Only when we are no longer afraid do we begin to live
Could a place have a more morbid name? Could a name sound more final yet insidious than a name like Death Valley? Since I was 12 I've been fascinated by the story of the 49ers who passed through this place, desperate and willing to risk life and limb, for wealth and fame, in California's hills and valleys of Gold.
Day 1 :: Friday And the Route Plan ::
After Dealing with a Dead Battery and replacing it with one from Harley, I left home (Redwood City) with Doonga and Bernie for a 3 day ride to Death Valley. Doonga has a brand new Electra Glide that he bought in Chandler AZ (its a couch with a VTwin and wheels really) and Bernie on his Vulcan. In the next 3 days we were going to cover 1200 miles - the longest ride I've ever been on. Our route was divided into 3 parts - Head West to Monterey on 17 to meet Pacific Coast Highway (PCH 1) to Santa Barbara, from there on to Lancaster/Mojave through the Ojai Valley, And on to Furnace Creek in the middle of Death Valley National Park. And Reverse.
Riding 17 up the Santa Cruz mountains is Awesome - nice curves and tight lanes with fast traffic. A couple of other bikers out on the road (mostly crotch rocket types). A very experienced BMW rider is in front of me and I follow him up the sharp curves for 10-15 miles. Doonga is a very experienced rider and he rides behind me to make sure I'm doing ok on my new Rocket3. Bernie finds the curves at the speed we're doing quite challenging (about 50-70mph) and very wisely decides to cut his speed down. Soon we hit the coastline on PCH 1 just outside Carmel and the ride is pure bliss for the next 2 hours. We stop for a quick photo on the way.
We Lunch at Nepenthe (which has to be THE restaurant with the most fabulous view in the world). And then we continue down PCH 1 to San Luis Obispo. The last hour
is spent blazing 100 MPH on empty roads. A quick gas up at SLO and we take 101 to Santa Barbara. Its almost 7 PM by the time we get there. We dine at the Madam Lu's restraunt on State Ave (highly avoidable) and stay at the Motel 6 (cheap and best as we say in Bangalore).
Day 2 :: Sat ::
On Saturday we start bright and early. After a quick bite at Burger King (breakfast of Champions) we make our way off 101 to a secluded mountain road through Ojai Valley. If any one doesnt think that California has to be the most blessed place in the world, it because they've not ridden a motorbike through Ojai Valley. Its gorgeous. A quick refuel in Ojai and we make our way to Fillmore. Lots of Big Bikes and Bikers on this road. Lots of peace signs exchanged with kindred spirits. Soon we leave the peace and solitude of Ojai Valley for the noise and smog of LA as we approach the city of Santa Clarita on Interstate 5. A pit stop at Wendy's and I look up my map on my "BarakuBelly". It pinpoints my location to within 5000 meters. The Positioning system sucks - but it runs a version of Google Maps and I can define waypoints on the route. This one feature redeems it AFAIC. With lunch completed we head off on CA 14 through urban canyons and the Antelope Valley. Strong Gusty (60 MPH) cross winds make it challenging .. and in between we have a nicer time riding through Red Rock Canyon. We refuel at Lancaster and again at Mojave because we could use a break.
Soon we're the only ones on the road. Not a soul in sight as my rocket3 chews on mile after mile of tarmac at 115MPH. Doonga keeps Bernie company behind me at a more sensible 80 MPH. WE break for a drink and refuel at the town of Inyokern - a town that only seems to be populated by bikers. Lots of folks come up to me to talk to me about my Rocket3 and ask me about how she rides. Leaving Inyokern we make the dash for the last 150 miles to Death Valley. A right at Olancha Junction on 190 and we soon enter death valley national park.
I ride through a landscape that I imagine is how Mars looks like. Canyon walls and mountains that rise sharply to the sky and vast white salt flats in their valleys. We ride up the mountains to 4250 Ft above sea level (its the snow line and there's snow on the sides of the road) and then we descend 4400 ft to 200 Ft below Sea Level !! Its another world this death valley. A world of absolutes, of blacks and whites and no gradients of gray in between. By the time we get to Furnace Creek, its just after sunset and we settle in for the night at Furnace Creek Ranch after a meal of Filet Mignon and a well paired glass of Merlot.
Day 3 :: Riding around Death Valley and Rhyolite & Back to Civilization::
We started Day 3 with a plan to go to Darwin a ghost town. We get to the Rangers Station to pay the park fees (we crossed in after they had closed) and the Ranger warns us that the folks at Darwin dont like strangers poking around their town. Clear that I have no intention of staring down the business end of Shotgun - the guys and I decide to visit Rhyolite just outside the CA border in neighboring Nevada. 40 miles later, I'm feel like I'm on the sets of Good Bad and the Ugly. Rhyolite was a mining town, abandoned more than a 100 years back. The place has dozens of such town but it shocks me that a town of this size could downsize.
We ride up to Panamint Springs, fuel up and wrap up the first leg of our journey. A goo d lunch at a great biker bar in Panamint Springs, we befriend a couple of old time bikers who are happy to see that Triumph is making great bikes again.
And we make our 650 mile journey back to the Bay area after a experience of a lifetime in death valley.
Could a place have a more morbid name? Could a name sound more final yet insidious than a name like Death Valley? Since I was 12 I've been fascinated by the story of the 49ers who passed through this place, desperate and willing to risk life and limb, for wealth and fame, in California's hills and valleys of Gold.
