The Ventura County Adventure Ride Series

The Ventura County Adventure Ride Series - Introduction

2010-10-07T21:17:00.000-07:00

Click Image to see most recently posted ride info

Welcome to the VCARS, sponsored by BMW Motorcycles of Ventura County, California. You don't need a BMW to take part in these rides; all dual sport riders are welcome. The goal of this repeating series of increasingly challenging day rides is – well, they're designed to be fun! We’ll take you out of Urbania and introduce you to some great dual sport riding areas, ripe for exploration. Each ride will take us into the beautiful California backcountry, riding with old friends and making new ones. Rides are rated with a (largely subjective) difficulty rating of R1-R9; R1 being improved dirt or well-graded fire road, and R9 representing challenge at the peak of ability of rider & machine. This series will usually oscillate from R2 to R4. Rarely, a given series may include an R5 ride as well.

Each series includes 3-4 rides. Singly, every ride is a new adventure; as a whole, each series has even more to offer: The slight increase in riding challenge over the course of each series provides riders the opportunity to gradually increase their riding ability in a non-instructional, learn-by-doing setting. The ride leader is eager to help riders improve, and our growing community of riders is a supportive group with many veterans; have questions about riding technique? Fire away!

Although designed with the novice rider in mind, the easier VCARS rides always offer opportunities for more experienced riders to push themselves as well if desired. Likewise, more challenging rides later in each series often include go-arounds, allowing less experienced riders to join in a Series at any time, and giving them the opportunity to choose their level of challenge. Looking for the next step in adventure riding - or instruction to help you take that next step? Check out the EarthRider main site for course offerings, multi-day rides, and more challenging (R5 and above) ADRs.

This website is dedicated exclusively to VCARS ride events. Links to upcoming rides are found in the table at TOP DEAD CENTER, above. There you will also find links to pages of valuable information, and to EarthRider's main website. VCARS IN WORDS & PICTURES, below, allows you to browse through past ride Intros, and related image & textual media. Take some time to browse around! At the bottom of this colmn you will find a host of links to past ride photos, stories, and even video.

High in the Los Padres. '08ADR 01

[Want to find out more about upcoming rides? Scroll back up to the TOP DEAD CENTER section.]

'10 Adventure Day Ride 06/12 - R2 - Recap

2010-06-16T12:04:00.000-07:00

NORTHERN MOUNTAINS

“How much more of this is there?”

“I’m a retired SEAL. Today I feel more like a retired manatee.”

“That’s gonna require that five-pound hammer Neil was talking about.”

Shop donuts. Genuine BMW coffee.

Its always a pleasure to pull into the BMW shop parking lot early Saturday knowing that, though “there beye Dragonnes” not too far beyond what can be seen of the rest of the morning, Mike is behind the counter right this minute, with a smile in one hand and a cup of coffee & a doughnut in the other, and if you walk in those doors, well, he’s gonna throw all three right at you. An adventure ride is … an adventure: The comfortable & inviting atmosphere of BMWoVC – reassuringly predictable – inadvertently serves to throw GS rides into sharp relief.

At least, that’s what I was thinking when the unforeseen road closure diverted us into slightly more challenging terrain where – again; predictably – bikes became slightly more top-heavy than had been hoped for. But I get ahead of myself:

Ten riders gathered round the shop “porch” to hear the pre-ride briefing. The Series was beginning anew; this was to be the first and easiest of the new iteration of the Ride Series. Can you hear the music? “A threeeee hour tourrrrrr….. A threeeee hour tourrrr….”

We covered standard group riding issues like formation, planned route, and also emphasized the skill learning opportunity represented by these rides, & how to take advantage of that. We were off in fairly short order, leader and sweep rider bookending the rest of the group. Our route included a dreary four entire miles of freeway, or thereabouts, before we exited and quickly zig-zagged off into the agricultural surroundings of rural Ventura County, like a staggered row of colourful and loudly buzzing bees. Mostly, bees seemed to be crossing our route, and may have posed at least some small hazard at times: The last of the citrus is still in bloom, as is the surrounding coastal sage scrub of Ventura County. Spring smells are still wafting down the air currents … chased in blind passion by a plethora of pollinators.

The odd helmet-duck or rapid right-hand visor-slamming maneouver saw us through and beyond, out over narrow steep canyon roads into broad river valleys, back up into the narrows again, and across high protected meadows, eventually into Ojai. As is usual for VCARS rides, our group sometimes stretched out, as front riders enjoyed a fast stretch, or back riders slowed to take in the scenery. At times, you might approach an intersection and see nothing but trees and fields and empty road, and a lone motorcyclist astride his idling bike on the roadside, pointing off in one direction or another. Following the line of his arm with your eyes you might just catch a glimpse of another rider disappearing around a bend well ahead – or you might not. Off you go, as directed, knowing that when the sweeper comes round, holding up a balled fist to show the posted rider how many people are behind him, that your street-sign pal will be following behind you or, if he rides faster than you feel like riding, may be passing you in short order.

In this way, our loosely cohesive group found its way onto highway 33. Intersections do not abound there. Miles of well-engineered curves do, and so do turnouts sporting brilliant views. We made use of two of these over about 35 miles, for re-grouping and gawking at scenery. At one point, a powerful, richly floral perfume filled our helmets. Ahead and above was a line of brilliant yellow, winding its way diagonally, this way and that, across & up steep slopes: This is Scotch broom, a non-native bloomer that grows like gangbusters along the verge of 33 this time of year, producing mammoth sprays of yellow flowers. Those well-engineered curves are often edged with a 6-foot wall of perfumed yellow – beautiful, and a little disconcerting due to the decrease in visibility around the corners! One takes time to slow, and smells the flowers…

On our second regroup stop we found ourselves looking north over Cuyama Valley and the imposing, rough country surrounding it. Clear mountain air revealed in sharp detail just how steep and rugged are the hills in this area. We descended into the valley, but soon turned east on the road to Lockwood Valley. Great sign at the beginning of this road:

It’s a challenging road at times; extremely sharp corners come up suddenly on steep inclines, then drop down into dreaded shallow paved water crossings. There were little or no algae growing yet, however, and no one slid. Upright to the last man, we followed the narrow road as it wound through the steep-sided hills we had seen from our last stop, until the terrain opened up into a wider valley. Our turnoff, however, had a gate across it. What should have been a quick turn became a road shoulder pit stop where, amidst mild cursing & nefarious ogling of the gate’s locking mechanism, a new route was chosen. This is only somewhat challenging to do for an intermediate dualsport ride. It can be extremely difficult for a beginning ride like this one. This is because the vast majority of unpaved routes – no matter how “easy” they are, for the most part – include from one to several short sections that are much closer to “quite hard” than they are to easy. The result is that whereas the experienced off-pavement rider sees in the unpaved roads of California a vast venous system ready to whisk him off anywhere in the state or beyond, the novice adventurer is looking at an intimidating tangle of blocked arteries.

Be that as it may, the decision was made to continue eastward, and grab an early lunch, for starters. That we did. It was beautiful riding, through high wide valleys between tree-covered mountains, until we reached the I-5 corridor, and had lunch just off the highway. After filling up ourselves & our rides, we again headed off for the mountains. A short stint on an incredibly dilapidated section of pavement brought us to a broad turnout, overlooking row on row of blue-green ridgelines, and overlooked by a somewhat steep and loose unpaved road climbing the face of a mountain, at the feet of which we were stooping to adjust our tire pressures.

The more experienced riders took the lead, and the “ride leader” rode in back, to provide assistance as needed. It was. If you have never ridden your motorcycle off pavement, the learning curve can initially be quite steep; the number of unknowns that suddenly crop up can be overwhelming; it really is another world. A novice isn’t looking at the next 40 feet of road -- while riding onto it -- and thinking that it looks-like-the-rocky-loose-section-on-the-right-is-no-go-but-in-the-middle-the-bare-hardpan-gives-way-to-silt-that-might-be-hiding-a-small-rut-which-is-probably-doable-with-care-and-on-the-far-left-it-is-also-rocky-but-since-they-are-embedded-on-that-side-the-traction-should-be-good-although-bumpy-and-as-long-as-I-can-stay-out-of-the-rut-just-a-little-further-left-that-might-be-the-best-line-because-it-sets-me-up-wide-for-the-hairpin-right-with-the-diagonal-water-ruts-that-start-shallow-at-the-high-outside-and-get-quite-deep-down-low-on-the-inside-so-I-will-definitely-want-to-be-on-the-outside-and-have-some-speed-on-since-the-road-camber-is-steep-enough-that-extra-speed-will-mean-less-outside-lean-is-required-and-there-is-no-way-I-want-to-try-the-section-fast-enough-to-require-inside-lean – oops – should-have-been-feathering-the-clutch-already –

– No. The novice is just thinking, “I wonder what’s going to happen next…”

[It may perhaps be interesting to note that long ago the highly experienced rider blocked both of these somewhat uncomfortable learning stages from his memory: At this point, he is already a quarter mile up the trail, standing over his idling machine, having skidded sideways to a halt in the shade of a convenient Douglas fir tree. He is looking back down the trail, listening for engine noise behind the last bend, expecting to see the other riders any second. He is wondering what is taking so long; must be either a photo stop or somebody’s luggage came loose.]

A few such 40-foot sections got the better of our riders, for our new route was harder, of course, than the route originally planned. This was about a grade harder than the R2 original plan. Which means, we were on an R3 route. Which means, as it says in the EarthRider Rating System description, a route that is vastly R3 or easier, and has a few short sections that are slightly more challenging. Which means, what was going to be a few R3 water crossings on an R2 route became a few more R4 rutted – or rocky, or both – sections on an R3 route. Which is great for a beginning ride, when you consider that the last time the Series re-started, the first ride became R8, when riders opted to continue over 12 miles of muddy clay rather than turn tail and head for home on pavement from Tehachapi. No one rode that one in its entirety, and almost everybody fell over at some point.

Phrom a philosophical standpoint, it seems obvious that Kobe had to miss a lot of phree throws to become so good at phree throws. The same equation applies to adventure riding. Glossing over a few missed baskets, let us focus on this; our newest novice riders are well and phirmly on their way to becoming our newest intermediate riders.

If you are going to ride your bike off pavement, and you are going to do it at all well, you are going to fall over a few times beforehand – or you are going to be deified. (No new deities in the pantheon yet, by the way.) This can come as a shock to those who know only slab riding – those whose single-minded (and quite justified) fear & loathing of falling prohibits them even from breathing the word “autumn” while touching a motorcycle. The adventure rider, on the other hand, tends to replace the turn signals with smaller, shorter ones, and pack a spare brush guard mount in the toolkit, and carry on, perhaps comforted by the knowledge that Kobe doesn’t miss too many phree throws, any more.

The best way to approach a minor adventure riding get-off seems to be to take a deep breath, right the bike, drink a little water, and most importantly, go over what happened. Discussing why a fall happens – and how it could have been avoided – helps to decrease further … happenings. This we did – when required – as we followed a long and remote line of mountains on a winding unpaved track. When just beginning to ride off pavement, almost everything is a new experience. This is inescapably fatiguing, in any situation; almost you can tell how many times a rider has been off pavement by how tired he looks at the end of an adventure day ride. It was no surprise that when after untold miles we emerged onto tarmac, the idea of ice in a drink, preferably under shade, held broad appeal. No, problem: Back in front again, our ride leader had us seated in a tiny mountain town restaurant within about ten miles, wiping our brows and ordering Arnold Palmers.

Mission accomplished, day seized. And we got a jump on things; next month’s ride should be no more challenging than this one turned out to be. Unless – like all adventures – it fails to go exactly as planned.

[Meantime, inspired by experiences on this & other BMW shop GS rides, EarthRider is offering a brand new type of riding class. Check it out HERE.]

VCARS IN WORDS & PICTURES - 2010

2010-06-14T00:10:00.000-07:00

Ride Photos

Ride Words

'10 ADR 06/12 R2 - EarthRider

Ride Videos

'10 ADR 01/09 R3 - Kurtis "Slick" Heidolph

'10 ADR 02/13 R4 - Kurtis "Slick" Heidolph

'10 ADR 03/13 R2 - Kurtis "Slick" Heidolph

'10 ADR 09/18 R4 - Kevin Donoghue

[Visit EarthRider's YouTube Channel]

[VCARS in words & Pix, Inception through '09]

'10 Adventure Day Ride 09/18 - R4

2010-05-15T14:06:00.000-07:00

THE FINAL VCARS RIDE

What
When
Where
To Register
Registration Fee

Dualsport Ride, R4, full day
Meet Saturday, 18 September, 7:30 AM
Meet @ BMW Motorcycles of Ventura County
email EarthRider
$25.00

First, the good news:
This will be the last VCARS ride.
Now, the explanation of why that is good news: BMW Motorcycles of Ventura County is now able to provide GS-oriented rides in-house! BMWoVC Service Manager Howard Rantz will be leading monthly adventure day rides from the shop, beginning in October. Even better, shop rides will now be free! You have yet another monthly organized ride available to you.
Meantime, the VCARS repeating series of rides of gradually increasing challenge will continue as well, at least through the end of this year. Furthermore, this change will create time for the reinstitution of EarthRider's well-received Skilzdrills series, last offered in 2009. Follow the EarthRider site for future updates on the Skilzdrill series & other day- & multi-day rides.

See you on the 18th!

