06.03 - crossing death valley

they day started out bright enough.  our objective was to reach emigrants, 2,000 ft elev., where there was water and a campground. we were up before 6.  an hour later, just before 7, we were on the road.  105 degrees +/-.  

the first 25 miles were basically flat, down the valley, and into the oasis of stovepipe wells.  i had previously read that the resorts and motels were closed after may 15th, with no clear information on what to expect for the stores and restaurants.  turns out that almost everything is still open.  the ranger station, on the other hand, was closed.  water was available, as well as much needed shade.  we took a 30 min break there, then started our climb.  emigrants is located at 2,000 feet, which a ranger told me translated to 8 degrees.  it's roughly a 1,000 foot climb every 4 miles, or approximately a 5% grade.

after 45-60 minutes, at the 1,000 foot elevation, we were down.  maurice was not looking good.  we looked bad enough that a socal edison utility crew, traveling the other way, saw us, hit the brakes and came back offering cold water.  on further consideration, they offered to give us and bikes a lift the 4 miles up to emigrants.  we humbly accepted.  they cemented our faith in humanity.  we threw the bikes in the back of the pickup; pride was swallowed.

emigrants was our goal for the day.  there was water, a toilet structure with shade and lots of time.  there was a campground with no shade and a single van in it. who would sit out all day in the desert in a van?  we didn't want to know. unexpectedly, there was an historic ranger station with a nice little covered porch.  

after drinking, eating and sleeping a little, maurice decided to try to flag down a ride to panamint springs, the next watering hole.  but he didn't have much luck.  most of the vehicles were small suv's or campers, about one every 10 minutes or so..  he managed to get a pickup truck to stop, but the driver wasn't very sympathetic.  it pissed maurice off, who would not help people caught in death valley?  we talked it over and maurice was of the mind that, barring flagging down a ride, we should start riding at dusk, trying to get to towne pass at the top and maybe down to panamint valley before the sun came up.  so, at sundown we started out.

we quickly came face to face with a head wind blowing down the mountain into the valley.  guessing 12-15 mph.  up hill, in the dark, into a headwind.  very frustrating.  soon we dismounted and were walking the bikes up hill.  time passed, we have no idea how much.  we struggled, rested.  occassionally a car would drive by.  a van stopped and offered cold water.  they had a full van, there was no thought of asking for a lift, but we gladly accepted the water.  signage marking increments of 1,000 ft elevation passed, 3,000 then 4,000.  we had no idea how much time passed, but we were getting close.  then the wind eased and the grade seem to lessen.  we got back on the bikes and half an hour later, who knew how much time really passed, we found ourselves at towne pass.  we were exhausted but ecstatic, we had made it out of the valley.

it seemed a bit risky to ride, exhausted, downhill in the dark not really knowing what we would find at the bottom.  in the morning when we could see, we could cruise downhill and go to panamint springs.  assuming the restaurant was open, we could have breakfast before making one last climb.  we were at the top where there was a pull over lane for testing brakes.  so we pulled out sleeping bags and layed out on the gravel shoulder feeling protected from the one or two vehicles that passed by.  and we got lost in the incredible night sky.  i've never seen so many stars in my life.  the two dippers still stood out, but everything else was lost in the profusion.  as was i.