Ok this isn't a TW specific ride...but it would make a great TW trip! Since I've posted my past RR here I figured I would post this one as well...so here goes.
It was Hot....Then it was COLD!
The Plan: Do a 1700 mile loop through NV with 5 riders in 7 days, exploring abandoned mines, ranches and history as we go. The tracks were made, the bikes were prepped and we were ready to head to NV for our 2012 Adventure. We picked early June this year hoping to beat the heat and ride in nice green scenery (it might be a gamble since the weather forecast is looking pretty iffy the closer we get to blast off time). There would be four riders leaving on the 1st and a 5th rider meeting up with us two days later out on the trail some where.
This year I had a special theme for this trip with an idea that started during our last summers ride in NV....What is is? Keep reading below.....
We loaded the bikes and hit the road!
The Crew......
Trever.....AKA: Novacaine. Riding a KTM 530 XCW
Andy....AKA: Rommpy. Riding a KTM 450 EXC
Tom.....AKA: Hodakaguy. Riding a KTM 530 XCW
Mark....AKA: KnightRider. Riding a KTM 450 XCW
Alan....AKA: Mamacone. Riding a Honda XR650R
Overview of our tracks.
Day 1. June 1st, 2012.
Miles on Bike: 1306
Hrs on Bike: 53.5
We were at the mini mart at 3:30am, trucks are filled and we roll towards NV. The last week has been nuts...tons of last minute prep. Andy's 530 lost a crank seal 2 days before we left, leaving him two days to transfer everything from his fully prepped 530 to his wife's 450 EXC so he could make the trip. A last minute rider (Mark) was added to the trip giving him a week to prep his bike....he had to order the desert tank, luggage, GPS etc and get it all set up in a very short time. He would also be leaving a day and a half later than us and would try and catch us somewhere out on the trail, he will watch our SPOT tracks with his iphone and try to intersect us some where on the trail.
Let the adventure begin!
A stop at the historic French Glen Hotel along to way to stretch our legs. More info on the Hotel Here: CLICK HERE
The Steens Scenic Loop in the background...still closed due to snow. The bikes won't be this clean for long!
At French Glen I check the bikes to make sure they are riding correctly....and find oil leaking from my counter sprocket! Dang! Oh well, I brought a spare seal so I'll change it out in Denio. I turn to Trever and say "Man, my counter sprocket is leaking" and he says "or your friends poured oil on your frame at the last gas stop" LOL. Ok...that was pretty good! At least I don't have to worry about changing the seal out now :lol3
A long stretch of Highway with water on both sides....pretty cool.
We arrive at Denio Junction, NV. We will leave the trucks here and head out on adventure! We off load the bikes and do last minute prep.....load bikes, fill camel packs, etc.
Trever holding up two of the 5 bags of concrete that we will be carrying on the bikes...50 lbs total! Hmmmm........
Trever loading his two bags of concrete in the Giant Loop....could it be that the huge desert tank is causing the front end to feel heavy and he's trying to lighten it by adding weight in the rear?
My bike loaded up with the special cargo for the trip....it sticks way out on each side of the bike so I'll have to be careful not to catch it on sage brush along the trail. I think I may have just set a new luggage weight record on a 530 LOL.
Trever giving Andy the last bag of concrete.
We left Denio and headed into the Pueblo mountains with our special cargo. The weather was perfect, maybe a tad on the warm side as we climbed in altitude towards our destination.
One of the many cattle fences that we would have to stop, open then close along the route. These are scattered everywhere out here.
Trever waiting at the fence crossing......with all the heavy gear plus the added concrete the bikes are handling like a humming bird with a bowling ball duct taped under one wing :lol3. Good thing we have radiator fans...they are getting a work out today!
A view looking up into the mountains....the GPS is up and purring, just follow the yellow brick road
And we Climb and Climb....
Cruising up the trail...trying not to snag a sage brush
Alan letting his bike cool down and taking a break before the final steep rocky climb.
Climbing the final hill
We arrived at the WW2 B-24 Liberator Crash Site, our first destination of the day.
I added stainless steel tubing to the bottom of the post to help lock it in the concrete. I really wanted it to withstand the winds and weather it's going to have to endure up here.
