Terrible Ride Reports

[tntmo 887]

Looks like I missed out on another great ride with the crew, but duty calls. See y'all in a few months.

[Jaynen 0]

Thanks for helping a new rider induct themselves in a trial by fire of dual sporting Kkug! And good job Jim on plugging away and getting it done.

[bikeslut 1]

looks like an awesome adventure for all involved...

[Crawdaddy 96]

Link to Photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/Adventuredude8...318463453470562

Great pics Wayne......

[piratemonkey 0]

For the past few months I've been really busy with work and haven't had much time to check the forum. I think Wayne informed me of the Primm ride after I had emailed him about something else. Sounded fun, but I had been out in the desert for several weekends in a row and I needed to just stay home to catch up on a laundry list of tasks. Then I went to the SDAR meeting on Tuesday, during which Chris and Wayne browbeat me in person. Well, convincing me that I needed to go on a dualsport trip was kind of like convincing a crackhead to have just a little bit more crack...

So deciding to go was all fine and dandy, but my concern was that I didn't have a riding partner(s). It sounded like people had their groups sorted out. Wayne and I have ridden together so I know we team up well, but he had made an arrangement with Sean. I didn't know how Sean would feel about an addition, and I have to admit that I felt sort of sheepish about saddling him with a girl... however, not sheepish enough to stop me from doing it.

I met Sean on Friday night at the "tree bar" and it turned out that we had actually ridden together on a group ride and he was cool with me tagging along. Yeah, I know, just because you're a woman doesn't mean you're automatically a liability, but it does mean if you're a woman on a DRZ who relies on the kindness of strangers when the pig-barge is on its side, you better bring your A-game and keep it off the ground or nobody's going to be your pal on the next dualsport trip.

Fast-forward to Saturday in the ice and snow. I'm pretty sure I had that bike down no less than six times and just about every time one of the guys had to help me wrestle it back up, which alone is a sucky task, but add the lack of traction while trying to upright it and you were pretty much fantasizing about being anywhere on the planet but there. Wayne and Sean were getting through it ok, but I just kept slamming the bike to the ground and snapping pieces off. At some point I told Sean I should just give up and head back down, but he felt we were probably near the top and I should keep going. Sure enough, we were soon on our way back down, and although the patches of snow were longer on the descent, it was way easier to deal with the slipping in that direction. I think I now know the euphoria that convicts feel the moment they're released from prison...

I had the bike down another couple of times in some loose, chunky sections and I always received assistance without a hint of annoyance. I'm pretty grateful to Sean and Wayne for their help and for letting me ride with them. I really love seeing new places and it's all that much sweeter when it's done with a dose of adventure and good company. I'm going to work on making the Husky more suitable for long trips so I have a bike I can ride instead of wrestle.

Favorite part of the trip: The "halfpipe" stretch somewhere in the Joshua Tree-littered section of Cedar Canyon (I think). Makes me wonder why there aren't motocross parks with narrow halfpipes in them. Or are there?

Funniest part of the trip: Encountering the expensive Mercedes slowly driving along the rocky Ivanpah Road. As I was coming up on the car, the driver waved at me to stop, so I did. He asked me if I knew where Cima Road was. I said I had never been in the area before, but that I had a map he could have which showed him where *we* were going to turn. I suggested he do the same or else who knows where he'd end up. Well, when we got to that turn, it was wide enough for a car, but it was more like a sandy trail. I'm sure he didn't turn down it. He's probably still lost in the desert driving 5 mph with his female companion b#tching him out.

Greatest source of pride on the trip: Hearing an alarm go off at 2:00 am and jumping out of my warm sleeping bag to see if I needed to give someone the stink-eye. I didn't see anyone, although they might've seen me pop my head through the curtains like a nosy old lady and ran off. The vehicle I saved from filthy, pilfering hands might've been yours.

Most delightful discovery on the trip: The buffet restaurant had a soft ice cream machine.

Thanks to Chris and Roger and everyone else who got this ride together. I wish I would've had a chance to talk to everyone a little more as I'm still unclear on what forum names went with which faces. I'll work on that on the next ride.

Photos in the next entry. This already feels too long...

[dsfox 0]

Great and funny write up Zina...Props to you girl for wrestling that DRZ.....It's one of the only "little" bikes heavier than mine...You're amazing......it was awesome to meet and hang out with you a little and glad to have another woman along for the adventure....Fun following you those first few miles til the spoke thing....and seeing you at Lunch on Sunday.....

