Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Looko'iJ t;~d t h e ~Ia Mod~c·M ine: · We headed north alo ng th e east side of the dr y Pa nam int Lak e. At th e north end of th e lake you p ass th e Indian Ra nch an d a few miles fa rt her west you co me to th e p aved Wi ld roseT ro na Road . T urn rig h t for a tad th en left on the Panamint Vall ev Road . Six m il es north yo u' ll co me to th e Minnieua Min e Road . T urn left an d head west th ro ugh m uc h chokin g dust. After 3.6 mil es th e ro ad drops down a n d meets th e "S hotg u n Road " co mi n g up from the south . Her e a t th e ba se of th e Argus Mountain s we found a n ewly erected min in g cam p. T hey are reo pen in g the o ld Modoc Mine a nd due to bla stin g a n d a slide in a critical sp ot th e owners wou ld not let us up th e road . They were very nice an d said we m ight be able to go up a t a la ter tim e. One of th e o wn ers found it ra ther . stra n ge th at a ll I wa n ted to see for th e second time was the rock walls holding up some o f th e road. They wer e built by so me Chinese and th ey a re som ethin g to see. I guess he [a ils to see the wo rkmanship and the hi sto ry in th em. Durin g th e co urse of our conversat ion I learn ed th e o wne rs a re mad as hell at th e BLM . T he BLM wants the miners to keep th e road open so visitors can ge t up to Look o u t Mountain . · We backtracked a tad a nd p icked up th e "S h otg u n R o ad ." R emi Nad eau bu ilt this roa d in 18i6 a ll th e wa y fro m Trona so hi s mu le tea ms co u ld brin g in supp lies. It is said to be o ne o f th e first fu lly sur veyed roads co ns tructed in th is pa rt of the country. It is beli eved th at he also built th e road over to th e Charcoal Kil ns in Wildro se Ca nyon , 25 miles to th e eas t. T he "S hotgu n" is rough , rocky a nd look s lik e it's not been ma inta in ed si nce it was laid o u t. Severa l weeks before, Mo th er Na ture had put man y cute rain gu llies across the road. One, six feet l ~.e ep , popped up rig h t ove r a sligh t rise, it was kind of a su rprise as water had to run uph ill to put it here. Wi th so me fancy ridin g an d good luck th e rid er was abl e to h aul hi s scooter in a nd go over the edge a t a mere three m iles per hour. No bike damage, but with a lillie CP R an d so me clea n shorts I was as good as n ew. We bui lt a rock cairn on either side o f th e gull y to hel p pr even t a nother h eart stop per. A few m iles furth er do wn the roa d m ore bad lu ck hit us . A buddy on a big 500cc sled pu lled u p with a n at rear tire. T he insta n t fix d id n' t work a ri d th e glue in a pa tch kit was as h ard as nail s. A lo ng rid e, half d irt, half paved, back to ca m p was mad e. We had to ski p th e On yx Mine and a bou t 10 m iles o f Na dea u 's roa d th a t goes up into th e Slat e Ra n ge. T h is is an area steeped in nosta lg ia a nd h istory. Even wi th th e new ac tivity it's sti ll a su per pl ace to exp lore and just [un rid t.'. T he o n ly map yo u 'll n eed , excep t th e o ne shown, is th e good old Au to C lu b map of Dea th Vall ey. The mi leages are prell y close a nd all th e roa ds yo u' ll tra vel are listed. Topo m aps are neat bu t not necessarv. A word o (ca utio n as to ld to me by a friend wh o lives in th e a rea. Don ' t leave a sick bike a lo n g any road. Rid e or lOW it in no mailer wha t. Hidin g it in th e din g weeds does n ' t heJp either . So me of th e drivers who travel th ese roa ds can spot th e sl ig h test cha nge in scenery a t a qua rter mil t.'. We di d th is rid e in l\'ovembt.'r a nd wh ile th e sky wa s clear it wa s a bit co ld . In th e winter a nd early spri ng go well p repared since it does freeze lro m tim e to tim e. Ta ke pl t.'nty of firewood, wa ter a nd gas as th ert.' ain 't n on e th ere. If yo u go, wat ch o ut for th ose crazy , - - . - -,.. - -.- • .. - p i lots ........ . . _- _ ' -.. -, __ - --_ ----- Western States MOTHERS DAY WEEK END MAY 8tt.. 9'" LIMITED ENTRY ~D RIDERS PER DAY ENTRY F EE ~35.00 POST ENTRY 50.00 -1982 - NO REFUNDS / RIDER C1 1 '\~II·tO :;S llt r IN SURANCE rlJllfiS D-36 CII.U 1PIONSHrp POINTS Diou icl 36 " AloiA R.... Appl J! l.'1.UU PAK'fIl'PATIO/'l TKOPHY VIRGINIA CITY, NEVADA SPAltK A,nU S TON S ", AHD4TOlt " ENTRY FORM PROCEPURE GENERAL A. 3. I n Seetion ilJ. c !Mod r. the " pp ro f,. te Iq\l.ll n for t hl c:l ",. y01.l will be rid1ng. 1 day on ly . NOTZ: 4- .tro"- cl.... 11 M ve l" combined rich .ny othe r c h ... I f f or ....qa b you are • v.t •• Old tillar or S.nior . &'"'ii'iYe • 4 • n .nb bike , you ", . t. dec:t d. \lhic h ch .. you v U l ride. N"ver bo th. Old U_u baWl t h. choice of ddt nn your ol d t.t_r ch.. or t he MY .upe r _ moll.' c1 ... . t.f d 1C:1b . 50 h HaWlr bo th. .. Hake out your c hec k or _ nay ord. r f or $35.00 Raa4 & d. tn rd• • •• 11:1 ~ ,. Do no t ."nd lIIQM)' f or AHA .li d Di. t.nct. c.. rd . t o Ue,c"rn n St a c" . aatlna A••oclat.ion. You llI& )' pu rc ~.. c at'd. a t r . c• • AKA .. nd Df.at.r1ct 36 c.nh on l y. L Ur tt. 1n your _ka of hi.... the st u f U1d t he Dht.n e t you belong t o. Onl y ~".t .rn Stlt., RaciD3 A..oc1 ..U on oHid a l .Iltry bhaka or pho t.o c op le. o f .lQIIl will be "c c.pt.e d. D. 1. $ , 3. 00 will be char-::ed fo r- . ny c h.u\:lu dter' pn_ nt.r-1ft3 . All p r.· ....iGne d nwnber. ::::0 with onc1 nal en t r ant or ;:oe ' " .cant . Yr.n.f.nr IlIOve l ee b.c:1t of 11na. C. PI1.M K_. AA!dnu. C1t,. , t. t._ , .. Zip Cod.. (rIO P. O. lox # • pl • • •• • t.rop hi • • c an ' t. b. dIIUWlnd t o P. O. Boxu .) ·FI ll i n "gil, " n a c ode " p!'lone nuDlbllrJ . " AKA , . I nt ri• • open Aprtl 1 . 1982 . t 12:00 NOClH &rid el~ ,. M.1;)' 1, 1982 or wh.n 400 rid.rs ~r d..y . ntty 11mt 1. n .llC l\eJ . ! u l1u po.t lUrk. will be p. ",d ized 5 1Uy.. Po.t llIo1l"ka !11l'ST be n &d· ab b a nd e..n be hand I C

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