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Death Valley Sampler Ride - Saturday 3/28 - it's in the books

CaffeineMan

CaffeineMan

In the shadow of the Valley of Death
Guest
Death Valley Ride on Saturday 3/28.

Weather:  Kind of hot.  98 degrees at Furnace Creek.  10 degrees cooler in Pahrump and in the passes.

Meet at Shoshone at 10AM.

Route:
- Into Death Valley via CA-178 and Badwater Rd.
- North on Badwater Rd., through Badwater to Artist's Drive.
- Loop around Artist's Drive back to Badwater Rd.
- North to Furnace Creek.  Stop there if we haven't already.
- Back East on CA-190 to Dante's View Rd. and up to Dante's View.
- Back down to CA-190 and West on CA-190 through Furnace Creek and up to the Beatty Cutoff.
- North on the Beatty Cutoff to Daylight Pass Rd, East to Beatty.
- Split up at that point, possibly, depending on what people want to do.

Lunch is TBD.  If we can last until Beatty, KC's Outpost is cheaper, better, less crowded, and less time-consuming for those headed over to Lone Pine than Furnace Creek, which is the other option.

Anyone coming up CA-127 from Baker will have to contend with the start of the Baker-to-Vegas footrace at 9AM.  Getting through the start line may be difficult, so here is my plan for the Shoshone meeting:

10AM meeting time.
- I will wait until 11AM and then will take off on the above route.
- I'll stop for lunch at Furnace Creek.
- I will hit up Dante's View
- I'll head to Beatty to KC's Outpost and stop for an ice tea.

If nobody's caught up by then, I'll head on home and hope y'all had some good riding!
 
Working on getting a group up there Mr Caffeine Man! Looks like lodging is still a problem.....We will figure it out!

This would be the weekend before Easter.

The plan is to come up Saturday morning meet in Shoshone by 10am, ride the great Death Valley, stay overnight and head home Sunday on some fun route. Those that would like to join us, we will be coming out of Southern California! The more the merrier! Please PM me or Mr CM.

:motonoises:    :great:
 
Rusty said:
Working on getting a group up there Mr Caffeine Man! Looks like lodging is still a problem.....We will figure it out!

This would be the weekend before Easter.

The plan is to come up Saturday morning meet in Shoshone by 10am, ride the great Death Valley, stay overnight and head home Sunday on some fun route. Those that would like to join us, we will be coming out of Southern California! The more the merrier! Please PM me or Mr CM.

:motonoises:    :great:
Click to expand...

:great:
 
It's possible that the rooms are difficult to find because that is the weekend of the Baker to Vegas charity foot race.  It runs through Shoshone and Pahrump.  8000 runners...

There will be delays on the road from baker to Shoshone. 
 
Hi CM ...just read about it. Well we'll see what the interest is and figure it out.

I am going to check a few places right now for any rooms in the DV area. If no luck what part of Las Vegas would be closest to DV?

Rusty    :motonoises:  :great:
 
Found some rooms at the Atomic Inn in Beatty for $69 a night for two doubles, looks ok. Nothing else in Beatty, in Pahrump or Amogrosa Valley. Suncoast or Santa Fe Station look nice for $111- $120 for the night for two Queen Beds that's about 38-42 miles from Pahrump. Any comments about these choices?

Rusty  :motonoises:  :great:

 
I don't know anything about the Atomic Inn (or anywhere else in Beatty, for that matter).

I actually don't know anything firsthand about the Santa Fe or Suncoast, but I think they'd be reasonable places to stay in terms of quality.  Suncoast is a better neighborhood, but Santa Fe is not bad.

Red Rock Station is the closest to Pahrump.  Suncoast is close to Pahrump as well.  You would get to both riding through Red Rock Canyon.

I think it just comes down to how you want to optimize it.  Logistics or comfort?

Which way to do you want to go home?  Through Death Valley to Olancha and down US-395?  Starting from Vegas that's 115 miles longer than starting in Beatty.  :eek:

But, the Vegas places are nicer, I'll bet.  How much better, alas, I don't know.

And how much riding do you want to do on Saturday, on top of your trip up?

Shoshone -> Badwater -> Furnace Creek -> Dante's View -> Beatty  is 170 miles.  Probably 4-5 hours with stops.  Stay in Beatty and you're done.

