Mar. 28-31, 2013 Death Valley Noob's Rally

Sorry, I am planning to take my GF this time to shut people up. Maybe next time.

Wait so WallyWhirled RODE you last time in DV?

I did not realize it was turning into THAT kind of a rally.

:ymca

Well thats OK we like you anyways...

I might have broken or fractured my wrist riding this past weekend.

Have an appointment on Fri to get it looked at - if it's broken I'll have to back out, and possibly open a spot for someone.

Hope your wrist is fine but if you drop out I want take your spot. I will be sharing the campsite (#69) with Sampath (BT3) & Chetan (tekurides). I did this last year but somehow wasnt able to sign up in time this year as I was out of the country for over 6 weeks.

You are meaaaannnn...

It's cool - you can be honest and say you hope my carpal bones look like corn flakes in the x ray

you could put your name on the waiting by asking ersin (FYYFF).

don't have to wait for novos to bail out. someone probably on the fence right now.

folks, after feb.15 there is no more 50% refund.

the full refund ended jan. 31st.

sorry to hear that ed. what did you do?

hope nothing serious and that goes away easily.

thanks geoff.

damn...there are so many radios and features...wtp.

please check your PM.

Yes, taht will work just fine.

Thanks Joel, PM sent to Ersin.

Joel, is there a waiting list for late registrants? A friend, Hari, bayarearider who was at DV last year wants to come. Could he get into to some waitlist to be added if someone bails?

Just HAD to go ride Ruby/Tule trail on Saturday since I was expecting snow. I found the snow, and was coming down the trail, right where it dumps you out at the Rock Inn, when got off the snow, and into a jeep track, that was all ice, bike went out, and I hit my wrist on the landing,

If it's a sprain, I'm still in, but if it's broken, I'd rather not risk messing it up permanently. Hate to miss out on the n00bs ride, though.

Thanks Chetan, I already posted here and sent a PM to Ersin to put me on the wait list.

It seems that there are more and more of us on injured reserve. For me I know that I am going but not riding. I'm going to drag the dog up and socialize maybe do a little bit of walking in the desert.

Hell LoneStar-
YOU can be my Beer taster... quality control of sorts...
cooooome on out to Saline valley and soak in the hot springs....




Pablo

crash and injury are something we have to watch out. sometimes it just come. every year at least 2 people get hurt in this event.

several things to remember - ride within your ability (most important). keep your bike properly maintained. get enough rest, do not ride when you don't feel well or under the influence. wear proper gear, do not be embarrassed to tell your ride leader that you want to turn around, learn to be a better rider and go practice before the event'

taking a riding lesson will boost your skill level and improve your confidence.

even on the easiest terrain people got hurt. do not assume only on hard or challenging trail things could go wrong.

Stayed at Furnace Creek last week. Here is the scoop.

No step in Goler. The rocks at Mengel Pass are more exposed, but riding up or down is doable with intermediate skills. Otherwise can walk a bike through easily.

The step in Echo Canyon is the same. The downhill section on the Nevada side after riding through the canyon is worse with a lot of lose rock. Again, doable, but more work.

Road to Race Track same.

Lippencot same.

Saline Valley Road same. No visible snow at Hunter Mountain or South Pass, but didn't ride it.

The road from Hot Springs to Steel Pass has been washed out in sections for the first 2-4 miles. You can connect the dots, but you must scan the area for what is left of the road. No problems after that. I expect 4x4 guys will have a decent "road" to follow by late March.

I join the other comments about trash. I think we should pay for the dumpsters AND carry out what we can. If we do not cover the cost with donations at sign up, I will be greatly disappointed. I will split any remainder with others who chimed in.

Ride "leaders." I think more experienced riders will step up when we are there and determine the number of riders who want to do a particular ride. For example, Steve and I volunteered to help Browneye with a Cerro Gordo ride if that area is not snowed in.

I know this has been said before, but it is worth repeating so the Noobs can relax. If you are honest with the leaders about your skills and tolerance for a challenge, you will be fine. No one gets left to fend for themselves. Also, what we are able to do depends on conditions - snow over South Pass, etc. We need flexibility if conditions do not allow a ride to take place. The key is to be honest so your rides are enjoyable, and you do not cause others rides to be unpleasant.

So I have two dual sport bikes that i can ride. One is big and setup mostly for the street and the other is mostly for the dirt. I have never ridden in Death Valley before so i don't know what to expect?

1. Triumph Tiger 800 XC 2012 (80/20 tires Tourance rear tire)
2. Yamaha WR250 R 2010 (Geo Max 71 Rear Non DOT)

I am short 5'6" and 29" inseam so in technical (rocky and hilly) sections the bike has a good chance of hitting the ground. Not a big deal for the WR (drop and ride) not a great thing for the T800XC. Replacement parts are $ on the Tiger, the WR has hit the ground so many times it doesn't matter?

So how hard are the trails in Death Valley, different trails in varying levels of difficulty, lots of unimproved dirt fire roads that I could run the Tiger 800 in third gear and cover 200+ miles a day. Pack the bike with camping gear, clothing and ride from West LA to Death Valley and back.

Or bring the Yama WR250R tied down to the back of the Ford F150 and hit the trails and more technical stuff and single tracks, perhaps riding 100+ miles a day? Dropping the WR250R bike is no issue. I was hoping to ghost ride it on the DV Noob ride?

So having never ridden in Death Valley and having limited experience in the dirt and short in stature, which bike is better for the mission? Or is there so much terrain that i can choose either? Or is it better to cover the distance on the tiger 800xc and stay off the rock technical stuff?

Big heavy Tiger800XC - Road Warrior 80/20 (street/dirt)
Lighter Nimble YamaWR250R - drop and ride 85/15 (dirt/street)

Otherwise for off pavement - fire road - easy trails Just the Triumph Tiger 800/XC and a tent.

this pretty much sums it up.
WR
There is a lot to see and the rides throw a number of challenges at you once you are off the road.

1st time there you want to enjoy yourself.

So long as the WR has the range (150 miles is a good start) it is the right choice. This will allow you to ride any of the planned rides you are interested in that are off the pavement. If you dont have the range carry gas with you. That bike gets like 50mpg so a gallon would be enough to take care of you for many of the loops out there. Depends on size of current tank. 3-4 gal is perfect.

The goal is to have fun and learn not worry about how much that part you just left on the ground is going to cost to replace.

Hey campers!

PSR's WiFi comes from a sat link. That link gets saturated and caps bandwidth. If everybody does light usage we should be fine. Let's be nice to it. Download your porn before the event.



A friend of mine handles the PSR network and gave me the lowdown.