- Morning of the big ride
I left Vegas and headed through Pahrump via NV 160. The slightly chilly temps would be with me the entire 2 days, and so layering up was a necessity and the heated grips were much appreciated (stayed on almost the entire trip!). A quick stop to top up fuel in Pahrump and then on the the Park.
- On the road out of Pahrump, NV
Heading out of Pahrump through Death Valley Junction puts you right past the famous Amargosa Opera House.
- Amargosa Opera House
I did find out however, that the stop sign comes up rather quickly around a blind corner!
Entering the park gives you the option to stop at a kiosk to pay your use fee. Motorcycles hikers, and cyclists get in for $10 whereas cagers have to pay 20 (unless you have a pass). I took the first left down to Dante's view. This 13 mile drive puts you at the top of the Amargosa range looking west into Death Valley itself. It's a fun ride, and vehicles over 25 feet long are not allowed. It will definitely help you work on your cornering skills. Dante's View is at 5,475 feet, over a mile high, and tomorrow I'd be down there in the valley, 242 feet below sea level!
On the way back down I snapped a pic of a tarantula who was trundling across the road. Boots go IN the tent tonight. My next stop was Zabrieski Point for the obligatory photo of Manly Beacon, named after a famous 49er who helped give the valley it's name.
- Dante's View
- The Tarantula in question
- Manly Beacon (left)
Speaking of 49ers, I was there right at the start of the annual 49ers Encampment, a festival meant to celebrate the art, music, and spirit of those early explorers in search of gold. However, most everyone there was a retiree driving an RV. Luckily most of these land super-tankers were already docked in their berths at the Furnace Creek campground and I was planning on staying at a tent-only site.
- 49er's Encampment
I ran into a couple who had rented a R12GS and were looking for a non-existant helmet lock who were amazed that my bike was a 2000. Thanks to the bloke who had it before me for taking such good care of it! I gassed up (52 mpg!) and continued north on 190 through the valley floor.
While making a couple stops at the Harmony Borax works, sand dunes, and the visitor's center, I rode on to my planned stop for the night, Emigrant campground. Emigrant is basically a wide spot in the road, and there were already 3 or 4 others at the 10-site location, so I pushed on to my alternate, Wildrose.
- Old borax wagons at the Harmony Borax Works
- Camp, morning of day 2
The road to Wildrose traverses 2 canyons and is 21 miles of twisty, roughly paved roads, but the views and the solitude were worth it. Several miles of 1st and 2nd gear hairpin turns on sheer cliff faces rewarded me with a nearly empty campground at the mouth of Wildrose canyon, where I stayed a rather windy, chilly night.
I awoke the next morning and headed down to Furnace creek to once again fuel up before going to Badwater and the lowest point (not underwater) in the western hemisphere. I got a couple of good pics, including one of the bike with the "sea level" sign 242 feet up on the cliff above and blasted back north.
- Heading out of Emigrant Canyon, Day 2
- The road from Emigrant Canyon
- Jasper reaches -242 feet!
My next stop was probably the holy grail of motorcycle roads in Death Valley...Artist's Drive. It's around 15 miles (I think) of a very well-paved, 1-way road through some of the most impressive and colorful rock formations I've ever seen. There was no traffic at 10:30 in the morning and I had that wonderful roller-coaster of a road all to myself. Tight corners, exciting dips and rises, spectacular rock walls, and no need to worry about oncoming traffic! The only drawback was the copious sand on all of the apexes making it a little slower than I'd have preferred. Just when you think you're done and about to meet back up with the main road, you round a sharp 180 and go back in for some more tight twisties.
- Artist's Palette and Artist's Drive
I almost went back and rode it again and again, but I was anxious to get home to my wife and daughter, so I kept going north through the Beatty cut-off and over daylight pass. It was windy and colder than I had hoped, but still worth the drive. The big sweepers over the pass helped keep my mind off the cross-wind and leaving the park through Hell's gate empties you onto a stereotypical high desert highway...straight, lonesome, and no law enforcemen officials ensuring your throttle doesn't get "stuck."
A side trip to the ghost town of Rhyolite, NV before going to beatty, NV for more gas, and then the long, boring ride down US 95 south to Vegas. Yes, you drive by Area 51, but it really isn't anything special from the highway.
Overall a great trip...I feel like I'm a lot better at cornering, and a better rider overall for having gone on the "adventure." The bike earned a name (I started calling it Jasper for some unknown reason) got an average of 47 mpg, did 486 miles, and never let me down once. More props to BMW engineers for a bike that has 10 years and 35K miles on it and performs flawlessly. I did figure out that for one to truly explore all Death Valley has to offer you need 2 things: time (2 days was not enough) and either a GS bike or more dirt-riding confidence than I currently have. There were several washboard roads I only got about 10 minutes down before visions of an ugly get off or a rock-damaged oil sump forced my chicken butt to turn around.
