Southern California - Death Valley Spring Century - March 3, 2007

Roll call... Who will be there ?

Death Valley Spring Century - March 3, 2007


I know MarkAJ said he will be.

I'm in, I'm arriving Friday and going to be there through Sunday.

I'm registered but in search of a room at any local hotel.

I have a mission for tomorrow and it looks like a real doozey....

I will likely arrive on Friday and leave Saturday evening.

the ranger station that is less than .5 miles away has a wonderful parking lot!! its where i stayed for the fall one. and its no problem to get there friday and bail after the ride...i would take the 395 to lone pine to DV and come back the same way...the route on the website is creepy after the sun goes down, truly the middle of nowhere....

the ranger station that is less than .5 miles away has a wonderful parking lot!! its where i stayed for the fall one. and its no problem to get there friday and bail after the ride...i would take the 395 to lone pine to DV and come back the same way...the route on the website is creepy after the sun goes down, truly the middle of nowhere....

Never knew there was a different way to go other than 395. So clearly I'm going that way!

I will find a place to get some sleep one way or another. Should have done this before huh?

You doing this ride?

nope...didnt really enjoy the fall one, and by the time i thought it might be cool to give it another chance it was sold out. maybe in the fall again. the route on the site has go towards california city and trona, BFE in a big way!!!! super dark as well, really creepy....

Never knew there was a different way to go other than 395. So clearly I'm going that way!

I will find a place to get some sleep one way or another. Should have done this before huh?

You doing this ride?

I haven't checked the website, but you can go up through Trona on the West or Baker on the East. I think the Baker route may be a bit faster to Furnace Creek, but that's also dependent on where you're coming from. If you're going up through Palmdale, the 14/395 is probably quicker, but from the 15 the Baker route is probably faster.

You also spend less time on two lane roads and the Baker route usually has less traffic than 395.

I wouldn't go through Trona unless you have a thing for weird mining towns and/or the Manson family.

plus trona smells really bad....seriously....

plus trona smells really bad....seriously....


Yeah, it's the mining process they use to extract minerals from the dry lake. Although, if you like mineralogy, they used to open up Searles Lake one day a year to collectors and there's some pretty interesting specimens you can collect there.

plus trona smells really bad....seriously....
One other place on my "To Don't" list

ive been there once now...no need for a second pass......unless of course i get suckered into doing the 508 someday...

I haven't checked the website, but you can go up through Trona on the West or Baker on the East. I think the Baker route may be a bit faster to Furnace Creek, but that's also dependent on where you're coming from. If you're going up through Palmdale, the 14/395 is probably quicker, but from the 15 the Baker route is probably faster.

You also spend less time on two lane roads and the Baker route usually has less traffic than 395.

I wouldn't go through Trona unless you have a thing for weird mining towns and/or the Manson family.

From my years of going up to Lake Tahoe through 395 and hwy 89 I just assumed I would go up 395 and go out from Lone Pine. Im not a big fan of stinky places where the manon family lives!

Im coming from the SFV area so I think 395 would be quicker (405-5-14-395). Half the fun of 395 is getting stuck behind a bunch of motorcoaches that just never go over 60 and having to overtake them one by one. But most the drive is now 4 lane road which helps a bunch.

ive been there once now...no need for a second pass......unless of course i get suckered into doing the 508 someday...

Well we will have to catch you on another ride again soon. I might miss this DV ride unless i get a room soon!

for sure....but seriously, the ranger station is a nice place to car camp...if you like to have a site there is a real campground right there as well....other than that there is the furnace creek lodge and stovepipe wells is pretty close as well....

From my years of going up to Lake Tahoe through 395 and hwy 89 I just assumed I would go up 395 and go out from Lone Pine. Im not a big fan of stinky places where the manon family lives!

Im coming from the SFV area so I think 395 would be quicker (405-5-14-395). Half the fun of 395 is getting stuck behind a bunch of motorcoaches that just never go over 60 and having to overtake them one by one. But most the drive is now 4 lane road which helps a bunch.

