| Savoring the Heebie-Jeebies on Ubehebe Trip Report |
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| Page Type: Trip Report Location: California, United States, North America Lat/Lon: 32.84000°N / 113.91°W Date Climbed/Hiked: Oct 27, 2007 Activities: Hiking Season: Fall | Page By: Clydascope Created/Edited: Nov 1, 2007 / Nov 2, 2007 Object ID: 352604 Hits: 1841 Loading... Page Score: 89.62% - 26 Votes Loading... Vote: Log in to vote |
On the RoadSmoke filled the sky as I drove out of town. Southern California had been burning for days and the Santa Ana winds finally shifted. I could smell the sulfur steam from the Geothermal Power Plant too. It felt gloomy. By the time I got home and packed my motorcycle it was 2:00 in the afternoon. Yeah, I still had enough daylight to make the 100-mile drive across the desert to Northern Death Valley. So off I went on a five hundred mile, four-day, three-night, dual-sport, solo adventure.
Desert CrossingIn Big Pine I filled up on gas, including an extra gallon and a half packed away in spare jugs, then headed east to cross the Inyo Mountains. The first 25 miles consisted of a wonderful paved winding mountain road. A rattlesnake was soaking up the heat of the blacktop. In Eureka Valley I hit the dirt for the first time on the trip. Last time I had ridden this stretch of road it had just been graded and was as smooth as a dirt road gets, we cruised at 75 mile per hour for nearly 20 miles. This time the road was much rougher, washboards and ruts kept my attention focused. Soon I climbed up to cross the Last Chance Range. A shirtless traveler in an old VW bus was visiting the stinky Crater Mine. I coasted silently down the grade as I dropped into Crankshaft Crossing.
The dirt road continued in a straight line for another 25 miles off into the haze. So far I had seen only two cars on the Big Pine/Death Valley road. This was a remote place and I was ready. My bike was stocked with food, fuel, water, repair kits, clothing, a small tent, hiking gear, spare tubes, about 75 pound worth in all. Although it handled differently with the load, my Honda XR650L Dual Sport motorcycle was performing very well on the dirt roads.
Ocean VoyageHeading out from Crankshaft Crossing it felt like I was on the open sea, plowing through white caps. The sun was getting low in the sky and the face of each ripple of washboard was highlighted while a small shadow grew on the backside. They were the deepest washboards I had ever ridden, almost whoop-de-doo’s. Between the tire tracks were ridges of deep pea-gravel. I really had to stay on it here; my speed was varied from 20-30 mph depending on the depth of the wave and gravel. Many miles of this focused riding later I began to enter a trance-like state of mind and it felt as if time no longer mattered. This trance was broken a half hour later by the sight of a dust cloud rapidly approach in my mirror. Two young guys in a rental car went blasted by at twice my speed, the passenger hanging out the window hollering encouragement as they passed.
Mesquite SpringsSoon enough I made pavement again and pulled into the Mesquite Springs Campground near the Grapevine Entrance Station to Death Valley National Park. It was warm and hazy. Not too many folks out camping this Friday before Halloween. An orange moon bloomed full and bold as the sun set. I settled in for a fine dinner and a few shots of good tequila. Sleep was not too far behind.
The next morning I woke to more smoke, it burned my eyes and lungs. I inspected the motorcycle, lubed the chain, filled the tank from the spare jugs, loaded a daypack and took off for the Racetrack. A few miles of pavement gave way to dirt roads again, nearly 30 mile of dust and rocks would bring me to the playa.
Tarantula CrossingAlong the way I spotted a tarantula walking across the road. When I turned around to get a picture, the giant spider reared up and displayed its fangs in a threatening manner. In my best Crocodile Hunter accent I said, “Oh, she’s a little cranky today. What a beauty!” Right then I had a weird feeling run through me and realized my location was somewhat blind to any oncoming traffic. Even though I had not seen another vehicle for more than an hour I moved a couple hundred yard down the road and parked the bike. Before I could get off a small pickup came barreling around the blind corner I had just moved away from. I would have been a sitting duck if I hadn’t moved. By the time they passed me and I got turned around again the spider had wandered off into the desert. I got the chills.
 Once upon a time in Death Valley Teakettle JunctionSeveral miles later I hit Teakettle Junctions and stopped for some photos. Then on it was to the Racetrack where I pulled out at the Grandstand. A quick change of clothing and I started hiking up the trail that leads to Ubehebe Peak. This place was spectacular, even in with the limited visibility. At the ridge crossing I took the wrong trail and ended up at an old mine. A Black Widow web caught my hand and sent another shiver down my spine. From here some cross country scrambling brought me back to the notch between the twin summits. Up to the main summit I went, but it was so smoky I could barely make out the Inyo Crest a few miles to the west. Some more photos, a short phone call to a friend to let him know I was on track (yes, I got reception!) and down I went.
Free RidingAnother quick change of clothing at the trailhead and I was on the machine for the long ride back to camp. The remote nature of this place left me with an uneasy feeling the whole day. I could not afford any mistakes. The spiders and snakes, the full moon, the smoke, the amazingly weird scenery filled me with awe. I was a long ways from home. I really enjoyed the ride back, feeling the freedom of motion a motorcycle brings was a tremendous joy.