Day 1 :: Friday And the Route Plan ::
After Dealing with a Dead Battery and replacing it with one from Harley, I left home (Redwood City) with Doonga and Bernie for a 3 day ride to Death Valley. Doonga has a brand new Electra Glide that he bought in Chandler AZ (its a couch with a VTwin and wheels really) and Bernie on his Vulcan. In the next 3 days we were going to cover 1200 miles - the longest ride I've ever been on. Our route was divided into 3 parts - Head West to Monterey on 17 to meet Pacific Coast Highway (PCH 1) to Santa Barbara, from there on to Lancaster/Mojave through the Ojai Valley, And on to Furnace Creek in the middle of Death Valley National Park. And Reverse.
Riding 17 up the Santa Cruz mountains is Awesome - nice curves and tight lanes with fast traffic. A couple of other bikers out on the road (mostly crotch rocket types). A very experienced BMW rider is in front of me and I follow him up the sharp curves for 10-15 miles. Doonga is a very experienced rider and he rides behind me to make sure I'm doing ok on my new Rocket3. Bernie finds the curves at the speed we're doing quite challenging (about 50-70mph) and very wisely decides to cut his speed down. Soon we hit the coastline on PCH 1 just outside Carmel and the ride is pure bliss for the next 2 hours. We stop for a quick photo on the way.
We Lunch at Nepenthe (which has to be THE restaurant with the most fabulous view in the world). And then we continue down PCH 1 to San Luis Obispo. The last hour
is spent blazing 100 MPH on empty roads. A quick gas up at SLO and we take 101 to Santa Barbara. Its almost 7 PM by the time we get there. We dine at the Madam Lu's restraunt on State Ave (highly avoidable) and stay at the Motel 6 (cheap and best as we say in Bangalore).
Day 2 :: Sat ::
On Saturday we start bright and early. After a quick bite at Burger King (breakfast of Champions) we make our way off 101 to a secluded mountain road through Ojai Valley. If any one doesnt think that California has to be the most blessed place in the world, it because they've not ridden a motorbike through Ojai Valley. Its gorgeous. A quick refuel in Ojai and we make our way to Fillmore. Lots of Big Bikes and Bikers on this road. Lots of peace signs exchanged with kindred spirits. Soon we leave the peace and solitude of Ojai Valley for the noise and smog of LA as we approach the city of Santa Clarita on Interstate 5. A pit stop at Wendy's and I look up my map on my "BarakuBelly". It pinpoints my location to within 5000 meters. The Positioning system sucks - but it runs a version of Google Maps and I can define waypoints on the route. This one feature redeems it AFAIC. With lunch completed we head off on CA 14 through urban canyons and the Antelope Valley. Strong Gusty (60 MPH) cross winds make it challenging .. and in between we have a nicer time riding through Red Rock Canyon. We refuel at Lancaster and again at Mojave because we could use a break.
Soon we're the only ones on the road. Not a soul in sight as my rocket3 chews on mile after mile of tarmac at 115MPH. Doonga keeps Bernie company behind me at a more sensible 80 MPH. WE break for a drink and refuel at the town of Inyokern - a town that only seems to be populated by bikers. Lots of folks come up to me to talk to me about my Rocket3 and ask me about how she rides. Leaving Inyokern we make the dash for the last 150 miles to Death Valley. A right at Olancha Junction on 190 and we soon enter death valley national park.
I ride through a landscape that I imagine is how Mars looks like. Canyon walls and mountains that rise sharply to the sky and vast white salt flats in their valleys. We ride up the mountains to 4250 Ft above sea level (its the snow line and there's snow on the sides of the road) and then we descend 4400 ft to 200 Ft below Sea Level !! Its another world this death valley. A world of absolutes, of blacks and whites and no gradients of gray in between. By the time we get to Furnace Creek, its just after sunset and we settle in for the night at Furnace Creek Ranch after a meal of Filet Mignon and a well paired glass of Merlot.
Day 3 :: Riding around Death Valley and Rhyolite & Back to Civilization::
We started Day 3 with a plan to go to Darwin a ghost town. We get to the Rangers Station to pay the park fees (we crossed in after they had closed) and the Ranger warns us that the folks at Darwin dont like strangers poking around their town. Clear that I have no intention of staring down the business end of Shotgun - the guys and I decide to visit Rhyolite just outside the CA border in neighboring Nevada. 40 miles later, I'm feel like I'm on the sets of Good Bad and the Ugly. Rhyolite was a mining town, abandoned more than a 100 years back. The place has dozens of such town but it shocks me that a town of this size could downsize.
We ride up to Panamint Springs, fuel up and wrap up the first leg of our journey. A goo d lunch at a great biker bar in Panamint Springs, we befriend a couple of old time bikers who are happy to see that Triumph is making great bikes again.
And we make our 650 mile journey back to the Bay area after a experience of a lifetime in death valley.
3 comments:
Jesus ****ing Christ!!!
Biking@Atlantis has reached a whole new level. Hope Bernie go back fit and fine.
KP would have been a good addition to the pack.
-Arun
Proud of you maga and of your friends, Glad you all made it safe, I read your story with the heart in my mouth. My prayers for your safety are always with you.
Love
Ma
I like this blog...reeks of trademark CV passion...and I still hate all 3 of you for taking that trip while I was away! May the rocketeer within you continue to triumph!
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