I had met Art (from Oregon) about 1 1/2 y ago at his son's Triumph dealership about 60 miles from me. I saw a post here and ended up driving over to meet at the dealership and shoot the bull for a while. he was coming down to visit family So this time we wanted to go for a ride. I rode out of desert and met in Banning and planned on riding up to Idyllwild at a mile elevation but it was cloudy, windy and had rained on him for a couple of days and why does a guy from OR want to be in the rain??
So a change of plans, back to the desert an up into the high desert through Joshua Tree Nat Park. The park is immense about 800,000 acres or slightly larger than Rhode Island. The park includes parts of two deserts, each an ecosystem whose characteristics are determined primarily by elevation: the higher Mojave Desert and lower Colorado Desert. We saw great desert landscape and good weather. huge boulder formations there formed 100 million years ago from the cooling of magma beneath the surface.
We road in west entrance and out south entrance going about 55-60 mi in park.
A few pics.
This is us leaving the south entrance, photo op
bikes having a rest.
Art having a rest.
Skull Rock, I was getting frightened. I took pic without walking all the way around because I was so afraid.
Then we headed out of the mtns towards the Salton Sea and through Box Canyon. about 20 miles of twisting roads through a desert canyon ending with views of the Salton Sea and a few miles through flat agricultural land in full bloom now.
then on home. just over 200 for me probably Art pushing 300 by the time he got home?? We had a good day with nice weather. Good to hook up with Art. He is a great guy and a retired machinist so I can't wait until I need some machined part.
We wouldn't have met except for VRCC and that is a good function of this board.
