The Cheese Weasels Do Death Valley

[Futterman]

I introduced the Northern Kentucky Cheese Weasels in a Ride Tale from 2016. This year's ride didn't include all seven Weasels unfortunately, but four Weasels had the opportunity to take the ride of a lifetime in Death Valley National Park, California.

Since we all work together, sometimes work duties intersect with great riding opportunities. This time, it was a trade show in Las Vegas, Nevada that started on a Tuesday. Hmmm...fly out to Vegas early Friday, rent bikes, and ride Death Valley for four days? I'm in! Let's go!

Day 1 - Friday 03 March 2017 Riding

One Weasel arrived early on Thursday and rode NE to Utah though Bryce Canyon, staying on the road Thursday night. The other three, including yours truly the Futtermeister, would arrive at the airport at 9:00am Friday. We taxi'd to our (eventual) casino hotel accomodations, changed into riding gear, gathered our riding duffel, and left the rest of the bags with the bellhop. Another taxi to the bike rental agency, where all three of us picked up our Triumphs. The bikes could not have been more different in character: one guy got a Trophy SE sport tourer, another was given a brand new (zero miles) Tiger 800 XCx ADV, and me with my short legs scored a Thunderbird 1600 cruiser. The dealer was a champ and fitted a battery tender lead so I could power up my TomTom Rider 400 GPS/satnav, which I mounted to a conveniently already-installed Ram ball on the center handlebar. We were on the bikes and rolling by noon.



We had been up since 4:00am US eastern time to make the flight to Vegas from Kentucky, so our initial mission was to fuel up our bellies. The bike dealer recommended Mr. Mamas a short few blocks away, so off we went. The Thunderbird with its feet-forward position, heavy low-speed steering, and far-forward kickstand (barely retractable by the short-legged) felt like a real handful at first, but I soon became comfortable with it.

We easily found Mr. Mamas and went in hungry.



I ordered up the gyro with onion rings and a slice of dill pickle. Completely delicious and satisfying.



Our first glimpse of the true desert landscape was Red Rock Canyon, due west of Las Vegas.



Our destination for the night was the desert hamlet of Tecopa, California, situated south of Death Valley National Park. Our route from Las Vegas took us along Tecopa Road in Nevada off NV 160. At the California border, it became Old Spanish Trail Highway.







Next installment: overnight in Tecopa, California.

[Daboo]

Looks like a great trip.

Question: How do you take your gear with you? My helmet is huge. The jacket takes up a lot of room. And the pants aren't that small either.

Chris

[Futterman]

Thanks, Chris. For gear transport, I use one large suitcase. I put my padded jacket in the bottom, stuff my gloves (cold + warm) inside the helmet, and put the helmet in the middle. I arrange the pants and boots around the helmet, and add two pre-packed dry bags with layers / socks / sundries. I pack the other large suitcase with my regular things for the business trip, plus toss in one pre-packed dry bag for rain gear and tools/emergency kit. It all ends up being heavy and awkward to lug around but you do what you have to do to ride. One of my buddies brought his new Aerostich suit and the other two wore Kevlar jeans, so they had a bit less to pack than me with my overpants.

[Futterman]

Night 1 - Friday 03 March 2017 Tecopa, California

Our buddy who rode to Utah alone arrived in Tecopa about 10-15 minutes ahead of the rest of us on a Honda Gold Wing. He immediately located Death Valley Brewing and headed inside for a cold craft brew on tap.



Just as he stepped outside onto the front porch to take the first sip, the rest of us came rolling into town.



It was a beautiful evening in Tecopa. We all went inside to get a draught beer ourselves. The bartender was serving up several varieties. Our buddy was drinking cucumber ale, so we all tried one. It was refreshing at first, but by the time you got to the bottom of the cup it became strange on the palate.



We met a group of guys who were camping and riding dual sports all over the area. They gave us some great tips, especially about Timbisha Indian tacos south of Furnace Creek in Death Valley.



After finishing our beers, we realized the sun was setting quickly and we had to move on for the night.



Tecopa is known for the healing powers of its hot mineral springs. On the north side of town is a gender-segregated baths where it is mandatory no clothing (the detergents and other dyes and chemicals in clothing can contaminate the springs). Our motel included access to private baths in the center of the facility. As much as we wanted to take a soak, we just never found the time.



