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DD, Sorry you can't make it. It's a 2-day ride over 400 miles. Easy riding, but long. The plan is to go thru Afton Canyon, the Hole-In-The Wall and other "Kodak" moments. Will take lots of pictures. Mark your calendar for 11/10-11/11. The plan is to ride Death Valley. Very interesting/scenic ride. At the highest elevations we will probably have snow. Snowball fights!!! It's another 2-day ride, so will have to leave the night before for a 8:00AM start. I'll be posting on that. Maybe we can set-up some carpools. Let's ride together, Steve...

Jlsche, I also have a DRZ and between myself & KLRoger you do not have to get tools for this ride. At a minimum you need to bring the following: Camelback or some other drink system(It will be in the mid-80's) Overnight clothes Spare tubes (carry both front/rear) Emergency space blanket/bag Flashlight Matches Power Bars What tires? The stock Trail Wings are horrible on most dirt surfaces. My recommendation are the D606. Not a requirement, but will make the ride more enjoyable. Do you have hand guards? There are Manzanita trees that you may graze with 2" needles protruding, best to have them for protection. Again not a requirement, more of a safety precaution. I've running a desert gas tank, 4.2 gals. You're stock tank is 2.6 gals. Do you have a 100 mi range with your bike? Bring a small gas line hose to transfer gas from mine or Roger's tank. Remove your stock mirrors as they are no use and you will only damage them in a fall. There are lot's of hop-up's for the DRZ-S. Try Thumper-Talk. I attached a more detailed list (In Excel) that I use for gear/bike preparation. I carry most of this, use as a reference for some of the things you might need. You will need to change the file extension from .txt to .xls and then open with M/S Excel. Let me know if your interested, Steve... Long_Ride_Prep_WR_DRZ.txt

As a new member to this message board would like to get some feedback. What type of rides are most preferred with regards to length, difficulty and location? It seems that the more popular rides are the local, 1-day rides. As a new member I thought of contributing by organizing a ride. I posted a Death Valley ride with interest, but had to change the date due to motel room availability. Instead let's substitute the below ride. Unfortayely only 1 SDAR member is participating. This is somewhat disappointing given the 469 members. Any feedback is greatly appreciated, as I have future plans for several No Cal, Utah, Nevada and Arizona rides. Here is the latest Mojave ride: We will start in Barstow at the Stage/Chevron location. You will be responsible for getting to Barstow by 8:00 AM Saturday, 10/6. We will have a quick riders meeting/introductions, buddy pairings, GPS download (I have a Garmin cable) & then suit-up and be off by 8:30. It will be a long (200+) mile day, so we need to start on-time. Everyone please bring a backpack for overnight sleeping, spare tubes, first aid, flashlights, survival blanket, water and any other equipment/tools. Prepare like you will have to spent the night in the desert. The temperatures in early October can dip into 40's at night. The start is the Lenwood exit off I-15 just outside of Barstow. There are a lot of outlet stores at this exit. We will then proceed to the Arco Gas waypoint (in Baker) using either the aqua or green tracks. This is 80.6 (short) or 92.2 (long) miles. We will have to make a group decision which route to choose: A. The longest route has 2 gas stops, gets into higher terrain and passes thru Ivanpah, Lanfair and the California/Nevada Air Force base. It is 153.1 miles and is the blue route. Choosing this route the total riding day mileage will be 245.1 B. The medium length route is 124.2 miles and passes thru "The-Hole-In The Wall" and the Mojave National Preserve and is the red route. You will need at least 135 mile gas range. Choosing this route the total riding day mileage will be 226.3 C. The shortest length route is 103 miles and passes thru Fort Mojave and the Mojave National Preserve and is the aqua route. Choosing this route the total riding day mileage will be 195.1 All 3 routes end in Needles. From there is another 11.5 miles (purple route) to the Tropicana Hotel, for an overnight stay. I picked the Tropicana, but feel free to choose your own accomodations. Unfortunately these are road miles (sorry about that) passing thru lower Needles to the river where the Tropicana is located. You can make your reservation at ( http://www.tropicanax.com/ ) for the Tropicana. The 2nd day we will use (the southern) yellow route. I need to check if there is gas available in Ludlow(by the Rt 40) symbol. If there is, it is 101.2 miles to gas/lunch, then an additional 95.1 miles back to Lenwood. If there is not gas in Ludlow, we can take one of the above routes back. Generally the southern portion of the terrain is easier, which is good, you will be sore & tired.

