Death Valley '09

[salty_monk]

My friend went on the tour & said it was actually pretty interesting....

[daveo]

My friend went on the tour & said it was actually pretty interesting....

Don't get me wrong, I'm sure it's plenty interesting, I'm just a cheap bastage....and $20 there, is like a whole gallon of gas ....I got some awesome shots of the parking lot though!

[highmileage]

Those are some great shots, except that it looks cold and snowy.

When I was there, I was riding shirtless, helmetless (oops - can't do that in CA no more) and, well, you get the picture.

Love to check out natural hotsprings...

Speaking of which, have you ever been to Big Bend National Park in Texas? Nice hotsprings...

Those Urals look so much like old BMW's. I guess you can probably use a nail for an ignition key, too!

[renobruce]

Those Urals look so much like old BMW's. I guess you can probably use a nail for an ignition key, too!

Daveo's Ural is cool! And boy, can he ride it! He brought it to our 1st Annual Western States GSR rally. When we were doing the twisty trek up to Virginia City, he was leading the pack....and he was flying! Hangin' off that thing like nobody's business.

And when we went down to Washoe Lake to take our individual shots of us on our bikes going around a nice curve, Daveo had no problem with that, either!!




Sounds like a fun trip, Dave. I hope to have my Husky ready for the trip next year. I'd love to go! My mom lives in Lone Pine.

[daveo]

-snip-
Sounds like a fun trip, Dave. I hope to have my Husky ready for the trip next year. I'd love to go! My mom lives in Lone Pine.

Shucks Bruce, Lone Pine is like only a 1/2 hop away.... ...think how Happy Mom would be!!! BTW, This trip IS next year! The Husky will be awesome!!

[daveo]

Here's a link to this years Death Valley ride report by Mr. Cob, I was a week late 'cuz I needed a quick engine rebuild, finally made it though

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=432636

[renobruce]

Here's a link to this years Death Valley ride report by Mr. Cob, I was a week late 'cuz I needed a quick engine rebuild, finally made it though

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=432636

Look like you had a blast, Dave. As always, I'm jealous of your adventures. Maybe one day I'll be able to join you.

[KEITH KRAUSE]

Thanks so much for the link!
I really envy you guys who have the same interests and go out and live them. Maybe some day I'll have the chance to get involved with you guys. I absolutely love bikes (motors or not) and the desert. I'm sure you know the feeling.
I didn't check out every page of the link but there's some great places you visited. Where the heck is that house with the swimming pool?
I've always wanted to go see Barker ranch too but haven't gotten around to it. Last I heard the law was checking that area for possible graves related to the Manson family. I didn't think anyone would be allowed in.
I enjoyed seeing the ride up Echo canyon to see the old mining camp. That brings back memories. As you know, I like to ride my mountain bike around DV. Echo was quite a challenge mainly because it was much warmer than I thought it would be that day and much of the ride was gravel that was sometimes impossible to pedal through. Really wore me out. I made it though.
I've been up to Chloride City. Ever been there? I'm not sure I went the best route as the "road" was basically non-existent in some stretches except for a spot of oil here or there or a scratched boulder to suggest you were still on it.
My problem is that I'm limited to what my conditioning is. I can't get out and ride enough during the year to do the longer rides I'd like. I'd like to do Cottonwood canyon but 20 miles one way (plus a 2 mile hike) is asking for trouble. I have to keep in mind I'm by myself. I'd also like to try the Racetrack someday but that's even further, though I believe it's a hard road (better for pedalling) and basically level?? How do the Urals handle the washboards?
Ever been to Aguerreberry Point or Skidoo? There's a great mill still in decent shape at Skidoo but you have to know where it is (just over a small hill).
As long as the weather reports are good, I'm going out the week of March 16th. I plan to see the ghost town site of Furnace. Actually, there are scant remains of 3 towns out there but I forget the names of the other 2 as I sit here. One is Green Valley I think? The road begins off of the paved road to Dantes View. I have no idea of the road condition but I hope to make it as it's within 10 miles one way. I'm then going to go see Echo Canyon again the next day. Last time I was too tired to check out the other remains that are supposed to be just a little up the road from the main mining camp. Maybe I'll make it this time. Not sure where I'll go the next day. Most of the places I've yet to see are much longer rides I'm not sure I should try. I'd like to see the Dayton/Harris grave sites but those are WAY out there. I'd like to ride Titus canyon. I've been there many times but never on a bike. I think I could handle it because there's a gradual drop. But I can't arrange it alone.
Any suggestions for riding would be appreciated. Have you gone to Cottonwood canyon?? What kind of road is it? I know the first 8 miles is up an alluvial fan but I can't find info on the road once you drop into the wash for the remaining 10 miles. If it's basically hard stuff I might try it.
Thanks again for sharing!

