Cold, hot, cold, freakin cold!

I'm going to ride to Death Valley National Park.

This will be a shake down ride for a longer trip later this year. I have a new tent I need to try and some food prep ideas I want to test.

(ahhh, the best laid plans of mice and men....)

Al and I leave the Salt Lake Valley on a cold Monday.

Riding the back roads we arrive in Ely, Nevada where I pick up a map of Nevada at the Chamber of Commerce.

This mural was on the building next to the C of C.

Al on his GS.

We then get on the road to Tonopah. Our plan is to get to somewhere in (warm) Death Valley and camp....however equipment glitches delayed us over an hour so we decided to stay at Tonopah. But the forecast for Tonopah called for a near freezing night. Neither of us were prepared for those kind of temperatures so we got a hotel instead.

On the road next morning we arrive at Bad Water basin which is minus 282 feet below sea level.

The temps are 80 and climbing...by the time we left DVNP the bike displays were showing high 90's.

We leave Bad Water and go to the Devils Golf Course.

I'd hate to loose my ball in that rough!

We ride the Artists Palette road and then start looking for an open camp site. Annnnnnnd we can't find one. The place was BUSY! So we head to Pahrump for another motel night.

Wednesday morning we are on our way to Hoover Dam.

For this day the temps were perfect!

We walk out on the bridge a ways, then get back on the bikes for a ride over the dam.

The Mike Callaghan, Pat_Tillman_Memorial_Bridge;

This bridge has the widest concrete arch in the western hemisphere. It is 900 feet above the Colorado River, and is the second highest bridge in the US and is the worlds highest concrete arch bridge.
(Click on the picture to see the X that marks middle of the bridge...)

Leaving the bridge....and warm Las Vegas we ride homeward. Stopping in Mesquite for a snack we check out the weather in Utah. Al looks at the snowflakes on the screen and says, "no way". He then rides south to visit family and wait for a better day to ride home.

Al made a good decision, but I wanted to be home before Friday morning...so I continued on into Utah.

I make it to Fillmore before the roads were to bad to continue.

The next day was just as bad, but I'm anxious to get home.... it was a cold and sometimes slick ride, but alls well that ends well, I finally make it home! 

1300 miles for me; Some cold, some hot, all on two wheels!

Life is good.