VCARS' last ride in this area

Los Padres mtns lunch stop

This ride will take us through mountains, valleys, and plains. We'll cover a lot of miles; bring snacks to hold you through the last part of the day, after our early restaurant lunch stop in the Los Padres mountains on our outward leg.

As easy as it looks?

Challenge of the Month:
The vast majority of this route is R2-3 & even R1, with only a few short sections where the ruts we met in July combine with loose substrate, or become so deep or thick on the ground, to warrant an R4 rating. One short curving off-camber descent may also pose a challenge. What turns this from an R3 ride with a couple extra-challenging bits to a full-fledged R4 ride is the open nature of the terrain: In many places, the lay of the land welcomes speedier riding than is usual for beginning off-pavement rides. Effective line selection is not only more mentally challenging at higher speed, but more crucial. Rider speed is as always the choice of the individual, but it is the fact that the option of higher speed is available that warrants a solid R4 rating for this ride.

For the more experienced riders in our community, this route offers multiple opportunities to choose alternate, more challenging routes (up to about R6), close to or within sight of the main group.

Meandering through the foothils

Brilliant mtn slab riding

Any time you have questions en route about how to meet any of these challenges, the ride leader is eager to help you out.

This is the most challenging ride of this iteration of VCARS - In October we will be going back to basics! Expect a shorter-than average, easy day enjoying our local mountains. We'll be starting off easy, and stretching our endurance - the next iteration of the series will go to R5.

R5 ability, especially solid sand riding skill, opens the door to vast unpaved riding opportunities. Ready to move into the realm of solid intermediate level adventure riding? Have a look at the more advanced ADRs offered on EarthRider's main site. Ready & willing, but not sure you're able? Fear not: Private instruction and in-depth, skill-specific classes are also available.

RIDE ROSTER

Blake "Towstrap" Hill
ER - '10 Spring Mojave 3-DayKTM 990 SuperEnduro

Neil Reynolds
VCARS - '10 ADR 01/09BMW R1200GS

Mark "Duffy" Morong
BMW F650GS

Chris Portzel
VCARS - '08 DSS 05/10BMW R1200GS

Bruce Gillies
VCARS - '08 ADR 09/27Yamaha WR250R

Kevin Donoghue
BMW R1200GS

'10 Adventure Day Ride 07/10 - R3

2010-05-15T13:28:00.000-07:00

SANTA BARBARA MOUNTAINS

What
When
Where
To Register
Registration Fee

Dualsport Ride, R3, full day
Meet Saturday, 10 July, 7:30 AM
Meet @ BMW Motorcycles of Ventura County
email EarthRider
$25.00

We will cover some terrific (paved & not) Santa Barbara area back roads on this, the second ride of the repeating shop ride series. Steep tree-crowded grades await us; twisted one-lane hill routes and sections made up more of pothole than pavement – and that’s before we even hit the dirt!

Knobby tires are helpful but not necessary for this ride. For further general information about this & all VCARS rides, new riders should peruse the information available in the Top Dead Center section of this site (just above this article). email any remaining unanswered questions to EarthRider.

Challenge of the Month: You can expect more water crossings this month, but curving unpaved climbs & shallow ruts are what make this ride slightly more challenging than our June ride. Also, near the end of the day we have the option of a short out-&-back route which has historically been as hard as R5, though when last reconnoitered was easy R4: A chance for individuals to further stretch their off-pavement abilities into the intermediate realm if desired. Remember, this series is all about helping you become a better rider, gradually. If you have questions about how to meet any of a ride’s challenges, the ride leader is eager to help you out.

BYO lunch & expect a stop shortly after midday. Our homeward route has lots to offer in the way of refreshment / meal stops; an impromptu dinner stop in / around Santa Barbara is (optional &) likely.

Adventure rider rest stop.

RIDE ROSTER

Dale Velador

Suzuki VStrom 650

Greg "I-Lean" Drevenstedt
EarthRider - '10 DSO 04/30-05/02
Kawasaki KLR 650

Paul "Capt. America" Beck
ER - VCARS - '10 ADR 03/13
BMW R1200GS

Brian HodgesBMW R100 GS/PD

Chris Klausner
BMW R1200GS

Neil Reynolds
EarthRider - '10 ADR 06/26 - R6

BMW R1200GS

Pete Mosinskis

BMW F650 Funduro

Kevin Donoghue
EarthRider - VCARS - '10 ADR 04/10BMW R1200GS

Andrew Wheelwright
'10 ADR 03/27BMW F650 Dakar

'10 Adventure Day Ride 06/12 - R2

2010-05-13T17:16:00.000-07:00

NORTHERN MOUNTAINS

What
When
Where
To Register
Registration Fee

Dualsport Ride, R2, full day
Meet Saturday, 12 June, 7:30 AM
Meet @ BMW Motorcycles of Ventura County
email EarthRider
$25.00

Although a rider can change the level of challenge of any ride with a slight movement of the wrist, this ride - representing a new beginning for the BMW GS shop ride series - has been created to be within the abilities of riders with no off-pavement experience. Our route will take us into northern mountains for a day of long sweeping mountain road curves, broken up by shorter out-and-back explorations of some of the area’s more manageable unpaved and – well – pseudo-paved roads. Whatever your level of ability, we are in for some beautiful scenery.

Challenge of the Month: Most of the terrain on this ride is smooth & well graded. Water crossings will require prudent line selection. One sandy section is solid intermediate riding, but is only yards in length and can be walked around or dog-paddled through.

Knobby tires are not necessary for this ride. For further general information about this & all VCARS rides, new riders should peruse the information available in the Top Dead Center section of this site (just above this article). email any remaining unanswered questions to EarthRider.

Riding a Big Bike off pavement requires a unique skillset. Take advantage of this chance to start (or continue) building those skills. The more experienced riders within our community are always supportive of new riders, and the ride leader is an off-pavement riding instructor eager to field whatever questions you may have as the ride - and indeed the ride series - progresses.

BYO snacks for a mid-day break that will tide us over until our late restaurant lunch stop.

RIDE ROSTER

Todd LaBrie
KTM 990 Adventure

Neil Reynolds
VCARS '08 ADR 04/04BMW R1200GS

William Portzel
VCARS - '08 DSS 05/10BMW R1200GS

Robert Lamishaw
BMW F650GS

Chris Ogden
BMW R1200GS

Sung Kim
VCARS - '09 ADR 09/05 BMW R1200GSA

Moss Rosen
VCARS - '10 ADR 05/08BMW R1150GS

Gary "Emmy" D'Amico
VCARS - '08 ADR 04/04BMW R1200GSA

'10 Adventure Day Ride 05/08 - R4

2010-05-04T10:14:00.000-07:00

MAY MTN MEANDER

What
When
Where
To Register
Registration Fee

Dualsport Ride, R4, full day
Meet Saturday, 8 May, 7:30 AM
Meet @ BMW Motorcycles of Ventura County
email EarthRider
$25.00

It's flower season!

Craig Leonard - before his street
ride leading days

Gary D'Amico cresting a poppy-
laden hill

Spring lingers in the local mountains. This month's shop GS ride will take advantage of that. Join us for a day of zig-zagging up canyons, down valleys, and over mountain ridges. Minimal R4 sections will be linked by long stretches of R2-3 riding and pavement. We will have a restaurant lunch stop, but every adventure day ride is just that; an adventure! Bring snacks in case the unexpected alters our lunch schedule. See you at the shop!

RIDE ROSTER

Steven Atkin
ARC '07BMW F650GS Dakar

Neil Reynolds
'09 ADR 03/07BMW R1200GS

Moss Rosen
VCARS - '10 ADR 03/13BMW R1150GS

'10 Adventure Day Ride 04/10 - R3

2010-02-14T15:09:00.000-08:00

POZO LOOP

What
When
Where
To Register
Registration Fee

Dualsport Ride, R3, full day
Meet Saturday, 10 April, 7:30 AM
Meet @ BMW Motorcycles of Ventura County
email EarthRider
$25.00

Winding Santa Barbara County backroads

California Valley rest stop

Coastal roads swathed in sea mist. Steep, Narrow mountain passes. Broad, green, winding valleys. Gently undulating short-cropped farmland. Winding stream-crossed fire roads. Arrow-straight, paveless grassland highways.

April finds us on an epic loop of moderate terrain, spanning three counties. This ride includes a restaurant lunch stop - bring snacks too; we’ll be covering a lot of miles!

Taken two weeks prior to ride date. The colour show will be epic this year!

RIDE ROSTER

Scott Gibb
VCARS - '10 ADR 03/13

Suzuki DR650

Kevin & Sherene Donoghue
BMW R1200GS

Tim New
VCARS - '10 ADR 03/13

Honda XR400

Doug McGinnis
VCARS - '10 ADR 03/13BMW F650

Bill Wensel
VCARS - '08 ADR 09/27Yamaha TTR - 250

Gary "Emmy" D'Amico
VCARS - '10 ADR 01/09BMW R1200GSA

'10 Adventure Day Ride 03/13 - R2

2010-01-14T20:09:00.000-08:00

TEHACHAPI LOOP

What
When
Where
To Register
Registration Fee

Dualsport Ride, R2, full day
Meet Saturday, 13 March, 7:30 AM
Meet @ BMW Motorcycles of Ventura County
email EarthRider
$25.00

Road to nowhere? Perfect.

Desert grassland

Descending into the Central Valley.

The BMW Motorcycles of Ventura County shop ride series begins anew! Though requiring minimal off-pavement experience, this will be one of our higher-mileage rides. Crossing two mountain ranges and the desert in between, few rides offer as much variety while remaining accessible to riders just beginning to develop off-pavement riding skills. We will have a restaurant lunch stop in Tehachapi, with significant paved and unpaved riding both before and after.

Owning the Grapevine - part
of our route homeward.

Riders familiar with the general route will enjoy a few new twists and turns, either in the desert, or the mountains – or the OTHER mountains – or all three. Bring your camera; there’s always a chance we’ll catch an early Spring poppy bloom in the Mojave. And if there is time after lunch, we’ll make a short detour to go see the REAL Tehachapi Loop...

RIDE ROSTER

John Schulte
BMW F650GS

Mark Morong
ER - '09 ADR 03/07

BMW F650

Blake "Towstrap" Hill
ER - '10 ADR 02/27 r6

BMW R1200GSA

Neil Rifenbark Sr.
BMW R1200GS

Kurtis "Slick" Heidolph
VCARS - '10 ADR 01/09

BMW F800GS

Wayne "Crazyhorse" Tidwell
EarthRider - '09 ADR 09/19

BMW R1200GSA

Darrel "Daz" Byard
RawHyde Adventures

BMW R1200GS

Doug McGinnis
BMW F650GS

Scott Gibb
VCARS - '10 ADR 02/13

Suzuki DR650

Moss Rosen
VCARS - '10 ADR 02/13

BMW R1150GS

Neil Rifenbark Jr.
BMW F650GS

Gary "Emmy" D'Amico
VCARS - '10 ADR 11/07

WUSSOUT!

BMW R1200GSA

Paul "Magic Boots" Beck
VCARS - '10 ADR 01/09

BMW R1200GS

Jordan Eller
VCARS - '08 ADR 09/27

BMW Dakar

'10 Adventure Day Ride 02/13 - R4

2010-01-13T17:58:00.000-08:00

SANTA YNEZ VALLEY

What
When
Where
To Register
Registration Fee

Dualsport Ride, R4, full day
Meet Saturday, 13 February, 7:30 AM
Meet @ BMW Motorcycles of Ventura County
email EarthRider
$25.00

Santa Ynez Valley backroads

The museum houses bikes of all
styles & eras.

This, the most challenging ride in this iteration of VCARS, is likely to be the cushiest as well. Our view-encrusted, coastal and mountain morning route will take us over unique terrain both paved and un-, into the Santa Ynez Valley for a visit to the Solvang Motorcycle Museum.*

Active ingredients:
Rocky fire roads, water crossings, &
narrow winding Jeep trails like this.

Cold Springs Tavern is an ideal
spot for a break on the way home.

Drop-jawing over amazing machines is hungry work; after the museum we’ll make a restaurant lunch stop in Solvang before heading back onto the road for a nifty little mixed surface mountain loop, offering stunning vistas of the Santa Ynez Valley and all points west. Our return route brings us right past Cold Springs Tavern... All in all, a short sweet day with a little kick to it, here & there. Don’t forget your camera!

*Bring ten bucks (museum entry fee)!