Beatty -> Santa Fe Station (closest to Beatty) is another 106 miles

You may not want to go through Pahrump at all, if you're not staying there.  It's a nicer ride to DV from Vegas through Pahrump, but it's not the fastest way if you're going back through Olancha.  Vegas->Beatty->DV->Olancha is faster by about 10 minutes.

However, if you're just going back to SoCal down I-15, might as well stay in Vegas.  Then it's just a quick (but not scenic) trip home.
 
Count me in Caffeine Man but with a slight twist.  After Beatty, I'm "truckin'...like the do-dah man" to Lone Pine and staying at the Historic Dow Hotel on Main Street.  The digs are rated 7.7 out of 10.  Total room cost $77.28.

We've stayed at some great historic hotels including The Palace Hotel in Silver City, New Mexico and the La Posada Hotel in Winslow Arizona...right across the street from a corner made famous in an Eagle's song "it's a girl my lord in a flat-bed Ford slowing down to take a look at me".

Historic hotels generally fall into one of two categories, nice, well maintained but dated to the period with period ambiance, or well let's just say, cockroach corals where you bring your own saddle and hang on for the 8 second ride.

Either way, "you pays your money and you take's your chances".


Bert 

 
BertL said:
Count me in Caffeine Man but with a slight twist.  After Beatty, I'm "truckin'...like the do-dah man" to Lone Pine and staying at the Historic Dow Hotel on Main Street.  The digs are rated 7.7 out of 10.  Total room cost $77.28.

We've stayed at some great historic hotels including The Palace Hotel in Silver City, New Mexico and the La Posada Hotel in Winslow Arizona...right across the street from a corner made famous in an Eagle's song "it's a girl my lord in a flat-bed Ford slowing down to take a look at me".

Historic hotels generally fall into one of two categories, nice, well maintained but dated to the period with period ambiance, or well let's just say, cockroach corals where you bring your own saddle and hang on for the 8 second ride.

Either way, "you pays your money and you take's your chances".


Bert 

Hi Bert, Maybe our group will join you on the ride to Lone Pine from Death Valley. Is it about 2-3 hours from Beatty to Lone Pine? I know most of way is scenic and I love Lone Pine. I will check on rooms there also.
Our group will be putting on the miles if we go there, but it may not be to much further than driving to Las Vegas for the night.

Russ

:motonoises:  :great:
Click to expand...
 
Rusty said:
BertL said:
Count me in Caffeine Man but with a slight twist.  After Beatty, I'm "truckin'...like the do-dah man" to Lone Pine and staying at the Historic Dow Hotel on Main Street.  The digs are rated 7.7 out of 10.  Total room cost $77.28.

We've stayed at some great historic hotels including The Palace Hotel in Silver City, New Mexico and the La Posada Hotel in Winslow Arizona...right across the street from a corner made famous in an Eagle's song "it's a girl my lord in a flat-bed Ford slowing down to take a look at me".

Historic hotels generally fall into one of two categories, nice, well maintained but dated to the period with period ambiance, or well let's just say, cockroach corals where you bring your own saddle and hang on for the 8 second ride.

Either way, "you pays your money and you take's your chances".


Bert 

Hi Bert, Maybe our group will join you on the ride to Lone Pine from Death Valley. Is it about 2-3 hours from Beatty to Lone Pine? I know most of way is scenic and I love Lone Pine. I will check on rooms there also.
Our group will be putting on the miles if we go there, but it may not be to much further than driving to Las Vegas for the night.

Russ

:motonoises:  :great:
Click to expand...

Russ, time wise from Beatty it's the same to Vegas, if you choose Lone Pine as your Sat. overnighter you can head back on 395 and pick up 15 near Hisparia.

Also check out Booking.com if you're interested in the Historic Dow Hotel.

Bert
Click to expand...
 
According to Google maps:

Lone Pine is 2 hours 10 minutes from Beatty.

Vegas (Santa Fe Station) is 1 hour 30 minutes from Beatty.
 
Bump.

See the original post for more details on the tentative plan, plus backup plan in case of delays by the start of the Baker-to-Vegas footrace.

Weather will be kind of hot.  98 degrees at furnace creek.  86 in Pahrump and probably at higher elevations
 
The run from Death Valley or BT to Lone Pine is great.But if you think that's going to take you two and ten min. everybody's going to be passing you.
 
DGOLD said:
The run from Death Valley or BT to Lone Pine is great.But if you think that's going to take you two and ten min. everybody's going to be passing you.
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's why I said "according to Google maps…"

It's actually 114 miles from Beatty to Lone Pine.  The limiting factor is basically traffic, of which there seems to be a fair amount during the spring.  It's pretty easy to get stuck behind RV's in the twisty 2 lane stuff.  That's also assuming you run the speed limit.
 
