darn cold there during the winter. Those Russian bikes might feel at home...

I recommend waiting a bit. I spent the first two weeks of April there and it was heaven! There were two other guys there with bikes (a V-45 Interceptor and an XS eleven) and we had the whole valley pretty much to ourselves! We all camped there at Furnace Creek.

I especially loved the ride coming in to Death Valley from the west! Gorgeous scenery and changes in elevation...

First I rode from Maryland to Key West, then across the country to CA (after making a stop in Houston, a lengthy stop in Tucson, etc.), then down to the Mexican border, then back to the LA area (staying in Huntington Beach). Then I rode up to SF and Marin, over to Reno, down to Tahoe, and then to Death Valley.

I had a gf in Tucson back in those days.

By then I was all tanned. Then I rode back to LA, then back to Tucson, then to Santa Fe, up to Denver, across to Chicago, Columbus, then home.

That was 25 years ago (geez, I'm getting old)!

I did this on a V-45 Sabre. Here's a pic of the bike in Death Valley...

[daveo]

furnace creek...it was near there my bike ...well, the two gallons of gas on the back...started burning. Of course I didn't realise that till keeler

Howdy willycrash! that sure sounds like a story, care to share?

[daveo]

I've been there. It gets pretty darn cold there during the winter. Those Russian bikes might feel at home...

I recommend waiting a bit. I spent the first two weeks of April there and it was heaven! There were two other guys there with bikes (a V-45 Interceptor and an XS eleven) and we had the whole valley pretty much to ourselves! We all camped there at Furnace Creek.

I especially loved the ride coming in to Death Valley from the west! Gorgeous scenery and changes in elevation...

First I rode from Maryland to Key West, then across the country to CA (after making a stop in Houston, a lengthy stop in Tucson, etc.), then down to the Mexican border, then back to the LA area (staying in Huntington Beach). Then I rode up to SF and Marin, over to Reno, down to Tahoe, and then to Death Valley.

I had a gf in Tucson back in those days.

By then I was all tanned. Then I rode back to LA, then back to Tucson, then to Santa Fe, up to Denver, across to Chicago, Columbus, then home.

That was 25 years ago (geez, I'm getting old)!

I did this on a V-45 Sabre. Here's a pic of the bike in Death Valley...

Howdy Highmileage! Yea this year was pretty cold, all the passes in were closed with snow at one time or another ...but other years it's been in the 80s. Even this year there was a few nice 70-80 deg. days.We stay for a couple weeks every year, just to make the trip worthwhile and all.... The dates are kind of set around the ADVrider & DVDaze get together the weekend before the Superbowl every year...I personally don't give a sh1t about sports so we stay for the next weekend too ...Saline Valley has some awesome hot springs to camp at, it's just north of DV.. here's some ass't pics

from Saline Valley north to Crankshaft Crossing

[daveo]

some more pics

[daveo]

couldn't help it...some more

[daveo]

looking at the old pics is getting me jazzzed!

[daveo]

they don't call it adventure riding for nothing I guess

[scotty]

dont forget to go to scottys castle David

[daveo]

dont forget to go to scottys castle David

Thanks Dad I've never been inside the 'castle' itself, and for a $20-$25 admission, I may never see it, looks like a common McMansion from outside... the gas station there has been closed the past 2 years... ? I find Mother Nature's offerings are much more enticing

[scotty]

Thanks Dad I've never been inside the 'castle' itself, and for a $20-$25 admission, I may never see it, looks like a common McMansion from outside... the gas station there has been closed the past 2 years... ? I find Mother Nature's offerings are much more enticing

I went there 35 years ago and i paid about $3. The only thing i remember are the evaporator coolers built into each room like small water falls. They were all marble and fed by a spring located on top of a nearby hill.

I would never pay A crazy admission for any tourist trap either.

Watch the sudden winds that flare up in the night and have a great time Dave