KLXBEN 0 Posted July 31, 2011 Just got back last night from one of the most fun trips to the sierras I have been on. Left last sunday at 1:00am for the 6hr trek to start the vacation in Lone Pine. All was going well on the first stop to fish the stream when I noticed my rear bumper was about to break off. One of the stock brackets off the frame was split like a V and ready to break. I told Brad "we have a problem" I needed a welder. We went into town to the local tow yard and was told if the mechanic had to come down on Sunday he would probably charge $300 to weld up the 3" crack. I got a couple of numbers for local welders and left messages but still did not have a solution. I told Brad that we were going to drive around the neighborhoods and find some good ole boy standing in front of his garage with a welder. On the very first turn I found just that. He was so kind "unhook the trailer and back it on in and we'll jack up the bumper and weld it up". I told him I had no problem welding it up myself and he said "here's the grinder, welder, and a piece of angle iron. Not 10 min later the job was done and the bracket was 10 times stronger than it ever was. I tried to pay him and he would'nt take any money. I offered him a 12 pack he says he dosent drink. I offered him some freshly caught fish. He wouldnt accept any payment so I didnt push it. I got his name and number and asked if I could use him again if I had a problem and told him about the club and he say's no problem. Really nice man and truly a good ole boy. I couldnt thank him enough. I will post his info in my contact info. Problem solved! Left town and headed for the Mnt, Whitney fish hatchery to let Brad do the tourist thing. Very good learning experience. The hatchery is a historic monument as it was the first ever built in that area. Pay a quarter for bit of fish food and watch the fish in the pond go crazy. We had planned to camp and fish a couple of days in Independence then head up towards Mammoth to ride but with the campground full and the stream running really fast we just headed straight to Mammoth. I know of a free campground in that area that is an excellent and popular place to ride from. We got one of the best spots and went for a ride soon after setting up. Next morning Geared up and headed for the hot springs in the area. I love to dip in the springs and find the difference interesting from year to year. They are natural pools that have been formed and cemented into very nice hot tubs with valves and drains to scrub clean if you wish. We spent he whole day riding and exploring all the springs. The Woods are so fun to ride in. The trails up there are perfect. Not slippery or too soft in the corners with some challenging climbs and descents. The KTM and KDX ran good with almost no power or run-ability problems at up to the highest we rode(about 12,000 feet). The KDX gets even worst mileage up there so our distance was limited to only about 55 miles. Laurel Canyon was our next challenge. Early the next day we headed to the trail head. I have always wanted to go up this road to the hi mountain lakes and fish for golden trout. rest stop halfway up Now, the guide book I have says if the snow is too high at a certain spot on the road that may be blocked so trucks should park and folks should hike down to the lake. This guy thought he could make it and was in a very bad spot when we got there. We helped dig and he got off the bank and turned around. We rode on down to the lake. Did not catch any fish but what a beutiful spot. We were being eaten alive by hungry mosquito's and not catching any fish so off to the hot springs! This one is called Shepherds and was waay to hot to get in right away. Divert the water pipe and wait 45 min and it is ready enough to get in without being cooked alive. soo relaxing with such an awesome backdrop! The next day we did the tourist thing and went to Bodie and visited some more springs in Bridgeport. Bodie is such an interesting place. Step back in time and spend a few hours. Amazing to see how our fore fathers used to live and how they survived. A interesting note on Bodie. It was the first mining camp to ever have electricity. Water generated from a creek 15 miles away. All the poles and lines ran in a straight line because they didnt know if electricity could turn corners! Finished the day with crawdad fishing and deer spotting at Gull lake on the June lakes loop. Crawfish tails and a steak for dinner. I call it high sierra surf n turf. We met an interesting fellow at the campground who had ridden a 600 Honda scooter all the way from Kentucky with is dog. The scooter was damaged on the front from hitting a deer on 395 at full speed! He didnt go down but barely had a headlight left. I wanted a pic of him and his bike but it was dark and he left at 4:30 the next morning. Fully loaded with more stuff than most of us would ever put on a dualsport let alone a scooter. We rode the next couple of days pretty much exploring and trying to discover new springs. Getting lost and turning around was the norm. We packed up camp on Friday to head down to Bishop to camp the last night at a campground on Bishop creek. When we got there It had just started to thunderstorm. By the time we were riding out to the lake to fish it was raining real hard. Thunder and lightning going off all around we were riding down a trail with fishing gear up in the mountains above Bishop. The feeling of adventure was awesome and that feeling is exactly why I ride dualsport. No fish in the pouring rain at the lake. Dosent matter. It may seem strange to sum but I dont even care if I catch a fish when fishing. Just being there is reward enough. Completely soaked from the waist up. I love my new KLIM pants! Brad, wringing out his socks Huge steaks for dinner and bed early. The thoughts of heading home on Saturday is depressing. Woke to clear skys and the want of our limits of fish to take home. We caught our limits from the stream in a couple of hours and took one more short ride in another thunderstorm. Packed up and headed down the hill. One more hot springs dip south of Bishop then drove home. A grand adventure from beginning to end. I think I am going to get the fellow from Lone Pine who was gracious enough to let me repair my bumper a Descanso, Ca t-shirt and mail it to him. That would be a bit of an oddity up there. Oh and p.s. KTM stands for KILLER TRAIL MACHINE!!! The End. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Goofy Footer 539 Posted July 31, 2011 Laurel Lakes is amazing. I've some of those same hot springs. Lots to explore up there. Check out Coyote Flat outside Bishop, its another great high elevation trail. I would definitely want to go again soon. Looks awesome thanks for the pics. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rexr 0 Posted July 31, 2011 Looks like it was a great trip. Thanks for the writeup.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KLXBEN 0 Posted July 31, 2011 Laurel Lakes is amazing. I've some of those same hot springs. Lots to explore up there. Check out Coyote Flat outside Bishop, its another great high elevation trail. I would definitely want to go again soon. Looks awesome thanks for the pics. I do know about coyote flat trail but was afraid we couldnt pack enough fuel to get the 2 stroke there and back. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bikeslut 1 Posted July 31, 2011 Nice! Thanks for sharing Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
socalhodaka 105 Posted August 1, 2011 Ben, great write up. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dirt dame 561 Posted August 1, 2011 Very nice looking vacation. I need to go on one soon. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Crawdaddy 96 Posted August 1, 2011 I was wondering if we'd be able to ride all the way up to Laurel Lakes and/or Joaquin Ridge given this year's epic snowfall.....thanks for the report! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mistress of the dual 1 Posted August 1, 2011 Excellent report! I look forward to exploring that area again. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Maniac 0 Posted August 1, 2011 I was wondering if we'd be able to ride all the way up to Laurel Lakes and/or Joaquin Ridge given this year's epic snowfall.....thanks for the report! I'm trying anyway. Anyone got a snow plow attachment for a DRZ? last time I rode in snow, it was a workout! but fun. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KLXBEN 0 Posted August 1, 2011 I was wondering if we'd be able to ride all the way up to Laurel Lakes and/or Joaquin Ridge given this year's epic snowfall.....thanks for the report! We were able to ride all the way to the lakes on Laurel trail. The picture I posted of the sideways Jeep was the only place the road was blocked. Once the Jeeper was clear we rode right past. I dont know about Joaquin ridge. But there does not seem to be as much lingering snow as I anticipated. The Thunderstorms this past week would clear out some as well. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
