greatrides Desert Highway On his way to San Francisco from Las Vegas, Dan Farrell cycled through the oven of before escaping into the Yosemite National Park

t twelve noon, The natives bike to a series of questions, offers slightly as the view unfolded, swoon, And no further work of liquid refreshment – and a with two black ribbons of tarmac A is done, But mad dogs and chorus of song. Like me, many of dropping down in the vast Mojave Englishmen, Go out in the midday the tourists had experienced the Desert and vanishing into a heat sun… opening performance of the season haze. A few cacti lined the road. The refrain was very apt. It was at the Armagosa Opera House the Other than that, nothing. indeed noon at night before. in the Armagosa Mountains, I had left Las Vegas the previous No vacancies morning, early. American transport Thirty miles west of Pahrump lies planners decided to ‘go large’ on the town of Death Valley Junction, “With the blistering desert roads and Vegas is no exception, where I planned to spend my first wind blowing it was like so avoiding the rush hour is a good night. The roads in this area are idea. An hour’s ride brought me to quiet, and despite the heat I felt a cycling in a tumble dryer” Blue Diamond, an abrupt end to sudden chill upon cresting a rise. the town and the last house, petrol I’d not seen a car for over an hour . This was my second day station, shop, anything before and, apart from the road, I could see on the road but acclimatisation Pahrump, 50 miles west ‘over the no signs of life anywhere. A reliable had been swift. The vast open hump’. A friendly cyclist warned bicycle and a careful riding style spaces, the burning sun, every me that the hump was ‘a long false are essential. A breakdown or an breath rasping dry in my throat, flat’, and I spent a good two hours accident may result in something the conservation of water – it was ascending 3,500' on a road that rather more serious than a long wait already second nature. Tourists looked anything but flat. or walk to get help. With the breeze stepped out of their air-conditioned Las Vegas shimmered in the picking up strongly from the west, SUVs to gaze at the rock formations distance behind me until the the only thing that accompanied me and the view down into Death road snaked through a cleft in the into Death Valley Junction was the Valley. I rolled up with my laden mountains and my jaw dropped whoosh of the warm desert wind as

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After the frying pan of Death Valley came the mountains: Lone Pine (right) and the climb to Olmsted Point (below right)

Death Valley sand dunes. The area averages less than two I passed abandoned buildings and a morning, back at Death Valley inches of rainfall a year derelict railway station. I eventually Junction. Dan rode in early October rather than mid-summer, but even so drew to a halt outside the arcaded ‘I don’t.’ temperatures hovered around 40 degrees plaza of the Armagosa Hotel. A couple on a Harley introduced I have learned since that there me to the ‘Cobber’ neck scarf and are two reasons why people find told me that such protection was themselves at Death Valley Junction: invaluable. As the shop in the town they stumble across it on the way had been closed for over 30 years, to somewhere else or they’ve come the girl took pity on me and gave to see Marta Becket. Through me hers, tied it round my neck ignorance, I was firmly in the first and told me where to go: ‘Left for category, but a curious mixture of Death Valley and straight on for San good and bad luck left me looking Francisco. Way to go, dude.’ for a room at the booked-out hotel on the first day of the season at Into the valley of death the Armagosa Opera House, where The descent into Death Valley Marta has performed her show starts at 3,000' and ends nearly 200' since 1967 whether or not there has below sea level. The road is fast been an audience. I had no joy with and smooth, with wide sweeping finding a bed but did manage to corners. After passing Zabriskie borrow a bath, and after the theatre Point, and with and opening-night party I put a few on the left, the road finally drops more miles under my wheels to a into Furnace Creek, arguably the motel on the Nevada state line. hottest place on earth. With the ‘How do you stay cool?’ was mercury nudging 40 ºC in early the question fired at me the next October, I could believe it. Death

