Death Valley DAZE 2013

[spafxer]

Originally Posted by almissoula

I'm trying to plan a route to see the racetrack and saline warm springs (2 separate days of riding). And checking this link: http://www.nps.gov/deva/upload/Morning-Report.pdf I'm a little puzzled.

When I see that Saline road is 'posted closed' that means the closure is only a suggestion, right? My bike is too heavy to pull under a gate ;)

Inyo County translation ......

Road = You Are
Closed = on your own !

Don't call us for help.... (unless it's your life, not just stuck out there, not your bike or property!)

South Pass is pretty rough right now... How big of bike ?

Hunter Mountain is icy, so you'll probably have to go up Lippencott if you want to get to the Racetrack too...

If you're based out of Panamint and a good rider you can do it no problem on the big bikes..

Good Luck.



.

[Lost Rider]

Originally Posted by almissoula

I'm trying to plan a route to see the racetrack and saline warm springs (2 separate days of riding). And checking this link: http://www.nps.gov/deva/upload/Morning-Report.pdf I'm a little puzzled.

When I see that Saline road is 'posted closed' that means the closure is only a suggestion, right? My bike is too heavy to pull under a gate ;)

Check out the DV roads thread for the latest info:

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showt...=833425&page=8




Saline Valley RD being "closed" is indeed a suggestion, though I passed a tow truck hauling a Camry there last week... the driver said it was a $2500 tow... be expensive to break down out there.
The SV road closed sign is actually not in the Park, if there's any road closures inside the park, like Titus canyon for example, you shouldn't ride on them as it's a very expensive ticket if caught.


SV

[Windrat]

Originally Posted by almissoula

I'm trying to plan a route to see the racetrack and saline warm springs (2 separate days of riding). And checking this link: http://www.nps.gov/deva/upload/Morning-Report.pdf I'm a little puzzled.

When I see that Saline road is 'posted closed' that means the closure is only a suggestion, right? My bike is too heavy to pull under a gate ;)

the race track is eazy to get to on the pig bike... going out the south pass could be hard if there is alot of ice and the
hot springs are a long ride from furnace creek... down lipincott on a pig is do'abull if you have lot's of skill's up is harder
I have done the big loop out to the hot springs from fc it's a very long day and there's little time to stop
I would not want to take a pig bike over steel pass
there are some great rides out of fc like titus westside road etc...

[1224R]

Finn awesome footage... Look forward to seeing ya!!!




QUOTE=Lost Rider;20487054]Not trying to say much really.... but I've dragged Nancy, a 125 pound girl who's first sat down on a bike 2 years ago through most of the rides in DV, most of them with her on a 450 pound thumper GS without knobbies. It's all in one's attitude, and for the lesser part one's commitment. She doesn't let off the throttle no matter what, sometimes scaring the shit out of me. "but darling you SAID to stay on the throttle", I say, "not when there's a 200 foot cliff"!

For the most part I encourage people to ride and explore solo. If you can't depend on yourself then who can you depend on... As long as you can pick up your bike or carry a EZ-pull, and carry a satellite device like a SPOT or DeLorme Inreach with a good plan made before your ride for check-ins, there's no reason not to explore DV on your own, the reality is you're not that far from help out there. Even if you can't hit your HELP button on a SPOT, your pre determined plan will unfold and one of the many local authorities WILL be to help you in short order once your family alerts them.
Nothing more satisfying than getting to and back from somewhere on your own IMO.

With that said, I should be at this event and will be happy to ride with anyone who's not so sure of themselves, I'm not going to hold someones hand, I'm not an off road instructor, go see Jimmy Lewis for that, but if I can help encourage a fellow rider to do something on their own, without my help, then I did my part in promoting our ADV ways. If Nancy can do it with some encouragement, then so should other people with the right attitude.

You can do it!

Here's a little video from our ride last week to get the juices flowing, complete with some naked time.





[/QUOTE]

[Lost Rider]

Originally Posted by 1224R

Finn awesome footage... Look forward to seeing ya!!!

Thanks, looking forward to seeing you too!

You got any better at that balance thing yet?

[1224R]

Originally Posted by Lost Rider

Thanks, looking forward to seeing you too!

You got any better at that balance thing yet?

Haaaa!! My Full Throttle Method Somtimes backfires We sure had a great time that weekend!!!!

The best was doing Cannell trail in the morning. In the rain first, then snow as we got higher, having a great time then getting back into town wet and muddy. Washing/drying all our clothes and getting back to camp to find a second group going out to do Cannell... I just remember all of us looking at each other and smiling and saying fuckit let's go again.. That was such a great day...

