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Death Valley 2023

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Ironhorse:
Not CVO related, but it is a ride report.

Last weekend I joined up with a GoldWing group to tour Death Valley National Park. It was a chilly 36 degrees when I left NorCal on Thursday.  I took the 99 south and stopped in Fresno, CA for lunch at a Mediterranean place and had a Gyro.  The owner told me he also had a Honda, an Africa Twin.  We chatted a bit.  I was surprised when he said lunch was on him! Then he gave me some Baklava for the road.  I spent the night in Bakersfield, CA.

The next morning, I shoved off and took the 58 west through Tehachapi.  It windy and cold and I had to split lanes for about 7 miles due to construction. I made it to the hotel in Beatty, Nevada where I met up with the other riders.

The next day it was kick stands up at 0900.  Our first stop in the park was at the Artists Pallet.  The rich ores and minerals create dazzling colors along the landscape that change with the sun. Then we rode down to Bad Water Basin. At 290 feet below sea level, it claims to be the lowest spot on the North American Continent. It’s called Bad Water as all the mineral and run off deposits make the water unpotable. Then we rode to Shoshone for fuel and lunched at the Crowbar restaurant. Our next stop was Dante’s Peak where we looked down on Bad Water.  On the way back to Beatty we stopped at the Borax mine and processing facility. That evening we dined at Gemmas café.  Death Valley reminded me a lot of Afghanistan.  The sharp jagged mountains are a lot like the Hindu Kush, and the flat barren windswept plains are like Bagram.  The freezing winters and deadly heat in the summers are also similar.  Even the mud bricked buildings are similar.

On Sunday it was kickstands up at 0900.  Our first stop was at Lida summit.  At 4,700 feet we were surrounded by the remnants of snow. I was thankful for heated gear. The ride down to Big Pine was curvy and fun.  We had lunch in Lone Pine amongst photos of bygone Hollywood movie stars. On the way back into the park we stopped for the obligatory group photo at the entrance sign.  Not they way the CVO group does it, but they made it work. Just outside of Beatty we stopped in the abandoned town of Rhyolite.  Built to mine rhyolite it grew into a thriving town.  With several rail lines it was able to bring new people in, and haul rhyolite out.  At it’s zenith it boasted a big train station, hotels, bars, shops, restaurants and brothels.  What more could a miner want?  We finished the day at Smokin J’s BBQ.

On Monday we said our goodbyes and headed home.  I took the 95 north through small towns and one military base in Hawthorne.  I made it to Reno, NV before sunset and stayed the night.  The ride to Auburn the next morning was not without challenges.  I was buffeted by strong crosswinds and headwinds.  There was snow piled up over 10 feet on both sides, but the 80 was clear.  I was home before noon.

I’m looking forward to more rides and adventures.

Ironhorse:
Entrance.

Ironhorse:
Bad Water.

Ironhorse:
Lunch time at the crowbar

Ironhorse:
Borax mining plant.

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