[daveo]

Look like you had a blast, Dave. As always, I'm jealous of your adventures. Maybe one day I'll be able to join you.

Aww geeze Bruce, you're waaay too nice a guy to be jealous I really do hope you can join us sometime!! May be doing Moab and the White Rim Trail in April, and then there's always the Sierras this summer...

[daveo]

Thanks so much for the link!
I really envy you guys who have the same interests and go out and live them. Maybe some day I'll have the chance to get involved with you guys. I absolutely love bikes (motors or not) and the desert. I'm sure you know the feeling.
I didn't check out every page of the link but there's some great places you visited. Where the heck is that house with the swimming pool?
I've always wanted to go see Barker ranch too but haven't gotten around to it. Last I heard the law was checking that area for possible graves related to the Manson family. I didn't think anyone would be allowed in.
I enjoyed seeing the ride up Echo canyon to see the old mining camp. That brings back memories. As you know, I like to ride my mountain bike around DV. Echo was quite a challenge mainly because it was much warmer than I thought it would be that day and much of the ride was gravel that was sometimes impossible to pedal through. Really wore me out. I made it though.
I've been up to Chloride City. Ever been there? I'm not sure I went the best route as the "road" was basically non-existent in some stretches except for a spot of oil here or there or a scratched boulder to suggest you were still on it.
My problem is that I'm limited to what my conditioning is. I can't get out and ride enough during the year to do the longer rides I'd like. I'd like to do Cottonwood canyon but 20 miles one way (plus a 2 mile hike) is asking for trouble. I have to keep in mind I'm by myself. I'd also like to try the Racetrack someday but that's even further, though I believe it's a hard road (better for pedalling) and basically level?? How do the Urals handle the washboards?
Ever been to Aguerreberry Point or Skidoo? There's a great mill still in decent shape at Skidoo but you have to know where it is (just over a small hill).
As long as the weather reports are good, I'm going out the week of March 16th. I plan to see the ghost town site of Furnace. Actually, there are scant remains of 3 towns out there but I forget the names of the other 2 as I sit here. One is Green Valley I think? The road begins off of the paved road to Dantes View. I have no idea of the road condition but I hope to make it as it's within 10 miles one way. I'm then going to go see Echo Canyon again the next day. Last time I was too tired to check out the other remains that are supposed to be just a little up the road from the main mining camp. Maybe I'll make it this time. Not sure where I'll go the next day. Most of the places I've yet to see are much longer rides I'm not sure I should try. I'd like to see the Dayton/Harris grave sites but those are WAY out there. I'd like to ride Titus canyon. I've been there many times but never on a bike. I think I could handle it because there's a gradual drop. But I can't arrange it alone.
Any suggestions for riding would be appreciated. Have you gone to Cottonwood canyon?? What kind of road is it? I know the first 8 miles is up an alluvial fan but I can't find info on the road once you drop into the wash for the remaining 10 miles. If it's basically hard stuff I might try it.
Thanks again for sharing!

Sorry Keith, I just accidently hit the back button and lost my whole friggin' post..... f@ck!!!! I'll try again when I get done hitting my head against a wall, long story short though, I've been to all the places you listed, (we usually get in about 2,000 off-road miles in 2 wks.) don't know what to recommend as we travel with engines and I don't want to steer you wrong, especially if you're traveling alone, everywhere there has something interesting to see though ....The pool is at Warm Springs Talc Mine, Up the Warm Sprgs. Cyn. road, off the West Side road, east side of the Panamints, on the way up to Mengel Pass, the Barker Ranch and Goler Wash....I've ridden Cottonwood Cyn. West to East, from Saline Valley, over Grapevine Pass and Hunter Mtn. Pass, Crankshaft Crossing.....the west end would be tough and I wouldn't recommend doing it alone, ....just sayin' , I've got to give you Mad Props for even thinking of doing any of this stuff on a bicycle!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ws1f62z-DJM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_TUjKlgHKM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4TRYEaTzU0

