2011-4

april 2011
Next Meeting
Dry Creek Group Campground• Whiskeytown • April 23, 2011 • 5:00pm
The tour will leave from the parking lot of Huckleberry’s Restaurant, in the
Wood Creek Plaza, in Fairfield at approximately 9am. The street address is
3101 Travis Blvd and the cross street is Olive. The restaurant opens at 7 and is
popular with the locals. There are several other restaurants nearby, along with
a selection of gas stations, so plan on being ready to go at 9 o’clock.
As always, if you are a "new to the club" rider and would like to join our
group ride / tour, please check in with the tour captain at the start of the ride.
Club members and guests are reminded to ride their own pace and maintain
a safe and courteous awareness of all riders on the tour.
Although April showers may bring May flowers, we can all hope the showers have subsided for awhile… This month’s meeting
takes us to Whiskeytown Reservoir – the Dry Creek Group Campground – Site G02 - west of Redding on Highway 299. The
tour will have a “different” leader this month, Pat Booth, who is filling in as Tour Captain. She hopes to lead a relaxed and
uneventful ride.The tour will take the scenic route north, bypassing the freeway. With the weather co-operating, we will head
north on Pleasants Valley Road to Road 89 outside Winters. After that point the tour route is in question, but we hope to have
the information on the club website later this month. Tentatively, we are planning on having lunch in Red Bluff around 1:00 or
so. Once you are in the neighborhood of Whiskeytown Reservoir, from Hwy 299 turn on to Kennedy Memorial Drive. Go past
the Visitor’s Center, across the spillway and then proceed about 5 miles down South Shore Drive to the Dry Creek Campground
turnoff (on the Right hand side of the road).
—Tour Captain, Pat Booth
Presidential
ramblings
BMW CLUB OF
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
a touring and camping club
bmwnorcal.org
by Z Ortiz
Of Northern
California
E R N C AL
I
Charter No. 9, Bmw Motorcycle Owners of America
Charter No. 210, Bmw Riders’ Association
President*
Z. Ortiz 650/952 5296
[email protected]
Vice-President*
Peter Oxenbol
[email protected]
925/890 5096
Secretary*
Wendy Kesseler
925/890 5096
[email protected]
Treasurer*
Russ Drake [email protected]
510/278 9342
Tour Captain*
Pat Booth
[email protected]
408/297 2477
Safety/Tech Director*
Lee Blake
408/884 2084
[email protected]
Historian*
Richard Burton
[email protected]
INC.
FO
OF NOR
TH
R NIA
BMW Club
707/525 9640
Newsletter EDITOR
Warren Barnes
408/348 7999
[email protected]
Member Director
Z. Ortiz
650/952 5296
Advertising
Pat Potter
650/593 6009
Webmaster
Wayne Opp
[email protected]
Second Sunday Breakfast
Cliff Dunn
408/338 5948
2010 Range of Light
Richard Burton, Z Ortiz
Death Valley presented a cornucopia of scenarios once you got there. Titus Canyon
was closed because cars were getting stuck in the mud created by the over-the-top
rainfall. Flowers were in bloom and the temperature was perfect. Warren Barnes and
Marc Dubresson trailered their Ural sidecars and arrived in Death Valley a couple
of days early so they had already experienced first hand the splendor that is Death
Valley. David Halliwell, Rick Webb, Ted Crum and Brian Day had a different experience getting there than Cliff and I. Thane Beckstrand rode from Utah to attend the
meeting. Terry Burnes, Ralph Drew, Scot Marburger & Wynne Benti were also in
attendance along with Pat Holland and Jim Luke. New members, Mike Hazelwood
and George Corredoura invited George’s insurance agent, riding a Harley, to join us.
