Falling 4200' to a Dry Lake Bed

4-15-07

I headed out on Sunday for more off-road training and went back up to the top of the mountain just west of Helldale to see what the elevation was.

That's not an antennae on the bike, honest, it's the survey marker.


4100 feet and change!...


It's nice to be getting to know the trails a bit. I headed down what looked to be a good road, became a hellish tip-to-er. No pics of that, too busy braking...found Carson Mesa RD and cut across east until it became trail and dropped down onto Barrel Springs and headed due west and cut up Tejon Rd to Valyermo.


Then more easterly I found Fort Tejon the dirt version, smooth rolling packed dirt...looking north
I could see the wind was really whipping up the dust out towards El Mirage.
Destination? A long ways but the wind was at my back...lot's of wind.
I dropped down to Hwy 138 and crossed into the desert. Excellent! Yet another beautiful packed and graded access, Largo Vista Rd., which cut due north towards El Mirage.

Then I found a Pony...


Seemed like a friendly lil bugger...


here Pony Pony!...


O.K. don't come!...stupid Pony!


One more stop at a yard sale, I just can't pass up good a good bargain!


...I been dreamin' about this f' years!


It's all official now, El Mirage...SCTA has signs at the entrance, the entire lakebed is cabled off.
There's lots of cool stuff that goes on besides the blustery conditions...


Paved entrance complete with speed bumps, but once you're inside it's awesome to me, even still.


A few poses are in order...(I had my chase crew following me of course).
...Scanning the Horizon...

Road Warrior... fer shure!

.
...bike looks good out here...


Well since I'm out here, may as well do the do...


...wind behind...104, then backed it off a few...(see max speed)

...into the wind about 75 was about all I could tack, yeah it was really blowing out there...


I couldn't tell what time it was except by my stomach, which was growling, so I tried to write my name on the chalky white surface, but the wind just swirled my signature into gibberish...
I washed my two fingers by checking the windspeed like a sailor (only used two of 'em)and decided to head back.

I turned back towards the exit with a full-tilt tailwind and tried one more until I scared myself...

I set the Derelict to a gentleman's pace, about 70...then some un-flatitude appeared on the horizon.
WHOA-HA! The seat came up and smacked me in the arse.
What happened? Did I just die?
I turned around for a quick look...

...and the thing is, I already knew about the "dark patches"...time to go home!

Say Bye! Bye!


Close to 7pm and 175 miles later on Mt Emma Rd the camera battery went dead...
Just a pic of Mt Emma where the fire went through last year.

I went home and drank some fine local rose' and ate a steak.
Time for World Superbike anyways...

disgusting narciss-ista!