into the valley we rode, the morning crisp from the Nevada rain that cleared the dust and chilled the air. The knobby KLR760 tyres hummed on the smooth sealed road which lead into the depths of Death Valley.
From below sea level we climbed to Dante's View, loving the ride to the summit.
Ears popped with the change in altitude as rode from below sea level to 1600m ASL.
Our destination after Dante's View as the HQ of Great Southern Moto Adventures. Our four day journey was coming to an end.
But, first we had some more riding to do. I love the fact that we can take these bikes on just about any trail. A shortcut was advertised from Dante's View to Shoshone.
A section of the route was on the Old Spanish Tail - one of the most arduous historical trails dating back hundreds of years. The notable feature was a long uphill section into an icy headwind. Temperatures dropped to 3Deg C as we shivered our way to our destination.
And finally, after four days and 959km, we arrived back at GSMA.
Welcome to day 3 on my Nevada adventure motorcycling trip.
Titus Canyon
This is the daily log of six novice adventure riders who attempted the new #NVBDR route but have had to abandon it due to broken pegs and tougher-than-thought terrain. We are riding Honda Africa Twins and Kawasaki KLRs.
Crisp air welcomed tired bodies out of the hotel and Mel's Diner called our name. No chance of a fresh barista made latte in Mel's Diner however the food was in abundance and the atmosphere made the occasion.
Titus Canyon
Our first destination for the day was Titus Canyon. The Canyon is a deep narrow gorge cut into the Grapevine Mountains of the Mojave Desert in California. The track through the canyon is one way for vehicle traffic and is known for its winding passes and steep gorge walls.
This route was made for adventure motorcycles as the track wound it way up and down hills before descending into the gorge.
Layers of rock scaled to the cliff heights as our ears hummed with the silence of the gorge. Echoes of conversation would bounce off the walls. Once again we were pondered how the early miners found routes through the barren hills.
My GPS tracked the kilometres traveled revealing the enjoyable pace we were traveling at. The gale force winds continued to howl above us, as witnessed by the rolling clouds. And then the peace and serenity ended as we exited the Canyon and rolled into Death Valley.
The riding was thoroughly enjoyable with enough wow moments to keep us entertained. Standing on the pegs of the KLR650, I felt the bike was beautifully balanced as I manoeuvred the bike through the tight canyon turns and across the loose gravel.
Honda Africa Twin cockpit
Note: Titus Canyon is actually in California and is not part of the offical Nevada BDR.
Ubehebe Crater
Ubehebe Crater
The route through Titus Canyon ends along Death Valley and offers a natural route to the Ubehebe Crater. The crater is roughly 1km wide and a few hundred metres deep. It could potentially be as young as 800years old (or 2000 or 7000years old). The ride to the crater rim is on sealed roads.
The bikes shook as the wind challenged the side stand whilst perched on the crater rim. The wind made the time rather unpleasant as sand whipped our faces. It was time to head back to Beatty and call it a day.
Arriving back in Beatty we noticed the nail sticking out of the Africa Twin rear tyre. Thankfully we did not have to change the tube!
What happens when you take a bunch of newbie adventure riders half way around the world to ride an established North American Backcountry Discovery Route?
Firstly, you get Nevada to welcome you with 38Deg C weather, then 60km/h gale force winds, add in 3Deg C weather at 1600m above sea level and not to forget huge dust storms as you cross the border into California and Death Valley!
Trans-continental overland travel brings the world alive. Intercontinental flights dull the emotions to new countries and cultures but are needed when time poor. Patience was needed as we hopped from one flight to the next - two flights in total and more than 24hours travel time. Our first stop in Las Vegas was Great Southern Moto Adventures.
Great Southern Moto Adventures
We met Curtis and Jeff, owners of GSMA and part of the team responsible for creating the NVBDR. A lifetime of adventure riding has contributed to the development of one fantastic route. Jeff, the GSMA operations manager had two KLR650 and four new Africa Twin's setup and waiting and all that was needed was to sign the final paperwork, pack the panniers and hit the road South.
I had opted for the Kawasaki KLR 650 as my adventure riding experience was limited to smaller bikes and shorter distances. Curtis had advised the following: "The KLR’s will be much more fun, easy to operate and probably provide a better overall experience for the less experienced besides being more safe for them". It sounded like the perfect bike for me!
Kawasaki KLR650
This YouTube clip sums up the bike nicely:
Six riders in convoy are not easy to manage. We had one mantra. Always try remember who is behind you and wait at each major junction for the person to arrive. Well, this was hard to manage as we attempted to leave Las Vegas. 5km later and one of the Honda Africa Twins suffered a front tyre puncture. Our group of six riders were now split in two.
The group I was in made the decision to push on and follow the original plan and let the two other riders meet us at the accommodation in Primm. Thankfully they were close to GSMA which meant that Curtis and Jeff could drive over with a spare wheel and replace it.
The NVBDR has two unsealed sections between Searchlight and Primm, however the first section had suffered damage due to flash flooding and Curtis advised us to re-join the trail at Nipton.