RIDE ROSTER

Kurtis "Slick" Heidolph
'09 ADR 11/28BMW F800GS

Bruce Gillies
'08 ADR 11/01
Suzuki V-Strom

Dan Baake
'09 ADR 12/05
Suzuki DR650

Scott Gibb
Suzuki DR650

Moss Rosen
'09 ADR 12/05
BMW R1150GS

Daniel Ackermann
BMW R1200GSA

Paul "Captain America" Beck
ER '09 ADR 11/28 - R6
BMW R1200GS

Daz Byard
BMW R1200GS

2009-12-09T19:04:00.000-08:00

VCARS IN WORDS & PICTURES

Inception (08/06/06) through 2009:

Ride Photos

Original Series - Adventure Day Rides

'06 ADR 08/06 -01 - EarthRider
'06 ADR 09/10 -02 - EarthRider
'06 ADR 09/10 -02 - Richard Stark
'06 ADR 11/05 -03 - EarthRider
'06 ADR 12/17 -04 - EarthRider
'07 ADR 01/14 -05 - EarthRider
'07 ADR 02/04 -06 - EarthRider
'07 ADR 02/04 -06 - Terry Eannetta
'07 ADR 03/04 -07 - EarthRider
'07 ADR 04/01 -08 - EarthRider
'07 ADR 11/04 -09 - Vadim Gold
'07 ADR 11/04 -09 - EarthRider
'07 ADR 12/02 -10 - Tony Lovegren
'07 ADR 12/02 -10 - EarthRider
'08 ADR 02/23 -11 - Steve DeCosta
'08 ADR 02/23 -11 - EarthRider
'08 ADR 02/23 -11 - Tony Lovegren
'08 ADR 05/24 -12 - Tony Lovegren
'08 ADR 05/24 -12 - EarthRider
'08 ADR 08/02 -13 - EarthRider

Original Series - Skilzdrills

'07 DSS 04/15 -1 - EarthRider
'07 DSS 09/02 -2 - EarthRider
'08 DSS 01/19 -3 - EarthRider
'08 DSS 03/08 -4 - Frederic Charpentier
'08 DSS 03/08 -4 - EarthRider
'08 DSS 04/26 -5 - Frederic Charpentier
'08 DSS 04/26 -5 - EarthRider
'08 DSS 05/10 -6 - Frederic Charpentier
'08 DSS 05/10 -6 - Tony Lovegren
'08 DSS 05/10 -6 - EarthRider
'08 DSS 06/21 -7 - EarthRider

Original Series - Dual Sport Overnights

'07 DSO 05/12 -1 - EarthRider
'08 DSO 03/28 -2 - Steve DeCosta
'08 DSO 03/28 -2 - Paul "Capt. America" Beck
'08 DSO 03/28 -2 - EarthRider

Original Series - Dual Sport Two-Ups

'07 DST 12/15 -1 - EarthRider
'08 DST 02/09 -2 - EarthRider
'08 DST 04/12 -3 - EarthRider
'08 DST 06/08 -4 - EarthRider
'08 DST 07/19 -5 - Arild Jensen
'08 DST 07/19 -5 - EarthRider

Series II - Adventure Day Rides

'08 ADR 09/27 -1 - Scott Leighty
'08 ADR 09/27 -1 - EarthRider
'08 ADR 11/01 -2 - Scott Leighty
'08 ADR 11/01 -2 - Wayne Tidwell
'08 ADR 11/01 -2 - EarthRider
'08 ADR 12/20 -3 - Paul "Magic Boots" Beck
'08 ADR 12/20 -3 - EarthRider
'09 ADR 01/03 -4 - Steve DeCosta
'09 ADR 01/03 -4 - EarthRider
'09 ADR 02/07 -5 - Wayne Tidwell
'09 ADR 02/07 -5 - Blake "Towstrap" Hill
'09 ADR 02/07 -5 - EarthRider
'09 ADR 03/07 -5b - EarthRider
'09 ADR 04/04 -6 - Frederic "Fredo" Charpentier
'09 ADR 04/04 -6 - EarthRider
'09 ADR 05/02 -7 - EarthRider
'09 ADR 06/06 -8 - Nick Sinclair
'09 ADR 06/06 -8 - EarthRider

[Adventure Day Ride terrain is now rated R1-R9.
Shop rides oscillate from R2-R5]

'09 ADR 07/11 R2 - Scott Leighty
'09 ADR 07/11 R2 - Kurtis Heidolph
'09 ADR 07/11 R2 - EarthRider
'09 ADR 08/01 R3 - Wayne Tidwell
'09 ADR 08/01 R3 - Nick Sinclair
'09 ADR 08/01 R3 - Kurtis Heidolph
'09 ADR 08/01 R3 - EarthRider
'09 ADR 09/05 R3 - Kurtis Heidolph
'09 ADR 09/05 R3 - EarthRider
'09 ADR 10/03 R4 - Kurtis Heidolph
'09 ADR 10/03 R4 - EarthRider
'09 ADR 11/07 R2 - Paul "Capt. America" Beck
'09 ADR 11/07 R2 - EarthRider

MISSED THE RIDE?
READ THE RECAP

Original Series - Adventure Day Rides

'06 ADR 08/06 -01 - Recap
'06 ADR 09/10 -02 - Recap
'06 ADR 11/05 -03 - Recap
'06 ADR 12/17 -04 - Recap
'07 ADR 01/14 -05 - Recap
'07 ADR 02/04 -06 - Recap
'07 ADR 03/04 -07 - Recap
'07 ADR 04/01 -08 - Recap
'07 ADR 11/04 -09 - Recap
'07 ADR 12/02 -10 - Recap
'08 ADR 02/23 -11 - Recap
'08 ADR 05/24 -12 - Recap

Series II - Adventure Day Rides

'08 ADR 09/27 -1 - EarthRider
'08 ADR 09/27 -1 - Phil Houtz
'08 ADR 11/01 -2 - EarthRider
'08 ADR 11/01 -2 - Phil Houtz: A - B

2009 ADRs

'09 ADR 07/11 R2 - EarthRider
'09 ADR 08/01 R3 - EarthRider
'09 ADR 09/05 R3 - EarthRider

Ride Videos

Original Series - Adventure Day Rides

'08 ADR 02/23 -11 - Tony Lovegren
'08 ADR 02/23 -11 - Steve DeCosta
'08 ADR 05/24 -12 - Tony Lovegren
'08 ADR 05/24 -12 - EarthRider
'08 ADR 08/02 -13 - EarthRider

The Original Series - Skilzdrills

'08 DSS 06/21 -7 - EarthRider

The Original Series - Dual Sport Overnights

'08 DSO 03/28 -2 - Steve DeCosta

The Original Series - Dual Sport Two-Ups

'08 DST 07/19 -5 - EarthRider

Msc. Rides - Frederic Chaprpentier
Msc. Rides - Tony Lovegren

'09 ADR 01/03 -4 - Terry Eannetta
'09 ADR 01/03 -4 - Steve DeCosta
'09 ADR 03/07 -5b - T. Eannetta: 1 2 3 4 5 6
'09 ADR 04/04 -6 - Frederic "Fredo" Charpentier
'09 ADR 05/02 -7 - EarthRider

'09 ADR 10/03 R4 - Kurtis Heidolph

Visit EarthRider's
YouTube Channel

'10 Adventure Day Ride 01/09 - R3

2009-12-09T17:17:00.000-08:00

SANTA BARBARA'S HOT SPRINGS

What
When
Where
To Register
Registration Fee

Dualsport Ride, R3, full day
Meet Saturday, 09 January, 7:30 AM
Meet @ BMW Motorcycles of Ventura County
email EarthRider
$25.00

[PLEASE NOTE: This ride is on the SECOND Saturday in January.
It is expected that future shop rides will continue to be scheduled on the SECOND Saturday of each month.]

Roadside riparian habitat in the mountains above Santa Barbara

Looking into the Santa Barbara
Backcountry

Water crossing near one of the
hot springs

January can be a cold month for riding in the mountains; no better time for an adventure ride that swings past two hot springs en route! We tempted fate in December with a high ridge ride in the Angeles National Forest, and lucked into epic riding conditions. In January we will head for a region known for somewhat milder weather, shorten our mileage a bit, and perhaps make time to soak cold toes in hot water around lunch time.

Break time under the trees

Exposed sweeping ridgeline curves
provide awesome ocean views!

Our route will include out-and-back sections offering broad ocean views some times, sweeping mountain vistas other times, smooth paved ridgeline curves and rough unpaved canyon fire roads. One section will "dead-end" for us at the bottom of an r6 climb - with a little luck one or two of our more experienced riders will demo intermediate climbing skills before we make the turnaround.

Pack a lunch or have Main Course California pack it for you:

Ham & Cheese Croissant
with lettuce, tomato, swiss cheese & Dijon mustard.
~or ~
Grilled Vegetable Sandwich
with hummus, chimichurri, & roasted vegetables on baguette.
~or ~
Roasted Turkey Sandwich
House Roasted Turkey, roasted red peppers, red onion marmalade &
arugula with herbed mayonnaise on baguette.

All options include a locally grown apple, homemade cookie for desert. Special diets happily accommodated. If you would like lunch prepared for you, please let us know by 07 January.

RIDE ROSTER

Jonathan Handler
Kawasaki KLR 650

Greg "I-Lean" Drevenstedt
VCARS - '09 ADR 11/07 - R3Kawasaki KLR 650

Paul "Captain America" Beck
'09 ADR 10/03BMW R1200GS

Kurtis "Slick" Heidolph
'09 ADR 11/07 - R3BMW F800GS

Mark "Duffy" Morong
'09 ADR 11/07 - R3BMW F650

Ken Tarallo
Kawasaki KLR650

Gary "Emmy" D'Amico
BMW X-Challenge

Neil Reynolds
BMW R1200GS

Adventure Day Ride 12/05 - R3

2009-11-13T17:43:00.000-08:00

ANGELES RIDGES

What
When
Where
To Register
Registration Fee
'09 ADR 12/05 Pages

Dualsport Ride, R3, full day
Meet Saturday, 05 December, 7:30 AM
Meet @ BMW Motorcycles of Ventura County
email EarthRider
$25.00
[Intro] [Recap] [Visual Media]

Looking back at the ascent
from a high Angeles ridgeline

Street shop ride leader Craig Leonard,
ascending the Angeles, back in his
rebel GS days...

Come explore the local high country on a long ridge run. Weather permitting, we will spend the day taking in the views both north & south, from the edge of the L.A. basin to Gorman.

November's R2 ride ended up with 4 short R3-4 sections. The December ride, by comparison, is expected to cover terrain that is generally just a bit more challenging than the vast majority of November's (R1-2) terrain, but will likely not include sections as challenging as the most difficult portions of the November ride. There will, however, be short sections where parallel trails offer heightened challenge for more experienced riders.

Lunch will be at a restaurant stop near the middle of the ride.

A little snow never hurt anybody
(if they were careful!)

A lot of snow will send us elsewhere
(snow is not R3!).

Winter weather is almost as challenging to plan a GS ride around as southern California fire season is! Snow in the Angeles will drive us into the Los Padres or lower. Updated information on a ride change will be posted here if necessary. Be advised; neither sleet nor snow nor storms of fire shall stop a BMW shop GS ride from happening - it may redirect it, or up the difficulty rating, however! always feel free to contact EarthRider if weather-related (or indeed any) questions arise as a ride date approaches.

Descending to the west after a satisfying day's adventure in the local high country.

RIDE ROSTER

Blake "Towstrap" Hill
EarthRider - '09 DSO 05/23BMW R1200GSA

Matt Austin
New to VCARS
Kawasaki KLR650

John Voorhis
ER - '09 DSS09 11/21 - Uphill
BMW R1200GS

Moss Rosen
EarthRider - Pvt. Instr.
BMW R1150GS

Dan Baake
'07 ADR 04/01
Suzuki DR650

2009 Adventure Day Ride 09/05 - R3 - Recap

2009-09-23T15:15:00.000-07:00

~~NORTH SANTA BARBARA-VENTURA LOOP~~ - POZO-CARRIZO LOOP

What
When
Where
To Register
Registration Fee
'09 ADR 09/05 Pages

Dualsport Ride, R3, full day
Meet Saturday, 05 September, 7:30 AM
Meet @ BMW Motorcycles of Ventura County
email EarthRider
$25.00
[Intro] [Roster] [Recap] [Slideshow]

Registration

“You’ve got your Leatherman mounted upside down on your backpack strap…”
“It’s ‘cuz I’m tactical.”

“My GPS says we’ve spent two & a half of the last 4 hours stationary.”

“Mom never liked this shirt anyway.”

BMW shop manager Pete Maclachlan
surveys the ragtag troops before
tossing them into the breach... Or
at least out of the shop...

We had good luck with the weather again in August. It was a little cool along the coast, and by the time we were inland enough to get warm, the sun was sinking. If this luck holds, we’ll be dodging the raindrops in February.

What started off as a surprisingly painless, traffic-free run up the coast became slightly spoiled a few short miles before we exited, when a driver flipped us off as he passed us, apparently disgruntled at our less-than-20-mph-over-the-limit pace. We left the bad freeway vibe behind on Rufugio Rd, enjoying the narrow twisting curves – which became slightly spoiled a few miles on when a slow driver flipped us all off as we passed by, apparently disgruntled at our less-than-15-mph-under-the-limit pace. So, inside a 5-minute time period, we were “visually assaulted” because a driver behind us had to change lanes in order to pass us, and because we changed lanes in order to pass a driver in front of us.

It was with tears of relief, then, that we crossed over from asphalt to dirt and loose rocks at the coastal ridgeline. The chucklehead factor is significantly lower off pavement. What a blessing, knobby tires!

The descent into the Santa Ynez Valley has beautiful views on offer, peeking now & then through the oak tree canopy of the steep hillside. A pair of dirt bikers passed us, waving 5 fingers each (rather than one) at us as they went by. This was the first dirt of the day, and the pass is a bit rough, so we regrouped when the pavement reasserted itself, & spent a few minutes rehydrating, adjusting packs & clothing layers, etc., before continuing on.

We spent a few brief, entertaining minutes passing slowly through Solvang & Buellton, and soon found ourselves free from town traffic on remote & narrow paved canyon roads. The scenery shifted back & forth; straight roadway leading up broad valleys, twisty blacktop winding through tight canyons. Coming out of one section of narrow curves, a small town revealed itself on the flatland below, flanked by the 101 Freeway. A quick refuel and a crossing of the superslab, & we were off again on the backroads.

