RawHyde Explores
(May Ride)
THE RAWHYDE HISTORY RIDE:
Ride with us from the RawHyde Ranch to a little slice of our personal history. We have personal & historical roots in the Panamint valley where our camp for Saturday night will be at the Stutterite Rock Quarry. This quarry was founded by my father in the late 1940’s and I spent a good part of my younger years here. The Panamint valley has been the site of several of our "Adventure Rallies," but this is your opportunity to have a personal guide through this very unique area. This ride will begin at the RawHyde Ranch and will be an "easy ride with some intermediate" sections.
Here is the itinerary:
Day 1 - Thursday PM arrival:
This ride will begin at the RawHyde Ranch, please plan to arrive on Thursday, around 4-5 pm. You can get your tent set up in our "camping area" and meet your fellow adventurers.Day 2 - Friday:
After a continental breakfast we leave the RawHyde Ranch and head for a series of dirt roads which are incredibly scenic. Starting off on "Sawmill mountain road" which begins at the historic "grapevine highway" and follows a series of switchbacks up to about 6000 feet. This stunning segment of our ride parallels the Pacific Crest hiking trail, and runs through beautiful pine meadows, along razor back ridges and has some dramatic elevation changes. We will drop out of the mountains onto the floor of the Antelope valley for a 50 mile cross country run to the gritty railroad town of Mojave. A quick fuel stop in Mojave and it’s off through the heart of the Mojave Desert to the Trona Pinnacles where we will spend our first night. The Trona Pinnacles have been featured in many movies, most recently the remake of "Planet of the Apes." Whenever Holly wood wants a scene that could be on another planet… they often come to the Pinnacles.Day 3 – Saturday:
We will depart after breakfast for your guided tour through the Searles and Panamint valley. First a quick trip to a truly unique place in the desert that few people know of; "Great Falls." It’s hard to imagine that there is a true waterfall in the middle of the Mojave Desert, but there is! The location of Great Falls is known only to a few locals; it lies hidden in a huge granite basin that is guarded by a treacherous sand wash. We know the secret way in, so we will scoot in for a peek before continuing on to our camp for the night via the old Wells Fargo Stage Coach trail. This stage coach trail will be the most challenging section of our ride today… its rocky, has some pretty big ruts, and runs along the side of a steep cliff face. But the view over the Panamint valley is nothing less than stupendous.Day 4 – Sunday:
After breakfast we will wander slowly south, stopping at Randsburg, a unique "living ghost town" then depending on time, we can make a quick stop at Burro Schmidts tunnel before parting company and heading for wherever we each call home.Price: $495
Category 2 & 3 difficulty level ride.
