Death Valley Ride Report, Goler Wash and Pleasant Canyon

[Conniestoga]

Death Valley is a wonderful place to visit, either dual sport or street. I have been there many times on my Tengai loaded with camping gear. The Goler Wash Mengel Pass ride is one of my favorites. Some other great dual sport rides/destinations in DV are in no particular order: Titus Canyon, The Racetrack, Hunter Mountain, Hot Springs, Crankshaft Crossing, Eureka Sand Dunes.

Eric

[2on2off]

Originally Posted by Conniestoga

Death Valley is a wonderful place to visit, either dual sport or street. I have been there many times on my Tengai loaded with camping gear. The Goler Wash Mengel Pass ride is one of my favorites. Some other great dual sport rides/destinations in DV are in no particular order: Titus Canyon, The Racetrack, Hunter Mountain, Hot Springs, Crankshaft Crossing, Eureka Sand Dunes.

Eric

Been to The Racetrack via Lippencott Mine Road, a little hairy on my GSA, but all the other destinations are on my "must see" list of places to go in DV.

My guess is that the North and South Passes in Saline Valley have snow and ice on them now and I also want to ride to the Hot Springs from Panamint Springs and then on to Big Pine but will have to contend with some snow right now. Have you ridden to Big Pine from the Hot Springs?

[Conniestoga]

Originally Posted by 2on2off

Been to The Racetrack via Lippencott Mine Road, a little hairy on my GSA, but all the other destinations are on my "must see" list of places to go in DV.

My guess is that the North and South Passes in Saline Valley have snow and ice on them now and I also want to ride to the Hot Springs from Panamint Springs and then on to Big Pine but will have to contend with some snow right now. Have you ridden to Big Pine from the Hot Springs?

I rode from Big Pine to Lower Warm Spring in April 2004. At that time a 2WD pickup with camper could have done it, but it looked like the North Pass had recently been graded. It's probably pretty rough in the winter. The hot springs are very popular with the college crowd during spring break (clothing optional).

After Lower Warm Springs, we took the Saline Valley Road south to Hunter Mt. Then to Teakettle Junction, and camped near The Race Track. All good dirt roads. We were going to take the Lippincott Mine road but some GSers at the warm Springs talked us out of it. The next morning we walked down Lippincott a way then went back got on the bikes without gear and went down and back. I think the wash at the bottom was the hardest part.

The next day, we Saw Ubehebe crater, Scotty's Castle and planned to motel in Beatty but there was a Harley get-together there so we took Titus Canyon to Leadfield and camped there (illegally). We camped out of sight in a gully and later found that was the human waste area. Every rock had a little surprise under it.

On the way home, the weather turned cold. Neither one of us had brought any electric gear and it was snowing and getting pretty cold on hwy 395 so we stopped in Gardnerville and each bought two newspapers to stuff under our riding gear. Ill never forget the look on the clerk's face as we were paying for the papers. I just said one word "Insulation" and walked out.

Here's a few pictures of the road to Warm Spring from Big Pine. I tried to post more but I am computer challenged and still learning how to do all the resizing etc.

Eric

[2on2off]

Eric: Nice bike. Where did you buy your Tengai? Is it another country's version of the KLR650 or was it sold in the US? Are there multiple roads from Big Pine to Warm Springs other than 395? My maps indicate several dirt roads that can be taken from highway 168 going south to Warm Springs.

[2on2off]

Eric:
Here is the road I have seen from 168 going south. It is only a few miles east of 395 and before you get to the White Mountain Road turnoff. Is this the road you took?

[2on2off]

The south end of Saline Valley Road looks like this looking north:

[Conniestoga]

The Tengai is based on the KLR 650 and was sold in the U.S for only one year, 1990. I believe they were sold in Europe through '94. The picture you posted is just what mine looked like when new. It has different suspension, switches and gauges than the KLR. The Tengai has a dual piston front brake with larger rotor and the headlight is much better. The fairing also has much less wind turbulence on the highway. I bought mine in '96 with only 3300 miles. It's coming up on 45,000 now. I had a '92 KLR 650 before that that I put 45,000 miles on before I sold to get the Tengai. In '99 I bought a Concours to keep the mileage down on the Tengai and now make most pavement only trips on it.

On that trip, I'm pretty sure we took hwy 168 east from Big Pine to Death Valley road and then south on Saline Valley Road. I've been in that area several times and it's getting so I can't remember which road I took on which trip.

Here's some more pictures of that trip. The KLR is my old one and the last Tengai pic was taken this spring atop Mengel Pass.

Eric

[jamileh]

Jim, it looks like an absolute blast!! Great report and pix - thanks.

[2on2off]

Eric: Great pics of Death Valley. Did you ride all the way over Mengel Pass to furnace creek? If so, how did you like that rocky section just down hill from the Mengel Memorial?

[Conniestoga]

Originally Posted by 2on2off

Eric: Great pics of Death Valley. Did you ride all the way over Mengel Pass to furnace creek? If so, how did you like that rocky section just down hill from the Mengel Memorial?

Jim, I've been down that rocky section twice. Each time we spent about 30 minutes to an hour "building" a trail, then two minutes to ride it. I also unloaded all my luggage and carried it down before riding the section. I don't think I could make it up that section on my Tengai without leaving some plastic behind. The rest of the road to Furnace Creek is pretty good except for one section of class 3 rocky terrain and a few patches of sand. I would rate that rocky section as class 4.

The first two pics are of that section but the pictures just don't do it justice. the third is of a mine further east.

Eric