2009 Desert Dash

[ShocknAwe 0]

Epic ride. Below are pictures and video from Day 1 of the 2009 Desert Dash - loads of fun and tons of sand. Thanks to all for putting this event together. Special thanks to xxxinsd, Dakin, and the girls for enduring my personality during the camping. KIP rescued me from Sand Dam and led me back on course. HumptyThumpty kept popping up like a ghost. Dakin is a desert jedi.

Youtube videos can be viewed in High Quality in bottom right of screen.

Open Desert (55 seconds)

Canyon - 36 seconds

Dakin Flying By - 14 seconds

Dakin Street Wheelies - 30 seconds

Sand Dam Entrance - 1:32

Sand Dam Wipeout - 33 seconds

Sand Dam

(53 seconds)

(38 seconds)

South of Hwy 8 - 13 seconds

Wheelies on Wash

(43 seconds)

(59 seconds)

Tight Wash (22 seconds)

[City Slicker 0]

Thanks for the videos for those that didn't make the ride. I hope all of you are having a great time.

[tntmo 895]

As usual I was too busy holding on for dear life to stop and take many photos, but I did get a few.

Cuyamaca Lake, on the commute up there. I just got back from a week in South Dakota/Iowa/Nebraska and we had more snow here in San Diego county.

I teamed up with Erick, since the Yamaha's had to stick together in the sea of orange. Lots of KTM's this weekend but no major issues were noted. Even the blue bikes kept running. This is on Grapvine trail.

A few riders going by having a blast!

A bit farther up the trail. Conditions were perfect here, excellent traction, no dust and it was a warm morning. Epic.

On the "Glass Elevator" S-22 into Borrego Springs.

Me, with an appropriate shirt this time.

Trying to catch up to Erick.

Caught up!

Just outside of Ocotillo Wells.

Official Sweep Team.

A Pantera car club rolled into the Blu Inn as we were leaving, lots of cool cars.

Erick gently guiding his bike through the fun sand.

The start of the GPS only route.

The end of the GPS only route, due to GPS difficulties we had to use the rollchart but figured it out after almost getting mowed down by a trophy truck.

I should have taken a picture of lunch, it was awesome! Brown Bag Sandwich Co. hooked it up good. I was starving and they gave me plenty of food. Bravo!

Water tower after lunch.

Group of riders planning the next route.

Erick takes a nap in a not so great place.

The start of the last route.

Overall, it was a great day. We rode early/mid sweep and encountered no major issues, only thing of note was a group that was seperated but they re-grouped before lunch. I had to bail out Sunday a.m. due to family issues but it looks like it will be a great route. Looking forward to some more pictures and reports, awesome gropup of people.

[bikeslut 1]

as I was handing out sammiches on day one, Morgan came back from a foray, and asked if they had a bathroom... I said, "go behind this building, and pee on the tree..."

So he takes two steps toward the building and asks, "the TREE?"

Duane looks up and says,"I'm TREE"

True story

As much as I missed doing the ride, I was glad to spend time with Morgan and mickey, and hope I helped out around the clubhouse... Mickey; you have to post the picture from OW

TW200:half the quad, ALL the tard

Thanks to carguy, SDL, Strega, craw, RO, and all the rest of the volunteers...and Applied, Brown Bag, all-American KTM, KTM north America, fun bike, bmw, and others I've undoubtedly left out... And especially Randy for putting on such a great event.

[sandiegoland 0]

Epic ride. Below are pictures and video...

Good Videos and Photos!

Day 0 - Oriflamme & Mason

Day 1 - Tapiado & Diablo

Day 2 - Tassles & Borrego Springs

[Erick 0]

As you can see above, I rode sweep with Tom (TNTMO) on Saturday. What a day, perfect weather, great route, huge lunch and PBR in bottles at the trailer to finish things out.

Given the fact that I was riding with Tom and stopping at the same places, my pics were basically a matched set. Here are a few shots:

The campsite at Butterfield Ranch

Getting ready for a street stretch in Banner at the 78

Here's an DD participant, unreal traction on Grapevine

Culp Valley Road

Tom dropping in to Borrego Springs via the Montezuma grade

The first gas stop in Borrego Springs

Blue Inn madness

Superstition in the background

Trophy truck blazing through Plaster City

Canyon Sin Nombre

Great weekend in the desert. Thanks to all for a great event. Good to meet a bunch of SDARers and put faces to SDAR handles.