I used to go up the 395 all the way since I lived in the IE, and there's some stretches of the 395 that used to really suck to get behind a couple trucks and a motorhome. From the 14 up it's pretty good, though.

The Manson's are out in/by Trona. I actually had set up camp once in a canyon near Striped Butte once that around the bend had their house where they were captured. The bus they drove around was still there.

I had no idea what the place was, but once I saw it it gave me the creeps as it still looked lived in so I packed up and moved 40 miles or so to Green Valley where I'd camped previously. You couldn't camp in either place now since the park boundaries have changed.

I am in NV now. Did not ride yesterday with 20mph winds and cold. Got in 50 miles today with a big tail wind coming home. I will be coming in Friday to register. I am lucky I have a friend's house to stay at about 1.5 hour drive to start location.

I'm in, I'm arriving Friday and going to be there through Sunday.


Did you get a room at Furnace Creek ? Did they make you reserve for 2 nights ?

Did you get a room at Furnace Creek ? Did they make you reserve for 2 nights ?

I reserved two nights because I wasn't sure if I'd be up to driving home that night. I'm taking my wife and going to make it a little vacation for us, she'll get to spend Saturday by herself which she'll love to do, and then we'll do a little sightseeing Sunday.

I don't remember if they made me get two days, but I did have to call up and make the reservations over the phone to get the Planet Ultra rate. I made these right after I registered for the ride (the day the email went out) and they were pretty much filled already.

Did you get a room at Furnace Creek ? Did they make you reserve for 2 nights ?

Oh, and yes, it's at the Furnace Creek Ranch. I tried to get the Inn, figured the wife would like it better, but it was a room without a view and like 3 times the cost of the room at the Ranch.

Forecast for Saturday: Sunny (of course), 51°/81°

Don't forget to start your hydration a couple days before. Drink Drink Drink Drink !!!

Bring your camel back as well.... Keep drinking the night before as your body will almost totally dehydrate in Death Valley just sleeping without proper fluid intake.

Drink for days... Check, I can do that! :D

Oh, and yes, it's at the Furnace Creek Ranch. I tried to get the Inn, figured the wife would like it better, but it was a room without a view and like 3 times the cost of the room at the Ranch.

I will be at the Ranch as well... I'll look for your system six and you look for mine :)

I will be at the Ranch as well... I'll look for your system six and you look for mine :)

I'm planning on bringing it, but may at the last minute switch to the Synapse, instead. When are you heading up?

Going up Friday... Planning to leave the valley around noon...

Cool. I think I'm leaving Pasadena around 10 am. There's only check in on friday, right, no functions or dinners or anything?

Right... Check in is between 6:30 - 9:00pm in the Education Center...


It appears getting there is going to be anadventure in itself.

Don't forget to start your hydration a couple days before. Drink Drink Drink Drink !!!

Bring your camel back as well.... Keep drinking the night before as your body will almost totally dehydrate in Death Valley just sleeping without proper fluid intake.

This advance hydration thing isn’t working for me. I have been drinking for over two days now. I am even wearing my bicycle helmet all day each day to keep evaporation down. Having to pee all the time has annoyed me so much I am now using one of my cycling bottles in the office. Yesterday, I almost broke my ankle when I stepped on one of the empties in the office, but my helmet saved me when I crashed into the file cabinet. My neck hurts though. I have been called into Personnel twice. I told them I am my own team in training for DV. (I think the custodian turned me in.) Personnel seemed more interested in why I was walking around the building with a bicycle helmet on then finding out who has been pissing in my trash can. I am a lot sleepier at work too. I just woke up a few minutes ago at my desk. Where my head was looks like I launched a couple of snot rockets. (When it dries up the custodian can clean it up.) I am really not getting much work done and I am always thirsty so I drink more. One of my employees saw me practice drinking from my CamelBak and thought I had some kind of mother child complex. I told him I only have one house. Assh___! Does anybody know how years you wait before you clean the drinking tube on a CamelBak? I don’t think mind taste right. I sure hope I am not coming up with something. Tomorrow I am going to start wearing my saddle bag in case I have a blow out with someone. Tonight I going to tell the wife we are not drinking anything older than 2004 and I am tried of living on Sputum (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sputum). We are going to BBQ! I might be on to something now. I glad I wrote this.