And the Sign is planted and finished. :clap During last summers visit to the crash site (ride report: HERE) I started thinking about making a memorial plaque to place at the crash site. I really felt that the story of the planes crash as well as the names of the crewmen that lost their lives serving our country needed to be told. Visiting the crash site last year without this information made the experience feel incomplete. After returning home last summer I obtained the names of the crewmen that were on board that fateful night then Andy and I split the cost to have a laser engraved stainless steel plaque fabricated to place at the crash site. After receiving the plaque I fabricated a heavy stainless steel sign assy to mount the plaque on so it will last for years to come. One of the highlights of this trip for everyone involved was planting the memorial plaque.
Click here for a PBS documentary on the crash site: CLICK HERE
A photo of the memorial plaque, I added pop rivets around the outside of the sign to give it more of a aircraft feel.
A waterproof guest book box was added to the sign so people visiting the crash site can write down their thoughts and feelings on the site. There is a water proof tablet stored inside.
And I entered the first entry into the book. If you visit the site make an entry into the log book, and please don't remove anything from the site!
And a group photo around the sign.
With the plaque installed we decided to explore around the crash site. I'll post quite a few pictures here of the crash site.
Looking back at the bikes. One of the 4 twin-row, 14-cylinder Pratt & Whitney R-1830 "Twin Wasp" 1000HP radial engines, with one of the main landing gear legs and wheel in the background.
After checking out the crash site we got back on the bikes and headed twords Bog Hot Springs to camp and soak....we've all been up since about 2;30am and had a long drive plus the ride, we are all ready to relax for the night.
Heading down the hill we see rain showers off in the distance, the weather has cooled down quite a bit since we first arrived at the crash site and the ride down is great.
Looking back at the crash site in the distance.
Alan at another gate on the way down from the mountain.
Alan's fan and GPS power stopped working today, we decide to operate and find out what's causing the problem. Turned out a wire came disconnected under the tank....got to love easy fixes!
Storm clouds are moving in..and there is lightning in the distance.
I manage to catch two lightning strikes with my hand held camera.
I decide to try and frame the bike in a lightning strike picture...but the sky starts opening up and rain starts pouring down. Not wanting to get the camera wet I retreat to the tent for the night. It was a great day of riding today...can't wait till tomorrow!
Soon we come across an abandoned mine with huge tailing piles. There is a large mill works here, I love checking out sites like this. I would love to see pictures of it back in it's hay day.
We hop off the bikes and check out the site. The mine is called the Opalite Mine and was used to produce Mercury. The Opalite Mine produced a total of 12,367 flasks of mercury (a flask is equivalent to 76 pounds) between 1927 and 1961, with the vast majority of the production occurring before 1943.
It had to be a big undertaking back in the day to haul all this concrete this far out in the desert.
Lots of relics litter the site.
A audit close to the mill site...I'm sure with tailing piles this big there are more audits in the area.
At the base of the mining operation lie a couple old cars. I'm amazed that it's still preserved this well, must not be a lot of drunks with guns out here. I wonder when the last time it moved under it's own power was.
A tire from the car.....amazing stuff like this last's this long out here.
Remains of a truck of some sort....I wonder if this truck hauled supplies to the site when they were building the mill?
We left the mine site and headed to Mcdermitt, NV for fuel and lunch. After fueling up we found the Snack Stop and stopped for a burger. I filled my hydration pack up with water and put a 1.5 liter bottle in my pack as well, I had been out of water since we left camp this morning and I was really thirsty at this point!
We had good cell service here so we called Mark to find out where he was at. He was getting ready to leave home (still 9 hrs away) and would watch our SPOT tracks and try to intersect us some where. To save time he would drive his truck as close to us as he could get then unload the bike and catch up with us.
Here Trever is talking to Mark and trying to figure out approx where we will meet up with him.
Trever hamming it up for the camera
We left Mcdermitt with full stomachs and full tanks of fuel.
A little further up the trail we come across another old abandoned ranch. A lot of work went into building these old houses. Who lived here? What a hard life it must have been.
The windows haven't even been broken out....not many teen age derelicts out this far I guess lol.
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