Chuck Brown was hanging out with the Adventure Riders in Panamint Springs but
rode down for the meeting. Walter Gates was also camping elsewhere and came to
the meeting. Ditto for Guests Sarah & Mark Roos and Jon McGraw. The generous
Ted Crum bought beer and snacks for the meeting. It was only a few short years ago
that I had the pleasure of meeting Wynne Benti in Death Valley. Wynne is an excellent representation of Norcal members. She has logged countless miles on her F650,
written riding articles for publications and our own newsletter, designed last year’s
RoL T-shirt (a HUGE hit) and was a speaker not only at the ‘49er but the National
Rally in Redmond as well. And she also took the meeting minutes. Thank you,
Wynne. There are several articles about Death Valley in this newsletter depicting the
different experiences each rider had. But be sure to read Roger Vandevert’s account
of his adventure to Morro Bay that paints a different picture than previously reported
and vindicates the decision to cancel that campout. You might be interested to know
that although we now have 201 members, the newsletter was downloaded about
4,000 times in March. Webmaster extraordinaire, Wayne Opp, reported that the
newsletter downloads know no borders spanning across the world to Russia, Asia,
Europe and basically anywhere computers dwell. Outstanding, Wayne. One thing
we have learned this season is the unpredictability of the weather, even in California
where we skip the bad seasons. With that in mind, the ‘49er Rally is on course for the
Memorial Day weekend. We have booked two bands and a troubadour. I am looking for a raconteur or cowboy poet and some volunteers. This is your club. Follow
Wynne’s example and help out.
"Be Always Sure You Are Right - Then Go Ahead
*Board Member
articles, photos, events, etc.
for the newsletter are due on the
first day of each month.
Some of the travelers to D.V. saw serious snow at higher elevations.
april 2011 NORCAL NEWs • 3
safety and technology report
by Lee A. Blake
In March, while on a flight returning from the east coast, I came across an article about being prepared for travel
emergencies. It was written with several recent Earth farts in mind; Japan, Myanmar, Chile, etc. and recommended
traveling with a select minimum of gear. Not First-Aid, more like personal needs and comfort.
Seemed to me that it applied to motorcycle riding/touring as well. A few well-chosen items can make the difference
between a minor inconvenience and an “epic story”. You never know what might happen on the road.
There are the electronics: mobile phone, GPS, SPOT Locator. All of which can keep you connected to help if needed. Just
this week a snowboarder was saved when he went headfirst into six feet of snow and used his cell phone to guide search
& rescue to his location. But there are several, less expensive items also.
Carry a good loud whistle in your riding gear where you can reach it easily. Even if you are separated from your bike and
can’t move, you can still make a piercing noise. A couple glow sticks will be very visible at night and a small roll of duct
tape is useful for all kinds of repairs, including first aid.
Medications, both prescribed and over-the-counter, belong in your kit as well. Take enough for your trip and an extra
supply in case you get delayed or stuck. You can’t assume you’ll be able to find the same medications you have at home.
Having several dollars’ worth of quarters along for parking, pay showers, etc. is also a good idea. I use an old prescription
bottle that holds over $10 worth. Also, having a least $100 in small denominations stashed in a zip-loc somewhere on
the bike is useful when they only accept cash and all you have is plastic.
Carry a note book or USB memory stick with all your emergency information; contacts, medical information and
references, vehicle and DMV information, personal identification and anything you might need to reference in an
emergency. You can fit a lot of info on an inexpensive USB stick, but also consider what might happen if someone else
got hold of it so be careful with any financial or confidential information.
If you have a GPS navigation device with a memory card, make a folder called “ICE” (in case of emergency) and put all the
files in there and you won’t need to carry and keep track of a memory stick.
So, all of this will fit easily into pockets or tankbag and can be pretty useful if things go all (or even just a bit) wonky.
GPS Tip of the Month
If you have a BMW Navigator IV there is a feature for sharing routes that is very handy. You can transfer routes to
another NavIV via Bluetooth, without swapping memory cards. Just select a route, touch the “SHARE” button and select
BLUETOOTH. Of course, all units need to have Bluetooth enabled.
There is also a firmware update to Version 4.90 for the ZUMO 550. Connect the GPS unit to your computer (online) and
run WebUpdater. The software will check versions and give you the option of updating if needed.
If you don’t have WebUpdater installed, download it free from Garmin at: http://www8.garmin.com/products/webupdater/
howtoinstall.jsp
BMW Motorrad Recalls
There are no new BMW Motorcycle recalls since last month.
Other Motorcycle Recalls (in the interest of member safety)
There are no new recalls for other motorcycles.
