Making plans for a trip out west and thinking about riding Death Valley. Sometime first half of June, From Baker Ca. on Rt 127 to Death Valley Junction, then Rt 190 to Olancha Ca. Looks like it is 215 miles and about 3hrs 40 minutes. Thinking I would be on the road at first light and hopefully get a jump on the PM heat.
I have ridden around Phoenix at 115f which was not pleasant but doable. I have a real fascination with the deserts and probably will not have this chance again. Or is this just stupid. Crazy I can do but not stupid.

 

This might help. There is a chart if you scroll down.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_Valley#Climate

I ride to Death Valley once a year for the past twenty three years. I have always done it in October. I would not enjoy the heat of June, even if it is an average day in June. YMMV.

 

In June 1978 I crossed the Mojave into Baker when it was 115 in the shade. Like you said, "doable". I too have a fascination with riding in the desert. It's the part having to do with feeling like you're holding a hair dryer on your face for hours at a time that really sucks.


Spring, fall OK. June never again. Not by choice. But I'm way older now so a bit of a candyass.

 

Rode San Diego to Milwaukee in August one year. 125 degrees through Death Valley and like riding in an oven. It's tolerable as long as you stay hydrated. One in our group made it to a gas stop on the outskirts of Las Vegas, tipped over, and we had to carry him inside and let him lay on the floor for a while. He loaded up on water and Gatorade and was OK after that. Just glad he didn't pass out while doing 65-70 out on the highway.

BTW, one mistake I think this guy made was riding in a sleeveless t-shirt. I'm pretty sure the wind and sun just bakes the fluid out of you.

 

You not only lose water by sweating, you lose water by breathing. One of the biggest sources of fluid loss in the desert is every time you breath. The air you are breathing in has 0% humidity. The air you breath out has 100% humidity.

 

Hey Bigwave, my trick in '78 was a short sleeve sweatshirt. I would totally soak the **** out of it every place that there was water. A very light jacket on top of that kept you sort of cool for about a half an hour. I kept two canteens full, one for drinking the other for squirting down my shirt.


Until... I pulled into a gas station somewhere outside of Baker. We fill up, then push the bikes to the shady side of the station, it's 115. A sign in the window says, BEER .50 cents WATER $1. I ask how come the water is more than the beer and the guy tells me the beer is delivered and the water they truck in themselves.


We both slap down a buck and say, two beers.


Five days later we ride over Tioga Pass at night it's 35 degrees and the snow is plowed 15 feet up on the side of the road.


The most expensive gas was in the oil fields west of Bakersfield, CA. .75 gal. What great days.

 

Yep, dehydration can get ugly.

 

I did it in August...yep, it was hot.

 

If you have to ride it in June, start out real early, like 3am. Back plan to get through the hottest part by sunrise. Call an early day at a motel with a pool and some cold beer. It would really work well if you had a full moon.
Buzz

 

Sounds like a good trip; always wanted to go there.