Turns out there's no take-out beer in Tecopa, and the restaurant next to our motel didn't serve alcohol. After we got checked in and saw that the rooms had small refrigerators in them, we rode eight or nine miles north to Shoshone to get some beer and fill up on gas while we were there (since there's also no fuel in Tecopa).



Upon fueling up, we all had problems with the pumps. They would start up and then shut down without dispensing any gasoline. We finally figured out it had something to do with the California vapor-recovery nozzles. The nozzles wouldn't go into the tanks far enough to make a seal, so the pumps wouldn't run. We had to use our free hand to hold the bellows back to get gas. We found out later that riders in California carry some kind of tank adapter to handle this problem.



We got back to Tecopa and found our way inside the Tecopa Bistro. It is run by a wonderful, friendly family. We ordered the pizza and the Cajun gumbo; we enjoyed our meal a great deal.



We found out that Friday night is open mic night at the outdoor stage in the little complex. We were treated to poetry readings, solo singing, a small three-player band, and some karaoke. The small group that gathered was very chill and peaceful.






It was a fantastic nighttime vibe out in the desert, with a fire burning in the barrel to chase away the increasing chill of the desert air. We all came away with very pleasant memories of our evening in Tecopa.



Next installment: Through Death Valley from the South to the West

[tarless]

Good to see the weasels (most of them) back together. Must be spring
Uh, one thing: taco pics???

[Futterman]

It was great to get on the bikes early. March is a good time to ride Death Valley because in the summertime, temperatures climb to 120 °F / 49 °C and above. We got the Indian taco tip Friday evening and made that our planned lunch stop on Saturday.

[notacop]

Didja see any evidence of flower blooms?

[Futterman]

It seemed like we were a bit early for the blooms, notacop. Morning temps were around 40 °F / 4 °C and mid-day at most elevations were about 60 °F / 16 °C. The warmest we had was 78 °F / 26 °C at Badwater Basin. Most of the passes we went through were 50 °F / 10 °C at mid-day, much colder at night.

One ranger said there was a superbloom last year when conditions were perfect, but this year it's not expected. We saw evidence of recent heavy rainfall and flash flooding; several popular roads like Scotty's Castle and Artists Drive were closed for repairs.

[notacop]

Some of those flash floods are what spread water over the valley floor and produce those blooms, super or not.
Thanks.

[Futterman]

Day 2 - Saturday 04 March 2017 Morning Riding through Death Valley

We were awakened before dawn on Saturday morning by two guys on GS boxers heading out early. We decided to stick around for breakfast at the Tecopa Bistro, however, which opened at 7:00 am. Waiting for the restaurant to open, we found this cool old jeep, sitting virtually rust-free in the desert air. Edit: some light research seems to peg this as a '54-'58 Willys Jeep pickup truck.



Breakfast was even better than dinner the night before. I think I had a rancher's breakfast of eggs, bacon, and hash browns but two of the guys ordered these awesome omelettes.



We rode north out of Tecopa on Tecopa Hot Springs Road, taking a right onto CA 127 N to Shoshone. Just north of Shoshone we took a left onto CA 178 (Jubilee Pass Rd) and headed into the boundaries of Death Valley National Park. We were soon treated to stunning views in every direction...far too many to capture on camera, though we tried. Photos just can't do justice to the natural beauty.





We saw very little other traffic in either direction.







Jubilee Pass Rd turns into Badwater Rd as you turn north and head into the famed valley itself.









A coyote stopped on the road in front of me. He looked at me briefly, then he lost interest when I snapped this photo of him against the backdrop of the distant mountains.





Badwater Basin, -282 feet below sea level. You could see that this is actually a lake bed that is dry but not completely dry. If this area had more rainfall, this would be underwater at all times.



One of the only fuel stops is in Furnace Creek. We got gas, then rolled into the trading post area to get some fresh water.





We turned back south just a short distance and took a right into Timbisha Indian Reservation, where we went to a restaurant serving Indian Frybread tacos. Very tasty, a perfect lunch that was not too much food.





Next installment: afternoon riding past Panamint Springs to Olancha, California.