Bike slut, dirt dame, 2wheels & joliet & others, Thanks for the reply. Let's see how the 1st ride (Mojave) & 2nd (Death Valley) goes. Seems to be high interest in the Death Valley ride. We might need snow tires! If the group wants more technical or single track, we can wick it up and go to Big Bear/Arrowhead area or Los Padres area. That's my preference too. Anyhow thanks for the feedback, I have a better idea of the group rider preferences and work/family commitments (I have 3 kids), will customize the rides to accommodate. As someone mentioned with most groups there is a large membership, but only 20-30 "regulars" participate. I will be a "regular". See you on the trail, Steve...

I'm still learning how to use this message board. Here is the Google map attachment for the Mojave ride. Thanks, Steve...

Ride-Orange: The Ridgecrest (Death Valley) ride was postponed to 11/10-11/11 due to no rooms available in Lone Pine. See post 21 for details. In it's place for 10/6- 10/7 is a Mojave ride. See post 25 for details. Hope you can make it, Steve...

Hey Pyro, No stipend from the "Trop", but wish I did. Saturday nights are the most expensive, the next day the rooms are nearly half price. Do mark that calendar for 11/10-11/11. At the highest elevations we might hit snow. Snowball fight!!! Have you ever done donuts with your motorcycle??? See you on the trail, Steve...

Excellent glad you can make it! As far as riding in the dirt? Sort of reminds me of the movie "Conehead" with Beldar (Dan Aykroyd) learns to drive by reading the owners manual. Who reads those? I'm sure you will be find. I'll PM you my number. Hey does your bike have hand guards? Not the flimsy stock type or brush guards. You should have the type that wrap around your controls and connects with 2 points. They mount to the handlebar end by cutting a hole in the grips. Some places on the trail have Manzanita trees and the spikes on these trees are nasty. When you ride you could graze one of these trees. Getting a 2" needle in your hand is no fun. :scratch_one-s_head: To make the ride safer you may want to invest in a pair. Acerbis makes them in polypropylene or a composite aluminum/propylene in many many colors. There about $40 for the polypropylene and $60 with the aluminum. They can also save your levers or perches from breaking in the unlikely event of a fall. Anyway just a suggestion, the first time I rode the Mojave trail I did not have them. Steve...

Mike, Ok, I'll call you. We can meet in Barstow at the Chevron gas station in Barstow. It's 1/4 mile off the I-15, use the Lenwood exit. The Tangers outlet mall is there also. The Chevron address is 2890 Lenwood Rd, Barstow, CA 92311, 760-253-4076. If you have a GPS the waypoint is: N34 15.019 w 117 04.0978 Or from San Diego we can follow each other. Steve...

