The best-laid schemes o' mice an' men
Gang aft agley,..
-- Robert Burns
The adventure begins when things stop going as planned.
-- variously ascribed
The slower you ride, the more you see.
Spring is the ideal time for gallivanting around the Mojave desert. Fine weather, epic horizon lines, overwhelming floral surprises hidden among the rocks, long roads begging to be ridden and numberless reasons to stop along the way.
Our plan this year sees us kickstands up by 9:00 AM Friday from our Mojave desert meetup point. We will be revisiting an old friend this spring: The historic Mojave road, from Nevada to Barstow. Sunday will see us covering some new ground as part of our homeward journey.
Wood stoves ease evening's chill.
Our nights will be spent in rustic tent-cabins in a remote, isolated, one-dog “town": Picture a lonesome desert train line through a tiny oasis of buildings, add a sauna and showers in a quonset hut, a coyote overlooking it all from a nearby hill, and you get the picture.
This excursion will require intermediate dual sport skill level. Beyond the fitness level needed for long days in the saddle on unpaved terrain, the primary challenge we will encounter is sand in various forms. If you want to come on this ride and are concerned about your sand handling capabilities, contact Earthrider about the possibility of setting up a pre-ride group or individual sand clinic.
You never know what the trail holds in store.
As with all DS Overnights, we aim to travel light, at a steady pace. You will need very little more than you bring on a typical day ride: As well as the few personal items you need for a night decidedly OFF the town, add a sleeping bag to your usual day ride kit. More packing information will be provided after you registration is received. Riders will be responsible for their own meals, which will take the form of flexibly arranged group breakfast & dinner restaurant stops, “brown-bag” on-the-trail lunches, and completely unregulated between-meal snacking! Most riders find a rear seat / tail bag to be sufficient for their packing needs, although saddlebags are acceptable. New to motorbike overnights? Contact EarthRider with any questions you have about gear and packing.
Included:
- Pre-ride packing guidance
- Route planning, logistics
- Guided riding at all times
- All camping fees
- GPS tracks if desired. Note: you do not need a gps or a roll chart for this ride!
Contact ER for further camping equipment suggestions / rentals – or with any questions you have.
Discussing the nuances of proper counterbalancing position, weight transfer & distribution. [Intro to Counterbalancing]
Great question from the student recording the video in this snippet; "How did THAT happen?" It's not obvious to most people. When it comes to K-turns, there's many a slip twixt a cup & a lip. By the end of class tomorrow, you'll understand why this happened & how to prevent it.Them 800's are heavy from the downhill side!