E

[Kris 0]

Epic ride. Below are pictures and video from Day 1 of the 2009 Desert Dash - loads of fun and tons of sand. Thanks to all for putting this event together. Special thanks to xxxinsd, Dakin, and the girls for enduring my personality during the camping. KIP rescued me from Sand Dam and led me back on course. HumptyThumpty kept popping up like a ghost. Dakin is a desert jedi.

Youtube videos can be viewed in High Quality in bottom right of screen.

Open Desert (55 seconds)

Canyon - 36 seconds

Dakin Flying By - 14 seconds

Sand Dam Entrance - 1:32

Sand Dam Wipeout - 33 seconds

Sand Dam

(53 seconds)

(38 seconds)

South of Hwy 8 - 13 seconds

Wheelies on Wash

(43 seconds)

(59 seconds)

Tight Wash (22 seconds)

ShocknAwe

What kind of helmet cam are you using?

Kris

[bruceh 0]

This was my first Desert Dash, and hopefully it won't be my last. I had a great time on the trails. Learned a couple of things. My stock tank on the DRZ-400S will go 95 miles before hitting the reserve. A few too many PSI's in the tires will kill your ability to track in the sand (wished I'd figured this out on Saturday). I need a softer seat. Handlebar risers would also be a good investment. Using GPS tracks saved me several times, although the roll chart was also very helpful. Especially minding my head going through the tunnel under the I-8 freeway.

87 photos are here for your viewing pleasure.

Thanks again to Randy, the sponsors and the great volunteers, and Crawdaddy for getting my bike out there and back.

[Rob 0]

This was my first Desert Dash, and hopefully it won't be my last. I had a great time on the trails. Learned a couple of things. My stock tank on the DRZ-400S will go 95 miles before hitting the reserve. A few too many PSI's in the tires will kill your ability to track in the sand (wished I'd figured this out on Saturday). I need a softer seat. Handlebar risers would also be a good investment. Using GPS tracks saved me several times, although the roll chart was also very helpful. Especially minding my head going through the tunnel under the I-8 freeway.

87 photos are here for your viewing pleasure.

Thanks again to Randy, the sponsors and the great volunteers, and Crawdaddy for getting my bike out there and back.

Nice report in the pics link Bruceh...I wanted in on this one but wasn't sure about my skill level.

[RogerTOWM 0]

87 photos are here for your viewing pleasure.

Thanks again to Randy, the sponsors and the great volunteers, and Crawdaddy for getting my bike out there and back.

Thanks for the photos.

[dirt dame 561]

:clapping: Yes, great pics, one and all.

[darylhunter 1]

It was great to see everyone out there.

Had family fun hitting some of the same spots in my yellow Rubicon

Next year I'll be back out there on the bike . . . :clapping:

[Joliet 0]

Paul, thanks for starting the post, but if you could edit the title and take out the day 1 part I think it would be helpful since people are putting both days in here.

I had a great time, this is my favorite Desert Dash so far. Mostly because I didn't get hurt this time :clapping: . Schwinn, thanks for the accommodations. Hanging out and riding with you guys (and gals), is just a great experience, on and off the bike. Here are a couple of pics.

Sheep on the side of the road heading down into Borrego Springs.

A rider being towed through Fish Creek, these guys were almost riding at a normal speed, great job.

A couple of the Japanese riders signaling to their friend at the lookout.

A rare desert anomaly I discovered, I am calling it a Schwinn-print . (Steve had another name for it, but I can't really post that here) In my several years of riding with Steve, this is the only one I have seen, so it deserved to be documented. (hope the knee is OK)

On day one I swept (Mid sweep) with Tree. At Grapevine we caught up with the sweep crew of Schwinn, PastaPilot, and Jeff from KTM North America. We swept the hard ways and had a great time. I was totally burned out by lunch time, but all the food and drink provided by Brown Bag revived me, and my favorite part of the ride was the Diablo/Tapiado loop. Day 2 was just a fun ride with DigDug and Schwinn. The fire department in Borrego Springs put on a fantastic meal, I sure hope this becomes a regular feature in the Dash.