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Valley stretches 100 miles from the National Park but traffic levels are in the south to reasonable outside of high season. the Last Chance Range in the north, The road along the valley floor with Furnace Creek roughly in the is undulating, but even the short centre. I filled my bottles, and my climb up from Salt Creek was stomach, at the shop. taxing as the ambient temperature Stovepipe Wells was my exceeded body temperature. With destination, 28 miles away along the desert wind blowing it was the valley floor, all of it below sea like cycling in a tumble dryer and level. I took the opportunity to I felt rather nauseous for the final fill the bottles again at the Visitor few miles to Stovepipe Wells. The Centre, but I’d barely covered a mile. thermometer outside the hotel Another mile took me to the ruins indicated 108ºF (42ºC). Inside, air- works at Harmony, just north of the rather more of the and a conditioning has never felt so good. appropriately named Furnace Creek spectacular view across the barren, I tied my freshly washed kit to a scrubby landscape. The Funeral fence and it was bone dry within 20 Mountains loom up on the eastern minutes. side, and the mighty Panamint One becomes forcibly aware upon fact file: Range towers on the west, topped by leaving Stovepipe Wells that whilst Death Valley and the Sierra Nevada the at over 11,000'. Death Valley itself is reasonably In the 1880s, 40 men worked at flat, any road out must cross some Where: Southern California, USA. ROUTE: I Harmony, and a team of 20 mules punishing terrain. A large sign rode from Las Vegas to San Francisco in nine days, covering 70 to 80 miles per day was used to transport the mined announces ‘Avoid Overheating. Conditions: Fierce. Summer in Death borax 165 miles to the nearest Turn Off Air-Conditioning For 17 Valley is strictly for mentalists, and it’s busy in winter. April/May and October are the best months for cyclists. Early October is the “‘How do you stay cool?’ I was asked at only time of year when it is reliably possible to combine Death Valley and Yosemite. Death Valley Junction. ‘I don’t.’” Good sun protection is essential, especially at altitude. Mudguards are not required, but railhead at Mojave. Miles’, for the road climbs 5,000' in warm clothing, including hat and gloves, There is no shelter in the valley, that distance. My strategy to avoid should be carried. and no respite from the blazing overheating was to get on the road Terrain: Spectacular but tough. Major sun until it dips behind Panamint before sunrise – this was a mild climbs on four days, the hardest day being in the late afternoon. The stark success and I crested Townes Pass 82 miles and 9,000’ of ascent between terrain is bleached to pale hues before ten. Panamint is more rugged Stovepipe Wells and Lone Pine. BIKE: I rode a Pashley-Moulton TSR with a of yellows and browns – rainfall than Death Valley, and was almost rear bag, front panniers and a handlebar bag. is minimal, with Furnace Creek entirely deserted. At 10:30 I had my Carry a comprehensive tool kit and essential receiving around two inches a legs under the table at the oasis-like spares. There is a bicycle shop in Bishop. year on average. The main tourist Hotel for a much- Accommodation: Limited, so plan ahead, season covers the winter months needed second breakfast, whilst particularly in Death Valley and Yosemite. as summer is unbearably hot, with watching the roadrunners scurry Hotels/motels are typically $50-80 dollars for a double room. Camping is possible in July and August posting average around. most areas, but bear-proof containers will be daily maximum temperatures of required in Yosemite. 46ºC. Cycling is permitted only on INTO The Sierra Nevada AMENITIES: Typically – but not at Death the main, metalled roads in the Between Panamint and Owens Valley Junction – where there is a hotel there Valley lies the formidable bulk of will be a restaurant/café or shop too. the Argus Mountains. The climb is GETTING THERE: Virgin Atlantic fly direct from London (Gatwick) to Las Vegas and San not as severe as Townes Pass, but is Francisco. Baggage allowances are generous not to be treated lightly – 3,800' of and bicycles go free as one of your two 23kg ascent over 20 miles in the full heat bags allowed (economy). Bike boxes are not of the day. Looking back across to provided, if you need one for your return Death Valley one can almost pick flight United Airlines sell them at airports out Badwater, nearly 300' below sea for $20. Amtrak rail services serve the San level. It’s another 15 miles to Owens Joaquin (South Central) Valley from San Francisco (Oakland). There is no passenger Lake, and 30 to Lone Pine. service to Las Vegas. Ahead lay the Yosemite National HAZARDS: Sunburn, sunstroke, heatstroke, Park. It’s dominated by spectacular altitude sickness, dehydration and, in granite peaks and studded with Yosemite, bears. beautiful glacial lakes. It is perfect MAPS: I used an American Automobile Map cycle-touring country – afterwards of California, 1:1,000,000, which was just adequate. Imus Geographics do a good I reckoned I had never experienced 1:500,000 of the Sierra Nevada area. Good a better day on a bike. Coming maps of Death Valley and Yosemite are so soon after Death Valley it was available from National Park Authorities. literally a breath of fresh air – FURTHER INFO: Entrance fees are charged albeit thin, high-altitude air. And in US National Parks, around $10 per cyclist on leaving it there’s a 25-mile for a seven day pass. For more information Central Valley, California: ‘only’ Mediterranean hot about Marta Becket, see rather than Sahara hot descent… www.armagosaoperahouse.com

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