Riding on Gravel in Death Valley
I recently purchased a new bike with the moniker of "Gravel Bike", think mountain bike meets road bike. It is equipped with wider tires, a bevy of mount points to attach all manner of bags, and the vibration-dampened ride of a carbon fiber frame. Such bikes used to be called "Cross Bikes" back in the day, but now "Bike Packing" events require such bikes to complete their unsupported rides for overnight treks on hiking trails. Once I learn more about Bike Packing I will create another post with the details.
My first long ride with the new bike occurred in Death Valley National Park, on a jeep trail through Echo Canyon. This trail is about 20 miles long and crosses the California border into Nevada. My goal was to complete a climb to about 2000 feet, which took me about halfway up the trail. As this was my first time on this new bike, in addition to riding on gravel, I was not sure what to expect.
The amount of gravel was the first part of this ride that posed a challenge. A typical hiking trail includes packed earth and scattered rocks from the adjacent hillside. These trails, however, are designed for large motor vehicles and the gravel that covers the trail is many inches deep in certain sections. This means that a narrow bike tire will tend to sink into the gravel and get stuck as though riding on sand. Balancing becomes difficult and eventually, it is necessary to walk or carry the bike until more packed gravel reveals itself. I did say that this was a bike often used for Bike Packing events, so I guess I can say that I was indeed "packing" my bike.
The first day of my two days in Death Valley was a bit rainy and I didn't last long on the trail. Nevertheless, when one lives in a suburb of Southern California, the open spaces of a desert never fail to leave a lasting impression.
The second day the weather held out, and I managed to reach my goal of ascending to 2000 feet, about halfway along the 20 mile trail. I recorded a short video to commemorate the moment and take a break.
Taking a break at 2000 feet...
The beauty of so many rock formations and the feeling of calm induced by the silence was totally unexpected. I was expecting mechanical and rider failures, but not the comfort that came from just being there all alone (mostly, watch the video), in total silence, the kind of silence that is just not achievable where humans congregate.
On the trip home, I broke out the Nikon Z8 with a wide angle lens and captured the wide open spaces in a few images that are surely to become my next desktop wallpaper.
The are many other off-road trails in Death Valley, used for hiking and access to campgrounds, so I highly recommend a trip there. Be prepared for expensive hotels, unless you are equipped for camping in some form. I suspect that at the time of this post, I was in Death Valley's high season when the weather was most appealing, which might account for the premium prices.