[almissoula]

Awesome footage and thanks for the heads up! The DV Road Report is great too thanks. I didn't think of time being an issue getting out there....my expectation was that time would magically stop when I put my first foot into warm water

Being that the weather calls for the 60's the road should be more fun than the spring. And Steel pass looks like a NO with the pig.

[CA Stu]

Originally Posted by Windrat

there are some great rides out of fc like titus westside road etc...

A nice ride on a big bike from the campground is to Dante's View, then on the way down head right on the dirt at Furnace Creek Wash Rd., take that to the end, left on the asphalt (178) to the T, right on the 127 to Shoshone. Stop for a beverage at The Crow Bar / the gas station, then head back north on the 127, west on 178 over Jubilee Pass, then hit West Side Rd (dirt). When that rejoins the asphalt, backtrack south on Badwater Rd. to the southern entrance to Artist's Drive (it's a one way loop), then when you rejoin Badwater Rd, head north back to camp.

I'd guess it's about 160 miles or so, with about 60-70 miles of fast graded dirt road. Be a nice leisurely ride on a big bike, plenty of places to stop and smell the roses on the way, too.

Edit: 151 miles according to Google Maps http://goo.gl/maps/1xqh9

Edit 2: Hit Artist Drive at sunset = awesome. Been to DV many many times, 2 weeks ago I hit Artist Drive at sunset for the first time. "Wow" doesn't do it justice.

[almissoula]

Originally Posted by CA Stu

A nice ride on a big bike from the campground is to Dante's View, then on the way down head right on the dirt at Furnace Creek Wash Rd., take that to the end, left on the asphalt (178) to the T, right on the 127 to Shoshone. Stop for a beverage at The Crow Bar / the gas station, then head back north on the 127, west on 178 over Jubilee Pass, then hit West Side Rd (dirt). When that rejoins the asphalt, backtrack south on Badwater Rd. to the southern entrance to Artist's Drive (it's a one way loop), then when you rejoin Badwater Rd, head north back to camp.

I'd guess it's about 160 miles or so, with about 60-70 miles of fast graded dirt road. Be a nice leisurely ride on a big bike, plenty of places to stop and smell the roses on the way, too.

Edit: 151 miles according to Google Maps http://goo.gl/maps/1xqh9

Edit 2: Hit Artist Drive at sunset = awesome. Been to DV many many times, 2 weeks ago I hit Artist Drive at sunset for the first time. "Wow" doesn't do it justice.

That sounds like a great ride, thanks mate. Think it's going to be Titus one day and your west side road route on the other full day down there. Good times

[Windrat]

looks like my rain dance is working

no dust

[almissoula]

Getting pumped for this ride! Thanks for the route planning, now all I need to do is update some playlists. There's even enough time to post some photos from my trip in April last year with MendoDave. We went thru DV all the way to Valley of Fire State Park...an awesome place to stop and smell the roses. I rode back solo and had enough time to snap some photos.

For the folks back in Beantown that thought I would never make it...


Messing with the locals:


my token Dante's View shot


Anyone ever ride in Lovell Canyon? This place rocks, on the other side of Blue Diamond outside Las Vegas.


Farther down that road..


Don't mean to tangent off DV, but only 100 paved miles away Lovell Canyon had TONS of dirt roads going in every direction. It was upon taking that picture when I said to myself, "When I get home Ima gonna sell this 1998 Nighthawk and get a proper dual sport..." ..and the sitcom continues...

One last thing I had to do was piss off this rattlesnake before heading back home.


Good times.

[CA Stu]

Originally Posted by almissoula

Anyone ever ride in Lovell Canyon? This place rocks, on the other side of Blue Diamond outside Las Vegas.


.

Every year. Up and over to Red Rock, the finish of the LA- Barstow - Vegas dual sport ride.

Lovell Canyon rules, but it's not Death Valley....

[almissoula]

Originally Posted by CA Stu

Every year. Up and over to Red Rock, the finish of the LA- Barstow - Vegas dual sport ride.

Lovell Canyon rules, but it's not Death Valley....

Yeah neither are those burros, that was taken inside some gentleman's club in Beatty.

I guess I didn't take too many photos in DV since it was really hot.

[SFMCjohn]

Originally Posted by almissoula

my token Dante's View shot

Hi almissoula,

Great pics!

Thanks for the heads-up regarding Lovell Canyon ... think I've been up in those mountains from the Pahrump side, will have to check it out from the Las Vegas side ...

Have fun next week, looking forward to the pics ... and it won't be hot, ha.

see you around the campfire,
-- SFMCjohn

[Windrat]

Dam now the forcast is mid 70's and no rain