DEATH VALLEY.........Augeberry Mine

 I still have quite a number of pictures of Death Valley left to post.My three weeks there hiking and exploring the old mines and some of the original trails made by the `49ers was not nearly enough time.Granted,the longer I stay out on this trip on the bike and the more remote and secluded places to camp that I discover,the more I seem to enjoy the peace and calm that only being far removed from "Civilization" can give.Death Valley is one of those remote and secluded places for me,especially in the winter months from October thru March,otherwise it`s just too damn hot to be there.Camping here in the winter can get a little chilly,but with a -20° bag you can stay warm all night no problem.There is a definite chill in the tent when you wake up at 5 am to make coffee,but the heat from my MSR stove takes the bite out of the air just a bit,and outside the view looking across the valley to the Panamint Mountains,Mount Charlston with it`s 11,900 ft peak to the east in Nevada,the green oasis of Furnace Creek and the white salt flats of Badwater Basin make the remoteness and the cold well worth it.
Obviously Pete Aguberry thought so too,born in 1874 in France he came to America in 1890,arriving in Goldfield NV in 1902.
Pete found a ledge that looked promising and indeed contained free gold,some of the samples being assayed as high as $500 a ton.
Pete worked the Eureka mine from 1907 untill the 1930`s when his health was failing him.

Pete died on Nov.23rd,1945 and is buried in Lone Pine,CA.

Be Well

Murph

THANKS FOR THE TIRES ERIN.....

A very big thank you to Erin Hunter,who just donated the finances to get new tires for the bike.Just in time too, for tomorrow,Thursday  I leave Moab for Steamboat CO,so starting the 300 mile journey on fresh tires makes all the difference.
Erin has been featured on this blog on quite a few occasions during this years Bonneville speed events,the BUB Motorcycle Speed Trials,the USFRA World Of Speed and at SCTA World Finals.Erin and Shorty,her partner are avid speed and salt freaks,with multiple Bonneville Speed records between them both.

Erin,may the Gods of Speed be always at your side.

Be Well

Murph

DEATH VALLEY from MOAB

N 38° 36.735' W109° 33.703'

Meanwhile,back in Death Valley things got decidedly mono....

Kjell from Sweden.

And this is Kjell and his wife Karin who are on a RTW(round the world)trip.

And Asa and Sean,when after finishing their bottle of Whikkey at about ten when everyone was asleep(`cept me)said,"Well,Whikkey`s done,guess we better keep it down,`n anyways,prolly keepin everyone up with our loud voices".......then proceded to keep on yakkin for another hour or so !!!.

Cool dudes,on the way to a biker party down at Salton Sea in So Cal.

Be Well

Murph

DEATH VALLEY to MOAB

My day started with a 5:30am snow flurry that looked at the outset to be a journey killer,but after taking a few moments to calm down and get the MSR stove lit to make some coffee,things started to look marginally  better.I left Death Valley on Saturday morning and headed for Kingman in Arizona.It  was getting late and cold when I finally pulled into town,so as I was driving through I stopped off at the Kingman Fire Dept to get some local knowledge of camping in the area(the FD sticker that Keith from Station 2 in Ft.Lauderdale gave me really helps).One of the guys on duty pointed me out of town about 16 miles or so but on the way it got really cold,so the sign for the Hualapai Mountain Campground caught my eye.I got in late and out early and headed for Flagstaff and 89 North to Cameron,then 160 to 191 to Bluff and on the other side of Blanding where I stopped in the evening at the Twin Rocks Cafe and had the most awesome bowl of beef stew with fried bread and honey.......

Heading north I made it to the Devils Canyon Campground  just south of Monticello before I had to stop for the night.It was late late,about 9 or so,and cold,so I figured I better get camp set up for the night.
I was the only one there(!!) I know,right?....

So after coffee(Turkish grind,is there any other?) the sun came out and the snow let up enough for me to get to Moab,which is where I am now.I need to get some new tires on the bike for my final leg of this part of the journey,which is Steamboat Springs,CO,to my buddy Pete and his mahhhvelous wifey Heather and their little bundle of sunshine Viv.
Anybody who wants to make a donation of one or both tires,I am shamelessly accepting all offers at this point.I`m gonna get them in Grand Junction on Wednsday provided they have them in stock.
I never thought that the "One or Two" month motorcycle trip that I had originally set out on would turn into something as incredible as this.
So I will be posting up the rest of the Death Vally pictures over the next few days,meanwhile thank you to all who follow  along with me and regards to all who are travelling the road alongside.

All settled in down by the Colorado River just outside of Moab.

Be Well

Murph