Don't ride through Death Valley solo

[EnderTheX]

Originally Posted by DesertSurfer

The view down into the valley below is breathtaking. The valley floor was covered with a bright green desert weed from the recent rains. From a distance the sun's reflections made it appear to be a green lake.

Amazing picture!!! This really makes me want to be out there, I love extreme remote areas!

[The Badger]

Very nice report......thanks.

[Baygecko]

Looks like you timed it perfect for that rare bloom. Great shots.
Sometimes we have to ride alone, because you can't get anyone to go with you. But be careful on that big heavy bike. It's easy to get a leg stuck under one.

[BusyWeb]

Thread title tells me Go Solo to Death Valley... ha ha ha
Thanks for the sharing.

[ruedaloca]

great roads and excellent ADV landscapes there !! ...BTW, the pics looks like you scanned them from an old magazine !... did you really take that trip ??? ...

[RTLover]

Hey DesertSurfer, nice report. Love the desert anytime of the year, especially after the rains, but she can be unmerciful. I'm sure you have logged a few hints for next time, maybe a SPOT, for example.

Now tell the truth. While you were on the trail didn't you think to yourself, 'This is gonna make a great RR' ? At the end of the day, better that your report be in the first person than in the third.

[DesertSurfer]

[QUOTE=Now tell the truth. While you were on the trail didn't you think to yourself, 'This is gonna make a great RR' ?[/QUOTE]

Actually, I was more concerned about making it through Mengal. Otherwise I wouldn't have had enough photos for even a short RR. Only joking about GS12's going through there. I see 12's making it in other RR's.

And sorry some of the photos looked grainy. Reducing them to low res for this site didn't help. These images looked so much better hi res.

Thanks for the kind words.

[Repsol950]

Hi
I see great photos, and your bike looks good, but very difficult path,much more sun than in Norway
but the principle is the same, enjoy in life.Greetings from Norway

[bajaburro]

no spare tubes or tire irons?two cans of flat fix?

[terryjj1]

WOW!...WOW...and more WOW!...this is what my bike is meant for..this is going to be my trip for 2015....excuse my ignorance...death valley.. Arizona right?......what type of specialty gear did you need to bring?......cactus, poisonous snakes, no water....so cool.....

[mikegc]

Originally Posted by terryjj1

WOW!...WOW...and more WOW!...this is what my bike is meant for..this is going to be my trip for 2015....excuse my ignorance...death valley.. Arizona right?......what type of specialty gear did you need to bring?......cactus, poisonous snakes, no water....so cool.....

It's in SE California, roughly 110 mile NE of Bakersfield. From Las Vegas, NV, it's about 80 miles to the west.

Mike

[terryjj1]

Originally Posted by mikegc

It's in SE California, roughly 110 mile NE of Bakersfield. From Las Vegas, NV, it's about 80 miles to the west.

Mike

Bakersfield.....Fear and Loathing......waves of paranoia.....yup...I'll have to start looking into this area......thanks..

[DesertSurfer]

Originally Posted by terryjj1

WOW!...WOW...and more WOW!...this is what my bike is meant for..this is going to be my trip for 2015....excuse my ignorance...death valley.. Arizona right?......what type of specialty gear did you need to bring?......cactus, poisonous snakes, no water....so cool.....

Hey Terryjj1,

I've evolved my adventure riding alot since I did this trip. I use soft luggage, bring way more tools, proper tire repair and more stuff that I never need. One great suggestion I've read about is to always carry confortable running shoes in the event of an irrepairable breakdown. And a portable solar blanket. Always over prep the bike before hand. Pack strategically... but the lighter the better.

Plan for less fuel economy then normal.

And drag along a friend if you can. You get more photos that way.

[terryjj1]

Originally Posted by DesertSurfer

Hey Terryjj1,

I've evolved my adventure riding alot since I did this trip. I use soft luggage, bring way more tools, proper tire repair and more stuff that I never need. One great suggestion I've read about is to always carry confortable running shoes in the event of an irrepairable breakdown. And a portable solar blanket. Always over prep the bike before hand. Pack strategically... but the lighter the better.

Plan for less fuel economy then normal.

And drag along a friend if you can. You get more photos that way.

Thanks for the info.....the running shoes make a lot of sense..would never have thought about that..I'm planning on a 2.5 day training session with RAWHYDE and a 2 day trip with them as well ino the mojave desert in September this year....this will help with seeing what the desert is really like....and of course what the riding is like too......I have extra gas can to carry but Death Valley looks extrememly remote...what did you do about fuel?

Terry

[totomoto]

This is the area where four German tourists died including 2 kids. They attempted to cross Mengel Pass in a Minivan (yes, Minivan) going west, realized it wouldn't be feasible, decided to turn around via Anvil Canyon, which used to be a connection to Warm Springs Road. They got stuck in Anvil Canyon and tried to walk out towards the south in the hope of getting to the China Lake Naval Weapon Station. Their remains were found 13 years later. A lengthy report about the circumstances and search can be found here:
http://www.otherhand.org/home-page/s...alley-germans/
It also includes detailed and fascinating descriptions of the landscape, topography, and the remoteness of this area. It clearly is a stark reminder about how unforgiving the desert can be and how a small mishap or a bad decision can quickly turn into the worst. So yes, don't go solo, bring appropriate equipment and experience, be prepared for being able to survive for a few days, and hope for the best.