Quick drink stop in Nipton
The Nipton to Primm section follows the rail road tracks which allow for a quick escape from the soft sandy track sections. The trail caught a few of the riders out as the conditions quickly changed from compacted stoney gravel to loose gravel including a few sandy sections. The temperature was a whopping 38Deg C! This section was only 20km long but took the four of us an hour to complete!
Raw video showing sections of the track:
Trip Stats:
Accommodation: Primm Valley Casino Resort (Good enough but don't eat in the hotel as its rather expensive)
Ride distance: 161km
Total trip time: 3hr30min
Rever.co Track:
Our route from Nipton to Primm. We stopped many times to reveille in the fact that we were riding the NVBDR and to enjoy the moment. This track should not take you this long.
2017 is all about adventure motorcycling and to kick off the year, I will be heading to Nevada (in May) to ride the newly established Backcountry Discovery Route.
The Backcountry Discovery Routes aims to establish off-highway routes for adventure motorcycle travel. i.e think of those big adventure touring bikes following cross country trails.
Thanks to BDR for creating Off-Road Routes for Adventure Travel
The big benefit of the BDR is that the team have scoped out some of the best adventure riding across seven states (todate) and have published maps and GPS tracks (which are downloadable) to enable adventure riders to explore off-highway routes.
A post shared by Backcountry Discovery Routes (@ridebdr) on
I first heard about the North American Backcountry Discovery Routes through the Adventure Rider Radio podcast - it was an interesting interview with Paul Guillien (Founding member of BDR).
Jim Martin introduced the podcast with a few thoughts: "Humans crave adventure. We love the idea ; the feeling we get ; but who has the time and how do we manage adventure with our schedule?"
Introducing Backcountry Discovery Routes.
Take a listen to the podcast via Adventure Rider Radio.
One of the interesting conversation points on the interview was the financial contribution the BDR has bought to the remote towns and communities.
"The best way to protect access to these areas is to create economic stimulus for these small towns and communities."
According to Paul Guillien, this has lead to the small towns actively encouraging routes to traverse their towns. Fantastic commercial viewpiont which I think many small towns could benefit from.
Nevada Backcountry Discovery Route
There are many benefits working for an American company - one of them usually includes trips to the USA for annual sales and technical conferences. The end destination is usually Las Vegas as the city can support a thousand plus employees in a single conference venue. It was my turn to travel from Sydney to Las Vegas for the annual conference so I added a few extra travel days, recruited a few colleagues and hired the adventure bikes.
The plan: to ride parts of the Nevada Backcountry Discovery Route.
A post shared by Backcountry Discovery Routes (@ridebdr) on
"The NVBDR is a scenic ride across Nevada, beginning in Oatman, AZ, and finishing in Jarbidge, NV. Created for dual-sport and adventure motorcyclists, this 900-mile south-to-north route primarily uses dirt roads to lead riders through Nevada’s expansive deserts, open sagebrush valleys, and seemingly endless mountain ranges.
In rural Nevada, you’ll experience historic saloons and relics from it’s rich mining history. The state’s maverick spirit remains, and you’ll see ghost towns, artifacts, desert sculptures, murals, the world’s largest car forest, jackrabbits, antelope and even wild mustangs." Source: http://ridebdr.com/NVBDR
Pre-trip prep:
Balancing family life, a career, hobbies and sport often means that my overland adventure travels needs to be planned and thought through so as to maximise the time.
Thankfully, I love planning and don't quite enjoy the unpredictable nature of spontaneous travel. I love the research involved - everything from pouring over maps, reviewing budgets, recruiting willing participants and sharing the adventure to willing ears.
Logistics and Route:
Bike Rental: We opted to rent motorcycles from Great Southern Moto Adventures. The company is based in Las Vegas and were part of the volunteer team to establish the Nevada BDR. They offered two types of bikes: The Kawasaki KLR and the new Honda Africa Twin. All the bikes are equipped with soft panniers, and tank bags with optional accessories available like GPS and helmets. Curtis, one of the owners, was very patient with our many emails and provided insight into alternative routes back to Las Vegas.
Equipment: This has proved a tough decision as many of us are new to adventure motorcycle touring and don't have the clothing or additional equipment like GPS units. We have opted to borrow and purchase 2nd hand equipment. Everything from boots, protective gear and jackets. We have mostly hired helmets.
GPS: I have opted to test the Rever.co motorcycle app (iPhone & Android) to plan, track and navigate the route. One of the benefits is the ability to plan a route on the website and then use your mobile phone or tablet to start and track the route. More on the app usage later.
Day3: Beatty to Tonopah following the NVBDR. This is a combination of Section 2 and Section 3.
Day4: NVBDR Section 4 to Route 82. Then back to Tonopah.
Tonopah back to Las Vegas via Extraterrestrial highway (and past Area51).
Link: https://goo.gl/maps/cvG3ip4NRNT2
The full #NVBDR route on Google Maps as published by RideBDR. The downloadable GPX file contains plenty of information and detailed route tracks.
That's it for now. I will endeavour to provide a daily log... links below:
