death valley new years eve/weekend
- Thread starter jrubicon
- Start date
NorCal Factory
Well-known member
Be prepared to spend the night on the trail in freezing temps if you go off-road - you never know what you will encounter.
Jan often brings 75+ degree days. Feb for sure.
Be sure to check out the Artists drive, the geothermaly heated Olympic swimming pool at Furnace Creek and if you stay there the steakhouse is great.
At Stovepipe Wells there is a trailhead for Marble Canyon - essentially a dried riverbed with polished stone. Pretty cool even for a short hike.
Jan often brings 75+ degree days. Feb for sure.
Be sure to check out the Artists drive, the geothermaly heated Olympic swimming pool at Furnace Creek and if you stay there the steakhouse is great.
At Stovepipe Wells there is a trailhead for Marble Canyon - essentially a dried riverbed with polished stone. Pretty cool even for a short hike.
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HadesOmega
Well-known member
Death Valley was my first time doing desert riding. It's long dirt distances and sometimes you might encounter some kind of sand.
Watch your gas level because the distances are long and not many places to get gas. They frequently close roads based on conditions also. But yeah the stuff you can drive cars on a motorcycle won't have a problem.
Socal BDR passes by Death Valley also around the Titus Canyon area. There is a long whoop section.
If you are really adventurous you can try going to the race track and Lippincott Pass
Watch your gas level because the distances are long and not many places to get gas. They frequently close roads based on conditions also. But yeah the stuff you can drive cars on a motorcycle won't have a problem.
Socal BDR passes by Death Valley also around the Titus Canyon area. There is a long whoop section.
If you are really adventurous you can try going to the race track and Lippincott Pass
N4teTheGreat
Noob!
Did the BDR last year but we skipped Lippincott as my buddy wasn't feeling up to the challenge, I think we would have been fine on our little dual sports. I guess I'll have to go back and try again. Stayed in Panamint springs that night, which, if you do go, stay there a night or two as it's a great spot and they need the business. Just dress warm, those tents get a little chilly at night as I found out.
Tally Whacker
Not another Mike
I’ve ridden Titus Canyon several times on my BMW S1000RR. You should be able to manage it on your GS.
dravnx
Well-known member
N4teTheGreat
Noob!
When I was down there I had a 3.9 gallon tank on the DRZ along with two fuel canisters just in case. Never needed the canisters and didn't fuel up in the park. We fueled before entering the park and then rode to Beatty the next day for breakfast and fuel. I suppose it would depend on how deep into the park you get and what your range looks like.
HadesOmega
Well-known member
My DR650 can go around 250 miles range and I went up Cerro Gordo and hit a lot of snow/ice and had to double back and take Saline Valley road out. Having that range gives you peace of mind that you won't run out of gas. There's gas at stovepipe wells, Beaty, and furnace creek. Those are at the edges of the park I suppose. The area with the least gas is the racetrack area.
berth
Well-known member
Park is big, it's not THAT big. 200 mile range will have you going up and back around the park a couple of times.
Partially agree, just need to be smart about when to fill up and if one back tracks or takes a detour, they're able to get to the nearest gas station. I can easily see one getting ahead of themselves, finding a fun road and then finding out they went past the point of no return.
You will be dispersed camping. Campgrounds are closed. COVID-19 shutdown.
Edit: link to a camping friend who did DV this month. FWC not a bike but shows what you can see walking a little. https://ski3pin.blogspot.com/2020/12/death-valley-national-park-december.html
Death Valley was my last pre COVID-19 trip. Link to my trip report. https://bill-veronica.blogspot.com/
youtu.be/B3HhaQ_aBwQ
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HadesOmega
Well-known member
Was just about to post about that literally all the campgrounds in the state are closed due to COVID19 until like 1/4/2020 and longer if the situation doesn't get any better.
dravnx
Well-known member
Check Panamint Springs Resort. They have camping, tent cabins and cabins with onsite fuel, limited restaurant and plenty of beer.
https://www.panamintsprings.com/
https://www.panamintsprings.com/
N4teTheGreat
Noob!
Awesome spot, buddy and I stayed there as a last minute thing on a trip last fall. We did not have proper camping gear and froze our asses off in the tents so, bring a warm bag. People were great, beer selection was fantastic, even if it did prompt me to overindulge slightly by the campfire that night and as I understand it, they could use the support right about now.