Our route took us eventually to Foxen Cyn Rd, which we followed north, finally ending up on the freeway. A short stretch brought us to an early lunch stop in Arroyo Grande. AG is near to the coast; the weather was cool and comfortable – especially considering the dire heat predictions for the day. Ahead of ourselves, time-wise, we took it easy under roadside restaurant umbrellas, fielding questions about our bikes from other diners & passers by.

Finally, somehow, the potential energy of nine guys sitting still beside nine perfectly good motorcycles reached some sort of crescendo, and we all found ourselves following along eagerly with the traffic as it gradually dropped off with increased distance from town. The road lost the yellow stripes, then the white ones, getting narrower. Split rail fences appeared. Cows, horses, the pavement replaced by gravel, then dirt. A big brown sign marked the end of a string of redundant “No Trespassing” signs; we had left the real world and entered the National Forest.

Time has no meaning in our magical National Forests; good thing, too, because after what could possibly have seemed only a few minutes into the ride, Jeff Gillette got a flat tire. As artsy as he is magnetic, Jeff decided to build a cairn out of his motorcycle before we fixed it. That bike sat perfectly balanced on top of three rocks while, perhaps cursed by some evil cager from earlier in the morning, we spent hours and hours in inner tube hell, patching, pinching, removing, installing, re-removing, and jamming up the valve core. I think we R-&-I-ed that tube 5 times, while riders either helped or hindered or photographed, or simply snored, unknowingly laying on poison oak, their beards slowly growing…

I’d love to drag this bit of the story out a few pages for you but I’ve been there, for real, and I know how dangerously close it might bring you to self-immolation if I were to do that, so I will shorten the story by pointing out that less, I think, than a mile after we finally got Jeff’s bike rolling, he got another flat.

“Oh sure,” you are thinking, “the patch failed, or you pinched the tire again or something.”
Nope. Magneto drew unto his own tire yet another bit of sharp metal, so that none there of all the 18 tires or so were scathed at all, saving the rear tire only of Magneto’s own ride, to which all sharp metallic things are inexorably - we have since concluded – drawn.

No cairn this time. He really wanted to build a cairn, I think, but we tossed the back end over the side of the road, basically hi-centering his bike on the road edge, and with a little extra help now & then got the tire off, repaired the problem 2 or 3 times, and got the tire back on. I think it only took us forty-five minutes this time, maybe an hour.

As it turned out, we were only a mile or two from a planned rest stop, when Jeff got his second flat. As we filled up water containers at the stop, Steve “Rudolph” DeCosta observed, “My GPS says we’ve spent two and a half of the last 4 hours stationary.”

Did I mention this was one of the longest shop rides ever planned (er, and fixing flats wasn’t part of the plan)? We were in San Luis Obispo County, the sun was well over on the dark side of noon, and we had miles and miles to go just to reach the northernmost end of the Carrizo Plain – the southernmost end being quite a haul from the shop, as it is.

Interestingly enough, this worked out perfectly. The shadows were lengthening as we reached a vista point overlooking California Valley north of Soda Lake. It was quite warm; if we had reached the Carrizo at mid-day, we would have been crossing the sun’s anvil. As it was, the air cooled slowly as we continued south and found our way onto Elkhorn Rd in the Carrizo. Orange light and blue shadows set khaki grasses ablaze at the edge of the pale white granitic sand of the roadbed. A few short technical stretches of archaic roadway lead to fine, fast unpaved riding; sweeping turns, numerous dips into folds in the low hills, broad savannah views from the top of each rise. Comfort with partial traction and the ability to make use of short roadside berms can make these miles feel like a water ride at a theme park. Looking back, the westering sun set every rider’s small dust plume ablaze with light, yet already the land was dim enough that headlights stood out against the background as riders emerged from low sections of the trail.

By the time we reached Hwy 166, riders were low on fuel. The station en route to Ojai was closed. We detoured to Maricopa for gas. Neil Reynolds took the golden opportunity to head home on nearby I-5; most everyone else lived far enough up the coast that the ride to Ojai made better sense for them – besides, there’s the post-ride meal to think of…

It was just past nine pm when we finally slid into Ojai! It’s amazing how a little nail or two after lunch can end up drastically altering your dinner plans.

Ojai rolls up the sidewalks early, even on Saturday night; we checked a fistful of restaurants and found them all closed. It turned out that the only spot open in this town full of great food opportunities was… Carrow’s.

Teary-eyed for the second (or third) time on this overextended and misbegotten ride, we slouched into Carrow’s… Not. The Carrizo, and the always wonderful Hwy 33, had been such a delightful end to such a long day that Jeff had been thrice-blessed for altering our schedule; we were far too happy with the day not to carry it all into Carrow’s with us, eventually infecting the service staff enough that they stopped harrumphing at the last minute arrivals (Carrow’s wanted to close too), and even joined a bit in our joking now & then.

We even ordered dessert.

Where will we be riding in October? Place your bets…

Adventure Day Ride 11/07 - R2 - Roster

2009-09-13T14:45:00.000-07:00

THE CARRIZO PLAIN

What
When
Where
To Register
Registration Fee
'09 ADR 11/07 Pages

Dualsport Ride, R2, full day
Meet Saturday, 07 November, 7:30 AM
Meet @ BMW Motorcycles of Ventura County
email EarthRider
$25.00
[Intro] [Roster] [Recap] [Slideshow]

Sung Kim
EarthRider - '09 ADR 10/03
BMW R1200GSA

Gary "Emmy" D'Amico
EarthRider - '09 ADR 10/03
BMW R1200GSA

Mark Morong
New to VCARS!
BMW F650GS

Ken Tarallo
VCARS - '08 ADR 06Kawasaki KLR 650

John Voorhis
New to VCARS!
BMW R1200GSA

Greg "I-Lean" Drevenstedt
VCARS - '08 ADR 06KTMW-Stromasaki 850 (+/- 350) Whatever

Kurtis "Slick" Heidolph
EarthRider - '09 ADR 10/03BMW F800GS

Rachel Main
Death-Before-Dishonour Samurai Cooking ClassKawasaki Super Sherpa

Paul "Captain America" Beck
EarthRider - '09 ADR 10/03BMW R1200GS

Peter & Christa Neuper
EarthRider - VCARS - DST 01BMW R1200GSA

Neil Reynolds
EarthRider - '09 ADR 10/03BMW R1200GS

Phil Houtz
VCARS - '08 ADR 01BMW R1200GS

William Mace
New to VCARS!
BMW R1200GSA

Wayne "Crazyhorse" Tidwell
VCARS - '08 ADR 05BMW R1200GSA

Adventure Day Ride 11/07 - R2 - Intro

2009-09-13T14:36:00.000-07:00

THE CARRIZO PLAIN

What
When
Where
To Register
Registration Fee
'09 ADR 11/07 Pages

Dualsport Ride, R2, full day
Meet Saturday, 07 November, 7:30 AM
Meet @ BMW Motorcycles of Ventura County
email EarthRider
$25.00
[Intro] [Roster] [Recap] [Slideshow]

Big sky, easy riding. Welcome to the Carrizo Plain, a 180,000-acre national monument in, from a GS point of view, our own backyard.

This is a great ride for adventure bike riders with minimal or no previous experience with unpaved roads. Adventure riders with a modicum of off-pavement experience should feel free to bring a passenger.

Easy riding

Big sky

There is a lot to see and do here – and almost all of the roads are unpaved. After a refuel in Maricopa, we will tour some of the easier terrain, circumnavigate Soda Lake, and stop in at the Education Center. If you are into animal life, bring your binoculars; The Carrizo boasts a growing antelope population, and I’ve heard rumours of elk introduction to the area. Sandhill Cranes are one of a host of bird species known to winter on Soda Lake and other nearby water bodies. For more info on the Carrizo Plain, start HERE.

BYO lunch, or choose a gourmet sandwich creation from Main Course California (wrapped to survive even our most challenging rides):

H & C
Ham & Swiss cheese with lettuce, tomato, & Dijon mustard on a croissant
~or ~
Veggie
Grilled vegetable sandwich with hummus, chimichurri, $ roasted vegetables on a baguette
~or ~
Roasted Turkey Sandwich
House Roasted Turkey, roasted red peppers, red onion marmalade &
arugula with herbed mayo on a baguette

All options include a locally grown apple, & a homemade cookie for dessert.

Special diets happily accommodated. If you would like lunch prepared for you, please let us know by 1 October.

2009 Adventure Day Ride 10/03 - R3/4 - Roster

2009-09-13T10:33:00.000-07:00

ANYWHERE NOT ON FIRE

What
When
Where
To Register
Registration Fee
'09 ADR 10/03 Pages

Dualsport Ride, R3/4, full day
Meet Saturday, 03 October, 7:30 AM
Meet @ BMW Motorcycles of Ventura County
email EarthRider
$25.00
[Intro] [Roster] [Recap] [Slideshow]

Paul "Captain America" Beck
ER - '08 DSO 12/05
BMW R1200GS

Gary "Emmy" D'Amico
2009 Emmy Awards Ceremony
BMW R1200GSA

Neil Reynolds
'09 ADR 09/05BMW R1200GS

Kurt Heidolph
EarthRider - ADR 09/19

BMW F800GS

Sung Kim
'09 ADR 09/05
BMW R1200GSA

Nick SinclairSuzuki V-Strom

2009 Adventure Day Ride 10/03 - R3/4 - Intro

2009-09-12T19:34:00.000-07:00

ANYWHERE NOT ON FIRE

What
When
Where
To Register
Registration Fee
'09 ADR 10/03 Pages

Dualsport Ride, R3/4, full day
Meet Saturday, 03 October, 7:30 AM
Meet @ BMW Motorcycles of Ventura County
email EarthRider
$25.00
[Intro] [Roster] [Recap] [Slideshow]

This will be the last incrementally more challenging ride before we begin at the beginning again in November. Or it might be no more challenging than the September ride: Our desire to create a ride that eases us into the intermediate skill range has taken a back seat to a new goal: For October, we'll be happy if we just get to ride somewhere that has not yet burst into flames.

Mountains?

Deserts?

In fact, we don't even want to get too hot: If the weather turns out mild in the first week of October, we will do an r4 ride to the town of Mojave. But if the heat is on, we will be traversing what small portion of the Angeles National Forest is still green; an r3 ride. Either ride will have a restaurant lunch stop. We've lucked out with the weather thus far this year, if luck holds, we'll be making a foray into the high desert just as Autumn approaches.

2009 Adventure Day Ride 08/01 - R3 - Recap

2009-08-13T16:24:00.000-07:00

NORTH LOS PADRES

What
When
Where
To Register
Registration Fee
'09 ADR 08/01 Pages

Dualsport Ride, R3, full day
Meet Saturday, 01 August, 7:30 AM
Meet @ BMW Motorcycles of Ventura County
email EarthRider
$25.00
[Intro] [Roster] [Recap] [Slideshow]

Registration

Photos by Nick Sinclair & Wayne Tidwell

“…And then there were none…”
- Paul “Capt. America” Beck

Got off Scott free again in August. Just like July, temperatures were predicted to be in the 90’s, yet we had perfectly comfortable weather almost everywhere we went.

An even dozen set out from BMW Motorcycles of Ventura County for the August shop DS ride. You’ve gotta love a pastime in which the highly skilled practitioners and the first-time novices can all go out together and have a great time. Such was our group. Experienced slab riders almost entirely new to unpavement, veteran adventure riders bringing their own dust along with them, ex-dirt-bikers trying to figure out what to do with the extra 350 pounds, women comparing ways of handling the industry tendency to build bikes to fit men, and under them all, a host of interesting makes, models, and modifications.

It’s often hard to leave the shop; there’s always plenty to gab about, last minute items to grab off the shelves, another half a donut left in the box by the coffee machine. But sooner or later Captain America starts yelling “kickstands up!” and we begin to remember why we came. After a short pre-ride briefing we lined our idling bikes up against the curb across from the shop, waved a teary goodbye to manager Pete MacLachlan, and headed for the freeway.

We rode north to Hwy 33 at the west end of Ventura, getting comfortable in the group, comfortable with the bikes, loosening up. A short ways up 33 we made a quick fuel stop and picked up our pre-packaged lunches in Ojai, along with chef Rachel Main, the caterer, who sometimes rides with us.

33 was beautiful as ever – except for the flatbed driver who seemed to want to push Wayne Tidwell off the far road shoulder rather than let him pass. Wayne didn’t care, really; “Plenty of space in the dirt on the shoulder…” It’s good to be a GS rider.

Next came the rice-burner blazing past our lead group in a straightaway, inches off. He was allowed to pull away a little, before he got reeled in, but after it became clear that the leaders of our group were cornering faster on their TKC 80’s than the crotch-rocketeer was on his street bike, interest dropped. There was too much scenery to enjoy, and that required slower riding. The group eventually pulled off at a turnout at the top of the pass leading into the Cuyama Valley. It was not long before the whole group was enjoying the view of the mountains to the north, grabbing snacks, and taking off layers now that the day was heating up.

Lockwood Valley Road is always good for a surprise or two, whether it’s a deer in the road, a washout, or water in the river crossings. This time it was sand & gravel in the corners, and one section, just around a bend at the top of a rise, where the road was completely gone, replaced with an expanse of dirt and small rocks. Just after this point the road descends into Lockwood Valley, but before it did, we turned off to begin the first unpaved portion of the day.

