[dave6253]

I get a cool pamphlet from the Rangers telling me "Heat Kills". Sure, You warn me after I'm here.





Panamint Valley



I make it to the US 395. I finally start seeing other motorcyclist out. I guess no one else planned a ride into Death Valley in July. I plan to pass Kennedy Meadows/Sherman Pass RD to get gas a couple miles down the road in Pearsonville. As I pass I swear I see only a gravel road. What!? I'm sure I've seen RRs here saying it was paved. I don't mind a few miles of gravel, but not a 40 mile mountain pass road. Not on this bike. At the gas station I ask a few locals about the Sherman Pass. No one seemed to know anything about it. I start planning to go around to the south adding more miles. I decided to go back up to the beginning of the road to see if there was information about the condition of the road. I was pleasantly surprised to see the road was actually a very light-colored paved road. Let's go have some fun!







I'll call this road "Stairway to Heaven" since it led me up out of the desert hell.



The desert ends abruptly. I'm in the Sierra Nevadas!














The road is pretty rustic for a paved road. Bumps, broken asphalt, sand, and gravel all conspire to keep my speed down. The twisties are tight, the trees big, and the views spectacular!











The Kern River





Day 1 will be continued... Much more to ride and see!