Death Vallye Dual Sport

TommyboyTommyboy Registered Users Posts: 590 Major grins
edited March 16, 2007 in Journeys
My buddies and I headed over the Death Valley on the President's Day weekend for a long-postponed ride in the desert. We were primitive camping and facing possible inclement weather, so I just brought the P&S, my intrepid Canon S80.

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We didn't want to arrive all worn out, so this year we trucked the bikes rather than riding over (about 200 miles).

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Mapping out the ride on a topo-map at breakfast. The Panamint Springs Resort is a cool little restaurant/bar, but you need to leave 2 hours for their incredibly slow service.

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No telling how long this gem has been sitting out in the desert at Ballarat, but I do take note of the fact the air remains in the tires. . . .

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This was my first time checking out the enigmatic and highly improbable charcoal kilns, built by Chinese labor around the turn of the century.

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Death Vally charcoal kilns.

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Joe, Myram, and Jerry checking out the kilns. I guess Jerry thought one might collapse and so kept his helmet on.

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Kelly had a fairly spectacular crash on his KTM adventure the day before and busted out his tail light; however, like McGyver, he let's nothing stop him and in 30 minutes he fashioned a new tail light out of a bottle of Meyer's Miracle Oil, a pen-knife, and hundred-mile-an-hour tape.

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Took a beautiful ride on Sunday through Titus Canyon. Here Myram inventories his cigar stash.

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Titus Canyon

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Checked out more than a few abandoned mines.

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A group of friendly pedestrians snapped this photo of yours truly.

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There goes Kelly down Titus Canyon.

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Monday we emerged from our tents after three hours of torrential rain. What a mess.

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A river runs through it, it being my tent.

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It was a muddy mess, but not enough to dampen our spirits. We loaded up the trucks before it started raining again and headed home. Another great DV ride. Thanks for looking. If you're interested, the rest of the pictures are here.
"Press the shutter when you are sure of success." —Kim Jong-il

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Comments

  • dogwooddogwood Registered Users Posts: 2,572 Major grins
    edited February 28, 2007
    Very cool series. Though I'm not a motorcross type guy, I love Death Valley and your photo series is a lot of fun. Well-- except for the mud puddles in the tent! Thanks for sharing!

    Portland, Oregon Photographer Pete Springer
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  • mjmmjm Registered Users Posts: 19 Big grins
    edited February 28, 2007
    sleeping in mud is real camping (at least that's what my girlfriend wants me to believe).

    great shots! makes me want to head out there.
  • DavidTODavidTO Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 19,160 Major grins
    edited February 28, 2007
    mjm wrote:
    sleeping in mud is real camping (at least that's what my girlfriend wants me to believe).

    great shots! makes me want to head out there.


    You need to get a new girlfriend! :D


    I was in DV the same weekend, but haven't had any time to even look at my pics yet. It was a great weekend to be there!
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  • jwearjwear Registered Users Posts: 8,013 Major grins
    edited February 28, 2007
    looks like a great trip clap.gif boy do I miss my dirt bike days :cry
    Jeff W

    “PHOTOGRAPHY IS THE ‘JAZZ’ FOR THE EYES…”

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  • ian408ian408 Administrators Posts: 21,938 moderator
    edited March 1, 2007
    Ba...whoops. We're not across the hall :D

    What a trip. I haven't been to the kilns in many years. But on the way to themm,
    on the right hand side, you should see a 4x4 sign that leads you to a remote
    campsite with a few of the valley. Spectacular view. Last time I was there,
    it was pretty darn cold but the view from the top was well worth it.
    Moderator Journeys/Sports/Big Picture :: Need some help with dgrin?
  • Tee WhyTee Why Registered Users Posts: 2,390 Major grins
    edited March 2, 2007
    looks like a fun trip.
    thanks for sharing.
  • pete wpete w Registered Users Posts: 386 Major grins
    edited March 7, 2007
    Tom, now thats fun
    Great tour thanks, can 4 wheel drive trucks also get down there? Looks like a great place to explore.

    Enjoyed the picsclap.gif
    Pete W
    Photographers deal in things which are continually vanishing and when they have vanished there is no contrivance on earth which can make them come back again.
    Henri Cartier Bresson

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  • TommyboyTommyboy Registered Users Posts: 590 Major grins
    edited March 12, 2007
    pete w wrote:
    Great tour thanks, can 4 wheel drive trucks also get down there? Looks like a great place to explore.

    Enjoyed the picsclap.gif

    Four-wheel vehicles can indeed get down Titus canyon. At this time, the road was very good. At other times, it is D E E P sand. Death Valley is so vast that there is room for everyone: drivers, riders, hikers, campers, etc. Be sure to check it out sometime.
    "Press the shutter when you are sure of success." —Kim Jong-il

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  • toberstobers Registered Users Posts: 180 Major grins
    edited March 16, 2007
    Great ride report and pics. You should post on Advrider too.
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