4 • NORCAL NEWS
april 2011
Club President Z Ortiz presents Jim Luke
(Right) with his 20
year anniversary pin
at the Furnace Creek
Campground membership meeting. Jim was
gracious enough to
haul in firewood for the
Norcal club campers to
use, making for festive
evenings around the
fire pit.
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a different perspective:
morro bay part ii by Roger B. Vandevert
As a new member I'd been anxious to meet up and take a Nor
Cal ride since the Kari Prager run to Davenport. The time had
finally come as my weekend was set for the camp out in Morro
Bay. The weekend approached yet the recent cold snap was now
predicting snow, rain and arctic temperatures. I watched the emails
for a possible ride cancellation, yet had determined to throw caution to the wind and come hell or high water, I was going. Z was
faithful to send out the sensible cancellation while the excitement
was still brewing in Monterey. The local mountain peaks all had
snow on them Saturday morning and the forecast was for more to
come. Up in the Bay Area, three other brave souls were also making last minute adjustments to go south. I had hoped to meet with
David Halliwell along the route, but he left his phone at home
and my number was in it. We failed to hook up at all and so my
plans would ferment into what turned out to be the Morro-SoloSnowball Run.
I presumed they were either not going or wanted to enjoy another last minute route in solitude. I waited until 10:00AM and
decided to shove off south. I pointed the rig, complete with camping gear, tent and air mattress toward Carmel and rode solo
down the scenic Route 1 way toward Morro Bay. Big Sur was spectacular and nearly empty roads as well. The R1150RT-P was
loving the chill factor and I was simply enjoying a leisurely ride. First Stop was at the River Inn for a fresh coffee and bacon/egg
burrito while watching the raging Big Sur River racing toward the sea. We can all remember sitting in the chairs during the warm
summer months, but today the chairs were submerged and probably floating out to sea.
The weather all along the coast was amazingly clear and sunny, but with threatening clouds close above the eastern slopes. I really
felt smug that I'd gambled and beat the odds with dry roads, sun and few if any cars. It appeared to be and was travel-perfect, as
the sun had melted last night's ice on the paved asphalt road.
Further south near Ragged Point I hit two, separate snow flurries. It was odd as the two-lane highway acted as a dividing line
between the "warm" ocean temps of 56 degrees and the inland cliff-side with their clouds now dumping sleet and hail.
I barely stayed in front of those heavy, black, dark clouds threatening snow showers until Cambria, then on to Morro Bay. Two
more fast snow blasts hit my 19" windshield and I ducked behind it unscathed. Thoughts of smugness soon took on a new twist
with visions of trying to stay warm in a tent in sub-arctic weather.
Approaching the beautiful, Morro Bay Rock I decided to exit Hwy one and tool into town to collect my thoughts at the beach
pier. Looking back north and skyward showed the gnarly front which had been chasing me all along the Coast.
A nice couple stopped to ask about the retired CHP RT-Police bike and wondered how I obtained it. We chatted as he checked
his iPhone then told me I had better get either a motel soon or get out of town quickly. Seems his weather alert showed snow all
over the Big Sur Coast and it was encroaching as he spoke. I only had a few minutes to collect my thoughts, ride through town,
and enjoy a quick power bar while checking the surf and Rock at the harbor. Not relishing being cooped up for the long night
ahead, my thoughts thanked me for the nice ride down the coast and told me, "maybe you better get your a$$ back on the bike
and go home, after all the ride was cancelled you shouldn't be out here anyway".
I decided to avoid the campground tent and head northeast via HWY 41 to Atascadero. It was already engulfed in snow, snowing and had multiple vehicle accidents. I could barely see through my windshield and the cars in front of me slowed to a crawl.
A VW Vanagon flipped on its side and a lone CHP female officer was trying to figure it out. As I slowly approached the scene
she seemed momentarily pleased that a back up had arrived. I have observed that even the CHP themselves along with city and
county agencies wave and smile at the retired cruiser as one of their own. Her happiness quickly turned to angst as I continued
past her with a polite nod. My hands were glued to the heated grips and my eyes to the slush and snow on the road. They had
closed the road at Atascadero to traffic and I was one of the few who made it out unscathed from the coast.
Grateful, I belted up the road to HWY101 with its 70mph limit and blasted up through several microclimates. Sun, cold, wind
and yet nicely clear. Finally, I was dumped on from Gonzales to HWY 68 in Salinas. There was a spectacular snow shower at the
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8 • NORCAL NEWS
april 2011
western Santa Lucia Range. I looked like a white water river flowing from the cloud.