I plan on coming up 127 from Baker.  The B to V foot race will begin the same day in Renoville looks like the first runners start at 9:00 AM.  I'm planning to clear the start line before 8:30.

Question, how much congestion should I expect running from Baker up the the start line?  Anyone know, anyone been part of this foolishness?

Bert
 
No experience with the start line, but the website is here:

http://bakervegas.net

The rule book makes mention of closing alternate lanes between the staging area and the start line but no idea how long and and when.

Maybe call the county sheriffs office?
 
To quote Tower of Power:  "Bump de bump de bump!"  ;D

OK, we've got Bert and at least one non-COG friend of mine.  Still holding out a little hope for some SoCal guys…

:motonoises:
 
CaffeineMan said:
To quote Tower of Power:  "Bump de bump de bump!"  ;D

OK, we've got Bert and at least one non-COG friend of mine.  Still holding out a little hope for some SoCal guys…

:motonoises:
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. See you at 10:00 in Shoshoe

Bert
 
See ya there Bert.  Looks like me, a passenger, and a friend.  Look for a blue 01 Connie and a BMW GS1200.
 
KnoxSwift said:
It's going to be HOT out there. Ride safe!  :great:
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What?  So far it's only 52 degrees in Pahrump!  ;D

Seriously, we will.

Although being from the Northeast, I never realized what the temperature swings in the desert were like.  30-degree swing today for me.  Probably a 40-degree swing or more for Bert, since he had to start earlier.
 
Yeah desert and mountains...We went from 32 degrees to 72 yesterday.  It was supposed to hit 90's in the deserts? The flowers are ALL out though, you should have a great ride.
 
I'm calling this ride the Death Valley Sampler.  ;D

Met Bert at Shoshone and hit up:

- Badwater
- Artist's Palette
- Dante's View
- Furnace Creek (lunch)
- Across the valley and up to Townes Pass in the Panamint range.

We split up there, with Bert heading for Lone Pine, and my friends and I back across DV to Pahrump.  It was a great ride.  Some flowers surviving on the valley floor, but more have come out at altitude in the passes.

Temps in DV were 101, according to my friend's thermometer.

My mileage was around 300.  I'm sure Bert's was well over 400.

I'll post up some pics later.  Hopefully Bert will too, when he gets back home.
 
Looking East, away from Death Valley, at Dante's view.  My C-10, my friend's GS1200, Bert's C-14.  The far snow-capped peak is Mt. Charleston.

 

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From Dante's View - looking out across Death Valley.  Dante's view is around 5000 feet up from the valley, directly above Badwater.

Bert, and my friend J who shall remain nameless at her request…

 

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:great:
Thanks for posting, Brian. I was going to ask how many showed up. Still sounds like a good ride. Can't wait to get in the area.

Bob
 
:-\  Great ride Brian, great company.  Logged 770 miles got home about 5:00 PM.  After parting company at Townes Pass the ride to Long Pine was also fun, it puts a smile on your face when you begin the uphill climb past Panamint Springs.

The digs in Lone Pine where nice, true to the period, and can recommend the Dow Historical Hotel.  There where a lot of high end adventure bikes in the parking lot when I pulled in.

Coming home the drop down to Panamint Springs was viciously wicked fun as there where no cars to contend with just some bikes going up.

Stopped at Stove Pipe Wells and Furnace Creek then followed our route into Bad Water, up Jubilee Canyon to Salisbury Pass.  Stopped at the top of the pass to take some photos including the flowers still in full blossom.  Also found a Beaver Tail Cactus in full blossom, brilliant red flowers -  tell J, I think she'd be interested.  I'll post pics along with a ride story as time allows.

Thanks again for the ride.  Please thank J and Jeff also.

Bert

 
Yes, it was 3 riders and 1 passenger, a great ride.  :great:

That's a lot of miles, Bert.  :-\

It was great riding with you.

Maybe I'll take your advice and turn it into an official event next spring.
 
CaffeineMan said:
Maybe I'll take your advice and turn it into an official event next spring.
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"BUILD IT AND THEY WILL COME".  Think of Saturday's ride as the first, unofficial, Death Valley Spring Event.  Cofounders Brian, "J", Jeff & Bert or B,J,J & B.  :motonoises:
Bert
 
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