[KEITH KRAUSE]

Thanks.
With all the "adjustments" you guys have to make, how can you manage 2,000 miles in 2 weeks? You guys look like you're having a blast though.
If I joined you someday, can I ride whatever? I haven't ridden the dirt for a million years.
As for Cottonwood canyon, do you remember the road at all? Was it hard or gravel? From what I've read it's basically a level ride except for the gradual climb up the alluvial fan to enter the wash.
Speaking of crankshaft junction, I imagine you've seen the Eureka sand dunes? I ran down those things, full speed, and sure enough the sand actually "booms" if your feet hit it hard enough.
You're not the first to suggest I may be a little mad to ride around these places on a bike. I get some surprised looks when people meet me on the road. They simply don't believe it. Actually, there are some riders out there that do things that make my little excursions look like warm ups.

[daveo]

Howdy Keith! As for making 'adjustments', some yrs. are better than others, but even in the worst yrs,. like when I broke the hack frame in 2 places, and had to disassemble it and take it to Beatty to get welded, it only took a day to get everything sorted and back together...this year Don had a ring break, that took a few hours to replace. One year, the other Dave holed a piston, again, a few hrs to replace....We've been lucky, we didn't lose much time overall. This year I didn't break anything, but was waaay late due to having to rebuild the engine before I could leave home, I was in DV for 8 days this yr., 2 re-cuperating from the push to get there, and 6 riding, ...got in about 900 miles of riding.

The Cottonwood Cyn trail.... I recognize the route on the map, and know I've ridden it, but, don't remember the particulars enough to advise competently. IIRC We entered around Jackass Springs, Hunter Mtn. area, and rode it into Stovepipe Wells..It was 'high-clearance 4x4 only' gravel and unimproved, it looks from my maps like the alluvial fan part would have been the easier part...but my frame of reference is way different than yours ...looks like a long ass ride, to basically even farther into the middle of nowhere....especially on a bicycle. I don't know how level it could be, since Stovepipe Wells is around sea level and the Hunter Mtn. area is around 7300' ASL. Where were you planning on ending up at? ....or are you looping back to Stovepipe?

Crankshaft Crossing



Eureka Dunes



If you want to join us anytime for any part(s), Welcome Aboard! ...With whatever you're riding! We can't keep up with a 2 wheeler on good/hard-road stuff or washboard (it's the worst for us), the Urals shine when it gets technically nasty (but not quite 'Trials Riders Only' nasty) ...... The only problem is enough gas for the long rides...there is no longer gas at Scotty's Castle, so the closest fill-ups are Furnace Creek, Stovepipe Wells or Panamint Springs. Fully loaded, I carry 10 gallons gas, food/water/gear, and usually a passenger of some sort. Never have run out of gas, and usually have a couple or three gallons left, so between us there's probably enough for an extra fill up, if someone is to need one...this really only applies for the ride up Saline Valley to the upper Hot Springs however, ...that's where the weather, snow, and road/pass closures, must decide the routing, and fuel consumption.

Sorry, I don't remember Cottonwood Cyn better....if I only knew there was going to a test!

My thinking you're 'mad',(I'm sure you're not really, I appreciate your Spirit!) and it's not like I should be one to talk.... is from the fact that you do this alone... a broken leg from a wad-up, somewhere that no-one else is likely to travel for days, could Easily be fatal....I'm sure it's very difficult to carry enough water if it gets hot and you become incapacitated, but then again, I don't 'Know' a whole lot....

..........just sayin'

[KEITH KRAUSE]

Thanks for the reply and that Crankcase junction pic. I like that place.
If I tried Cottonwood I would head straight out from Stovepipe. I'm thinking instead to go see Chloride City and the cliffs again, but this time I'll take the longer but easier (I think) road that starts just outside the park boundary, towards Beatty. Maybe this time I'll find that gravesite of James McKay.
Then I'm going to Greenwater and Furnace sites. Then I hope to tackle Echo Canyon again and then.....ouch, my legs are cramping already!