To the east of the highway it was sunny and those rays highlighted the white snow
flurry.
It was all fun and the 1150cc ran impressively flawless; skipping no beats and was
up to the challenge. It runs super well in the cold, humid weather. Sort of like organic, water injection mixing H2O molecules with fuel and air mixtures creating a
cool, complete combustion. 289 miles later and I'm back in Monterey (Sand City)
with a hot shower and glass of Merlot. It was sweet and slushy...(the ride!) The 2011
Morro-Solo-Snowball Run. Glad I went.
Upcoming 2011
Anniversaries
APRIL
Alan Hom 25 years
MAY
Don Allison 20 years
Lee Blake 5 years
Marc Graessle 10 years
Michael Peck 5 years
Michael Stanbury 10 years
Noel Stevens 15 years
Joachim Groeger 25 years
John LaRoche 35 years
Jim Palmer 10 years
Roger Malone 5 years
Bob Peterson 20 years
Robert Ervin 5 years
Steve Miles 20 years
Ralph Carter 10 years
Lianne Birkhold 10 years
Rick Webb 10 years
Jay White 5 years
JUNE
Jerome Kelly 25 years
Brad Roberts 5 years
AUGUST
Dan Gragert 35 year
Club Members enjoying a break at the overlook atop Mt. Hamilton
during the March Second Sunday Breakfast Ride.
Don't Forget!
The 49er Rally is
Next Month. Preregister Online
today and save a
few bucks.
Upcoming 2nd
Sunday Breakfast
8:00 a.m. & Ride
9:00 a.m.
APRIL 10th
Little Amsterdam
14490 Big Basin Way
Saratoga, CA
(408) 867-9172
SEPTEMBER
Bob Pelikan 25 years
Larry Tehero 20 years
OCTOBER
Richard Mayeda 35 years
Pat Potter 25 years
Tom Kilbourn 10 years
Floyd Cooley 10 years
NOVEMBER
Tony Westlake 20 years
Debi Westlake 20 years
Mike Rogerson 5 years
Route information available on the club website.
april 2011 NORCAL NEWs • 9
paonia or bust:
by Wynne Benti
On Tuesday, July, 13, 2010, with bright blue skies overhead, Scot Marburger and I rode east on 70
from Lake Oroville to 89 north past Lake Almanor to Lassen National Park, which had just opened the
day before. Roadside lakes were still frozen. Snowplows were on active duty, either plowing or parked
along the highway shoulder between walls of snow. Before leaving the north end of the park, a stretch
of road construction bespeckled the bikes with a patina of mud. Hwy. 89 continued through Lassen
National Forest where the warm sunlight of late afternoon filtered through campfire smoke. Long shadows were cast across the
road as we paralleled Hat Creek to the Pitt River cutoff.
Our first night out was dedicated to Club business, sampling the Lassen Pines RV Park outside of McArthur as a potential
campsite for the 2010 Labor Day Range of Light Gypsy tour. Weeks before, Scot had called every park in the area for Labor Day
availability with particular attention given to the campgrounds along Hat Creek. Everything was booked and had been booked
for over a year. The 2010 ROL route was competing with other Labor Day activities including Shasta County’s largest annual
event, the Inter-Mountain Fair. Lassen Pines was the only available campground large enough to accommodate 100-plus riders.
After a tour of the campground, it was a one-burner dinner by campfire light.
Up at dawn, we rode northeast along the Bieber-Lookout-Hackamore Road, paralleling the riparian flats of the Pit River where
houses were built on docks above the river flood plain. Along the periphery of Ash Creek State Wildlife Area, we dodged beavers
as big as dogs scurrying across the road, flushed out by the sound of the bikes. Along the flat farm and delta country north of
Tulelake the road crossed into Oregon, to Klamath Falls. After lunch at the Black Bear Diner, we continued along the east side of
Klamath Lake into the timbered tree line of Crater Lake National Park. At the campground check-in, we ran into John Caramagno and John Parodi of NorCal, on their way to the MOA Rally in Redmond. There were still patches of snow in our campsite
where newly hatched mosquitoes were voracious. A healthy dousing of Cutter’s held them off long enough to get inside the tent.
