dsfox 0 Posted May 29, 2012 Had an awesome long weekend...Thanks to the KUG's invite to ride in the Lone Pine area...one of his favorites......Enjoyed several rides through the Sierras, Inyo Mountains, Owens Valley.....all in the shadow of Mt. Whitney, the highest peak in the continental US..... Various riders through the weekend including KKUG, COVERED IN DUST, MANIAC, GDUBB, and some of Kug's ADV friends, MATT, BOB AND DAVE....more pics and stories tomorrow, but for now a few... THIS is why we Dual Sport!!!!! The Destinations, the Adventure, The views, The Challenges, the camping fun, .....and especially The amazing Friends and comraderie we gain along the way!!!...... Thanks to ALL for another Great Trip..... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kkug 147 Posted May 29, 2012 Thanks Deb and crew for making fun and entertaining weekend. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
clydascope 0 Posted May 29, 2012 That salt tram ride is incredible, glad to see you were able to get up there. Looks like the snow stayed up this way. How was the dust storm? Sorry I didn't make down over the weekend, turned out to be a hernia and not the flu after all! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bmw ktm 0 Posted May 29, 2012 Great looking pictures. How many miles did you cover? Any stream crossings? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dsfox 0 Posted May 30, 2012 I love these riding trips.......This was another Great One....Thanks to all my riding friends....especially kugs, maniac and covered in dust and gary for sharing alot of laughs & great camping ...as well as many fun rides over a variety of terrain....had some crazy winds, a bit of a dust storm, snow in the mountains, beautiful sunny days..........something for every type of bike and riding style....nice to meet kugs ADV friends and share a ride with them also.... FRIDAY Views from camp HORSESHOE MEADOW. The top just 18 miles from camp.....Though the road is paved all the way to over 9900' elevation, the views are amazing....always saw that switchback road and wanted to go up it!!!! TUTTLE CREEK ROAD, right behind camp, we took to the end, then hiked down to a nice waterfall... WHITNEY PORTAL WATERFALL.. SATURDAY..... ALABAMA HILLS, COOL MINE YOU CAN DRIVE IN......We were told about 3/4 mile.....we probably went about 1/4 mile in......kind of freaky... MAZOURKA PEAK LOOP: in the Inyo Mts.....9410....my camera died so the others can post more pics...pretty awesome view with the storm clouds over the sierras.....even had cell service at the summit...tommy called while we were up there.... ONION VALLEY (SIERRA SIDE)..pretty amazing to ride to 9400' on the east side of owens valley, then down to the valley and up to 9200' on the Sierra side.....in the matter of an hour....had some snow flurries up there...pretty cold on Saturday.. SUNDAY: The Salt Tram Cerro Gordo Loop... 7 KTM'S... For me the highlight of the trip....some challenging riding..I knew it could be tough and almost didn't go, but thanks to the encouragement of my friends....I decided to go for it... several steep rocky climbs up....VERY steep, loooong, loose drops down.......but so worth the journey to be able to ride miles and miles of ridgeline... .seeing death valley on the east and owens valley and the sierras on the west...for miles.....weather was perfect.......AMAZING. also interesting History, to see the salt tram structure...and the cerro gordo ghost town..... I don't have the pics, but pretty scary seeing dave's bike UPSIDE DOWN, Hanging from a tree on the way up.....Luckily he was OK..... cerro gordo OWENS RIVER VALLEY: TIL NEXT TIME.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
X-country-Rider 0 Posted May 30, 2012 Awesome pics and good report thanks for sharing!! Do you have tracks? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kkug 147 Posted May 30, 2012 Thanks Deb--I will add some more. Ian At the Mine entrance. I told Deb before that we could ride in it. She was leading at the time and she rolled up,pulled her goggles off and drove right in-- no group meeting ,making out wills, or saying goodby-- That girl has some guts ! Aliens From San Deigo ! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Covered in Dust 163 Posted May 30, 2012 Man I love this group, epic riding and epic fun around the camp fire at night. I'll post some more pics tomorrow. Covered in Smiles Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kkug 147 Posted May 30, 2012 Top of the world ! It was freezing and snowing a bit here at Onion Valley Deb puting on some layers ! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kkug 147 Posted May 30, 2012 Our ride to the Salt tram . Deb is geting good on rocky uphills.Bob ( at 72-73 taking a break ) My ADV buddys -Dave ,Matt , and Matts Dad ( not in this Pic ) Dave hit a rock with his 640 and got catiupulted into a tree-- it was ugly. He was ok --His Helmet did it,s job. ( the iner liner was cracked ) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kkug 147 Posted May 30, 2012 Our Destination--Death Valley on the left-Owens Lake on the right. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kkug 147 Posted May 30, 2012 After the Tram we did some blasting around. One more time in the Mine--a bit further this time ( 1/4 mile ) We rode to the outskirts of the Manzanar National Historic Site. Cementary Monument Saw a strange rock ! Wildlife And more Wildlife --A great end to a perfect weekend. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Spyder 2 Posted May 30, 2012 Awesome pics and good report thanks for sharing!! Do you have tracks? Ditto. Lone Pine is fantastic. Would most of these trails be passable in April? Where did you stay? S Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Goofy Footer 539 Posted May 30, 2012 Looks like a sweet trip. I've been up there camping and off-roading before. Wish I could have made it. I definitely want to talk to you guys at the meeting tomorrow. I'll be up that way in two weeks, hiking not riding though. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Covered in Dust 163 Posted May 30, 2012 Great pics Ken, it's still hard to give justice to everything we saw nd rode. CiD Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Maniac 0 Posted May 30, 2012 Great pics Ken, it's still hard to give justice to everything we saw nd rode. CiD Thank you everyone for making it so much fun! Thanks Ken for showing us this area! I have some pictures, I will post them soon. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Crawdaddy 96 Posted May 30, 2012 Good Stuff......I haven't ridden up to Burgess Cabin/Salt Tram in ~5 years(?) ......good motivation to hit it again! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Maniac 0 Posted May 30, 2012 What an awesome 4 day weekend! I love my KTM The scenery was out of a movie! Literally! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Maniac 0 Posted May 30, 2012 We took off our riding gear and went for a hike to a small waterfall. The Owens dry lake is the largest source of particulate matter (dust) in the United States (I am not making that up) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Maniac 0 Posted May 30, 2012 Brad Pitt was spotted near Whitney Portal (haha): Why did we go into the mine again? I guess riding in the dust all day messed up our common sense. The Kug in the abyss! Sunset that night was pretty special. This is why I camp. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Maniac 0 Posted May 30, 2012 Why I dualsport! The views atop Mazourka peak were inspiring: Couldn't ask for a better riding group: I blazed ahead of the group for a while, needed to get the need for speed out of my system: How not to park your dirtbike... Cerro Gordo: The backdrop all day was amazing: Saline Valley 7,000 feet below: Thanks to all who made it so memorable! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SCHWINN 0 Posted May 30, 2012 I love the Lone Pine area and Boat 440 hosted a ride up there a few years ago and was a blast. I would love to go back up to the Salt Tram. I talked to Debbie about going up to the Tram before the ride and was only worried for her about 1 long uphill rocky climb. Myself and Hammer raced up it side by side, Me on a KTM 525 EXC and he on a Trick Honda XR 440. We were the only 2 to make it. We walked down and helped the rest and some we just rode up for others. We rode up from the Lone Pine side and Cerrro Gordo was last. Thats the way I recommend. Here is the write up of our adventure up there. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KTMrad 515 Posted May 30, 2012 Great pix...love riding in the Sierra, that's why I go up there about once a year. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
clydascope 0 Posted May 30, 2012 ^^^ That's why I've lived here for thirty years! Great photos, looks liked I missed some fun riding (except the upside down bit!) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DSM8 361 Posted June 4, 2012 How not to park your dirtbike... Really it was not the parking that posed the issue, it was the getting the bike into the parking spot that was the challenge. After breaking through a few of the larger branches the bike laid down in there like butter. Hitting the tree trunk with my head, that was the worse part... LOL Share this post Link to post Share on other sites