Saline Valley Thanksgiving 2013

[ThumperX]

It's Thanksgiving morning and we enjoy the sunrise, campfire coffee, and our morning soak.

As we are cherishing the first Saline morning the pickup and Falco van roll in!

Bear is especially excited as he will finally get his u-joints and be able to repair his disabled truck. Except, the Falco van handed the u-joints off to the 4X4 VW thinking they were not going to make it into Saline

We are excited because we know that in that pickup is a 40lb pig ready to be slow roasted for the evening feast. We're happy to let them hold onto the shovel so that they can dig the pit and get that pig to roasting

Sadly, I failed to charge my phone/camera and have zero/nada/zip pictures of Thanksgiving BOO HISS!

 

[ThumperX]

In the rush to bake a pie, devour Thanksgiving supper, and catch up with the small band of die hards we dumped all of our gear on the ground. Now it was time to organize and feng-shui the campsite and van.

It's Friday morning, the day after Thanksgiving, the campsite is in order, the sky is blue and it's time for the day after airshow arty

They roar into the valley, flying low through Steele Pass, over the upper pools, chasing one another. They always put on a good show.

The only noise in the valley is the awesome sound of burning jet fuel. You can feel it in the souls of your feet. Oooo tingly!

 

[Cabrito]

But, but, what about the U-Joints????

 

[ThumperX]

But, but, what about the U-Joints????

The U-joints are still up somewhere around Hunter Mountain (B) :|

Rumor had it that the drifts were about 5' deep in places!

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[ThumperX]

Finally we are ready to really go for a ride

I'm excited to visit McElvoy Canyon. Last year we were witness to the devastation of a major debris flow. With all of this summer's rains and the horrific amount of material pushed through the valley, I'm anxious to see the geomorphology of McElvoy.

We gear up, double check that the tanks are full, and charge off to seize the day. arty

My bike stalls The battery is dead It doesn't have enough juice to keep itself running after nearly an hour of dragging and bump starting

Struggle, this entire trip had been fraught with struggle. In the old van we kept a battery charger I didn't want to pack it so it sits on the camp pallet at home

We tow my bike back to camp, strip off our gear, take a deep breath and look around. LIFE DOES NOT SUCK!!! We are in one of the most beautiful spots on earth, we have an ice cold beer to crack open, our dog is joy filled to have us back so soon, and the hot water is flowing

We have little trouble finding someone to loan us a charger and we do have an inverter. With nothing to do but wait, it's time to be still, catch up on some reading, and do nothing for the first time in months.

 

[ThumperX]

With a charged up battery and no obligations for at least 8 days we wake up saturday in good spirits, ready to mount our iron steads, and go explore.

Something I try never to do, but did anyway right before we left, is watch motorcycling movies before a big ride. This time I had watched "On Any Sunday" for about the 100th time,

Hitting that hard packed desert floor on an amazing vintage machine built specifically for this environment, I eased off the clutch as Malcolm Smith and Mert Lawwill took over my senses like demons bent on raising serious hell!

I twisted the throttle hard and flew over the first set of whoops, front wheel in the air, dust raised from the rear tire. OMG I love the ATK!!!!

Soon the road disintegrated to random rock and sand and the pace had to be slowed.

On our way to McElvoy Canyon we are drawn to a geaological feature we don't recall seeing in this valley. I'm certain it's been here all along but the 2013 storms have eroded away the soil and really exposed this tortured wall of marble.

We must explore further!

 

[two wheel tramp]

I love the geo-talk lady! Info-tainment and an even greater appreciation for the world around us.

 

[ThumperX]

WE ride as far as we can, then shed our gear and hike for further inspection

 

[2legs2wheels]

Subscribed. Nice writeup

 

[Nemo Brinker]

Terma Gant and I have said "WOW" about 20 times reading this. I loved hearing the story of your Epic Struggle in the Wintry Desert over tea--but your report and photos really bring it alive.

Sometimes the universe is hell bent on being heard, eh?

 

[veefereefer]

 

[ThumperX]

As we hike in closer the rock reveals millions of years of torture, heat, pressure, folding, and igneous intrusion.

The rains have eroded the softer rock over time leaving this magnificent slab.

There is a vertical crease of dark rock in the center. Overtime it is wearing away leaving the hint of a marble tub.

 

[ThumperX]

The sun has dipped behind the mountain and it's time to head back to camp. We marks this feature as a favorite in the GPS (or we think we do since neither of us really know how to work the little Garmin I recently purchased :|)

As soon as we clear the long shadow of the mountain I have to stop, take in the view, and appreciate the vastness that is this valley.
We have a long rocky ride back to the Bat Road turnoff.

Once we turn onto Bat Rock Road it's full throttle and blast off. The Other is kind enough to leave tracks whenever he throttles out of a turn, laying down an awesome line for me to follow. Flying up the road I encounter a series of mogul like lumps,; but lacking testicles I slow instead of accelerate causing the bike to land poorly with respect to the next bump. I curse Mert Lawwill and Malcolm Smith out loud for making me think I've got skills and do the only thing I can to keep the ATK upright, I gas the mofo.

Being airborne on a motorcycle is indescribable, being airborn on a motorcycle that listens to every twitch of your body, has amazing suspension, and the power to stick the landing, spin the rear tire and do it again is just something everyone needs to do at least once in their lifetime!!!

 

[ThumperX]

We arrive back at camp with that feeling one has after amazing sex, I don't smoke; however, if anyone had handed me a cigarette at that moment I would have inhaled deeply.
Instead, we crack open a beer and pull up a chair for Bear who has news about the Sportsmobile and VW.

The good news, VW has made it into Saline Valley He is up soaking in the upper spring.

The bad news, he felt that Bear's U-joints were cursed and dropped them into the driver's seat of the Sportsmobile which is still up on the mountain somewhere

 

[two wheel tramp]

I've compared riding to sex before.

I need more report lady.

 

[Hoho]

Woot! Subscribed! Now git to updatin' and stuff... I can't wait to hear more of that u-joint's adventures.

 

[Yakoo752]

I love you lady

looks like you had an amazing time

tell W I said hi

we need to ride together

 

[carries an axe]

Kewl!

 

[Lunch Box]

Wow. Just wow. I always love your write-ups, and this one is one of the best. Can't wait to see how the rest unfolds. We REALLY need to go moto camping next year, G.

 

[EjGlows]