I ditto your feelings, Us women hate to be burdens, and TOTALLY appreciate all you guys helping us out....it just wouldn't be fair for you to have all the fun and leave us girls at home.....some of us just LOVE to get out there and take on the wilderness....Though it's probably more fun for you to blaze it with "the boyz"....Thanks for including us.....deb

[Strega 0]

Another super fun weekend of riding as usual. Friday was a good group of riders and we made good time. I was having a bit of difficulty seeing too far out in front of me so I stayed on Greg's six for most of the day. I had no problem focusing close, but seeing dangers up ahead was tough. Todd and I rotated riding sweep, which was a little dusty at times but still fun to see everyone out in front. All went well till late Saturday when I was making a left turn in a gravel section and the front tire washed out. I put my left arm out to soften my fall and ended up separating my shoulder. Chris was kind enough to hold my bike and bars, so I could bash my shoulder back into place, which worked, but was incredibly painful. The GPR stabilizer was very handy on the ride back not using my left arm too much. The Umbracite mine section was really tough with my shoulder in the state it was in, but it was a really fun technical section right at the end of the day. I took some Ibuprofen and felt much better Sat night, and expected to ride on Sunday. I woke up at 6am and tried to push myself off the bed, and I knew then I would not be able to ride. I was really bummed =\ I'll definitely be headed back to do the Sunday ride. Hell, I wanna go back and do all THREE days again, you just can't beat that kinda riding so close to home.

What a great time, good people, and a fabulous ride put together by Chris. He does all the work, I'm just the logistical guy that takes care of all the 'other' stuff it takes to put these rides together. HUGE thanks to Tracy and his wife for getting the accommodations in order as well as the buffet deals, what a treat that was. Thanks to Fakename for once again stepping up to take the group photo, too bad everyone wasn't able to make it for that. Always next year right??

Here are some of the pics:

Click HERE for all of the pics, some highlights below:

The crew:

Todd in the snow:

Greg points at the ice:

Slippery hill:

The crew at Bonnie Springs for lunch on Friday:

Last pic I took:

[Strega 0]

Though it's probably more fun for you to blaze it with "the boyz"....Thanks for including us.....deb

I actually disagree with ya here. We do this for the riding and the experience with our friends, both novice and expert. Glad ya made it!!

[dsfox 0]

Thanks Roger, sounds like ALOT of us want to go back.....lets plan another TERRIBLE weekend....this spring before it's too hot out there...but let the snow melt. ....bet we'd get more than this time around because so many people are reading here, and envious they missed it....Hope your shoulder and eye and all other ailments are healing....You sure do beat yourself up!

[Jaynen 0]

Thanks Roger, sounds like ALOT of us want to go back.....lets plan another TERRIBLE weekend....this spring before it's too hot out there...but let the snow melt. ....bet we'd get more than this time around because so many people are reading here, and envious they missed it....Hope your shoulder and eye and all other ailments are healing....You sure do beat yourself up!

I've actually got a time share on the end of the strip in Vegas, the part I most want to do again is red rock and around to mountain springs. That soft serve machine in the buffet was hidden! I found it but I was looking for quite a while

[Crawdaddy 96]

.....lets plan another TERRIBLE weekend....this spring before it's too hot out there...but let the snow melt.

Here's what I would suggest to mix it up a bit........head out on the Sat morning track towards Blue Diamond (Gas)........when you get to the point along that track where you'd normally make a hard right to gas (at N35 55.777 W115 25.790 which is ~35 miles into the track and ~10 miles before gas)......simply go straight instead of turning right.......that's the way I led the crew on Friday........that'll run you down to Hwy 160 where you'll make a left hand turn and head up to Mountain Springs.........from there you'll ride the track in reverse over to Bonnie Springs for "lunch"........this is a fun direction because you're riding "up" from Mtn Springs and "up" the washout on the way to Red Rock Summit and "down" into Red Rock Canyon and "out" the paved scenic loop............then gas up in Blue Diamond and head back for Primm.......same deal on the Mojave Road loop.......run it forward or backwards depending on whether you've already ridden it once before.....that's the beauty of riding tracks.....they're (generally) "non directional".......2 tracks = 4 rides that are the same, yet at the same time different, since you're experiencing the terrain/seeing the sights from a different direction

[paulmbowers 236]

Here's what I would suggest to mix it up a bit........

Heck, we'll just take you again, thanks.

[Kris 0]

Thanks Roger, sounds like ALOT of us want to go back.....lets plan another TERRIBLE weekend....this spring before it's too hot out there...but let the snow melt. ....bet we'd get more than this time around because so many people are reading here, and envious they missed it....Hope your shoulder and eye and all other ailments are healing....You sure do beat yourself up!

If another Primm Ride is scheduled during the spring, I would definately be interested!

[tlking6 0]

A couple pictures to add to the mix!

Another view of the ride up the icy trail on Friday

And another

Pretty much the rest of my pictures would be repeats and my Camera battery died on Sunday morning so I didn't get any of the southern loop. Too bad because so much of that ride was pretty nice!

What a great time! I really enjoyed the terrain. Nice mix of easy stuff with a few technical sections thrown in. I particularly enjoyed the run up to the mine at the end of the first loop and the trail east of the highway after the gas stop on day 2 that looped around to the Casino. Chris, you did a great job of mixing it up!

[Sneeker 29]

Thanks to everyone for a great ride! Chris and Roger thanks so much for all the ride research and effort put into this event, your GPS data was spot on. Also many thanks to Tracy and family for organizing deals on rooms and food. The whole weekend was so much fun…legendary.

