ADVRIDER "Noob Rally" (Lots o' Pics)

[Downs]

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So decided to hit up the Noob Rally this year up at Death Valley cause I had never been there before.  The ADV group seems to be a lot of fun to hang out with too.  I was one of four Stroms that we noticed there.  Most of the field was made up of BMWs, KTMs, ect.  And a bunch of KLRs also.

I got off work around 500pm on Thursday.  Rushed back to the barracks and got the bike loaded up and was on the road before 545.  Took me about 4 and a half hours to make it there with over half the trip being done in pitch dark with no moon in across the desert. I had no idea what was around me until I came back though this morning on my way out.  It was beautiful.  All I could see on the way up though was where my headlights were shinning.

I rolled into Panamint Springs resort around 1030 then proceded to putt around camp on the bike trying to find the campsite.  I was looking at the map of the campground they had put on ADVRIDER upside down :/

The next morning.  You can probably guess which one is my bike.


Sunrise


The gas station across the road had some old equipment setup for show


Glad I have a 200 mile range.  I only bought gas here one time


The different groups meeting up in the morning


Our first stop is a cabin in the middle of BFE.  Apparently there are cabins like this scattered thoughout DV and they work off the honor system.  Use whatever you want but leave what you can behind for the next group and cleanup after yourselves.






One of my riding buddies from out here in San Diego.  He couldn't stand up right in the cabin


The next stop.  Pretty good view.


Ted on his Strom


Group Panorama


Josh next to a Joshua Tree




Teakettle Junction was interesting.  I signed one of the kettles.  For the next 35 miles after this we were on heavy washboard to the "racetrack" to see the moving rocks then to the Crater


Trail in the dry lake bed bed left by one of the moving rocks.  I think that when it rains and the lakebed becomes muddy the high winds in the area actually push the large rocks across the lake bed.


The rock that left the trail from the edge of the lake bed




Extremely vast






Huge crater that was created by superheated steam from water over a magma pocket some 2000 years ago


Lots of roads like this out here that just seem to go to nowhere




On day two I struck out on my own since Ted had work to do via WiFi and Paul had rolled his ankle at camp the night prior.  I went East towards Nevada and Titus Canyon along with Beaty and a few other landmarks.  Other than Titus Canyon this day would be mostly paved.






Ryolite was a very interesting little ghost town.  One of the B-movie scifi flicks I like Cherry 2000 was partially filmed here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherry_2000



One of the residents there has setup an odd collection of art








I really didn't get this one








The walls on this house are made completely out of bottles.


The local Cemetery








Heading into Titus Canyon requires a bit of a trek to get into the mouth of the canyon






Entering the Canyon.  I wish I would have gotten some pictures of it but in the middle of the ride though the canyon I come across a Suburban and a Xterra loaded with college age kids.....not just in the vehicles but covering the roofs of both vehicles as well.  Weird.  I didn't get a picture because the floor of the canyon is covered in a pea gravel type substance and I had my hands full with the Strom down there.







Leaving the canyon and heading back towards the Tarmac


Really neat geological formation.  Also gave me time to get my front tire aired back up after airing down to 25 psi




Once again wide open spaces


Dante's View.  The spot where I'm standing is just a bit over 5000 feet according to my GPS.  The floor below is at over negative 200 feet.




Part of the road going to Dante's View


Heading towards Badwater.  Lowest place in the US and the Western Hemisphere






If you look really close you can see the "SEA LEVEL" sign about half way up the cliff face.


Very hot, dry and windy down here even though it's not even summer yet








At Furnace Creek.  Place that holds the record for the hottest day in America




Headed back towards camp.  Again no pics but at the top of the pass before dropping down into Panamint springs I ran across what as left of a trailer and truck.  Looked like the fire started on the trailer where 4 or 5 bikes were tied down (only the rim were left by this point) and spread into the truck.  Luckily no one was injured but I never found out who they were


Last night at camp


The drawing for all the goodies




Ted enjoying his last cider of the night


This guy binned up his 1200GS something bad.  Somehow during his wreck in the sand the bike landed upside down and basically shattered the whole upper fairing.  That's a series of RokStraps holding his headlight pod on along with his Instrument cluster which had the glass broken out of it.  The gauges still worked and as far as I know he was riding it back home today. 


Headed back to San Diego.  Snow still dusts the tops of some of the peaks here


Coming down out of Hisperia, CA on I-15.  Ted in the lead


Paul splitting off and heading to LA.  He was having the suspension on the GS rebuilt and upgraded.  Good timing since the Washboard roads in DV blew the seal out of his rear shock.


That's all the pics I have.  Got home a few hours ago.  Still need to get my gear unpacked and cleaned up.

[VersysRider]

Great post! Hope to see more like this.

[Patmo]

Great write up!   ADVrider group are a bunch of good people.  In fact a bunch of middle-Tn members are doing dinner tonight, something we try to do monthly all year....always a good time.  Had a chance to ride to DV a couple of years ago, was on a rented BMW 1100RT, so didn't do much riding around, no dirt, but did get to the Junction and up to the park.  Someday I will go back and spend some time there...beautiful place.