[notacop]

Behind the shopping complex at Furnace Creek, if you can call it that, of the market and restaurant was a campground with a shower years ago. Camping there also allowed you to use the swimming pool of the motel.
The Park Service has allowed the tent camping areas to decline into a deplorable state. Of course, the concessionaires make a fortune on the limited rooms available.
Great pictures you took. Oh, those coyotes will accept canned goods donations. They have families to feed, you know.

[Futterman]

Day 2 - Saturday 04 March 2017 Afternoon Riding through Death Valley

Agreed, the camping accommodations didn't look too encouraging from what we saw. To be honest it didn't look like there was much investment in park infrastructure. We were a little surprised as Death Valley seems like one of those "destinations." We saw several bewildered European vacationers in rented motorhomes or garishly colored camping vans. I'm not sure the facilities were quite what they expected from looking at the brochures.

After enjoying our Indian tacos, we saddled up with full gas tanks and full bellies and set out north on CA 190 from Furnace Creek, turning southwest at the junction of Scotty's Castle Road, heading through Stovepipe Wells, Panamint Springs, and eventually to our motel in Olancha.

"Devil's Cornfield"


Me stopping the group so I could take a photo of "Devil's Cornfield"


Cheese Weasels, Death Valley 2017




Coming west out of Panamint Springs, the wind started getting intense on Saturday afternoon. The weather service was calling for very high winds on Sunday, and we could tell it was already starting. The guy on the Goldwing, our best and most experienced rider, was struggling to pilot the sail barge of a bike without a pillion. The guy with the Trophy SE also complained about wind effects. The guy on the Tiger 800 and me on the Thunderbird 1600 had no complaints and rode as if wind was not a factor.



Father Crowley's Overlook




We knew from photos at booking_dot_com that the Rustic Oasis Motel in Olancha was going to be pretty rustic.







Beds were clean but mattresses old and lumpy. Bathroom and kitchenette were crude. Sand was blowing into the room through the leaky old windows.



We rode a short distance to the Ranch House Cafe for drinks and dinner. We were having a nice time when a guy eating alone at a nearby table piped up at our conversation. He seemed to be a rider so we invited him to our table as a gesture of friendly courtesy. The guy quickly revealed himself to be full of BS, as he regaled us with tales of his ride to the southern tip of S. America on a GSX-R750 and his escapades as a free-lance commercial bush pilot and private jet pilot. We asked what planes he was qualified on and he said, "All the popular ones." But things took a dark turn when he asked us if we knew "The Truth." We thought he might have been talking about religion, but he was talking about a vast conspiracy. When he let fly with some racial slurs, I told the guy it was time for him to leave. He stared me in the eye and said, "You're serious?" "Yes, I'm serious. We're on vacation, trying to have a good time, and we don't need that kind of talk." He gulped his drink and went to his truck. We watched him to see if he went to get a gun, but he just hopped in and punched it out of the lot and onto the highway.

Around the same time this was going on, two ladies who were a couple came into the restaurant fighting like two alligators in a gunny sack. They were traveling, one was tired and hungry and wanted to stop, and the other wanted to push on two more hours to home. They yelled and screamed at each other and eventually went back to their car and kept going.



We'd had enough. We got back on our bikes, stopped at the convenience store for beer, and went back to the motel where we were the only guests. There was a fire pit but the wind was really starting to whip. We huddled together in one of the rooms, de-constructing the night's unpleasant turn of events while the wind outside howled. We turned in earlier than planned, which turned out to be a good move in hindsight. The morning forecast was for rain and winds, with the rain tapering off around 10:00 am. As we drifted off to sleep, we wondered what the morning would bring.

Next installment: ride to Charcoal Kilns and Stovepipe Wells

[TheMeteor]

Looks like a great trip.

Question: How do you take your gear with you? My helmet is huge. The jacket takes up a lot of room. And the pants aren't that small either.

Chris

When I have done such fly and rents, I ship my riding gear to the bike rental agents in advance. Ones I have worked with have locked areas to store your stuff. When I arrive, I pack what I need to the bike and leave flight luggage and other clothes secures there. On return, rebox the riding gear and have them ship home and I go on to my business hotels and meetings. Most rental agencies are used to this and will gladly accommodate.

[TheMeteor]

Hank, great report. Death Valley is one of my dream trips but never can seem to get a couple of my riding buddies in the same page at the same time. I will get there hell or high water at some point.

[notacop]

That Ranch House Cafe is one of my favorite places to eat. It's about 2.5 hours from home and perfect for brekky. Not the greatest in Owen's Valley but a classic. Been eating there for 40+ years.

"We had to use our free hand to hold the bellows back to get gas."

Those are the gas pump forreskins. I made and carry an aluminium clip that takes care of that problem. They are PITA but it helps reduce pollutants?

[Futterman]

Great fly-n-rent tips, Meteor...great suggestion to ship the gear. You know, we weren't sure what to expect in Death Valley but it exceeded our expectations. One caveat is don't expect to find a lot in the way of accommodations and cuisine. It's a sparsely populated region for a reason: hot as Hades in summer, violent winds and storms, bitingly cold in the winter (I imagine), and no jobs. A possibility we didn't explore for overnight was Lone Pine about 25 miles north of Olancha. Seems that there are more motels and restaurants there.

Ranch House Cafe was...interesting. Be sure to check out the inch-deep collection of dead house flies in the window above the toilet in the men's room. One of the Seven Wonders of Olancha!

"Gas pump foreskins" Ha ha! That's a pretty apt description. We have them here in Kentucky but they don't seem to be involved in curtailing pump operation. Must be a CARB thing. I can imagine it's a PITA to fill up a gas can for your lawn mower.

I've been out of the country all week. I was able to post from my hotel last weekend. I'll try to get back on the job and continue the report now that I'm back home.

[notacop]

Yah, those foreskins are particularily wretched when you have a bike like the 650 single or 800 Twin with the gas tank opening on the side of the bike. With my camping gear on the back seat I can't get the nozzle close enough so the clip I made allows me to pour from a distance.
Seven wonders of Olancha.....What a great observation. Hilarious.
That Mobil station is new. There used to a be a classic gas station across the road from the Cafe. That town is moving into the future!

I love the fare at little roadside cafe's in ranch and farm country. Always look for a buncha pickup trucks parked in front. Them boys know whats good.

[TheMeteor]

We.have the foreskin in NJ too. My understanding was that they peeled back the requirement for filling stations to have them...but still most do. They are especially a PITA on the F800 with the side fill but even worse on my GSX as it has a very shallow stop that the nozzle hits. Cannot just use downward force to push back the foreskin.

[tarless]

yeah we had them at most ny stations too but now they are being removed in most places. One of the EPA's great ideas to collect fumes. Next time they want to collect fumes I'll dutch oven the bastards!

http://www.cnn.com/2012/05/10/politi...-pump-handles/

[Futterman]

"they peeled back the requirement"

Unintentional pun or Freudian slip? Lol

[Futterman]

I love the fare at little roadside cafe's in ranch and farm country. Always look for a buncha pickup trucks parked in front. Them boys know whats good.

Truth!

[TheMeteor]

LOL...that was entirely unintentional. Did not realize until you pointed out!

[notacop]

Freudian slip. Is that a female garment? Or just a cross dressers?

[Futterman]

Day 3 - Sunday 05 March 2017 Morning Riding through Death Valley

All night long Saturday-Sunday we hunkered down in our flimsy little accommodations at the Rustic Oasis Motel in Olancha. The wind just whipped and howled outside, banging some loose piece of something against the side of the building all night. Sand came pouring through the rickety old double-hung window sashes in the bathroom and kitchenette, coating both sinks in a layer of dirt. The temperatures fell overnight into the low 40s °F / low single-digits °C (~4 °C). The weather forecast, when we went to sleep around 11:00 pm Saturday night, called for rain early that would taper off by 10:00 am. So we expected there was no reason to get up early. However, I was awake by 5:45 am and checked the weather again on my phone. Now the forecast was for increasing (!) winds with rain arriving by 10:00 am. I decided to rouse the Weasels...we needed to get out on the road and put Olancha in the rearview mirrors.

Snow-capped Olancha Peak, illuminated on its eastern face by the rising sun, loomed over us as we hurriedly strapped down and geared up. We decided to skip breakfast at the Ranch House Cafe; instead we would stop at the Panamint Springs Resort for their breakfast buffet. We were rolling at 7:00 am sharp.



The ride from Olancha to Panamint Springs in the early daylight hours was exhilarating! Even though the wind was up, the breathtaking views and the winding, climbing & dropping CA 190 east with its death-defying unguarded drop-offs got the blood pumping. By the time we reached Panamint Springs, we were wide awake and hungry. The breakfast buffet was decent, with the expected assortment of American fare like scrambled eggs, pancakes, sausage, bacon, coffee, potatoes, and so forth. Hunger satisfied, we saddled back up to continue our journey east on CA 190.