A short, narrow, twisty climb covered in tarmac lead to a turnout beyond which the pavement was replaced by manicured gravel. After a short stop at the turnout we set off into the wilds. We were fairly widely spaced, because of the dust. The scenery became a patchwork of pine forest, green meadow, and chaparral. Quail dodged off the road as we rounded turns. The road reached the edge of a high, tree-covered plateau, overlooking a low wide valley, the road visible below, ribonning along the edge of a meadow before disappearing into tall trees.

Dan Genter & Kurt Heidolf both took the first water crossing with considerable speed. It turned out to be quite deep; from the sound of things, Dan got a little water in the old air box. We have learned that the air box opening is a little low on the R1200GS; take care in the water crossings, and just in case, make sure your tool kit has the deep socket you need for removing the spark plugs.

Deep & rocky though it was, the entire group managed the crossing without serious mishap. We were in an area of road spurs that lead to camping or hiking areas. We followed a spur or two, enjoying the feel of the air, of the gentle roll of the terrain passing underneath us, the smell of trees. Near the end of one spur is a group of small camping areas interspersed among tall Jeffrey pines. We chose this as our lunch stop.

There is a trick involved in getting to this camp. That trick is the deep sand at the intersection where the spur leading to the camp leaves the main road. Of course, there is another trick as well, and that is the rocky dry crossing just beyond the sand. Then, after the short steep climb with ruts and silt, you are home free.

Someone has to be sacrificed to the dual sport gods on each ride and this time it was Cris Jones. Cris has a plethora of paved riding experience, and this was just about his first time seeing how that translated into dirt language. Not with total clarity, apparently; the sand he handled, the rocky crossing he crossed, yet the silted ruts on the steep section claimed their offering.

The nice thing about falling in silt is that everybody sees the huge plume of dust. On our rides, since everyone sees that you went down, that means you usually end up with plenty of help getting up. In this case, the immediate stop in the shade for lunch was an added benefit; it’s always nice to take a breather after picking up an adventure bike.

There was a lot of chitchat over lunch. What sticks in my mind most is Sienna Bourke’s tale of going from experienced street rider to inexperienced but highly motivated dual sport rider; with just 2-3 dual sport rides under her belt, she has scheduled to participate in a multi-day enduro ride in South America this Autumn.

Our lunch stop appears to be the end of the line, road-wise, but in fact there is a trail that continues on for quite a ways. In fact, one could actually reach Frazier Park, or even I-5, from where we were – southwest of Lockwood Valley – without touching pavement. You just have to be a really good rider, is all. A few of us decided to do a little recon, before we packed up and left lunch in search of whatever was to come after. We went down the trail about a quarter of a mile. It seemed to turn into a narrow but easily navigable jeep trail – just after the dry sandy stream crossing with the huge embedded boulders. Which came just after the gravelly bit with the 20 feet of jagged bedrock and large loose stones. Which came just after the silty stretch of single-track under the pine trees. Which came just after the deeply rutted water crossing with the near-vertical climb-out on one side. Which was just round the bend from the deep mixed sand & silt climb-out from the previous water crossing, which was merely a field of small rocks hidden under 6 inches of water.

Interestingly enough, it seemed that all of us who went to have a look actually wanted to continue on… but we had other fish to fry. We rode back through the narrow gravelly stretch with the 20 feet of jagged bedrock and large loose stones, the silty single-track bit under the pine trees, the deeply rutted water crossing with the near-vertical climb-out on one side, and the deep mixed sand & silt climb-out from the previous water crossing, which was merely a field of small rocks hidden under 6 inches of water, and rejoined the main group, which then, en masse, had a great time riding back out through the first water crossing and the valleys and up the winding climb to the plateau and past the nervous, fluttering quail, and down the winding narrow paved road, back to Lockwood Valley, which we descended into and crossed, heading for Frazier Park.

Before reaching Frazier Park, we made a hard left at Cuddy Valley, and ended up riding through the mountain-resort-ish town of Pine Mountain Club. After a fuel stop we continued northwest on pavement and soon began to descend. Before we had gone too far, though, we turned on Quatal Canyon Road.

Quatal Canyon has broad appeal. The main drag is unpaved; a fire road at its eastern end, it winds down the side of a narrow canyon until it reaches the floor of the broader valley below, where it becomes a wide, graded dirt road surrounded by forest. This section is almost all straight as a die, with a turn every 5 miles or so for good measure. There are innumerable large water bars along the road, which are fun at any speed, and of great use at higher speeds if you have a desire to get your tires off the ground. As the road nears the Cuyama Valley it becomes a veritable unpaved freeway; wide, well packed, regularly watered & tended, It leads down with gentle turns through chaparral and into vineyards, before ending beside a lonesome shade tree at its intersection with Hwy 33.

If none of that is your cup of tea, there are other options. Numerous unpaved side spurs exist, generally going nowhere, which can be a nice place to visit on an adventure bike. There is also the riverbed, which is a designated Forest trail. The riverbed trail leaves the main trail just before the main trail leaves the twisty, hilly section. For some time, it appears nearly impossible to ride – just a trackless narrow dry creekbed. Further down, it becomes a jeep-wide sandy track in a slightly wider dry streambed. This eventually pours into a major (and usually dry) sandy riverbed, which affords a wide expanse of sand, sand, sand. Great riding – if you’ve uploaded your sand-riding skills module, that is.

We opted to split up where the trails split; for some distance, the two options parallel each other a short ways apart, allowing the fire road riders to watch from the comfort of their motorcycle seats as the others flail around in the creekbed. It was a perfect opportunity for the more experienced riders in search of a challenge to test their mettle, while others could relax, ride slow, and enjoy the entertainment.

The Captain & Wayne were shoe-ins for the creek route. Chef Rachel, Dan Genter, and Kurt Heidolf joined them. The rest of us rolled along the fire road, taking photos and passing remarks. Going was slow down there in the creek, and the riders got spread out pretty quickly. Soon it looked like Paul was down there all by himself. “And then there were none,” he said to himself, maneouvering through a tricky sandy section, no one in sight ahead or behind. A little further down, though, Rachel was waiting in the shade of a pinyon. The two carried on together, & I high-tailed it down the main road to check up on the rest of the group.

The plan was to regroup at Hwy 33, and under the shade tree at the intersection is where I found the rest of the now very dirty dozen. This was the beginning of the end, the last stop before the long leg toward Ojai & our homes beyond. It was clear by our parking job under the tree that the day’s riding had created a comfortable, cohesive group out of us. We relaxed there in the shade, snacking on lunch’s leftovers, oohing & ahhing about different high points of the day. Just when we started to be concerned with where our last 2 riders were, we saw dust on the road behind. It was Captain America, but sans Chef Rachel. Apparently, she had stopped to reattach her tail bag, and Paul had somehow come to the conclusion that she was in front of him. We waited several more minutes, but she failed to appear. Finally Wayne & I headed back, one to take the riverbed route, and one the main route. The person-hunt was on.

We had just hit freeway speeds when ahead of us, we again saw dust billowing on the long, straight final section of Quatal Canyon Road. It was clear in a moment that it was The Chef. Wayne & I about-faced and flanked her to the shade tree. She had thought The Captain was behind her, and had waited quite some time for him to catch up before she decided he might well be in front. She rode down the remaining 10 miles of riverbed alone. “It was a blast!”

After the stragglers had a bit of rest we cruised 33 southward in the afternoon light, bringing the ride to an easy, scenic close. Most of us stayed on in Ojai for an après-moto recovery stop at Antonio’s restaurant – but not Wayne; “I’ve got an off-the-grid cabin in northern Idaho. Leaving tomorrow morning.” He did say one other thing though: “I’ll be back in time for next month’s ride!”

'09 Adventure Day Rides - July - December - Slideshows

2009-07-31T17:23:00.000-07:00

Click any slideshow to play it. Click any displayed image to open it in another window. Images are downloadable in full size. Images that appear smaller than usual -- do not fill up the slideshow frame in at least one direction -- are actually VIDEOS. TO watch, click on the image. This will open up the album in your browser and begin buffering the video.

HOW TO ACCESS FULL-SIZED IMAGES:

Click the image you like while it is showing on the slideshow. This should open a browser page showing the picture in one of EarthRider's Picasa galleries. Right-click the image and choose "Copy image address" or whatever is most like that, from the drop-down menu. Paste the URL you just copied into the address bar of your browser & click return. You should see the image by itself. If the URL you pasted has a piece that looks like this

/s800/

delete the s, the number, and one slash. Then hit return again. You should see the full size image.

Do you have images (or video, or stories) from one of our rides? Contact me about including them in "VCARS in Words & Pictures".

'09 ADR 07/11 - Pinyons & Single-Track
[All photos this album by Scott Leighty]

'09 ADR 08/01 - North Los Padres

'09 ADR 09/05 - Pozo-Carrizo Loop

'09 ADR 10/03 - Mojave

'09 ADR 11/07 - The Carrizo Plain

'09 ADR 12/05 - Angeles Ridges

2009 Adventure Day Ride 07/11 - R2 - Recap

2009-07-31T16:46:00.000-07:00

TRY A LITTLE GELÄNDE WITH THAT STRAßE.

What
When
Where
To Register
Registration Fee
'09 ADR 07/11 Pages

Dualsport Ride, R2, partial day
Meet Saturday, 11 July, 7:30 AM
Meet @ BMW Motorcycles of Ventura County
email EarthRider
$25.00
[Intro] [Roster] [Recap] [Slideshow]

July’s shop ride marked the beginning of a new era for BMWoVC shop rides; instead of actively attempting to annihilate as many motorcyclists and motorcycle parts as possible, we went for what was certainly the most civilized dual sport ride in the history of the Ventura County Adventure Ride Series.

To no avail.

Three falls – one in a stream crossing riders were warned about at the pre-ride meeting. Not that it is a particularly intimidating crossing: We’re talking less than an inch of water here, spread two feet wide, tops, over the concrete paving. It just goes to show that no matter how easy it looks, …. Well, it isn’t.

Oddly enough, it’s the shallow water and the flat, supposedly easy-to-ride-on concrete that create the problem: Algae grows really well, given a steady supply of sunlight and water. So a nice sunny, shallow, paved crossing is about the worst thing imaginable. The algae coat the concrete, which then, being so smooth, provides precisely NO traction. So you enter the crossing at perpendicular to the flow of water, clutch in, no brake, no turning, and you shouldn’t have a problem.

Steve Edgecombe had a problem; he did everything right & fell over anyway. It turns out that this particular crossing is sloped to one side; it drops at least, oh, an inch or two every yard, in a couple of foot-long sections… So if you cross at the wrong spot, you may be sitting bolt upright and your bike might be perfectly perpendicular relative to the pull of gravity, the planets may be in line, the entrails may be favourable, your tea leaves impeccably in order; but like it as not you are going down, boy. Because, you see, since there is that tiny little tilt, that is allowing the water to flow in a certain direction, you may be perpendicular to the force of gravity, but you are leaning, ever so slightly, relative to the road surface. And so you end up on your butt in 5/8” of water.

This is not a safe sport, we are engaged in, here.

Like lightning, knowing about the issue doesn’t help – as I said, we talked about it at the pre-ride. In fact, teaching a student the next week in the same area, I nearly fell in myself. It just happens… Like weddings, or tidal waves.

What can help – and this is the primary (and admittedly indirect) way that riding skill applies in this case – is speed. Going over such a crossing at, say, 18-20 miles an hour, your bike simply doesn’t have the time to slide anywhere. So, as general riding skill improves – and as a result, average riding speed increases – tiny, seemingly insignificant crossings like this one actually tend to become, tiny, and insignificant.

But until then… One down in the crossing.

Next was the silt beds. If you’ve watched Dust To Glory, you really know what silt can be like. What the movie glosses over is that a silt bed doesn’t have to be three feet deep to be a serious problem. We hit a few patches that were all less than 3 inches deep. Two riders went down.

Silt is like a big, hairy, hungry bear: Never terribly safe to tangle with but as long as you’re faster than the person you’re with, you should get on all right. This is because if the first rider makes it through the silt without succumbing to the tendency of the front tire to get lost and go looking for the rear tire in vain hopes of reorienting itself before carrying on by passing both the rear tire and itself, the second rider won’t even see the silt coming, because most of it will be in the air by the time that rider gets there. He may well end up in the bushes on the side of the road simply because he suddenly found he could no longer see. Anything.

On the whole, however, it was a lovely ride. Of note, we had our youngest rider yet, and he’s likely to hold the title for quite a while. At seventeen, Justin Genter just about cut the record in half. He & his father Dan both ride like they’ve done it a while. Street riding classes & dirt bike experience both help.

Steve Edgecombe & Daniel Ackermann lent an international flair to the day. A Brit & a – is there a short pithy term for some one from South Africa? – together they make up (so I’m told) a highly competitive pounding team, although I am pretty sure they mainly compete against each other. Daniel has survived through more than one VCARS ride, not to mention the thrice-dreaded EarthRider Tire Lofting Skilzdrill class, and served as a competent & much-appreciated ride sweeper for the majority of the ride. Steve was often just in front of Dan; if you turned your engine off and coasted, you could hear them, a switchback below, passing jokes in engaging accents. Personally, I suspect that Steve fell over because of something funny Daniel said, and not because of the algae at all. Perhaps it was an off joke about David Attenborough’s son, which would satisfy both criteria.