I rode with George (karlaeda) and Justin (his 1st ride with SDAR). Justin is a skilled rider and kept a fast pace for us on the 1st day. George got a flat about 30 miles out but we fixed it up quick with a little help from passers-by. We finished up the day with no mishaps and daylight to spare; we were beat and loving it.

Saturday night one of our trio stayed out till 4am drinking, gambling and whooping it up. Needless to say on Sunday morning I was concerned that one of us would not ride that day. Never fear, our party boy manned-up and rode all of day two without complaining once. We got a late start but were glad to let party boy sleep and the others get some breakfast. Again we finished up with no mishaps and daylight to spare.

I really enjoyed riding my XR600 it was made for this type of riding. Gravel, sand, rocks, snow, ice, whatever; I had a blast and I enjoyed every cc I had available. The snow & ice were my favorite. After riding so many chunky rocks I’m surprised I didn’t get a flat and that my rims did not turn into squares...so many different types of rock, so much fun!

I give my vote to George as most improved rider. He stepped up and rode a solid pace that might have been a little more than his ideal. Way to go George!

Wish I had more pictures but the ride was so absorbing it was hard to stop many times. Justin has some good photos and video that hopefully will be posted soon.

Here are my pictures kinda in order:

[Crawdaddy 96]

Anyone in our group recall riding past a 2009 KLX250S on Mojave Rd. this past Sunday? :girl_mad:

http://www.district37ama.org/forums/showpo...mp;postcount=55

"I did a gonzo ride out to the Mojave Road this weekend and had a total blast. It was my first time taking the route. I rode my trusty KLX250S fully loaded with camping gear out to Needles Saturday by way of Route 66 through Ludlow/Amboy/Goffs. It was rather cold but at least it was dry. The new museum at the old Goffs schoolhouse is amazing. The last time I was out there it looked like the building was abandoned and about to fall down. After filling up the gas and gas cans at the Avi Casino I heaed up into the hills to camp Saturday night.

Sunday I woke up to much better weather and headed west, taking a relaxed pace as I enjoyed the desert view and historical spots. I ran into only a couple of cars during about 100 miles off road. There was a gaggle of KTM riders blasting along though. I was glad to be already stopped when they raced by so I didn't get run off the road like on the way to Vegas.

Thanks to the Mojave Road book, rock cairns, and a GPS track that some nice fellow emailed me I had no troubles navigating. For lunch Sunday I buzzed down to the Kelso Depot. What an amazing restoration there as well! I couldn't believe I was having a hot dog and apple pie at the same Kelso Depot that looked like it was headed for the wrecking ball several years ago.

After lunch I headed back up Cima Road and back on to the Mojave Road. As I headed West I could see the storn clouds coming in. I puttered along, stopping at Marl Springs, the mailbox, and the lava tubes. By dusk it was starting to rain though, so I heeded the ranger's advice and headed into Baker for the night.

Yesterday I rode home on the freeway, unfortunately, instead of over Soda Dry Lake down to Camp Cody. I made it all the way to Victorville before the rain started. Yowza, was it stormy on Cajon Pass! A heavily laden KLX250 is not an ideal mount for pounding rain, howling crosswinds, and 20 foot visability in the fog. The 40 degree weather was a bit chilly too. But I'm home now and I've got a great story to tell. :-)

The mighty KLX250 managed 50 miles per gallon and cruised easily at mph, except for the part with the merciless headwinds where I was flat out at 40..."

[paulmbowers 236]

[dsfox 0]

Nice shot!...Looks like a proud "dad" of all his riding kids, right from the Old West!

[SCHWINN 0]

That is 1 awsome pic of Crawdaddy, looks like it should be a painting. " The Father of Dualsport"

[Jaynen 0]

Two things

Sneeker do you have a highrez shot of that one of me riding in front of blindin1ear? Could I give you my email addy if so etc?

and Roger where is the brave brave sir robin picture? lol

[Crawdaddy 96]

Nice shot Paul - thanks

I look pretty satisfied/content in that shot (and the food hadn't even been served yet! )........I WAS/AM proud/honored/flattered that so many folks broke out of the "local riding only" box and came out to ride in BFE based on a "trust me - you'll like it" urging.........very cool to see the dust cloud off in the distance knowing the crew is following the path you put together for them......glad most enjoyed it.....

Already thinking about the next ride..... :girl_mad:

[Strega 0]

Bravely bold Sir Robin rode forth from Camelot.

He was not afraid to die, O brave Sir Robin!

He was not at all afraid to be killed in nasty ways,

Brave, brave, brave, brave Sir Robin!

[dirt dame 559]

Bravely bold Sir Robin rode forth from Camelot.

He was not afraid to die, O brave Sir Robin!

He was not at all afraid to be killed in nasty ways,

Brave, brave, brave, brave Sir Robin!

But possibly more than a little afraid of freezing his @$$ off. :girl_mad:

[Jaynen 0]

should have had mike behind me banging some rocks together like coconuts

[hobiee 28]

"I"m to sexy for this shirt, to sexy for this shirt, so sexy it hurt's" :girl_mad: