I can give advice on the Las Vegas / Death Valley bits since I live here.
First, I don't know why you are going down to LA. Avoid it. Go south to Paseo Robles and then start going going east to Las Vegas unless there is a reason to take you into LA.
As of right now, I-10 near Palm Spring is CLOSED. This is a huge thoroughfare and any and all roads and freeways around it are impacted. Stay away.
To get from CA to Las Vegas, you will have to go through Baker, CA.. it's hot... damn hot! It is an all encompassing heat that comes from you from every direction. My suggestion is to stop EVERY chance you can and hydrate. You can loose up to a gallon of water in an hour depending on how you are dressed.... a GALLON! Heat Stroke is a medical emergency and it should not be messed with, it will kill you.
That being said, the desert is beautiful and you will see sights that will awe you. The Dam tour is actually pretty cool and very interesting. North Shore road along Lake Mead is an excellent ride that will take you into the Valley of Fire which is more great vistas.
Again though, you want to come to Vegas in the least desirable time. Drink tons and leave no skin exposed.
Death Valley in August? avoid it...... when you get to Vegas, think about your ride through Baker, CA and then multiply that times two. It's called Death Valley for a reason. August temps in Death Valley are around 120 degrees and there are very few places (ok ONE place) to stop to get away from the heat. You will be hours in the raw sun and there is no way to avoid, hide, or get away from it.
After reading my post, it sounds very negative. I don't want to discourage you but to inform and warn you. Vegas has riding seasons just like the East Coast does but they are totally opposite. Most people don't ride in the summer for a reason.
That being said... let me know what your schedule is. I'll ride with you if I can get off work.
It is 2 AM here, and I actually went to bed and turned out the lights, but I could not quit thinking about crossing the Mojave on my way to Stockton last year in the air conditioned comfort of my F-150 and Praising God I was Not on my bike. Yes, my posts are negative on this, although Yes the Mojave is beautyful ..... in November, or from the air conditioned comfort of the cab of my truck.
".... Need Advice" on your trip? Seems to me like everything you have gotten from those of us who regularly deal with Temps above 100 (Old Hippie, Cab Lizzard, Michael Psycle, mrmarklin, Slow Road, Nevada 72, Dr. Tiki, Fireax) can be summarized by Slow Road. "Don't do it".
OK, the wife wants to see Vegas. Fly in to Vegas, then fly to Frisco and pick up the bike for a wonderful ride up the coast. Or, if it were me (I have ridden the Cali Coast and the Oregon Coast, and Crater Lake and Mt Hood), ship the bike to Crescent City, ride Southern Oregon and Washington 21. Jedediah State and Federal Park just East of Crescent City has 5 of the tallest trees In The World!
Survive the Mojave in August and you will certainly earn my respect. Old Hippie, you got it. But much of what I know I learned the Hard Way, at Great Risk and Much Misery, and I rather suspect Old Hippie and I have some similar experiences. At 65 years, I find myself thinking more along the lines of "Discretion [being] the better part of Valor". And nowadays, if it hurts, I don't do it. I ride for pleasure, not masochism.
Should you and the wife survive the trip, you will certainly earn my respect. But right now, I am thinking more along the lines of Darwin Award.
We really appreciate everyone's sage advise, but we are going to do it! Yes it will be hot, yes we will be as prepared as possible. Here is our route as planned with hotels:
We are very much thinking we will never get back to the West Coast so we are trying to do as much as possible in the two weeks we have there. It may look like a lot of miles to some, but most days are under 250 miles with only two days a tick over 300 miles. We also have several "off" days planned which will only have little sight seeing day trips. This is a nice vacation pace for us, with the exception of the heat I am not concerned about us or the bike.
For the heat we will be purchasing specialized shirts, hydration pack and maybe those vests that you soak in water. Next three weeks before we leave will be quite the whirl wind of preparation. Due to the northern part of the trip we will also be bringing all the cold weather gear!!
My wife is very interested in doing a day to day update of our trip, I think she will be doing it via this Forum. We will likely start a new thread a day or two before we leave and update as best we can during the trip.
Bike is being picked up this Friday to be shipped to Seattle.
Architect - Please make sure to have your medical insurance cards and a list of whom to contact in an emergency handy and easy to find by those who might be trying to help you.
Architect - Please make sure to have your medical insurance cards and a list of whom to contact in an emergency handy and easy to find by those who might be trying to help you.
I very sincerely hope you prove me wrong in the desert and have a Great Ride! I am planning my fifth trip to the Pacific Northwest next summer, hoping to spend July on the Kaibab Plateau, August in Jedediah, September on Oregon Coast, and October around Moab (this "Retirement" gig I am playing right now is Wonderful!) So, I am watching these PNW threads pretty closely. I will be especially interested in what you find works well in the heat.
Be careful on that Rim ride around Crater Lake. There are road heaves in that black pavement that you just can't see until it is too late, and they will sure put some air between your saddle and your chaps when you least expect it. Ask me how I know.
Hope you enjoy it enough to change your mind on "... never get back to the West Coast". I thought I was doing a once in a life time thing the first time I went, but having fallen in love with those huge trees and sweeping vistas I had to go back, and hope to go back again. Pacific Northwest in the summer, Desert Southwest in the Spring or Fall, and Louisiana in the winter is a Great Life.
Architect - First that is good general advice for anyone riding a motorcycle. One fellow I know has his Kaiser health plan number and his veterans health care policy number along with a bunch of other info (blood type, Do not remove this helmet, etc.) written on his helmet in a really nice way. He took the helmet to a graphics company and they did the job artistically.
But that's not why I wrote what I said. I wanted to make one last effort for you to rethink the Death Valley/Las Vegas part of your ride. I do an annual ride to Death Valley each October and have for the past 22 years. Most years the weather has been in the high 90's. One year it went up to about 104. That was real uncomfortable. I cannot imagine what it would have been like in the 120+ you stand a good chance of experiencing. Now you may get fortunate and the temps the day you go through will only be 108-110. That's hot but I've ridden in those kinds of temperatures in the Central Valley of California many times. 120+ is going to be many times worse. We who have been advising you against Death Valley know what we are talking about.
So how about this. Continue south on 395 to Los Angeles. DO NOT TURN OFF TOWARD DEATH VALLEY. In the Los Angeles area, make arrangements with one of the local Harley dealers to store and possibly service your bike for a few days. THEN RENT An AIR CONDITIONED CAR AND DO THE LAS VEGAS/DEATH VALLEY PART OF YOUR VACATION. Then back to Los Angeles, pick up the bike and start heading north as planned. You will thank us later.
07-27-2015, 02:17 AM
