Tony_K Posted January 17, 2007 Share Posted January 17, 2007 So we knew it would be cold... maybe too cold but we went for it anyway! We meet up with Steve C "skinner" and Brian T in Diamond Bar CA to head out to Baker to meet with Gleno and anyone else who may show up. A light sprinkle of snow at around 900 feet seemed like a ominous sign... but we got above the clouds to find COLD clear conditions. We arrived at the Mad Greek in Baker before 3 pm to find Gleno, Werty and John! The sun sets quickly in the desert.. so a little eats and lets book to Saddle West! Well I TOTALLY missed the reception at the Saddle West Friday night! So i have no photos of that. I really thought there would be more time to gather as a group... I was wrong. I got a bit of ribbing the next morning for not being at the reception but Gleno found our room number and said we ride at 11 am sharp! We stopped at Furnace Creek for a bit of coffee and "where to" talk. 7 riders in our group. Lori's outfit consisted of no less than 4 jackets, 2 pants, 2 pairs of socks in gortex lined boots, 2 pairs of gloves and a hood! Did I say it was COLD. She also learned a new word... Gerbings. It became a mantra. Ubehebe Crater was our second stop. This is also where some excitement developed! Brian T is checking the map because his fuel was rapidly depleting! What to do??? Where do we go? Werty and MrDuck went to Scotty's Castle to scout for fuel... Werty found fuel alright as he sweet talked another traveler out of his spare can. Brian "Hey it's a K bike" T looks on as his steed is replenished by Werty! Possibly my favorite photo!!!! Here we are as tourists at Scotty's. Beautiful clear sky was on the agenda all day. The V Strom hoodlums. Gleno, Werty and John. MrDuck and Cornelius map out their return to the Saddle West via the Badwater route. If the sun wasn't going to set soon we may have gone too but It gets COLD really COLD when the sun starts to set! I had a filter accidently set on the camera as we were riding back when I took this shot but it actually does a good job of portraying the COLD feeling in the desert air. This ended our Saturday ride. Sunday many people started heading out so Lori and I went out alone. Completely alone via the Badwater route. Beautiful and desolete. Lori was a bit concerned about the fact that we were all alone out here and what would happen... Well shortly after taking this picture we came across a old man in a stranded car just past Jubilee pass. He was maybe 70 years old and hard of hearing. His car would not start. There was nothing I could do really except try to tell anyone we saw to help him. While we were with him maybe 15 minutes 4 cars passed. Non stopped. This was a bit unsettling especially after Lori's "what if" statements... 7 miles down the road we found some geology students and asked them to help. We don't know if they did. It was 50 miles to Furnace Creek before we could actually get word to a ranger about the mans predicament. Getting stranded in Death Valley is not fun so don't do it. This beautiful female big horn sheep crossed right in front of our path crossing the road a few miles before Badwater! I have never seen a big horn in my 36 years of life and she made sure I got some good photos before scampering up into the hill. She blends in perfectly with the surroundings. Absolutley beautiful. This concluded our Sunday ride. We went home through the valley out to the Panamint Valley. I didn't get any pictures of that as really you need to see it from up high to really get the scope. It's awsome. I am completely fascinated with Trona CA. It really is a living ghost town. One of the very first master planed communities ever started in 1913 to go along with the mining of the Searles Valley This car has sat in the same place for maybe 15 years if not more on a neighborhood street. Trona High has a all dirt field in which the football team plays. It is the only dirt high school field in the entire continental US! Some of the homes may look abandoned with boarded up windows but in actuality they may be occupied. I could go on and on about Trona but the trip must come to a end. The road to Red Rock Canyon and another few hours to home. Had a great time with all who I saw at DVD and I am looking forward to the next gathering with this great group of people! Tony & Lori Koch Link to comment
azkaisr Posted January 17, 2007 Share Posted January 17, 2007 Great tale and pictures! I am so glad you came. I also like how you didn't bring up the fact that your poor wife was too frozen to venture out to the reception. I promise I won't bring it up either. Oh and in Torrey I am going to hide your room keys! Kaisr Link to comment
Tank Posted January 17, 2007 Share Posted January 17, 2007 Tony, WHENEVER I feel that life sucks, I think of Trona and suddenly, my life brightens up conciderable. Link to comment
ESokoloff Posted January 17, 2007 Share Posted January 17, 2007 Werty found fuel alright as he sweet talked another traveler out of his spare can. Brian "Hey it's a K bike" T looks on as his steed is replenished by Werty! Possibly my favorite photo!!!! O"K", this one deserves a Title for Brian How about "Runs on Fumes" Great report Tony Glad you two didn't freeze so you could post it Link to comment
Bob Palin Posted January 17, 2007 Share Posted January 17, 2007 Tony, I'm afraid you still haven't seen a Bighorn Sheep, unless I'm HUGELY mistaken those are pronghorn antelope in your pictures, they are all over DV at this time of year. Link to comment
Tony_K Posted January 18, 2007 Author Share Posted January 18, 2007 Yes Bob I am happy to say you are hugely mistaken She is a female bighorn! I made sure to confirm this as like I said never seen one before. They are extremely rare and were put on the endangered species list in 1998. http://www.desertusa.com/big.html Great info. Link to comment
Bob Palin Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 Post deleted by Killer on Tony's request - he said my picture disrupted the layout of his post. I agreed that they are Bighorn sheep on further review. Link to comment
Les is more Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 Yep, bighorn they are. The females have much smaller horns than the rams, one of which you have pictured. In this pic you can more clearly see the difference. The pic is of a male pronghorn (note the prong). The females have only small spikes. Link to comment
Bob Palin Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 Yep, bighorn they are.I'll stick to landscapes... By the way, has anyone seen my very rare high altitude parrot? Link to comment