Hot coffee and tea mellowed the cold frost of morning
while packing the bikes. Riding north along the forested
scenic drive provided panoramic views of Crater Lake’s
deep blue water and steep tree-lined cliffs. Again, black
clouds of mosquitoes floated in for relentless attack whenever we stopped. Leaving the park, it was Hwy. 97 all
the way to Redmond, a heavily traveled corridor-road between small towns like La Pine where classic roadside eateries like the Sugar Pine Café beckon to passing tourists.
Checking in at MOA Rally headquarters at the Deschutes
County fairgrounds in Redmond, we scoured the fairgrounds for, and found, a corner tent site, between a barn
and the sidewalk. With tent set up, we took off for an
hour. Upon returning, a new tent was squeezed into the
tiny portion of grass between our tent and the sidewalk,
with the usurpers even using one of our tent stakes to simultaneously prop up their own tent. As it turned out,
the new neighbors were a much older, very friendly Canadian couple who rode down from British Columbia, two
up and fully loaded on a single F650GS.
At the end of the rally, it was east to the petrified hills of
John Day Fossil Beds, then across Oregon on Hwy. 26 to
Ontario. Just a month before, a friend of mine was killed
on Conway Summit when he hit a deer on his Kawasaki
Concourse. That incident raised my awareness of deer on
the road. As we passed through the Malheur Forest, with
Scot ahead of me, I constantly scanned both sides of the
highway. When I finally saw a doe grazing atop the left
embankment ahead of Scot, I slowed down. At the last
minute the deer spooked and dove headfirst into Scot,
10 • NORCAL NEWS
Snow @ Lassen National Park, July 13, 2010
Photo: Scot Marburger
april 2011
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NORCAL NEWs • 11
who had not seen the deer, hitting his rear side
case. She spun into the air, a full somersault, letting go a line of broken spit and urine, landed on
all fours and stumbled off the road. I pulled over.
Scot turned back but she was gone. Composure
regained, we started back on the road and were immediately passed by four road bikes doing about
90. Just out of the mountains, on the other side
of Unity, Oregon, a van, with flashers on, was
stopped in our lane. In front of it was an “airhead
in distress.” The rider flagged us down and while
the folks in the van ran interference, Scot helped
bump start the airhead. We followed him into Ontario, a long 85 miles at 50 mph. Though he offered to buy us dinner, we found a motel next to
truck stop with a laundry and Mexican restaurant.
A margarita while doing our laundry sounded
quite good.
The next morning we crossed into Idaho, following I-84. At Mountain Home, we left the interstate, opting for the sparsely traveled Hwy 20, east
across the sagebrush and volcanic flatlands of central Idaho. At Arco we took five at Chevron, stopping for gas, Gatorade, Power Bars. As the wind
picked up, kicking dust off the desert outside of
Arco, we made a short side trip to see the atomic
jet engine located at EBR-1 at the Idaho National
Labs.
Taking advantage of the long summer days, our
goal was to reach Swan Valley just outside of Grand
Teton. However, somewhere along Swan Valley
Highway still miles from Swan Valley, we saw a
sign for Heise Hot Springs and decided to follow the arrows. Having never heard of the place,
we were surprised to find a cozy old resort with
camping, cabins, small restaurant and store on the
Snake River. After our 350-mile ride across Idaho,
a night’s stay in a vintage cabin with a pass to a
natural hot spring was a perfect end to a long day.
Morning started with a cup of motel coffee, big
blue sky and warm temperatures as we followed
the circuitous Snake River into Swan Valley, then
up through Victor. At Wilson, we turned north
through the piney woods and wood-fire smoke to
Teton Village, completely bypassing Jackson Hole.
Within a few hours thunderheads checker-boarded
the blue sky. The afternoon sun came down in rays
between the clouds as we set up camp at Coulter
Bay on Jackson Lake.