For all SDAR participants, the informal Death Valley ride proposed has been rescheduled to 11/10-11. As posted in #21 all the area motels in Lone Pine are booked due to a western film festival. The closest room is 65 miles away in Bishop. Rather than adding 130 miles of pavement miles, let's change the Death Valley date. We will have no problems with room arrangements. As a replacement let's go on a Mojave ride. Start on 10-6 in Barstow and ride to Laughlin, NV. Then return the next day on 10-7. The mileage is ~220 miles the first day and ~185miles the second day. The ride is well suited for large bikes. If you are interested in joining please reserve a room in Laughlin. I have reservations at the Tropicana Casino Hotel & Resort the cost is 65.95 per night plus 8.00 tax for a standard room. The twin towered 18 story hotel is an extraordinary resort combining unsurpassed quality, value and service with the fun, excitement and down-to-earth hospitality that makes Laughlin famous. The casino features 60,000 square foot casino, luxurious accommodations including over 1,500 rooms, and features 90 suites. The resort's amenities include a swimming pool, tennis courts, room service, 300 seat showroom, riverboat cruises, cappuccino cart, gift shop, candy shop and video arcade. There's a lot to see and do: railroad memorabilia, free train rides. Award winning dining is found at The Steakhouse, Passaggio Italian Gardens, and Del soul Mexican Grill plus a buffet and 24-hour cafe. Please hurry up as it is filling up. Check in 10-6, Check-out 10-7 Link to reservations: http://www.tropicanax.com/ Let me know if you're joining us. Cheers, Steve...

Roger, glad you're in. I feel foolish that this happened. Let's see what the others say about Bishop. Bishop has 12 motels. The Holiday Inn Express was sold out, but the Vagabond Inn had rooms. Bishop is probably getting the over flow from the film festival. If the majority says leave as is then, let's do but both days will be longer. So what are the votes Rex, Pyro, Carguy, Ride-Orange & GB007? Anybody up for a beer this week to meet? Steve...

Change of plan. I called all 7 area motels (Dow Villa, Mt.Whitney Inn, Willow Inn, Portal Motel, Best Western, Comfort Inn & The Timber Line Motel) they are all 100% sold out. After talking to the owner of the Williow Inn, she informed me that Lone Pine has an annual western film festival the weekend of our scheduled trip 10/6 & 10/7. It seems Lone Pine is used to film/stage many former and current western movies. I can see how the the expansive terrain, snow-capped mountain back drops and endless vistas allow for a perfect 1800's movie set. I bet the Salt Tram was built during that circa. The LP festival attracts movie stars, film producers, film directors and those associated with the western film industry. The main event is a parade down main street and tours of former sites where westerns were filmed. The owner of the Willow Inn claims that the choice rooms are booked 2 years in advance. I also tried Independence (about 10 miles further), but could not find any motels listed, with the closest rooms in Bishop, about 65 mi north on 395. Does anybody have a suggestion for this ride or where to stay? An alternative is to do a Mojave ride the same weekend. Start in Barstow, north to Baker to Halloran Springs then then across the Mojave desert (thru Ivanpah, Lanfair) to Fort Mojave then to Bullhead City, Arizona. We can stay at the AVI Casino in Bull Head or a smaller place in Needles. It's approximately 220 miles. The 2nd day is shorter taking the southern route thru "The-Hole-In The Wall", Kelso, Cucero, Pisgah then finally to Barstow. About 185 miles. Like the other trip there are multiple escape roads, but once you are crossing the Mojave your committed. This route straddles I-40. This is a actually an easier trip with no elevation changes or difficult rocks, but some sand. I'm quite disappointed in the change of plans. I'll reschedule the Death Valley ride to 11/10-11/11 and make sure ther are no film festivals. We all have the weekend off. So let me know who can make the Mojave ride. It's still riding, let's make it fun.

Welcome Pyro, GB007, Rex & KLRoger! I called the local motels in Lone Pine. The Comfort Inn & Best Western are filled for the dates. There are 4 to 5 more smaller places to call. When I get some availabilty will forward you the numbers to call to reserve a room. I'm planning on driving up early Saturday or staying in Big Bear and driving from their. There are plenty places to stay in Ridgecrest. Steve...

Ok so far we have? KLRoger Joliet Rex Everything Anyone else I'll keep you up to date (private e-mail) with more information as it comes. Steve...

Rex, I'm planning on staying in a motel. There are a few in Lone Pine. When I get a count of who wants a room I can reserve a few. To save $, some may want to share a room. We can work this out. After a long ride I need a bed/shower and maybe some Advil. Come join us, Steve...