Yours truly - Futterman, in all my short and portly glory - loving life.



I cooked up a plan to make an out-and-back detour, 52 miles round trip, to see the Charcoal Kilns. You turn south on Emigrant Canyon Road toward Wildrose Peak. The last two miles appeared to be unpaved, so we reserved judgment on whether or not it would be feasible to actually ride all the way to the Kilns.

We stopped to add layers and to take photos as we went over Emigrant Pass. The temperature had dropped to 38 °F / 3 °C as we gained an altitude of about one mile above sea level.



We did make it all the way to the parking lot at the Charcoal Kilns, which is located at the start of the tree line. There was still wet, melting snow on the ground which explained why trees were growing at this elevation but not farther down. It was a bear to find a secure place to lower our kickstands in the muddy, unpaved lot.




The Charcoal Kilns.



I took more pictures on the way out than I had on the way in.



This photo more or less duplicates the one that recently appeared in the BMOA ON magazine. Fantastic vista...nothing man-made in sight except the road itself.















The wind continued to increase in ferocity. By the time we made it to Stovepipe Wells, actual sandstorms were developing. When we got off the bikes, the Pinlock shield on my helmet had fine sand particles between the inside and outside lenses. I had to remove the inner Pinlock and throw it away. Our bikes were getting sandblasted. We had sand in our riding clothes, helmets, and seats. The wind was so strong that the guys with faired bikes had to park them into the wind to avoid the chance of tipovers. Taking off our gloves and setting them on the seat...the wind picked them up and flung them across the parking lot. We went inside, bought some soda pop, and sheltered on the leeward side while we contemplated our next move.

Note the sandstorm in the distance, looking north. We had just ridden through the western edges of it.



Next installment: Scotty's Creek Road and Ubehebe Crater Road

[tarless]

Freudian slip. Is that a female garment? Or just a cross dressers?

It's when you accidentally have sex with your mom in Germany my dear NotanOedipus

[tarless]

Great pics as usual Hank. You're Like Ewan McGregor and Guy Fieri all wrapped up in one

[Futterman]

Day 3 - Sunday 05 March 2017 Afternoon Riding through Death Valley

We had been disappointed to learn that the portion of Scotty's Castle Road that runs southwest-northeast was closed to through traffic. However the portion that runs southeast-northwest was open all the way to Ubehebe Crater Road, which was also open. We figured we might as well get back on the bikes and ride through wind and sand vs. just sit around in Stovepipe Wells all day.

When we had gone no more than a mile or two up Scotty's Castle Road, this is what we saw up ahead.



"What do you think? Still wanna do it?!"



"What the hell? Yeah let's do it."

So on we rode. Every once in a while we'd get blasted by wind-driven sand but mostly it was just extremely windy as we rode along. As we did so, we became more and more happy that we had decided to press on, because this is a beautiful part of the park. Moral of the story: regardless of conditions, keep riding if you can.








We reached Ubehebe Crater and were stunned at the size of the hole made by water coming into contact with hot magma, creating a titanic steam explosion. Apparently this event occurred just 2000 years ago, only the blink of an eye in geological time.



I am fascinated by space travel and planetary exploration. Looking across this plain, I realized this is the closest I'll ever get to standing on an alien planet-scape.




We left the Crater and rode back 38 miles southeast to the junction with Daylight Pass Road, that would take us out of the park and to our overnight accommodations in Beatty, Nevada. The wind blew ferociously from our right (west) to our left (east). At times, the amount of blowing sand at ground level obscured the roadway. Other times, there was so much airborne sand and dust that visibility ahead was literally 20-25 feet. Sand particles were flying up under my full-face helmet and bouncing around inside. Several of them hit me in the left eye, causing it to sting and water profusely. I ended up just shutting the left eye and rode on using just my right eye. I was leading the pack, and the Thunderbird was absolutely unaffected by the wind. I only felt it affect me as it pushed and pulled my head and torso while the bike stayed vertical and ran true. My companions told a different tale. This time even the guy on the Tiger 800 said the bike was leaning several degrees into the wind. The guy on the Trophy SE was leaning over even more, while the guy on the Goldwing said he was out of the seat and leaning far off the bike to keep it from blowing over.