Ken

[Tree 0]

The dash was a blast. I couldn't ask for a better day 1 sweep team (myself, Joliet, Schwinn, and Jeff). We had alot of fun and other then comming upon a group with one member pulling cactus out of his backside we didn't see any carnage. I had to direct some people to the course but it looks like everyone made it through safely. I can't wait till next year.

[Crawdaddy 96]

The dash was a blast.

That statement pretty well covers it from my perspective......thanks to my sweep partners Strega and DigDug.......we helped one rider with a chain issue, guided some big bikes to the Blue Inn, kept tabs on the fun and friendly New York crowd, and steered some of our European friends to gas in Ocotillo......we were relieved that we didn't find anyone in need of assistance after Ocotillo since it was getting dark/cold......hope everyone else had a blast as well.....

[SCHWINN 0]

I have been to all the dashes and they all have been great but this year will be hard to beat...From the weather to the sponsors to the help and all that food. The sweep team I was with on saturday was fast and fun and at the end of the day I was ready to find pavement back to camp, I was sore and verbally abusing the sand. Jeff Konicke ( from KTM North America ) and Tree are very fast and hard to keep up with sometimes. Joilets Husky was handling everything he threw at it and Pasta Pilots new Aprillia turned his riding confidence up to where I couldnt keep up with him sometimes. Fun times and lets do it again next year. As for that schwinn imprint in the dirt at the bottom of Rodrigues I am fine just bounced on my knee as I went down and Joliet was there to help me pick up my bike. Not that I didnt ride enough but I had to get on another bike this morning and ride 75 miles to work :clapping:

[KTMrad 511]

I rode my 950 and did the entire route Sunday, my friend Robert and I were sweep. We got split up out there by Tule Wash and the Palm Oases, so I rode the rest of the trail back to the campground by myself. I figured Robert would find his way back, he had a rollchart and he's a very experienced rider/desert racer, and we had ridden many dualsport rides over the years together, so I wasn't too worried.

Had a blast. I blasted thru some sections as the terrain conditions were awesome thru the Pinyon Mountain Area, Culp Valley - Jasper Trail, and Rodriguez Canyon areas.

Yeah, the sand starts to get to me on the big bike after awhile, but as soon as I get back on some hard pack terrain, I'll get another second wind and be ready for more.

Culp & Jasper trails, with Rodriguez Canyon last, are a great way to end the day.

When I got back to camp, Robert was there, as I figured (and hoped) he would be, then we took our time packing up, hung out with Carguy and Francine, and Sheila came over to hang with us also.

Great time, great turnout, great compliments on the ride, the crew, the food, the giveaways, etc.

Sheila even gave us compliments, that SDAR and all the riders in the event are a great group, and the people in the cabins left them in good shape/clean when they left. She loves the dualsport crowd and wants us back :clapping:

I have a few pix to post later,

Rad

[Mac250R 0]

This year's Dash was the best by far due in large part to the organization and addition of two free meals. Heck, even the raffle was better organized! My hat goes off to the countless volunteers and contributers for what is becoming a premier annual ride. In addition, I am amazed at how nearly every dual-sporter looks out for everyone in this group. Indeed, I was never passed by others in our group without receiving a thumbs up sign from others, or guys actually stopping, checking my status-very cool!

I wonder if Randy even knew after the first annual if this thing would grow to such proportions. Keep sending your buddies to Butterfield so that we can keep it open for the future rides.

Can't wait to show these pictures to my buddies who missed the ride.

Mac

I rode my 950 and did the entire route Sunday, my friend Robert and I were sweep. We got split up out there by Tule Wash and the Palm Oases, so I rode the rest of the trail back to the campground by myself. I figured Robert would find his way back, he had a rollchart and he's a very experienced rider/desert racer, and we had ridden many dualsport rides over the years together, so I wasn't too worried.

Had a blast. I blasted thru some sections as the terrain conditions were awesome thru the Pinyon Mountain Area, Culp Valley - Jasper Trail, and Rodriguez Canyon areas.

Yeah, the sand starts to get to me on the big bike after awhile, but as soon as I get back on some hard pack terrain, I'll get another second wind and be ready for more.

Culp & Jasper trails, with Rodriguez Canyon last, are a great way to end the day.

When I got back to camp, Robert was there, as I figured (and hoped) he would be, then we took our time packing up, hung out with Carguy and Francine, and Sheila came over to hang with us also.

