Southern California - information gathering thread for joshua tree national park ride!

ok! we have riders that can't do some days... others that prefer days over other days.... i want ALL my new BF friends to be able to come

now you's all know i prefer saturday.... but jason prefers sundays....... but tracy needs them to be saturday! and apparently fixer, too! but i WANT JASON to come, too!

several dates have been picked already for other rides... or for oranized rides...

we want it in the fall... but not winter (really.. it DOES get cold up here in the winter!! BRRRRRR)

i was thinking nov 4th (or 5th) but i think someone already picked that for another ride?

how about trying for the 11th? (jason... that's a holiday weekend... veteran's day! do you get that weekend off?)

anyways... don't mark any calendars yet! plus we have to wait for miss sugar shorts to get back! (i know she can't do it thanksgiving weekend!)

if we don't get it in before december... i think we may wait until next mark! :eek: (miss early bird rider doesn't ride til later in the day in dec, jan, feb to give it a chance to warm up! and it's cooler in the park cuz it's higher!)

input, please ladies and gents!!!!!

OMG! NO replies!??????????

http://www.smileycons.com/img/emotions/206.gif

i WANT JASON to come
Aww... how sweet. :love:

I probably could do Nov 11.

I definitely would like to do this ride. November is a long way off... either weekend is open at the moment. Sat or Sun makes no difference to me.

Yep, I'd like to ride through JTNP......11/11 sounds good to me too....:)

we would plan october.... but it's kind of all filled up... PLUS... we need to have brandy there! and she's out of commission til at least the end! (and the 28th is taken with OCW fall metric!)

i wasn't going to post... but it seems like other rides keep popping up so i wanted to at least get some info... and maybe a tentative date!!!!!

once we have that nailed down... we can decide if it will be an out and back (mostly in the park) or a loop (including the highway!)

if the other inland ride gets changed or cancelled for whatever reason... and everyone (including jason and brandy can make it the weekend of the 4/5th... we can even bump it up!

Well, I can take most any Saturday off that I want to take off. It's just that if a pattern of taking lots of Saturdays off emerges, it looks really bad. The 11th is good because it's a good chunk of time after Extort and OC's ride, but a decent amount of time before Thanksgiving. And it happens to be a "holiday" weekend, too, making it a bit more understandable that someone would take the day off.

If it gets moved to the 4th, though, I would do my best to make it.

let me ask this... how many actually have friday the 9th off? and how would that work for everyone? jason? brandy? tracy? fixer? EVERYONE?? (again.. just throwing it out there! not sure how many actually get the holiday!)

Friday? Umm... that would be extremely tough. And what month are you talking about? You mean Friday, Nov 10?

oh yes... sorry... friday... veteran's day holiday day.... 10 november!

the ONLY reason i even threw it out there... was cuz it is a holiday! if anyone can't make it... it won't even be considered at all! just want all options on the table!

We love the desert! For us, Saturdays are generally better except during soccer season 'cause our daughter plays. That will last until December if the team does well. Sundays are harder since we would have to drive back to Agoura. Do we have a long weekend in there someplace? I think we get a Friday for Veteran's Day at my workplace rather than a Monday.

If we wait long enough, we may as well meet up at TdPS in Feb.!

Sheldon

veteran's day and thanksgiving are the long weekends....... but brandy is gone thanksgiving weekend.... december... it starts to be too cold to be able to leave at a decent time...

(columbus day in oct... but brandy is out of commission then too!)

it will take you about 3 hours with no traffic from agoura! maybe even a little bit less!

Ohhh... a desert ride!

Ohhh... a desert ride!

I'd prefer a dessert ride.

Unless you work for the government I don't think anyone gets Veterans' Day off.

Cali...I'd like to do this as I love JT, maybe I'll stick around and rock climb the next day.

That said, are you going to want to start at dawn? I suppose it really doesn't matter since Brandy will soon post that I'm not invited :)

Cali...I'd like to do this as I love JT, maybe I'll stick around and rock climb the next day.

That said, are you going to want to start at dawn? I suppose it really doesn't matter since Brandy will soon post that I'm not invited :)

Nope. She's getting ibreniated in Mexico.

Cali...I'd like to do this as I love JT, maybe I'll stick around and rock climb the next day.

That said, are you going to want to start at dawn? I suppose it really doesn't matter since Brandy will soon post that I'm not invited :)

lol! not in november!! i only start at dawn in the spring and summer! in the fall and winter (as it gets cooler) my ride starts get later!)

and brandy will have her chance to tell you you can't come! cuz no dates will be set in stone til she gets back!

(OH! unless you want to plan it for a time she's still out of commission! http://www.smileycons.com/img/emotions/89.gif then you can turn it around on her!

oh don't tell her i even joked about that!!!! http://www.smileycons.com/img/emotions/175.gif

Hey There!

I want to go to Key's (whatever that is!)!!!! If I know enough in advance, I can do a Sunday... most any weekend will work for me in November :D

key's view! lol!

let me ask this... how many actually have friday the 9th off? and how would that work for everyone? jason? brandy? tracy? fixer? EVERYONE?? (again.. just throwing it out there! not sure how many actually get the holiday!)