The more I rode the Thunderbird, the more I came to appreciate its qualities and just how well-suited it was to riding in this kind of terrain and in these kinds of conditions. With the extra caster (rake angle), it was stable on those long, straight stretches of highway out West. Yet the footpegs are surprisingly high for a cruiser, giving it excellent ground clearance for cornering, which it does superbly and confidently on its Showa suspension components. The giant 1600cc parallel-twin engine with its 270-degree crank mimics the lope of a Harley as well as the low-rpm torque. By taking advantage of the smooth-shifting six-speed transmission in the winding mountain roads, you can keep the revs at a much higher level where the engine hums and delivers exceptionally smooth and linear throttle response. A transmission which, by the way, has premium helical-cut gears to reduce gear train noise so you can better hear the engine.

It's a very interesting machine, quite hard to categorize really. It looks like a cruiser and can act like a cruiser, but it can also be ridden in a sporting manner when the opportunity arises. It has a low-maintenance belt drive. Its heaviness with a low center of gravity inspires tremendous confidence with its stability in the windy conditions found in the American West, while the large fuel tank and tall 6th gear help alleviate range anxiety when riding in wide open spaces where fuel stops are few and far between. Last but not least, its liquid cooling would certainly be an asset in hot weather vs. an air-cooled V-Twin.

This video review captures many of the impressions I had of the Thunderbird. Edit: Good written review as well.

Next installment: Sunday night in Beatty, Nevada

[Futterman]

We rode back southeast on Ubehebe Crater Road and Scotty's Castle Road until we reached the junction of Daylight Pass Road and turned left, heading northeast over the pass and down again into Beatty, Nevada. Daylight Pass Road was a nice road in its own right. We had sunshine and the landscape was picturesque, but to be honest we were a bit weatherbeaten by the extreme winds that day, and the dropping temperatures as we ascended to the pass really weren't welcome. Coming down out of the pass, we saw the ramshackle outskirts of Beatty leading to the ramshackle downtown of Beatty. It was a welcome sight as we were suddenly eager to be heading in for the night.

We had reservations at the quirky Atomic Inn, quite apropos considering the radioactive history of the state. In another nod to Nevada's 20th-century history, an alien beckoned us as we wheeled our bikes into the lot.

*Note the trees bending in the background. Shingles were flying off the roof of the motel and were being launched all over the parking lot.



Definitely more than a little worse for the wear, our sand-blasted rental bikes parked outside the motel office. We actually felt kind of bad about the brand-new Tiger 800, but we rationalized that it was now christened and had become a real ADV. It had been off pavement and ridden through a sandstorm with 60 mph winds...it was an urban Las Vegas poser bike no more.



We checked in, then walked half a block to a gas station for water, beer, and snacks (we'd already fueled up the bikes on the way into town). We went back to the motel and settled in for a while, recollecting the incomparable sights and big adventures of the day. Finally dusk was coming on and we needed some actual food for dinner, so we walked a couple of blocks to saloon row in search of something to eat.



Chili & Beer? What's not to like?



However, first the beer! They had several varieties on draught, but we thought it would be fun to try the owner's personal favorite, Pabst Blue Ribbon in a mason jar mug.



This is the "Po-po Special". The local cop comes in and always asks for two hot dogs, smothered in chili, onions and cheese. So...they put it on the menu. It hit the spot, but I really wonder if the human body was intended to absorb that much sodium chloride, a.k.a. salt. Well, at least it kept me thirsty!



We had a great time in the classic "dive bar." We met locals and travelers in the cozy confines, and really had a lot of fun with the staff. They joke and josh with the customers and aren't afraid to give you the business if you try to mess with them.

We headed back to the Atomic Inn to turn in. One of our number, Goldwing guy, had to get up early on Monday and beat it back to Vegas to catch an 11:00am flight home to Kentucky. Four Little Weasels, and then there were Three.

Next installment: Day 4 and the ride to Dante's View

[notacop]

Didja see the candy counter at the Death Valley nut and canystore? Wife and I got her some Lemon balls in there years ago.
Youse boys got a real taste to the Western Tour experience. If you had gone a few miles further on from the Crater, you'd have come across the famous dry lake where the large stones have left their trails when the wind blows the ice around. Racetrack dry lake is 22 miles further south of Ubehebe.