But I digress; where did we go? What did we do?

We started out with a cruise through agricultural areas in Somis; orchards, rows of Eucalyptus, scenery fit to distract you from the raccoon carcass just your side of the centerline… Everybody missed that, luckily, and we popped out onto Grimes Canyon Road without mishap. Grimes is tight and steep and twisty, providing great views if you are gutsy enough to take your eyes off the road. It’s only a few minutes from there to Fillmore, where we made a brief stop before heading north out of town, paralleling the Sespe river gorge.

Just before the perfectly normal road becomes steep, narrow, pot-holed, twisty, and extremely exposed, we made another brief halt to shed layers and for some, a few psi as well.

Speaking of international flair, that’s when the ninja attack came. Chun Lai, ostensibly Chinese, is shown here reaching for a throwing star in his tail bag. We were all dead so fast we still haven’t stopped twitching, which explains how we were all able to continue the ride and indeed, how I am able to write this. Many thanks to Chun Lai for his professionalism. Can I collect on my life insurance yet?

In actuality, of course, it was probably a power bar or a pressure gauge or something, that Chun was digging for here. I don’t recall, but I do recall thinking that this picture offers me an ideal opportunity to mention how incredibly useful a balaclava (or Buff, or, say, whatever they call that thing that ninjas wear in all the movies) is as a piece of riding clothing: They keep your neck warm on cold mornings and help keep air from blowing through your helmet. When it’s hot, they help keep the sun off your neck, or – soaked in water – they help keep you cool. Aside from that, I am sure I have avoided more than one bee sting, when the bee impacted my Buff, instead of my neck or cheek. In a pinch, they make a passable goggle / visor wipe. If you have a black one you look cool, and if you have a white one you can whip it off and wave it over your head when the Harley riders turn up and they have to at least parlay; that’s the rules. Furthermore, if you are on a multi-day and your tent gets washed away during a deep river crossing so you are sleeping out at night and it is cold as hell and the moon is SO freakin’ bright that you feel like you’re being interrogated, you can pull it on just down over your eyes, and it will keep your head warm and block the light.

Black ones are best for this, in my experience.

The list is endless.

Where was I?

Up the road we went. The first few miles pass through an oil field, which can be confusing on account of all the dead-end spurs leading to smelly oil pumping apparati. Luck was with us, for nearly every such spur boasted a closed gate. The entire navigational issue being thus eliminated, we simply relaxed and enjoyed the ride – up through the water crossings, the silt beds, etc., and on, northward into the Los Padres mountains, and Condor Country.

We did not see condors. We did see several places where one might see a condor, and several places where we would have liked to see a condor. But to sum it up, we eventually reached the end of the road – for this road does end, at a cul-de-sac of sorts, in the middle of small valley surrounded by high mountains – and after a few minutes to catch our breaths & chew the fat, as it were, we turned around. Scott Leighty was nice enough to bring his camera, and took several photos, including this group shot we did on the way back down to Fillmore (as well as all the rest of the photos in this recap. Thanks again, Scott!)

On the way back, in a sudden fit of sadism, I swerved into the deepest silt bed and hit the throttle. Kurt Heidolf and I had been talking about the silt beds, and I thought… Um, I thought he might like to see just how silty the air can get, when you ride through silt at speed… Yeah, that was it. Just a short ways behind me at the time, Kurt managed his F800 with aplomb, through and beyond my silt bomb. We continued to lead the pack, back down the steep, winding, semi-paved road, now affording us grand views of the Santa Clara Valley, and even the Oxnard plain. On a clear day, you can see the ocean from this road.

Back in Fillmore, we took advantage of one of several excellent Mexican food opportunities available to us. Cold horchata and huge burritos. This was, in fact, the shortest shop dualsport ride yet, and still we worked up quite an appetite.

Thanks to all who participated and made the ride what it was. Hope to see you all soon!

2009 Adventure Day Ride 09/05 - R3 - Roster

2009-07-31T14:17:00.000-07:00

NORTH SANTA BARBARA-VENTURA LOOP

What
When
Where
To Register
Registration Fee
'09 ADR 09/05 Pages

Dualsport Ride, R3, full day
Meet Saturday, 05 September, 7:30 AM
Meet @ BMW Motorcycles of Ventura County
email EarthRider
$25.00
[Intro] [Roster] [Recap] [Slideshow]

Registration

Sung Kim
BMW R1200GSA

Paul "Captain America" Beck
'08 ADR 04BMW R1200GS

Nick Sinclair
'09 ADR 08/01
Suzuki V-Strom

Kurtis Heidolph
BMW F800GS

Neil Reynolds
ER - '09 DSS 03bBMW R1200GS

Steve DeCosta
ER - '08 DSO 12/05KTM 690 Enduro

Mike Purcell
Husqvarna TE610

2009 Adventure Day Ride 09/05 - R3 - Intro

2009-07-31T13:24:00.000-07:00

NORTH SANTA BARBARA-VENTURA LOOP

What
When
Where
To Register
Registration Fee
'09 ADR 09/05 Pages

Dualsport Ride, R3, full day
Meet Saturday, 05 September, 7:30 AM
Meet @ BMW Motorcycles of Ventura County
email EarthRider
$25.00
[Intro] [Roster] [Recap] [Slideshow]

Registration

[Updated 08/24/09 - See Update Below]

We'll be passing through Solvang,
this trip.

Paved canyon terrain
NW of Solvang.

Start September off with a great ride! Our route sends us looping through northern Santa Barbara & Ventura counties. A brief coastal cruise will take us to a mountain pass on mixed surfaces, leading into the Santa Ynez valley. We’ll wind through narrow canyons en route to a restaurant lunch stop northwest of Los Olivos. Bring snacks as well though; a long and remote unpaved section follows. The afternoon should see us turning south again in the Cuyama area, weighing the paved / unpaved options there.

All for whom time allows are welcome to join in a restaurant dinner stop in Ojai, near the tail end of our return trip.This is an incredibly scenic ride, yet the skill level required is quite moderate. Don’t miss it!

Sierra Madre Ridgeline in afternoon light.

Update

Most of the unpaved sections of this route, and the surrounding forest, have just been burned, and will almost surely be closed for the remainder of the fire season. Our backup route will take us north, beyond the Santa Ynez Valley, into the backcountry of southern San Luis Obispo County! All the terrain in this area is new to the BMWoVC shop ride series.

Our homeward leg will bring us down to the Carrizo Plain from the northwest. This area has much to offer; our fairly direct route - miles of unpaved riding - nevertheless constitutes a simple introduction to the area, which we will be exploring more broadly later in the year.

2009 Adventure Day Ride 08/01 - R3 - Roster

2009-07-24T12:27:00.000-07:00

NORTH LOS PADRES

What
When
Where
To Register
Registration Fee
'09 ADR 08/01 Pages

Dualsport Ride, R3, full day
Meet Saturday, 01 August, 7:30 AM
Meet @ BMW Motorcycles of Ventura County
email EarthRider
$25.00
[Intro] [Roster] [Recap] [Slideshow]

Registration

Ken Tarallo
'08 ADR 01
Kawasaki KLR 650

Gary D'Amico
'08 ADR 03
BMW R1200GSA

Wayne Tidwell
'08 ADR 02
BMW R1200GSA

Sienna Bourke
{No photo available}
Honda XL650

Rachel Main
Kawasaki Super Sherpa

Kurt Heidolph
'09 ADR 07/11
BMW F800GS

Paul "Captain America" Beck
ER - 3rd Annual Mojave 3-day
BMW R1200GS

Peter Neuper
World Tour of Thailand
BMW R1200GSA

Cris Jones
{No photo available}
BMW R1200GS

Daniel Genter
'09 ADR 07/11
BMW R1200GSA

Nick Sinclair
Suzuki V-Strom

2009 Adventure Day Ride 08/01 - R3 - Intro

2009-07-24T11:16:00.000-07:00

NORTH LOS PADRES

What
When
Where
To Register
Registration Fee
'09 ADR 08/01 Pages

Dualsport Ride, R3, full day
Meet Saturday, 01 August, 7:30 AM
Meet @ BMW Motorcycles of Ventura County
email EarthRider
$25.00
[Intro] [Roster] [Recap] [Slideshow]

Registration

Morning paved terrain.

This introductory ride will take north through Ventura County and beyond for a day of long sweeping mountain road curves, en route to some of the north Los Padres' more manageable unpaved – and, well... pseudo-paved – roads. This ride is considerably longer than the July ride, and the level of technical challenge is about the same.

Enticing signage.

Although experienced riders can change the level of challenge of any ride with a slight movement of the wrist, the route for this ride has been chosen to be within the abilities of riders with no off-pavement experience. Whatever your level of ability, we are in for some beautiful scenery.

Our lunch stop locale will be in the middle of nowhere. We have arranged the option of a pre-packaged gourmet lunch prepared for you by The Main Course. What BMW is to adventure bikes, this menu is to brown-bagging:

Chicken Caprese
free range herbed chicken, caesar dressing, lettuce, tomato, and basil.
~or ~
BLTA
Apple-wood smoked bacon, local lettuce, sun-dried tomatoes, avocado, and herbed mayo.
~or ~
Roasted Turkey Sandwich
House Roasted Turkey, roasted red peppers, red onion marmalade &
arugula with herbed mayo.

All sandwiches served on a baguette. All options include a locally grown apple, homemade cookie for desert. Vegetarian / other special diets happily accommodated. If you would like lunch prepared for you, please let us know by 30 July.

Joe Petersen sweeping the field on one of our unpaved sections. '08 ADR 01

2009 Adventure Day Ride 07/11 - R2 - Roster

2009-05-11T14:47:00.000-07:00

TRY A LITTLE GELÄNDE WITH THAT STRAßE.

What
When
Where
To Register
Registration Fee
'09 ADR 07/11 Pages

Dualsport Ride, R2, partial day
Meet Saturday, 11 July, 7:30 AM
Meet @ BMW Motorcycles of Ventura County
email EarthRider
$25.00
[Intro] [Roster] [Recap] [Slideshow]

Chun Lai
BMW R1200GS

Daniel Ackermann
BMW R1200GSA

Steve Edgecombe
BMW R1200GSA

Kurtis Heidolph
BMW F800GS

Scott Leighty
BMW R1200GS

Daniel Genter
BMW R1200GSA

Justin Genter
BMW R1200GS

2009 Adventure Day Ride 07/11 - R2 - Intro

2009-05-11T14:06:00.000-07:00

TRY A LITTLE GELÄNDE WITH THAT STRAßE.

What
When
Where
To Register
Registration Fee
'09 ADR 07/11 Pages

Dualsport Ride, R2, partial day
Meet Saturday, 11 July, 7:30 AM
Meet @ BMW Motorcycles of Ventura County
email EarthRider
$25.00
[Intro] [Roster] [Recap] [Slideshow]

Going, going, gone. Transitioning
from pavement to dirt.

You might be using more than 10% of your brain, but if you’re an obligate slab rider, you and your GS are only using 10% of the roads available to you!

On July 11th the BMWoVC shop ride series begins anew, with a short-day ride designed to introduce new adventure bike riders to the other 90% of roads available to us – the unpaved ones. Our scenic Ventura County back road ride will carry us over increasingly deteriorated paving until finally, there just isn’t any left.

The unpaved terrain on this ride is rated 2 (r2) on a scale of 1-9: R1 riding, with one or two slightly more challenging sections of about 20-200 feet in length; just enough to get you curious about what you and your GS are really capable of. All riders are welcome; riders with a modicum of gelände experience are welcome to bring passengers. More experienced riders will be able to up the ride rating for themselves on this out-and-back trip by getting out in front and applying judicious throttle control.

You may want a camera & some snacks; our Los Padres mountains turnaround point affords the opportunity for a short hike, or lounging & chit chat, and possibly a condor sighting. Likewise, break time is a great time for novice riders to pick the brains of the more experienced; if you have questions about off-pavement technique, always feel free to ask the ride leader!

There will be an optional restaurant lunch stop on the homeward leg of the ride.

"Nothing personal, but, just die, okay?" Gymnogyps californianus: Patient bird, horrible breath.

'08 Adventure Day Rides 07-08 - Slideshows

2009-05-07T14:33:00.000-07:00

HOW TO ACCESS FULL-SIZED IMAGES:

/s800/

'08 ADR 07

'08 ADR 08

2009-06/06 - Adventure Day Ride 08 - Roster

2009-04-30T16:52:00.000-07:00

MOUNTAINS & DESERTS

What
When
Where
To Register
Registration Fee
'08 ADR 08 Pages

Dualsport Ride, full day
Meet Saturday, 06 June, 7:30 AM
Meet @ BMW Motorcycles of Ventura County
email EarthRider
$25.00
[Intro] [Roster] [Recap] [Slideshow]

Laura Smith, Blake "Towstrap" Hill
'08 ADR '07
Honda CRF230, BMW R1200GSA

Jerome Smith
'08 ADR 07

BMW F800GS

Daniel Ackermann
BMW R1200GSA
{no photo yet}

Gary D'Amico
ER - 'o9 DSS 05
BMW X-Challenge

Ken Tarallo
'08 ADR 06
Kawasaki KLR 650

Peter & Christa Neuper
DST 05
BMW R1200GSA

2009-06/06 - '08 Adventure Day Ride 08 - Intro

2009-04-30T16:46:00.000-07:00

MOUNTAINS & DESERTS

What
When
Where
To Register
Registration Fee
'08 ADR 08 Pages

Dualsport Ride, full day
Meet Saturday, 06 June, 7:30 AM
Meet @ BMW Motorcycles of Ventura County
email EarthRider
$25.00
[Intro] [Roster] [Recap] [Slideshow]

Descending through the southern Sierra foothills

BMWoVC’s adventure ride series is being re-vamped! This will be the last ride in this series. Future series will still include rides of gradually increasing difficulty. Each series will last 3-4 months.