Continued next issue
Photos top to bottom:
Grand Teton National Park
Crater Lake Camping At Its Finest
Scot @ EBR-1 Idaho National Labs
12 • NORCAL NEWS
april 2011
death valley daze:
by Tom "Tuco" Harris
Even though the March NorCal meeting was held in Death Valley, there was another group of NorCal riders touring Death Valley during the first week of March. This year included my wife
Dee and I (R100GS), Gene Austin and his wife Pat (R100GS),
and Richard Burton and his wife Constance (R80GS). After
our first over-night in Beatty, we all met at Furnace Creek campground, and spent an entire week exploring Death Valley and
the surrounding area. It seems every year we come here, we see
something new or ride somewhere we haven’t been yet.
The points we visited riding two-up were mostly on paved roads,
and included Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge with its
numerous hot springs, Beatty and the Sourdough Saloon, and
the ghost town of Rhyolite on the Nevada side. On the California side we visited Scotty’s Castle, Zabriskie Point, Twenty Mule
Team Canyon, Badwater, Dante’s View, the Sand Dunes, Death
Valley Junction, China Ranch Date Farm, and Shoshone with
Dublin Gulch and the Crowbar Saloon. The great thing about
riding around Death Valley is that there are different destinations for every day.
Some new surprises this year at Furnace Creek were cell phone
service in the campground, and Wi-Fi at the Corkscrew Saloon.
The food is still bad - or expensive - at Furnace Creek, but there’s
a buffet breakfast at the Stovepipe Wells restaurant that was pretty darn good – and reasonable.
Rhyolite, Death Valley Junction and Shoshone were at one time
all connected by the old Tonopah and Tidewater Railroad. The
entire track is torn out now, but the old passenger depot still
stands in Rhyolite, as well as ruins of numerous old buildings
and a restored cabin made entirely of old bottles. The old freight
depot sits forlorn and forgotten in Death Valley Junction, but
the restored Amargosa Opera House, and Amargosa Hotel are
both still in operation.
The first few days were rainy and chilly in the valley, but warmed
up nicely into the 80’s during the week. The passes we rode out
of the valley like Daylight, Jubilee and Salsberry, all stayed on
the cool side.
Of course, one is always on the lookout for spring wildflower
blooms this time of year in Death Valley, and we saw quite a few
on the far south end of the valley near the Ashford Mill ruin site.
Dual-sporting in Death Valley is some of the best because there’s
always an interesting destination off the beaten path, too - an old
mine or ghost town, Teakettle Junction, the Race Track, Darwin
Falls, Eureka Dunes, Hunter Mountain, or an old settlement up
one of the canyons along the unpaved West Side road.
Photos top to bottom: Tuco & Dee @ Furnace Cr.
The girls decided to go shopping at Furnace Creek Ranch one Ashford Mill Ruin
day, and that gave the boys a chance to go out and get in the dirt, Visiting Badwater
april 2011 NORCAL NEWs • 13
er… sand. We rode Titus Canyon first, and
stopped at the ghost town of Leadfield. Then
we headed up Emigrant canyon and down a
jeep trail to the ghost town of Skidoo – which
holds the record as the most prosperous of all
the old Death Valley mining towns. Richard
took some terrific photos this day. Check out
his Smugmug site at the end of the article.
On another day, Gene and Pat went to visit
family in Las Vegas, and Richard went golfing
while our wives kibitzed around Furnace Creek
village. I took the opportunity to jump on my
XR650 and ride the West Side road, with a
rough four mile detour up to the old Queen of
Sheba mine. Somebody has been busy preserving the old bunkhouses. They both sport new
roofs and one of them is quite suitable for an
overnight stay.
I look forward all year to a day like this one.
For me, there’s nothing like a big torquey
Thumper blasting down a sandy, curvy road
like the West Side, or picking my way through
gravel washes up a rocky two-track like the trail
to the Queen of Sheba.
Well, before we knew it the week was over, and
it was time to head home. We like to leave the
valley through Beatty, then head up US 95 on
the Nevada side. There’s a Motel 6 and the
Stagecoach Hotel and Casino in Beatty, and of
course the old Sourdough Saloon, one of our
favorite hang-outs. It’s really something to join
the fun with the locals on a Saturday night in
Beatty. Plus we met a young couple from Calais, France who, judging by the questions they
asked and photos they took, were “ghost-towning” across eastern California and Nevada.
