Motorcycling through Death Valley and more

[@nickharland3795]

Great bike trip Thorn. Very nice views with the smoky surroundings. Crazy heat... wow!... but you are well used to that, haha. Man gorgeous sunset!! So cool to walk on the lava field... and what a view looking down on it. Nice to get a bit of rain too. Awesome trip, that bike has taken you to some amazing places. Thanks, take care.

[@potatothorn]

glad you like it// yeah the bike has gotten me Way Out there! it's slowly dying but i think it might have one or two more trips left in it// was bizarre to go from so hot to actual rain in the desert, sure was NICE too... i also have to admit the swimming pool REally Helps me deal with the intense heat as much as my own acclimation

[@AmericasParks]

Dream ride, my friend! Enjoyed your narration... felt with you on the journey. Learned a lot. Note on the bike - excellent idea!

[@potatothorn]

Always leave a Note!! in death Valley and other desert parks it is the equivalent of a backcountry permit, you are actually expected to leave one!! glad you like it, was a fun ride for sure.. so hot and empty out there i love it. external cooling with a wet rag is my other most important tip for the desert. hope to see you get out here again soon!

[@sonofamountain2862]

Awesome journey I hope this summer we won’t have as many fires cause last year was pretty brutal. I like the fact that you leave notes on your bike to let people know you’re ok I do the same thing with my Yaris. Thanks for recording your trip and taking us with you

[@potatothorn]

glad you enjoy it! //and yeah a low smoke summer would be nice, we have had quite bit the last few years

[@SmellNRoses]

Awesome trip, my friend. Beautiful scenery out there. But I seriously can’t imagine the heat. You said it cooled down to a 100 lol! It’s all about being prepared and knowing how to mitigate it. Glad you missed the real heat wave though! Great video, I really enjoyed coming along. Oh I know they are pricey, but if you ever invest in a GoPro camera you could get some fantastic footage while on the bike!

[@potatothorn]

i know maybe someday ill get a cheap gopro but for one video a year// not really worth the effort// there are people especially Robert Merz linked above that take some serious quality videos of all these roads // what i really should do for mine is more tripod shots of me riding trough the various areas... and yeah 100 is quite pleasant in the dry weather... we have been in the desert this winter and it is way too cold... some day we need to get you out there with us to feel the heat!

[@SmellNRoses]

@@potatothorn I do need to get out there some day. It is definitely on my bucket list. Tripod shots of you coming by would be awesome. I like those in my videos too, but takes a lot of time to set up lol. And I understand about not want to drop a lot of coin on a camera. I guess all hobbies are expensive and KZbin is no different haha!

[@pbsalfen]

You need a tall cheap/inexpensive tank bag, if for no other reason than a place to bungee your camera so that it's stable and above the instruments and bars. I've never seen a chest or helmet mount for a camcorder, but it probably wouldn't take much to fab something like that. A more expensive route would be an action camera, DJI Osmo or GoPro, with a chest, or helmet, mount. In some of the various brands of action cameras you can remove that obnoxious wide angle distortion, either in camera or via the software. Anyway, looked like a good time! Stay safe and warm!

[@potatothorn]

ehh/ plenty of other people making from the road videos, not really worth the effort for me to bother with it// im mostly about showing the campsites and views type stuff anyway... a chest mount would be ideal but too much trouble to make one// what i should do is get a cheap gopro for the ride shots but i cant justify spending any money on it really... oh well...

[@jomes67]

I am trying to plan a trip through eagle rider in vegas that takes you through Death Valley , over to Yosemite via tioga road, and around sequoia. What do you think is the latest I could schedule this and not hit snow in the mtns and closed roads. October maybe? Iam pretty much just riding through from vegas, lone pine, Yosemite, through sequoia and back around to furnace creek, just doing the tourist thing I guess, flying in from VA.

[@potatothorn]

i have done pretty much that ride as late as first week of october. given the drought i think you would be ok until around mid october, but you never know/ after september anything can happen in the mountains. two years ago i got snowed on in Yosemite on sept 15th, but it was a quick storm. I would suggest late september, it is still Hot in Death Valley but should be bearable, and less chance of snow problems. Also look into driving through yosemite... i think you do not currently need a reservation but with covid they have some stupid rules// worst case, taking 108 over the mountains is a little less impressive than yosemite but still an awesome ride.. let me know how it goes and if you have any more questions please ask!

[@jomes67]

Thanks for the info I really appreciate it. I actually looked at 108 as a way around if my luck went as it usually does, a local with some knowledge was what I was needing. Never been west of the Mississippi so Iam sure everything I see will be an experience regardless.

[@potatothorn]

@@jomes67 glad i could help, feel free to come back with more questions if you have them. i am out camping often this time of year so replies may be slow but i will reply eventually... another side note would be after you leave sequoia, the intersection of 5 and 58, or along 58 in Bakersfield has the lowest gas prices. 58 back to 15 to Vegas is a fun ride too...