I won't find out for another few weeks about the holiday schedule... when I know, I'll send you a note :)

i'm thinking that the friday isn't going to work.... it seems that most non-government people don't get it off.... but sat the 11th may be the date since jason can some then! again... still in planning/info gathering phase!

11/11 sounds good to me.

any idea about possible routes and length of the ride?

Yeah, how long is the ride? Any hills? Can we all crash on your living room floor?

Yeah, how long is the ride? Any hills? Can we all crash on your living room floor?

about 50 miles but can be made shorter (well.. can be made longer, too)

yes....

NO!

the route isn't decided yet.... it can be a few different rides...

it can be an out and back or it can be a loop...

if it's an out and back.... you are mainly IN the park... decent roads... low traffic... in that case... you are mostly climbing til you turn around... then you descend.... AND... you can go as far as you want.... key's view is the highest point in the park.... and the upper part of that hill has the steepest parts of any of the climbing.... an out and back to key's view would be i think about 50 miles from where we would start... maybe just over 50

the look would be climbing... then flattish... them some lesser climbing... then descending... then gradual grade back on the highway... again... about 50... if you add in a side trip up to key's view... that would add... hmmmmm can't remember???? a few more miles

whatever we do..... you have to remember... NO WATER in the park! there is water at the two entrances.... but other than that... no water available... in nice weather i can do key's view with my two water bottles.... otherwise... in heat... it's definitely a camelback ride (november should be nice weather!)

hubby will give more information... but that should appease you guys for now! http://www.smileycons.com/img/magic/145.gif

P.S. i believe the sign says $5.00 for cyclist to enter the park...

and if we go to key's view (which i'm pretty much assuming is a given!! nice ride and awesome views) i want a group pic at the top!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

http://www.caligurl.com/wordpress/wp-content/keys%20view%20aug%2012%202006/_100_0583%20%28Small%29.JPG

Hey! Is Country Kitchen still around? I think that was the name of it...across the street from Nomad Adventures on the road you turn on to go to the park. It used to be an awesome place for breakfast...mmmmmmm biscuits and gravy. Of course, I probably wouldn't be up for much riding after that.

oh yes... sorry... friday... veteran's day holiday day.... 10 november!

the ONLY reason i even threw it out there... was cuz it is a holiday! if anyone can't make it... it won't even be considered at all! just want all options on the table!

Veteran's Day is a Holiday for who? I wonder if even government workers get it off? BTW I do believe all serviceman and women should have it off as a holiday as a reward for providing service to our country but pretty much its a regular workadway for most of us.

BTW I work for a big corporation - I'm lucky to get Christmas and Thanksgiving off!!!!!

Would love to find out how many of you out there get this date off? Just curious (and jealous)

about 50 miles but can be made shorter (well.. can be made longer, too)

yes....

NO!


... but.... but... I had plans to curl up w/Brie :(

Veteran's Day is a Holiday for who? I wonder if even government workers get it off? BTW I do believe all serviceman and women should have it off as a holiday as a reward for providing service to our country but pretty much its a regular workadway for most of us.

BTW I work for a big corporation - I'm lucky to get Christmas and Thanksgiving off!!!!!

Would love to find out how many of you out there get this date off? Just curious (and jealous)

All govt. workers get it off and I think banks are also closed on that day. As for the private sector, very few companies do it. The only one I worked for that did it did so for a unique reason. They used to have a company trip to Hawaii for 5 days (they paid airfare, awesome lodging, rental car, and $200 cash to all employees of 1 yr or more). Anyway, Veterans Day was in the middle of the trip so that way, the newbies could have one day off while the rest of the company was having fun in Hawaii.

Ok, here is some info about the climbing in the park.

From start to Jumbo Rock is about 15 miles with about 2500 feet of climbing.

From Jumbo Rock to the bottom of Keys View is about 7 miles and about 220 feet of climbing.

From the bottom of Keys View to the top is about 6 miles and about 1000 feet of climbing.

From the top of Keys View back to the start point (out and back version) is about 28 miles and 500 feet of climbing.

Total climbing for the out and back version is about 4500 feet over 56 miles.

The loop ride will have about the same mileage but more climbing. The climbing is about 1000 to 1500 feet more. On this LOOP version of the ride there will be a long section where we will ride on the shoulder of the highway. The shoulder is very nice and I have ridden it many times. We WILL have to stay single file on this section for everyones safety.

Total climbing for the out and back version is about 4500 feet over 56 miles.

The loop ride will have about the same mileage but more climbing. The climbing is about 1000 to 1500 feet more. On this LOOP version of the ride there will be a long section where we will ride on the shoulder of the highway. The shoulder is very nice and I have ridden it many times. We WILL have to stay single file on this section for everyones safety.

Wow! I haven't done any climbing this year. I'll have to do a couple of hilly training rides to test the legs before I give a definite answer.:D