We got back home, and started making plans
for next year. And maybe I could squeeze in
a week in November, and ride up the Saline
Valley. I haven’t been there yet, either. - Tuco
For some really great photos, check out Richard’s Smugmug site at:
http://historian.smugmug.com/Othe r / D e a t h - Va l l e y - 2 0 1 1 / 1 6 0 9 3 1 6 0 _
xaEXh#1207908224_nvSZA
Photos top to bottom:
Campsite Roadrunner
Constance is Prepared This Year
Girls Day Out, Zabriskie Point
14 • NORCAL NEWS
april 2011
2x Three WHeeling in Death valley:
by Warren Barnes
Last October Marc Dubresson was visiting my San Jose garage as we tinkered on some accessory for the
Ural Patrol sidecar hacks that we both own. Marc lives about 3 blocks away and we often exchange ideas
and tricks to keep the machines going. He and I both own Green '06 and '08 Patrols, which are one of
the 2 wheel drive models offered from Russia. As we tinkered I asked Marc if he would be interested
in taking a trip to Death Valley at the end of March 2011. Two years prior
while serving as club tour captain I had made reservations for the club
meeting at the end of February with a not so good outcome for many club
members due to snow in the passes. (see article in the March 2010 issue of
Norcal News for the whole scoop.) If you made it there, it was fun, but if
you left the Bay area late, you didn't make it at all. My thinking this time
around was to postpone the trip by a month to let mother nature warm up
more before trying to ride those high passes into D.V.. Marc said "Lets do
it..." and so the planning began. I contacted tour captain Dave Halliwell
and told him Marc and I would be heading down. I asked him if the club
would want to also go to D.V. at the end of March, Dave simply responded
by sending me reservation confirmation e-mails the next day for the club
meeting.
Though I did ride the Ural to D.V. in the past Marc wasn't so hot on the
idea of grinding away for over 10 hours, so he suggested we rent a trailer and
borrow his wife's mid size SUV to make the trip down more comfortable.
After some thinking, I decided it was a good idea, especially since Marc can
be a "dangerous" rider when on a dirt road. This is based on his prior record
when riding with him. It sounded like a good idea to have a trailer back-up
plan in case anything crazy happened. Also we figured if someone from
the club had difficulties we would have an extra way to help them get their
bike back to home after the extended weekend. After work on Wednesday
evening we packed up the SUV and loaded the bikes onto the trailer. I felt
guilty bringing so much stuff, and for not riding down, but it did allow for
us to bring extravegant items like a bbq, cooler full of steaks and beer, and
even fire wood. This was practically hotelling it for Pete's sake.
We left San Jose under rain and windy conditions at 6 am Thursday morning. Reminded me of two years prior when I left at 5 am and rode to Coalinga in rain. I guess the trailer was a good idea. So much for postponing
a month. We headed out of the rain by the time we got to the far side of
Pacheco Pass, but the terrible wind out of the south howled for the entire
500 mile drive. Thinking of battling the wind all day long made me convince myself I was happier sitting in that vehicle. We had an uneventful trip
and found that any speed over 62mph was cause for the trailer to protest
and shake its head at us. We were pretty much maxing out the towing capacity with 1500lbs of bikes and at least that many lbs of trailer. We pulled
into Furnace Creek Campground at about 3:30 p.m. to sunny but windy
conditions.
The combination of the wind and the concrete hard campsite ground made
for an exhausting hour of pitching the tents. I was frustrated that the tent
stakes wouldn't go into the ground even when driven with a dead blow
hammer. After some time we succeeded and threw a bunch of gear in the
tents to make sure they wouldn't be joinging the passing hordes of tumble
weed and those other camper's tents that had not been properly anchored
to an adjacent boulder to keep them in place.
Continued next issue
april 2011 NORCAL NEWs • 15
norcal news • april 2011
Ride to Camp; Camp to Ride
B
BMW Club of
Northern California, Inc.
P. O. Box 2472
Santa Clara, CA 95055
www.bmwnorcal.org
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COMING EVENTS
April 23
May 26-30
June 25
 Information in this issue.
Norcal Meeting and Campout -- Dry Creek -- Whiskeytown NRA 
49er Rally -- Mariposa Fairgrounds
Norcal Election Meeting and Campout -- Location TBD
blue/bold items are Norcal events. All events in California unless otherwise stated.
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