Great time, great turnout, great compliments on the ride, the crew, the food, the giveaways, etc.

Sheila even gave us compliments, that SDAR and all the riders in the event are a great group, and the people in the cabins left them in good shape/clean when they left. She loves the dualsport crowd and wants us back :clapping:

I have a few pix to post later,

Rad

[christi20 0]

This was my first Desert Dash. And yes, it WAS a BLAST! Maybe we should change the name to Desert Blast? :clapping:

I thought the course was great. Just enough challenging sections to make it interesting. Including the tunnel of darkness! I couldn't see crap in there! Just the light at the end.

I was solo on Saturday until a friendly soul stopped to see what my problem was on mile 4.5. My fender pack kept coming loose. Anyway, N2TM turned out to be a great riding partner. It seemed we both wanted to go the same speed and had similar skill. Big thanks to him for being the navigator. It really sucks trying to read a role chart in a twisty sand wash! I appreciated the great conversation after the ride too.

I wish I had more time to meet all the rest of you!

Thanks so much Randy for organizing all this.

Thanks to sponsors too. Lunch was yummy.

I have no pictures since we never stopped long enough to get them. I had my helmet cam attached but never remembered to turn it on until the very end of day 1. I will post that footage soon. It's Sin Nombre canyon.

Looking forward to the next one!

[ShocknAwe 0]

as I was handing out sammiches on day one . . . .

Your employees should know you still keep it real. Thanks.

[bikeslut 1]

[attachment

=3555:KIP.JPG]

[dirt dame 561]

Sorry to have missed two years in a row now of the Desert Dash. Financial, bike and back problems kept me out this time. Maybe, God willing, next year will be my lucky year to join in on the fun.

But Jeff and I did a 200+ mile street ride on Sunday and dropped in to Butterfield for a short visit with some of the crew during the afternoon, where we found Crawdaddy, Strega, Pastapilot, Carguy, Digdug and Mickey, Schwinn, Joliet and others relaxing around the campground in the very mild and overcast weather.

So here is a trio of photos:

We had to see what John had bought, and we did:

Nice choice!

The guys sitting around in camp, shooting the breeze.

Schwinn hamming it up to show off his big ol' owie he got when he did a crash towards the end of his riding day.

It was nice to drop in and say howdy to one and all, there. Glad everybody had such a wonderful time. :clapping:

[DigDug 0]

Schwinn hamming it up to show off his big ol' owie he got when he did a crash towards the end of his riding day.

Hey Randy, there's one for the front page!!! :)

Thanks for putting on the dash... Great ride again this year and thanks for ordering up the great weather! I've got most of my chores done so I'll have to get around to downloading what few pictures I took.

Thanks to the riders that put up with me both (all three actually) days. Great group of guys to ride and just hang out with!!!

[cyclepsych0 0]

This was my first Desert Dash as well. Joliet was nice enough to post a link in the Husqvarna 4-stroke section of Thumper Talk, otherwise I would've never known of this ride or SDAR for that matter. I recruited my father in-law and we did just the Sunday ride. Wanted to do both days, but I work Saturdays and didn't have the opportunity to get the day off unfortunately. This will definitely NOT be the case for next years dash!! We both had such a great time! I loved finding other areas to ride that I had not been in before. The trails Randy mentioned in his post were some of my favorites aswell. Pinyon, Culp, Jasper......all great!! Thanks to everyone that helped in organizing/running the Dash!!

[SnailDarter 0]

Well the DD was a blast -- this was my second but not my last.

I want to thank Eric and Mark for riding with me on Saturday -- I know they just put up with me so they would have one GPS in their group

After logging 170 miles on Saturday I was beat on Sunday. Therefore I took a short ride, back up the start of the Saturday ride, and then down the Spur (last part of Sunday ride) instead. Ended up being a nice 25 mile loop and at least got me out on the bike on Sunday. Since I was riding solo I could stop as often as I wanted, and actually took some pictures.

Looking down the valley.

One of the bike -- notice the nice seat attachment straps (in KTM orange I might add) that we had to rig up on on Saturday after I ate a bunch of sand at speed. I might have to patent those - I ended up using them as tugger straps to pick the bike up later in the day and I must say they worked great for that.

and one more scenery shot of the roads we were all going too fast on on Saturday to enjoy the views.