[Futterman]

Believe it or notacop , I stopped at the DV N&CS in 2011 on my way to Tonopah, NV. Pretty amazing place! Definitely the biggest candy store I've ever seen, but the Weasels, being carnivores, weren't attracted by the sucrose and fructose that lay within.

We were very interested in the wandering rocks at Racetrack, but I think the road is unpaved? Or was closed? I can't remember the reason but we didn't go there. Gives me a good reason to go back!

[Daboo]

... I was leading the pack, and the Thunderbird was absolutely unaffected by the wind. I only felt it affect me as it pushed and pulled my head and torso while the bike stayed vertical and ran true. My companions told a different tale. This time even the guy on the Tiger 800 said the bike was leaning several degrees into the wind. The guy on the Trophy SE was leaning over even more, while the guy on the Goldwing said he was out of the seat and leaning far off the bike to keep it from blowing over.

The more I rode the Thunderbird, the more I came to appreciate its qualities and just how well-suited it was to riding in this kind of terrain and in these kinds of conditions. ...

Gosh, this sounds like another bike for the garage!

It does give me a chuckle. On every bike forum it seems there are complaints about how bad a particular bike is in the wind. Yet I've read that even a behemoth like the Goldwing has problems in the wind, and your comments confirm that.

Thanks for the pictures and comments!

Chris

[tarless]

but the Weasels, being carnivores

Then maybe instead of being called the Cheese Weasels, the "Meat Missiles" would be more appropriate???...

Uh, then again that sounds bad.. never mind

[Futterman]

Gosh, this sounds like another bike for the garage! It does give me a chuckle. On every bike forum it seems there are complaints about how bad a particular bike is in the wind. Yet I've read that even a behemoth like the Goldwing has problems in the wind, and your comments confirm that.

Yeah, I'm actually contemplating the Thunderbird semi-seriously. It was that good. I have two hurdles to get over first, however: 1) I need more garage space (working on that) 2) Mrs. Futterman has decreed that two bikes are enough for one butt (working on that as well..more garage space may help).

tarless: no comment

[tarless]

Hahhahaa... I couldn't resist.. It would be a great name for a gay biker club though...I have to copyright it now!

As to the T-bird, I actually thought of that bike once. A friend of mine who was a sport bike rider for years, just got one last Spring and he loves it. As you pointed out the pegs are higher then most cruisers and it corners well. He wasn't quite keeping up with the sport bikes in our pack last time we were out but he was darn close which is pretty good considering we were pretty aggressive and he was on a cruiser. I like the Storm in all matt black with the extra 100ccs

[Futterman]

Day 4 - Monday 06 March 2017 From Beatty, Nevada through Death Valley back to Las Vegas

Our Goldwing companion arose before dawn and headed off alone to Las Vegas to catch his plane home. The rest of us woke around 7:00 am and made our way to breakfast.

The wind had died down, and downtown Beatty actually looked a bit shinier in the morning sunlight.



We found a small corner restaurant and ordered up a southwest breakfast of egg burritos with vegetables. The coffee was good and I drank several cups.

We went back to the motel to gather our things and get back on the road. We had stayed in some units at the back that were pretty decent for the price we paid. Large rooms with refrigerators.



We went west out of Beatty and back over Daylight Pass towards Death Valley again. We stopped at a rest station at Hell's Gate and met some cool guys riding old carbureted bikes. If I recall they were Californians.



We took the cutoff that runs due south from Hell's Gate to Beatty Junction on CA 190 in Death Valley. Once we were back down on the valley floor, we stopped in to tour the Harmony Borax Works, where I took this panorama looking northwest up the valley.




We then continued south on CA 190 and back through Furnace Creek. Then we stayed left on CA 190 and rode past the road back to Badwater Basin. The scenery along this stretch was rather mundane after the spectacles we had seen on Saturday and Sunday, but the ride was pleasant. We saw some modern mining equipment in places, and there was a little more traffic than we had seen elsewhere.

About 12 miles southeast of Furnace Creek, we took a right onto a small road called Furnace Creek Wash Road. We ran south on this about 7-1/2 miles and bore right onto Dantes View Road. We soon realized that we were gaining quite a bit of elevation as the road got twistier and the temperatures fell continuously.