ian408 Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 O"K", this one deserves a Title for Brian How about "Runs on Fumes" Great report Tony Glad you two didn't freeze so you could post it Great fun! But I've gotta say...a K bike is no R bike when it comes to gas baby! Link to comment
russell_bynum Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 By the way, has anyone seen my very rare high altitude parrot? Now I don't care who you are THAT'S funny! Tony, Great read, buddy! Gerbings are a must. Once Lori gets all wired up and plugged in, she'll snuggle in behind you and purr happliy no matter how cold it gets. Vests are cheaper, but there's just something about all that heat around your neck and down your arms that just gives you the warm and fuzzies. Link to comment
Dennis Andress Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 Nice pictures Tony. Trona is an origin, not a destination. From my first trip through there in the early '80's I remember everything having a heavy coat of white dust. I guess that means its been cleaned up a bit.... Link to comment
BrianT Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 Werty found fuel alright as he sweet talked another traveler out of his spare can. Brian "Hey it's a K bike" T looks on as his steed is replenished by Werty! Possibly my favorite photo!!!! Me love Wurty long time. Good write up and thanks for the pics. It was good to see that the previously Russell's RT is in good hands. Link to comment
russell_bynum Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 It was good to see that the previously Russell's RT is in good hands. I heard he's even keeping it clean. Link to comment
Gleno Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 Once Lori gets all wired up and plugged in, she'll snuggle in behind you and purr happliy no matter how cold it gets. Vests are cheaper, but there's just something about all that heat around your neck and down your arms that just gives you the warm and fuzzies. Write a bit for Penthouse Forum do ya??? Link to comment
Gleno Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 I heard he's even keeping it clean. Let's just say...NOONE recognizes it as your RT. Link to comment
russell_bynum Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 I heard he's even keeping it clean. Let's just say...NOONE recognizes it as your RT. Link to comment
KMG_365 Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 Somebody needs to go stand watch at Gleno's--he's ON FIRE!! Link to comment
russell_bynum Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 Once Lori gets all wired up and plugged in, she'll snuggle in behind you and purr happliy no matter how cold it gets. Vests are cheaper, but there's just something about all that heat around your neck and down your arms that just gives you the warm and fuzzies. Write a bit for Penthouse Forum do ya??? Slowly she tightened the lock-nut on the upper intake valve on my left jug. She smeared a bit of 15w50 Mobil 1 on the feeler gauge and slid it smoothly into the gap with just a hint of friction. "Perfect", she cooed. Link to comment
Carnadero Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 I am completely fascinated with Trona CA. It really is a living ghost town. Ever take a little drive out to the Trona Pinnacles? You should recognize it as being the backdrop for a number of movie scenes... Link to comment
bakerzdosen Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 Once Lori gets all wired up and plugged in, she'll snuggle in behind you and purr happliy no matter how cold it gets. Vests are cheaper, but there's just something about all that heat around your neck and down your arms that just gives you the warm and fuzzies. Write a bit for Penthouse Forum do ya??? Slowly she tightened the lock-nut on the upper intake valve on my left jug. She smeared a bit of 15w50 Mobil 1 on the feeler gauge and slid it smoothly into the gap with just a hint of friction. "Perfect", she cooed. I don't even know where to start... I'll just sit here and laugh. Link to comment
stubble! Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 Slowly she tightened the lock-nut on the upper intake valve on my left jug. She smeared a bit of 15w50 Mobil 1 on the feeler gauge and slid it smoothly into the gap with just a hint of friction. "Perfect", she cooed. I about lost my coffee on that one! Nicely done. Now I gotta call my wife! Link to comment
KMG_365 Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 Slowly she tightened the lock-nut on the upper intake valve on my left jug. She smeared a bit of 15w50 Mobil 1 on the feeler gauge and slid it smoothly into the gap with just a hint of friction. "Perfect", she cooed. I about lost my coffee on that one! Nicely done. Now I gotta call my wife! Must . . . not . . . respond . . . must . . . not . . . . So, then what happened? Link to comment
russell_bynum Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 So, then what happened? Don't make me write something that uses that transmission oil syringe that you built. Link to comment
KMG_365 Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 So, then what happened? Don't make me write something that uses that transmission oil syringe that you built. Okay, that was just plain wrong! I'm sorry I asked. Back in my hole. But you really should consider moonlighting. Just to suppliment your track day habit. Link to comment
BFish Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 Once Lori gets all wired up and plugged in, she'll snuggle in behind you and purr happliy no matter how cold it gets. Vests are cheaper, but there's just something about all that heat around your neck and down your arms that just gives you the warm and fuzzies. Write a bit for Penthouse Forum do ya??? Slowly she tightened the lock-nut on the upper intake valve on my left jug. She smeared a bit of 15w50 Mobil 1 on the feeler gauge and slid it smoothly into the gap with just a hint of friction. "Perfect", she cooed. being from the east coast i'm a little lost...was the mobil 1 15w-50 synthetic or dino? you folks are hilarious Link to comment
AdventurePoser Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 Hey you guys, thanks for the great write up and pix! Sorry I didn't see you after the ride on Friday, but like you, I had some serious warming up to do... Cheers, Steve Link to comment
ESokoloff Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 Leave it to the Principal to step in & put an end to the horse play Link to comment
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