Meet the GriswoldsBack in camp I debated moving to my next destination or sticking around for another night. It was late afternoon and I thought I might be able to pack up, ride to Stovepipe Wells, shower, gas up, eat and move up to Wildrose before dark. But I was coming down from the high of riding and hiking and riding so I decided to spend another night right here. As I prepared dinner an RV pulled into the campground. To this point there were only a handful of sites occupied and these guys chose to set up camp right across the road from me. I was a little disappointed at first. When the family got out of the camper and immediately started bickering I knew this was not going to be good. A scriptwriter would have had a difficult time putting together a screenplay to top the commotion that ensued.
 Hazy skies and remote roads
First they had difficulty parking, then the generator didn’t work, the water pump didn’t work and the toilet wouldn’t flush. Three obnoxious kids, the oldest was eight, ran wild while the parents yelled at each other, trying to find blame in everything that went wrong. As the sky darkened I took off for a walk. When I got back the kids were several hundred yards away from camp, digging in the dirt, fighting each other. The sight of me walking by must have startled the Mom because she yelled for the kids. She was trying to cook on an open fire while Dad pounded beers and fought with the generator. Finally dinner was ready and they became quite for a short time. Suddenly Dad flips out and screams at one of the kids for leaving a drink on his chair, which he then sat on. Dad started burping up the canned chili and swallowed it back down. One kid blinds Mom with a flashlight, she knocks it of her mouth and flips out, Dad flips out, the kids flip out and everyone else groans. Other campers walked by and grumbled things like “who would ever think of bringing three brats camping” and “too bad some folks don’t respect the quiet side of camping”. On it went late into the night. Later in the RV, Dad starts ripping farts and pisses the rest of them off. More yelling, more plumbing trouble, more noise.
New SceneryDuring the night I woke to rain, not enough to wet the ground but enough to make me wonder. The next morning the Griswold’s drove away with much noise at all, they went to find breakfast. I packed up and cruised to Stovepipe Wells for a shower and gas. It was much clearer now and I debated on the next destination. Originally I planned to head for Telescope Peak, but the smooth paved roads and easy escape made me think about going home. After cleaning up I decided to stick with my plans and headed off for the Wildrose Campground. When I got there it wasn’t as appealing as I hoped for so I went past the Charcoal Kilns, up the 4wd stretch to Thorndike and eventually on to Mahogany Flats campground. I found the last site down the ridge open and settled in.
Some lunch and rest left me wondering what to do for the afternoon. I check the map and realized I could do some exploring on the motorcycle, and if I used the downhill coasting routine I just might have enough gas to get an additional 70 miles of riding in. Off it was to the old mining town site at Skidoo, then out to Augereberry Point for a late afternoon vista. I got back to camp with enough time to make dinner and watch the sunset. During the afternoon ride I noticed some high wispy cirrus clouds moving in and now there was lower level cumulous action happening. It sure looked like a storm was on the way.Raven CampThat evening all the other campers at Mahogany Flats returned from Telescope Peak and then they headed home. I was alone. Just me and the ravens, lots of ravens. They floated and croaked and swooped for food scraps. I swore they were talking at times, some of them danced on the metal roof of the outhouse and kept me looking around for somebody who was not there. I heard the wind start to roar up high. It was a fitful night.
Storm CloudsWhen the sun came up the next morning a small gap of clear sky between the horizon and clouds let the daylight paint the sky in brilliant color for a matter a few short minutes. It was enough time for me to scramble out of bed and stand in awe, but not enough time to grab the camera and snap any shots. The fire simply went out. Fingers of rain hung from the clouds almost touching the ridge where I was camped. I debated on what to do, for I really did not want to ride back down the 4wd road when it was wet, nor did I want to be exposed on the ridge all morning if it started to rain. So I packed up and rode down the hill, all the way down Wildrose Canyon to Panamint Valley.
What a change it was dropping the 7,000’ from the ridge to the valley floor. Must have been 15 miles of coasting down the hill before turning north and riding into Panamint Springs for breakfast, gas and batteries for the camera. Again, I could have ridden out to Hwy 395 and home in a few hours, but I wanted to finish the ride I had planned. Off to the west the paved road climbed steeply and soon I was turning to the north on the Saline Valley Road. This stretch of road crosses 85 mile of dirt before hitting pavement again.
Saline ValleyI had intended to stop at the hot springs for the night and then up towards Steele Pass for an ascent of a remote summit the next day. By the time I dropped into the valley it was mid day and hot, over 90°. The idea of hanging out all afternoon in a hot tub did not seem very appealing so I made the decision to head on home. It took several hours crossing the valley and climbing over North Pass, but the smooth pavement of the Big Pine/Death Valley road was a welcome relief. Down I went into the Owens Valley and a half hour later I was home. It had just rained.
Finish LineIn total it was 502 miles of riding in 4 days, about half of it on dirt roads. I bagged one of the three peaks I had planned. That night it snowed in Mammoth Lakes and rained in the Owens Valley. I was glad to be home and out of the weather. Now I just need to figure when I can head back to Saline Valley and find that lost peak out in the haze.
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Death Valley > Savoring the Heebie-Jeebies on Ubehebe
