I can still vividly remember the first time I rode here...
The date was February, 1998.
Deb and I had taken six weeks off from our jobs, her at Mountain Equipment
Co-op, and I at Bow Cycle.
I had a disagreement with Jimmy, the owner... over the raise and position he'd enticed me with, that after 2 years, was never going to happen... and I planned on leaving soon after my return.
In preparation for our long planned 6 week Baja adventure, I'd purchased a Dodge Ram Van that ran on propane. Having taken the bench seat/bed and the center captain's chairs out, I'd fashioned a box in which to bolt our identical XT 600's.
The same one I am riding even today.
Well, not today as it's about minus 10 and snow on the ground in abundance.
That trip we drove the Ram to Phx, left it at the Sunflower Resort in the care of Deb's Mom, Nadia... and once I'd gotten the bugs sorted out, we departed southwestward to Yuma and the crossing into Baja.
It was my first of many Baja trips and I'm not done yet!
We covered 6200 kilometers averaging about 300km a day on our riding days. What a fab experience that ride was. Finally, after many years of reading and planning, there I was.
Ensenada, Mike's Sky Ranch, Mulege, the Cortez, Todos Santos, Guerrero Negro, La Paz and even Cabo, umm... including the Gringo part at Land's End. We even detoured into L.A. on the return leg, and visited with her sister Treena* (not her real name) and lane split to my great delight.
Now how come this is not allowed here? Everywhere I travelled in Europe is was accepted practice and if CA was agreeable, then why not other jurisdictions, like Calgary, Vancouver or Phoenix!
*OK, it is her real name, but she's not really a girl...*
**Okay, Treena is her real name and she is a girl!
Hard to believe that was nearly 14 years ago!
Since that time I have been so dang lucky to have travelled and biked in about a trillion places.
Now that I have a cute little abode in Glendale, I plan on doing more of the SW US of A. New Mexico. Utah. Nevada. California, maybe even get over to Texas, maybe... even Florida. I'd love to ride the Cays once!
Anywaaaay... I digress.
Presently my mount, a 1998 Yamaha XT 350, was purring away beneath my butt, as I turned up the Castle Hot Springs Rd.
Much of the off road public road riding here in these parts is thru mountainous terrain.
At times I was looking down into canyons, others up from dry riverbeds.
The temperature was a pleasant mid 70's today, maybe a little hotter. This is just about perfect riding weather.
It had been awhile since I rode this particular leg, obviously Mother Nature had altered the terrain somewhat, but much of it was familiar to me.
Having passed thru another canyon, I rounded a corner in the riverbed and came across a mechanical bone yard of sorts.
There were a number of decrepit trucks, dozers and other pieces of assorted construction equipment I'd never seen before.
Judging by the rust and state of umm, disrepair, they'd been roasting under the sun for quite sometime.
I wasn't sure what all this machinery was doing out here or who it may have belonged to, but old stuff of any type (yes I have had older girlfriends in my life!) carry a fascination for me bordering on maniacal!
As a kid I loved hanging around old car wreckers, the city bus dump, planes and bike shops :)
I can still vividly remember the first time I rode here...
The date was February, 1998.
Deb and I had taken six weeks off from our jobs, her at Mountain Equipment
Co-op, and I at Bow Cycle.
I had a disagreement with Jimmy, the owner... over the raise and position he'd enticed me with, that after 2 years, was never going to happen... and I planned on leaving soon after my return.
 |
| Yupper... this is the way to Crown King! |
The same one I am riding even today.
Well, not today as it's about minus 10 and snow on the ground in abundance.
 |
| Good advice, ya think?! |
 |
| Beware of flash floods! |
It was my first of many Baja trips and I'm not done yet!
We covered 6200 kilometers averaging about 300km a day on our riding days. What a fab experience that ride was. Finally, after many years of reading and planning, there I was.
Ensenada, Mike's Sky Ranch, Mulege, the Cortez, Todos Santos, Guerrero Negro, La Paz and even Cabo, umm... including the Gringo part at Land's End. We even detoured into L.A. on the return leg, and visited with her sister Treena* (not her real name) and lane split to my great delight.
Now how come this is not allowed here? Everywhere I travelled in Europe is was accepted practice and if CA was agreeable, then why not other jurisdictions, like Calgary, Vancouver or Phoenix!
*OK, it is her real name, but she's not really a girl...*
Hard to believe that was nearly 14 years ago!
 |
| Doesn't get much purtier than this... |
 |
| Or this... |
Now that I have a cute little abode in Glendale, I plan on doing more of the SW US of A. New Mexico. Utah. Nevada. California, maybe even get over to Texas, maybe... even Florida. I'd love to ride the Cays once!
Presently my mount, a 1998 Yamaha XT 350, was purring away beneath my butt, as I turned up the Castle Hot Springs Rd.
Much of the off road public road riding here in these parts is thru mountainous terrain.
At times I was looking down into canyons, others up from dry riverbeds.
 |
| Boneyard. |
The temperature was a pleasant mid 70's today, maybe a little hotter. This is just about perfect riding weather.
It had been awhile since I rode this particular leg, obviously Mother Nature had altered the terrain somewhat, but much of it was familiar to me.
 |
| Old deuce and a half! |
 |
| Snakes? Scorpions?? Tarantulas??? |
Having passed thru another canyon, I rounded a corner in the riverbed and came across a mechanical bone yard of sorts.
There were a number of decrepit trucks, dozers and other pieces of assorted construction equipment I'd never seen before.
Judging by the rust and state of umm, disrepair, they'd been roasting under the sun for quite sometime.
I wasn't sure what all this machinery was doing out here or who it may have belonged to, but old stuff of any type (yes I have had older girlfriends in my life!) carry a fascination for me bordering on maniacal!
As a kid I loved hanging around old car wreckers, the city bus dump, planes and bike shops :)
This was a rare find and a treat. The only thing that worried me was the crack of a Winchester or the zing past my earlobe of a 30.30 slug ...
After all, this is in some ways, still the Wild Wild West.
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