This advance hydration thing isn’t working for me. .
:roflmao: That was some damn good reading. :D

"I just woke up a few minutes ago at my desk. Where my head was looks like I launched a couple of snot rockets. "

In a gross kinda nasty way....that's funny stuff.

Okay! Everything is on course for me now. I got with Personnel late yesterday and once they understood I was going to a place where I could dry out they started to support me. They are encouraging me to take more time off. Later, after finishing off my CamelBak in the office, I called the wife and told her to get out her trainer gear. I wanted to practice my new skills learned from watching The Amgen Tour of California. Once home, I mounted the trainer bicycle and was quickly up to 12–13mph. The wife held out the feed bag and I got it on the first try. I proceeded to eat a quarter slice of apple pie and one of my favorites, drumstick. Later I stepped it up to about 15mph while the wife held out bottles of water for me to grab. I successfully got 3 out of 5, but not all went as I had hoped. After moving to the big chain ring going 6mph I got a front flat tire and crashed into the back of the sofa. (I had my helmet on, but my neck hurts.) At this point the wife had enough and ordered me to remove my jersey so she could wash it. She wanted to get the cool whip off I got down the front of it. I retreated to the back of the house while she picked up all the water bottles I was throwing around the living room. Another Tour of California skill I picked up on. I proceeded to quietly trim my toe nails, ear and nose hair. Not only do I want to ride well but I want to look good for the DV ride. I took a drink from my CamelBak lying on the nightstand and went to sleep knowing I am in great condition for DV.

Okay! Everything is on course for me now. I got with Personnel late yesterday and once they understood I was going to a place where I could dry out they started to support me. They are encouraging me to take more time off. Later, after finishing off my CamelBak in the office, I called the wife and told her to get out her trainer gear. I wanted to practice my new skills learned from watching The Amgen Tour of California. Once home, I mounted the trainer bicycle and was quickly up to 12–13mph. The wife held out the feed bag and I got it on the first try. I proceeded to eat a quarter slice of apple pie and one of my favorites, drumstick. Later I stepped it up to about 15mph while the wife held out bottles of water for me to grab. I successfully got 3 out of 5, but not all went as I had hoped. After moving to the big chain ring going 6mph I got a front flat tire and crashed into the back of the sofa. (I had my helmet on, but my neck hurts.) At this point the wife had enough and ordered me to remove my jersey so she could wash it. She wanted to get the cool whip off I got down the front of it. I retreated to the back of the house while she picked up all the water bottles I was throwing around the living room. Another Tour of California skill I picked up on. I proceeded to quietly trim my toe nails, ear and nose hair. Not only do I want to ride well but I want to look good for the DV ride. I took a drink from my CamelBak lying on the nightstand and went to sleep knowing I am in great condition for DV.

:lol: :lol: :lol: You sound ready to me..

Okay! Everything is on course for me now... I took a drink from my CamelBak lying on the nightstand and went to sleep knowing I am in great condition for DV.

:lol: I think you're ready to write your own sitcom, Mark. As for the ride, well...:o :D

have a good ride this weekend guys. drive and ride safe. and remember to drink!!

Packing now... See you there (JP, Mark)...

Packing now... See you there (JP, Mark)...

Have fun! Ride safe!

Sheldon

I'm sort of packing, too. I'll probably be on the road around 10:30-11. See ya there!

You guys have a blast out there! Be safe, drink your agua, and take lots of photos! :)

Were back in one piece from the MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, CA ..

Ride Report and Px to follow shortly.

cant wait!!!