Ken- Hopefully you can make it. I should have the tracks done in a few days. I need to clean up some of the extra tracks and tie it together with some of the state trails. Also I need to get permission to post to the members only section. Who do I contact? Steve...

I've been riding for nearly 20 yrs with my son. Well he's off to college. Would like to get involved with a SD club, I live in north county. I've been a member of Big Bear Trail Riders for about 5 years and ride with them, but am looking for local rides to. I recently did the Paiute ATV trail in Utah and am planning a bigger ride for next summer. I have a DRZ400 that has a CA plate (got it registered before the Jan 04 deadline). My DRZ is a kick-model. Wish I had that magical button, but it's been dependable, provides enough low-end power and comfort for my riding. I have plans for monthly rides throughout the Mojave and Death Valley area this winter, but looking to find dedicated/dependable riders on D/S bikes for these rides. I will be posting a ride from Ridgecrest to Lone Pine for 10/06 & 10/07, check the ride board. I enjoy all types of riding. From open desert (OK), to fire roads (good), to single track (best). It's fun to be challenged on some technical rocky up-hills (sharpen those skills) but also relax on open easy truck trail riding. The best rides are a combination of both. Most importantly is sharing the camaraderie and good times of the sport with other riders. If there are any dirt club (non-racing) or dual-sport meetings in the SD area please let me know? Hope to see all on the trail.

Thanks, Pyro, will be posting this week. I am still doing some research to plan the ride. My goal is to start in Ridgecrest and travel past China Lake Naval base on the west side of 395. First to Trona for gas then to the sand dunes. Then to Ridgecrest. Sleep over night in Ridgecrest, then return the next day traveling on the east side of 395. The riding is not to tough but should be about 140 miles the first day & 100 miles the 2nd. It is 99% dirt. Also being relatively close to 395, if you get tired or injured the major road is close. Hope you can make the ride. quote name='pyro' date='Sep 8 2007, 10:21 PM' post='11702'] Yes, WELCOME ! I've been wanting to get up there and do some riding in the ridgecrest area. Lone Pine is a good piece from there. Sounds like an epic ride you are planning. If I can get my $tU %f together, I'd like to try to join you for that one. I'll be looking forward to your post. In the mean time, Ride On Amigo !

I'll be up in Big Bear this weekend, anyone up for a ride? I have tracks for 70 to 90 miles. A mixture of single track, fire roads and some pavement(short). Can alter tracks to make it easier or harder for anyone, I'm ok with either. My goal is to start 8:30AM ride the north side of the lake from Fawnskin (west) around Green Lake (east) across to Jacoby Canyon then south east to Pioneertown, into Yucca Valley for lunch/gas, about 50-55 miles. Then a short distance (west) on 38 to Angus Oaks, then up the back side (north) of Snow Summit/Bear Mountain via one of the truck trails. If anyone breaks down or is tired, we could take the 38 back to BB. Let me know if anyone's interested. The morning run will be more challenging/technical with the afternoon more faster/easier riding. But this is no race, just fun. We can meet at the Snow Summit's parking lot. I'm up for Saturday 9/1, but can go Sunday 9/2. Steve...

Well let me know. I have a place in BB and will be driving up tomorrow morning also. We can meet in Snow Summit's parking lot? Do you have a GPS? If you you have a Garmin bring it. I can download the tracks to you.

XR, OK, maybe next time. Rest up that knee. Many, many great trails in the Big Bear/Arrowhead area. From fire roads to trials type riding. Also BB is at 6.8K ft. It's cooler this time of year. Where is Gregory Lake?

I'm new to this board and looking to ride with others with both challenging & fun rides. Have have planned some (2-day) trips this winter but am looking for riding partners. My son recently went to college so I'm spreading out to ride with others. Most importantly is the camaraderie of riding bikes. We can start at 9:30 if it's easier on Saturday? Let me know. Steve...