ADR 08 will be less technical than ADR 07, and longer – perhaps our longest ride yet. The terrain will be rich & varied. We will visit the southern tip of the Sierras before crossing the westernmost portion of the Mojave Desert on our homeward journey.

Contrary to the BMWoVC Newsletter, we will be making a restaurant lunch stop for this ride. It’s a long ride; bring snacks too!

2009-03/07 - '08 Adventure Day Ride 05b - Roster

2009-02-09T12:15:00.001-08:00

SAND WITHOUT SNOW - For real, this time

What
When
Where
To Register
Registration Fee
'08 ADR 05b Pages

Dualsport Ride, full day
Meet Saturday, 07 Mar, 7:30 AM
Meet @ BMW Motorcycles of Ventura County
email EarthRider
$25.00
[Intro] [Roster] [Recap] [Slideshow]

Paul "Captain America" Beck
ER '08 DSO 12/05

BMW R1200GS

Greg Drevenstedt
'08 ADR 03
Kawasaki KLR 650

Laura Smith
ER - '09 DSS 03b

Honda CRF230

Neil Reynolds
'ER - '09 DSS 03b
BMW R1200 GS

Mark Morong
{New to EarthRider; no photo}
BMW F650GS

2009-03/07 - '08 Adventure Day Ride 05b - Intro

2009-02-09T12:15:00.000-08:00

SAND WITHOUT SNOW - For real, this time

What
When
Where
To Register
Registration Fee
'08 ADR 05b Pages

Dualsport Ride, full day
Meet Saturday, 07 Mar, 7:30 AM
Meet @ BMW Motorcycles of Ventura County
email EarthRider
$25.00
[Intro] [Roster] [Recap] [Slideshow]

Our February ride, Sand Without Snow, an attempt to avoid mud caused by recent rains, turned into Sand, Mud, Rain, Fog, Sleet, Hail, Huge Puddles, AND Snow (check out the photos in VCARS In Words & Pictures, below).

"Do-over! I call, Do-over!"

We'll try that one again, for March, pushing back our other planned rides. Early spring will be a great time for taking in the spectacular views offered along this route - in dryer conditions. Expect a sandy section - complete with go-around - a little easy single track, and incredible views from many miles of high mountain fire roads.

Lunch will take place out in the boonies, as usual: Pack your own, or choose from this menu of pre-packed gourmet lunch options provided by Main Course California:

Ham & Cheese Croissant
Thick-sliced ham, dijon mustard & Swiss
~or ~
BLTA
Apple-wood smoked bacon, local lettuce, sun dried tomatoes & avocado with herbed mayo on a baguette
~or ~
Roasted Turkey Sandwich
House Roasted Turkey, roasted red peppers, red onion marmalade & arugula with herbed mayo on a baguette
~or ~
Grilled Veggie
Balsamic grilled portobello, eggplant, red onion, red pepers & butternut squash with from-scratch hummus & chimichuri

~All options include Chef Rachel's homemade energy bar & farmer's market apple~

Please make your preference known when you register.

2009-05/02 - '08 Adventure Day Ride 07 - Roster

2009-01-28T18:56:00.000-08:00

PINYONS, JUNIPERS, SINGLE-TRACK

What
When
Where
To Register
Registration Fee
'08 ADR 07 Pages

Dualsport Ride, full day
Meet Saturday, 02 May, 7:30 AM
Meet @ BMW Motorcycles of Ventura County
email EarthRider
$25.00
[Intro] [Roster] [Recap] [Slideshow]

Blake "Towstrap" Hill
'08 ADR 05
BMW R1200GSA

Paul "Captain America" Beck
ER - '08 DSO 12/05
BMW R1200GS

Neil Reynolds
ER - '09 DSS 05
BMW R1200GS

Jerome Smith
'08 ADR 06
BMW F800GS

Nick Sinclair
{No photo yet}
Suzuki V-Strom 650

Terry "FUBAR" Eannetta
'09 DSS 04
Suzuki DR 650

Laura Smith
'08 ADR 05b
Honda CRF 230 DL

2009-05/02 - '08 Adventure Day Ride 07 - Intro

2009-01-28T18:45:00.000-08:00

PINYONS, JUNIPERS, SINGLE-TRACK

What
When
Where
To Register
Registration Fee
'08 ADR 07 Pages

Dualsport Ride, full day
Meet Saturday, 02 May, 7:30 AM
Meet @ BMW Motorcycles of Ventura County
email EarthRider
$25.00
[Intro] [Roster] [Recap] [Slideshow]

We will be heading out and back through the Los Padres Mountains north of Ojai to explore a vast network of sometimes challenging National Forest OHV trails. There will be opportunities to expand on our ’08 ADR 05 introduction to sand-riding, and we will also have the opportunity to explore remote, rolling terrain on winding single-track.

ADR 06 / ADR 07 comparison: Shorter, and with more technical terrain; this ride should challenge you to improve your fine control of the machine at slower speeds.

The Main Course California offers the following packable gourmet lunch options for us:

Ham & Cheese Croissant
Thick-sliced ham, dijon mustard & Swiss Cheese with Lettuce & Tomato
~or ~
BLTA
Apple-wood smoked bacon, local lettuce, sun dried tomatoes & avocado
with herbed mayo on a baguette
~or ~
Roasted Turkey Sandwich
House Roasted Turkey, roasted red peppers, red onion marmalade &
arugula with herbed mayo on a baguette

All options include a Home Made Power Bar & Farmer's Market Apple

Broad country, narrow track. Part of the '08 ADR 07 route.

2009-04/04 - '08 Adventure Day Ride 06 - Roster

2009-01-09T17:25:00.000-08:00

NORTHERN SANTA BARBARA COUNTY

What
When
Where
To Register
Registration Fee
'08 ADR 06 Pages

Dualsport Ride, full day
Meet Saturday, 04 Apr, 7:30 AM
Meet @ BMW Motorcycles of Ventura County
email EarthRider
$25.00
[Intro] [Roster] [Recap] [Slideshow]

Jerome Smith
{New to ER; no photo}
BMW F800GS

Neil Reynolds
ER - '09 DSS 03b
BMW R1200GS

Gary D'Amico
'08 ADR 01
BMW R1200GSA

Greg Drevenstedt
'08 ADR 05b
Kawasaki KLR 650

Frederic "Fredo" Charpentier
ER - '09 DSS 04
BMW R1200GS

Ken Tarallo
'08 ADR 02
Kawasaki KLR 650

Laura Smith
CIA POW Retrieval Mission, Laos
{I made that bit up about Laos...}
Honda CRF230L

2009-04/04 - '08 Adventure Day Ride 06 - Intro

2009-01-09T17:05:00.000-08:00

NORTHERN SANTA BARBARA COUNTY

What
When
Where
To Register
Registration Fee
'08 ADR 06 Pages

Dualsport Ride, full day
Meet Saturday, 04 Apr, 7:30 AM
Meet @ BMW Motorcycles of Ventura County
email EarthRider
$25.00
[Intro] [Roster] [Recap] [Slideshow]

We will be exploring the Santa Ynez Valley, the Los Padres National Forest north of Santa Barbara, and points further north and east. Paved riding miles will be significant and scenic.

ADR 05/06 Comparison: This time we are upping the ante with the addition of a slightly narrow, winding climb, and some stream / dry streambed crossings that are a little more technical than those we have encountered previously. Further, the early afternoon will find us traversing a long and fairly remote unpaved section.

A dualsport brigade rides on its stomach; have a good breakfast! You’ll have the chance to top it off with genuine BMW Coffee From The Magic Silver Box By The TV when we meet at the shop. Lunch will be at a restaurant / deli in the Santa Ynez valley. Riders opting for a late afternoon refuel before heading home will be able to do that in Ojai. It’s a long, hard cattle-drive; bring snacks for between times.

2009-02/07 - '08 Adventure Day Ride 05 - Roster

2009-01-02T19:48:00.000-08:00

SAND WITHOUT SNOW

What
When
Where
To Register
Registration Fee
Lunch (optional)
'08 ADR 05 Pages

Dualsport Ride, full day
Meet Saturday, 07 Feb, 7:30 AM
Meet @ BMW Motorcycles of Ventura County
email EarthRider
$25.00
$14.00
[Intro] [Roster] [Recap] [Slideshow]

Wayne Tidwell
'08 ADR 03
BMW R1200GSA

Blake "Towstrap" Hill
'08 ADR 02
BMW R1200GSA

Paul "Capt. America" Beck
'08 ADR 04
BMW R1200GS

Neil Reynolds
DST 05
BMW R1200GS

2009-02/07 - '08 Adventure Day Ride 05 - Intro

2009-01-02T18:35:00.000-08:00

SAND WITHOUT SNOW

What
When
Where
To Register
Registration Fee
Lunch (optional)
'08 ADR 05 Pages

Dualsport Ride, full day
Meet Saturday, 07 Feb, 7:30 AM
Meet @ BMW Motorcycles of Ventura County
email EarthRider
$25.00
$14.00
[Intro] [Roster] [Recap] [Slideshow]

We’re aiming for the lesser of two evils this February; with luck we will avoid at least one of them! Our route will remain only generally planned until quite near the 7th; local weather will play a significant role in the final route. In general though, expect our first significant encounter with sand for this ride series. And expect curvy terrain in low (and possibly high) mountains. And expect a little desert riding. Possibly. And a little bit of easy, hilly single-track. And… anything else I find in the fridge…

For those of you who cringe in fear at the mention of sand, take note:

1) There won’t be that much;
2) If there have been recent rains, it should be well consolidated;
3) The EarthRider Skilzdrill “Sand Is Not My Foe” [DSS 03] is scheduled for 01/31/09;
4) If you live through that (and ’08 ADR 05), you have DSS 07 (“My Friend Sand”) to look forward to!

Speaking of the fridge, lunch will take place out in the boonies, as usual: Pack your own, or choose from this menu of pre-packed gourmet lunch options provided by Main Course California:

Grilled Vegetable Sandwich
Grilled Seasonal Vegetables, hummus & chimichurri Sauce on Baguette
~or ~
BLTA
Bacon, lettuce, sun dried tomato & avocado with herbed mayo on Baguette
~or ~
Roasted Turkey
House Roasted Turkey, red onion marmalade, arugula & roasted red peppers with herbed mayo on Baguette
~or ~
Curry Chicken
Curry Chicken Salad & lettuce on Baguette

~All options include Chef Rachel's homemade energy bar & farmer's market apple~

Please make your preference known when you register.

'08 Adventure Day Rides 04-06 - Slideshows

2008-12-30T15:19:00.001-08:00

HOW TO ACCESS FULL-SIZED IMAGES:

/s800/

'08 ADR 04

'08 ADR 05

[Photos by Blake "Towstrap" Hill & Wayne Tidwell]

'08 ADR 05b

'08 ADR 06

2009-01/03 - '08 Adventure Day Ride 04 - Roster

2008-12-22T19:30:00.000-08:00

THE CARRIZO PLAIN

What
When
Where
To Register
Registration Fee
Lunch (optional)
'08 ADR 04 Pages

Dualsport Ride, full day
Meet Saturday, 03 Jan, 7:30 AM
Meet @ BMW Motorcycles of Ventura County
email EarthRider
$25.00
$13.00
[Intro] [Roster] [Recap] [Slideshow]

Laura Smith
'08 ADR 03
Honda CRF 230L

Brandon Wright
{New rider; no photo}
Kawasaki KLR 650

Bruce Gillies
'08 ADR 01
Suzuki V-Strom 1000

Paul "Capt. America" Beck
'08 ADR 03
BMW R1200GS

Guy Baker
{New rider; no photo}
BMW R1200GSA

Dan Swim
{New rider; no photo}
BMW R1200 GSA

Gary D'Amico
'08 ADR 03
BMW R1200GSA

Bill Wensel
'08 ADR 01
Kawasaki KLR 650

Phil Houtz
'08 ADR 03
BMW R1200GS

Steve DeCosta
'08 DSO 12/05
KTM 690

Neal Knopik
DSR 12
Kawasaki KLR 650

Terry "FUBAR" Eannetta
DSR 12
Suzuki DL650

Jason Len
'08 ADR 03
BMW R1200GS

George Coyle
{New rider; no photo}
{No bike either; good luck George!}

Jim "High Noon" Janssen
DSO 02
KTM 950 Adventure

2009-01/03 - '08 Adventure Day Ride 04 - Intro

2008-11-05T18:21:00.000-08:00

THE CARRIZO PLAIN

What
When
Where
To Register
Registration Fee
Lunch (optional)
'08 ADR 04 Pages

Dualsport Ride, full day
Meet Saturday, 03 Jan, 7:30 AM
Meet @ BMW Motorcycles of Ventura County
email EarthRider
$25.00
$13.00
[Intro] [Roster] [Recap] [Slideshow]

The Carrizo Plain is a 180,000-acre national monument in – from a GS point of view – our own backyard.