The last mile or so was extremely steep switchbacks that you ride at low speed, due to the presence of other vehicles and people on foot. At the top is a parking lot. Our anticipation grew when we saw the snow-capped peaks in the distance.



As we approached the chasm, we suddenly realized that from this vantage point, we could see up and down nearly the entire length of Death Valley. We could trace our route and everywhere we had ridden in the last two days. It was a stunning scene and the photograph below is just a shallow facsimile of the in-person experience.



We hiked out to one of the nearby outcroppings for a better view.



We stayed and just soaked in the view for quite a long time. We were probably up there an hour. The elevation is about 5600 feet, or one mile. At one point we realized we were standing directly above Badwater Basin, down there at -282 feet below sea level.

Dante's View was the climax of the trip. What a perfect ending to a memorable riding experience. We all decided that we had inadvertently ridden Death Valley in almost the optimal manner. Approaching from the south, the scenes gradually unfolded before us as we headed north. Then we entered the heart of the park at Badwater Basin. We rode the most challenging roads west of Panamint Springs twice, experienced the unspoiled desolation of Emigrant Canyon, and ventured deep into the park to reach Ubehebe Crater. Finally we ended the ride at Dante's View, a vantage point overlooking it all.

We rode back to Vegas through Death Valley Junction and Pahrump, where we went into a barbecue joint and I got a smoked jalapeno sausage sandwich with beans and potato salad.



Here are a couple views of our ride route; the second one is annotated to show our direction of travel.






The End

[TheMeteor]

Excellent write-up. I spoke want to so this trip!

[Runmyownlife]

Looks like about 1120 km (700 miles), if I've interpretted the map correctly.

Lots of beautiful sights and winding roads. I've added this to my wish list. Thanks for the post!

[Futterman]

Looks like about 1120 km (700 miles), if I've interpretted the map correctly.

Lots of beautiful sights and winding roads. I've added this to my wish list. Thanks for the post!

Well calculated! That's just about right. Glad you enjoyed it.

[notacop]

Yup, that's a well done. Good pics and write up.

[Futterman]

Riding through the sandstorm looked almost exactly like this video someone took in March of 2016.

[tarless]

THat looks fun as crap. Woe to the fool who doesn't wear eye protection.

[tarless]

Hey Hank, I was up at the local Triumph dealer today. They told me the whole cruiser line is getting cancelled with the exception of the ROcket III (probably) in a year.
You may be able to get a great deal on a T-bird real soon!

[Futterman]

That's probably a smart move, as Triumph has tried and failed to make a dent in Harley's market share. Their real competition is BMW, Yamaha, and Ducati.

The Triumph 1600 was offered 2010-2013. In 2014 they made the bike bigger, punched it to 1700cc's and added floorboards. I saw it in the dealership and it was a behemoth. I think the 1600 is the purest iteration and the acme of the Triumph cruiser era.

Regarding eye protection in a sandstorm: yes, word to the wise...bring goggles, even if riding with a full-face. Unless you have a winter neck curtain that could block out all sand impingement.

I had to clean Death Valley out of the visor mechanism of my helmet when I got home. I pulled out the cheek pads and skullcap and ran them through the wash as well.

[Daboo]

Seems like you would sandblast the paint on the bike, the forks, and your visor.

Chris

[tarless]

Seriously. If that sand penetrated the recesses of the helmet it had to get into the air intake too.

[Futterman]

Sand got in everywhere. Not sure if the bikes were actually damaged by the sandblasting. Although there was a lot of sand impact in a one-hour period, it wasn't moving any faster than the small amount of ordinary road grit that impacts a bike cumulatively over thousands of miles.

[tarless]

Probably could use a filter change.

[notacop]

Yo, Dudes, it was rental. You imagine whatever you want the rental place should do. If they don't see the pics or hear the stories, it didn't happen.
Now if it were your bike, service accordingly.

[Futterman]

I loved every second of it! I sit in a freakin' office all day, 5 days a week. This was living!

[Futterman]

Hey Hank, I was up at the local Triumph dealer today. They told me the whole cruiser line is getting cancelled with the exception of the Rocket III (probably) in a year.

I guess they aren't quite ready to throw in the towel! http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/2018-triumph-america-cruiser-motorcycle-spy-shots