The Breakfast Club: 2014 Spring Ride to Death Valley

Friday–Sunday, 11–14 Apr 2014

Marc writes:

Pictures here

Friday

I arrived at the Cozy Cup for breakfast close to my 7:15 AM estimation. Dimitry was waiting. No Markus. No Fred. Dimitry and I ordered breakfast. While waiting I checked my phone. There was a message from Markus saying not to wait – he was in no condition to make the trip. That should make for an interesting story. Fred arrived as we were eating.

After breakfast and a gas stop we headed down 25 to 198 and Coalinga. After another fuel stop in Coalinga we headed south on a desolate SR 33. At the same time Carl and Dan were miles ahead of us, enjoying a stop on SR 178. Carl left at 5 AM and took I5 (I think). Dan left Thursday and spent the night in Morro Bay.

From 33 we took 46 past 99 where we picked up back roads that hit SR 155 near the town of Glennville. SR 155 goes over a 6100 foot summit. On the far side is Wofford Heights overlooking a very low Lake Isabela. Our next stop was at Mountain Mesa on SR 178, a few miles east of Lake Isabella.

We took SR 178 east through Ridgecrest and Trona. The lower section of Wildrose was closed. The last two miles or so before the turn toward SR 190 was unpaved gravel. Fred’s Ducati handles dirt roads as well as any dual sport.

We turned east onto 190 and into Death Valley. Arrival at Stovepipe Wells was a little after 5 PM. Fred found his room mate (Dan) and Dimitry and I set up our camp. Note to self: pay attention to the pictures of how to insert your credit card into the pay station to pay for the camping site. After set up we walked over to the Roadrunner rooms and enjoyed some refreshments before dinner.

SMBC members at Stovepipe Wells on Friday: Carl, Jerry, Dan, Fred, Marc, Dimitry, Ginny, and Rich.

Saturday

It’s hard to sleep in when the sun rises as early as it does in Death Valley. The task is made harder when Dan brings a cup of coffee and lets you know it is waiting outside the tent. Can’t let the coffee get cold.

Where did you go in Death Valley? No place.
What did you do? Nothing

That pretty much describes my activities. Dimitry and I sat around the camp site most of the morning. The big activity was installing the tarp for some shade as it started to get hot. About 11 AM we finally got on our bikes and headed toward Furnace Creek. The plan was to do a little sightseeing and meet the group for lunch at 1 PM. I saw Glenn and Paul at Furnace creek. They were staying in Beatty. Interesting Beatty factoid: in Apple’s Maps for OS X there is a marker for the ghost town of Rhyolite, but none for Beatty.

Randy arrived in Death Valley sometime in the morning. That made 9 for lunch at Furnace Creek. 1 PM turned to 2 PM before we were seated and served. The menu is a shell of its former self. Not all changes are for the better.

While waiting for lunch we looked at an old (‘54) Bently in the parking lot. I suggested that the Bently color scheme or one close to it would look quite nice on the Norton Fred is restoring. A seed has been planted. It is too soon to see if it will grow.

After a so-so lunch we headed back to Stovepipe Wells and some quality pool time. Fred was upset that the poolside ping pong table was gone. I don’t know if he ever enquired as to its whereabouts. No matter, the water felt nice. The shower before getting into the pool was equally nice.

We left the pool and replenished snacks and beverages. The table and benches by the Roadrunner complex beckoned. Alaska Amber Ale (available at the new and fancified Stovepipe Wells store) is good. The weather that occured while enjoying the ail was something else. This snippet of a movie in “Blair Witch” style from Dan tells part of the story.

That wind event (for lack of a better name [Dimitry notes that a Ranger in Lone Pine called it a micro burst]) was pretty strong. Dimitry and I went back to our campsite to find it a mess. My tent was leaning against the side of a nearby bush. This was a tent filled with sleeping bag, mattress, clothes, riding gear, and staked down at four corners, two ends, and two vestibules. Seven of the stakes were pulled out of the ground. The tent cord unhooked from the eighth. At least I didn’t lose anything. Dimitry never found the top to his camp kettle.

After setting up camp again we headed to the restaurant for dinner. I wasn’t very hungry and couldn’t finish the Salad entrée I ordered. After dinner I walked back to camp and made some tea and brandy. I used my head lamp to read. Didn’t need the light for much else. The moon was almost full.

Sunday

Another moring up early. As we were breaking camp Randy rode up to say he was leaving early. We’ll see him in San Luis Obispo. Dimitry finished packing and left to take some pictures. I finished up about 20 minutes later (about the time I took enjoying an earlier cup of coffee) then left for Panamint Springs. That’s where Carl, Dan, Fred, Dimitry, and I had breakfast.

After breakfast Dimitry was going to head north up 395 for another night or two of camping. The rest of us were headed toward San Luis Obispo. We leap frogged each other until all meeting in McKitrrick where both stores were closed. No ice cream break this trip. No matter. It’s a nice break between Lake Isabella and SLO.

We took SR 58 to 101 to the Peach Tree Inn in SLO. Rich and Ginny were there along with Randy. Bob (WWWobble) rode down from bay area to join us for dinner, too. Dinner was at the Big Sky Cafe. And a fine dinner it was, too. Jerry left Death Valley late and didn’t meet us at the motel until well after dinner.

Monday

Carl and I left early Monday morning to visit a local company where Carl was going to pick up some photography equipment he’d ordered. Ginney and Rich had already left for home. I think Bob and Randy did the same. Carl and I returned to the motel to pick up Dan, Fred, and Jerry. From there Dan lead the way to a restaurant in Morro Bay that he’d found for breakfast.

After breakfast we rode the coast home with the obligatory stop in Nepenthe. I was home by 3:30, stopping for gas in Soquel along the way.

Good trip. A little bit of wind induced excitement. One dropped bike in a steep Motel parking lot (Jerry needs a new mirror). A bit less than 1100 miles on my trip odometer.