There is a lot to see and do here – and almost all of the roads are unpaved. After a refuel in Maricopa, we will begin our reconnoiter. The Carrizo appears spacious at first; a grand and empty place. Yet it boasts a growing antelope population, and I’ve heard rumours of Elk introduction to the area. Sandhill Cranes are one of a host of bird species known to winter on Soda Lake and other nearby water bodies. I've watched a prairie falcon disappear over a hilltop, chasing the dust trail of a racing jack rabbit, only to see both reappear moments later, a golden eagle closing from behind. The San Andreas Fault also makes a striking appearance here. For more info on the Carrizo Plain, start HERE.

ADR 03 / ADR 04 Comparison: Generally speaking, the riding terrain in the Carrizo is easily manageable. Winter weather and the remoteness of the locale tend to increase the sense of challenge to riding in this area. Primary challenges will be steep hills, and terrain which is sometimes loose or low on traction.

Lunch will take place out in the boonies, as usual: Pack your own, or choose from this menu provided by Main Course California:

House Roasted Turkey Sandwich with Red Onion Marmalade, Arugula, & Roasted Peppers
-or-
MCC Philly – Grass Fed Beef with Roasted Peppers & onions, Chimichurri & Cheese
-or-
Grilled Veggie Sandwich – Grilled Seasonal Vegetables, Chimichurri & Hummus

A side of Pita Chips & Hummus is included with any sandwich,
as well as gourmet trail mix for snack time.

Please make your preference known when you register.

Dave Harner contemplating the past. DST 02 - Carrizo Plain National Monument.

2008-12/20 - '08 Adventure Ride 03 - Roster

2008-11-05T12:28:00.000-08:00

ROMERO-CAMUESA

What
When
Where
To Register
Registration Fee
Lunch (optional)
08ADR 03 Pages

Dualsport Ride, full day
Meet Saturday, 20 Dec, 7:30 AM
Meet @ BMW Motorcycles of Ventura County
email EarthRider
$25.00
$13.00
[ADR 03 Intro] [ADR 03 Roster] [ADR 03 Recap]

Blake "Towstrap" Hill
'08 ADR 02
Says it all, really...
BMW R1200GS Adventure

Wayne Tidwell
'08 ADR 02
BMW R1200GS Adventure

Jason Len
{New rider - no photo}
BMW R1200GS Adventure

Gary D'Amico
'08 ADR 02
BMW X-Challenge

Paul "Capt. America" Beck
'08 DSO 12/05
BMW R1200GS

John Owens
{New rider; no photo}
Kawasaki KLR 650

Phil Houtz
'08 ADR 02
BMW R1200GS

Greg Drevenstedt
{New rider; no phot0}
BMW F800GS

Wendy Brant
'08 ADR 01
Honda CRF 230L

Laura Smith
DSR 10
Honda CRF 230L

Ken Tarallo
'08 ADR 02
Kawasaki KLR 650

'08 Adventure Day Rides 01 & 02 - Recap

2008-11-04T16:26:00.000-08:00

EXPLORING THE ANGELES

What
When
Where
To Register
Registration Fee
'08 ADR 01 Pages
'08 ADR 02 Pages

Dualsport Ride, full day
Meet Saturday, 01 Nov, 7:30 AM
Meet @ BMW Motorcycles of Ventura County
email EarthRider
$25.00
[Intro] [Roster] [Slideshow]
[Intro] [Roster] [Slideshow]

’08 ADR 01 (that is, the first Adventure Day Ride of the series that began late in 2008) began a little behind schedule when something finally went wrong with Dak the Daring, the ride leader’s trusty BMW Dakar. Dead battery. We still found time for a quick briefing in the parking lot before departing, although not enough time on the shop’s charger to get the battery working again; Laine push started the bike out of the lot – an ignominious though entertaining start to the new ride series.

Fifteen riders [Roster] on a diverse array of motorcycles soon found themselves crossing Ventura County on a series of winding rural back roads and highways that led, eventually, to Ojai. During a brief refuel stop we added Jordan Eller to the mix, making a total of 17, including the ride leader.

We left Ojai on Hwy 33. 33 is a great ride no matter what sort of motorcycle – vehicle – you happen to be using. The well-engineered curves twist through beautiful mountainous country. Outside turns offer inspiring views of the Pacific Ocean and the Channel Islands. We made two brief stops, to regroup after miles of curves had spread us out, and simply to stretch our legs: By the time we had crossed over the divide and begun to descend into Cuyama Valley, we had covered nearly 80 miles.

After descending into the valley we climbed eastward toward Lockwood on a narrow and remote road that wound through the low foothills, up into open pine forest. Finally, with Lockwood Valley opening before us, we paused at an intersection before leaving the pavement.

We made another brief stop, to reduce tire pressure, when asphalt turned to dirt. The road descended into a small valley and disappeared into the forestland beyond.

It was easy going through beautiful scenery. The air was laden with the smell of conifers, and the road was smooth… except for the odd water crossing now and then:

Unfortunately, that battery never did charge itself up; stopping became a bit of a burden, and not just for the ride leader:

A little further down the road we ran into the last thing you would expect out in the woods; a traffic jam.

It was great fun to take a break from riding, and watch these cattlemen (and women… and dogs & horses) do their work. We came away with new appreciation for how little dust a motorcycle makes!

After the show, we continued on in single file, through increasingly tall trees, for a few more miles to our lunch spot. The sandwiches from Main Course California were delicious & generously proportioned, and you couldn’t ask for more enjoyable surroundings.

And to top it off, after lunch we got to go back the way we came! More fun at the water crossings… Scott Leighty made an impressive save after catching a car tire rut in a crossing – the same rut that took out the ride leader only moments before – so while Scott was catching his breath, Laine was dumping his boots.

Wendy Brant led the cameraman up the hillclimb out of the valley. Not to be outdone, Rachel Main led the rest break when we returned to the pavement.

Quickly rejuvenated, we turned back on our earlier outward route, but once into the mountains above Ojai, we took a side trip up a deteriorating mountain road to Pine Mountain. The road climbed to over 7000 feet, beginning as a narrow paved trail, becoming a narrow potholed trail, and eventually becoming completely unpaved. From near the top we could see the Channel Islands, and looking further south, across the Los Padres, over the Oxnard Plain, the Santa Monica Mountains.

It was after 4:00 by the time we got back down into town. Some of us decided to celebrate with a hard-earned meal in Ojai, before finishing our individual homeward journeys.

--- --- ---

Clearly, ADR 01 was nothing like the debacle we came to expect from the preceding DSR series. Things were back to normal by ’08 ADR 02, however. For one thing, it was raining. Well, it didn’t start out raining, at the shop, but running the superslab from BMWoVC toward Sylmar, it sometimes felt as if we were racing a storm.

It was clear early on that the Disney-like magic of ADR 01 was gone: Scotty made up for that amazing save in the water crossing by falling over in the parking lot at a Sylmar gas station – apparently for no other reason than to help maintain balance in the universe.

The main reason for our stop was to pick up the better – or is it worse? – half of our group. These three men spend a lot of time blowing up airplanes and setting railroad cars on fire, but we let them join up with us anyway. You never know – a team of guys with experience creating major disasters might come in useful as disaster abatement consultants. Imagine, say, we have to figure out how to haul a 600 lb. bike up a 40 degree brush-covered slope... in the rain... We also picked up David Dooling & Kelly Jewel, joining us from distant, desert lands, bringing the total for this ride to a soon-to-be-dirty baker’s dozen [Roster].

We climbed up into the Angeles Forest on a narrow paved road being slowly overrun by native plant life. Rain threatened, but waited until we’d had a few minutes to rest at a ridgetop CDF fire station with epic views of the San Fernando Valley and beyond.

The rain got us moving again, continuing along a narrow paved mountain road with an “off-road” feel to it. The drizzle began to get pretty reliable, but it let up a bit when the asphalt finally disappeared. The wet weather actually helped consolidate the loose sandy decomposed granite that rests, marble-like, over much of the hardpan mountain roads in the Angeles: There were a few puddles, but traction was improved by the precipitation. We stopped often, to regroup after spreading out across the ridge we were traversing, or just to dry off the visors of our helmets for a moment. These were great times to take in the views; the dramatic weather brought out the colour in the foliage, and the air – when not full of water – was clear.

Flush with the joy of riding out in the elements, Werner & Laine dropped onto a tree-filled saddle and climbed the next ridgeline with enough speed to secure some lead time. They stopped to rest at a vista point, where they watched for the rest of the group dropping into the saddle. The descent had been fun, sporting berms in some of the corners, which some of the more practiced riders were having fun with. The two leaders kept seeing riders descending toward the low saddle, but never saw any of them actually reaching it; they seemed to disappear behind a curve in the road, and never come back out. The explanation wasn’t long in coming and when it did, it came with a cacophony of cell phone rings. This was the jist of it:

OverTheSide

Blake Hill, intrepid GSA driver, had inadvertently launched himself off the side of the road after taking advantage of one of those berms. You can see the berm in the background of this shot of panic-stricken riders trying to come to grips with the horror of the wreck:

In actuality, Blake was fine. The call from him had gone something like:
“Hello?”
“Laine, hi, it’s Blake.”
“Hey, how goes it?”
“Pretty good. Great ride. I ah, went over the side, though. I think I’m going to need a little help getting the bike back up…”

It began to drizzle as Werner & Laine headed back – and it kept up until right about when the ordeal ended. Here are a few shots of “help getting the bike back up”:

It only took us about a half an hour (and a 30 foot towstrap lent by a passing Jeep driver) to haul the bike back up, and – it was fun. What’s more, both bike & rider sustained minimal damage – a little headlight trouble, a little ego bruising…

We took a snack break at the saddle before climbing to the next ridge – about 6000’. We hit pavement there – such as it was – and descended eastward toward Mill Station.

Beyond Mill Station we left the pavement again. A few riders left entirely – it had already been a long day, and the following section was the steepest and loosest of the ride. Nine of us continued on contour, high up the mountainside, winding through open forest & chaparral. At one point we found a playground for Werner and Wayne to take advantage of:

Both bikes performed admirably. Laine gave it a shot too, as the lead riders waited for the group to congeal before continuing.

Just around the corner was the last thing one might expect to see on some random mountain fire road – a sign warning of decreasing road width. We raced by, ignoring it entirely…

The road actually began to get wider, and soon we found ourselves in a sort of residential Forest Service employee area: Pale green trucks and buildings, a soccer ball out by the helicopter... Asphalt appeared, increasing in width and quality. Suddenly, we were dumped out onto Highway 2, about 400 yards from Newcomb’s Restaurant.

It was high time for some R & R. Newcomb’s turned out to be a fine warming hut. The sky had been growing dark – it wasn’t yet 3, but it looked like near bedtime. Hot chocolate won out over beer, for a change.

By the time we were ready to leave, the rain was back. On the bright side, the bikes looked pretty clean.

On the dark side, the ride down Hwy 2 was a damp one. Once we reached Glendale, we split up pretty rapidly into ones and twos, heading down various freeways for various homes. The rain eased up a bit out of the mountains, and without that to worry about, I fell to wondering… What sort of nickname is Blake going to end up with?..

Racing heedless past important roadsigns - '08 ADR 02

[In the aftermath of this ride, we have a serious decision to make:
Weigh in on "The Nickname Issue" in the Comments section below.]

2008-11/01 - '08 Adventure Day Ride 02 - Roster

2008-10-07T10:18:00.000-07:00

EXPLORING THE ANGELES

What
When
Where
To Register
Registration Fee
'08 ADR 02 Pages

Dualsport Ride, full day
Meet Saturday, 01 Nov, 7:30 AM
Meet @ BMW Motorcycles of Ventura County
email EarthRider
$25.00
[Intro] [Roster] [Recap] [Slideshow]

Bruce Gillies
'08ADR 01
ACME 300cc Muddy Mudskipper Special

Gary D'Amico
'08ADR 01
BMW R1200GS Adventure

Werner Hahnlein
'08ADR 01
Suzuki DR 650

Ken Tarallo
'08ADR 01
Kawasaki KLR 650

Aaron Gillies
{New rider; no photo}
Honda XR400

Scott Leighty
'08ADR 01
BMW R1200GS

Phil Houtz
'08 ADR 01
BMW R1200GS

Wayne Tidwell
EarthRider '08DSR - Castaic-Mojave-Sta Clarita
BMW R1200GS Adventure

Steve Radenbaugh
{New rider; no photo}
BMW R1200GS

Blake Hill
'08 DSR 10/05
BMW R1200GS Adventure

Kelly Jewell
{New rider; no photo}
BMW F650GS

David Dooling
{New rider; no photo}
BMW R1200GS

2008-09/27 - '08 Adventure Day Ride 01 - Roster

2008-09-02T21:23:00.000-07:00

EXPLORING THE LOS PADRES

What
When
Where
Registration Contact
Registration Fee
Pre-packaged Lunch (optional)

Dualsport Ride, full day
Meet Saturday, 27 Sept, 7:30 AM
Meet @ BMW Motorcycles of Ventura County
EarthRider
$25.00
$14.00

Other ADR 01 Pages:
[ADR 01 Intro]
[ADR 01 Recap]
[ADR 01 Slideshow]

Bruce Biersborn

{New rider; no photo}

BMW R1200GS

Gary D'Amico
DST 05
BMW R1200GS Adv

Ken Tarallo
{New rider; no photo}

Kawasaki KLR 650

Rachel Main
DSR 12
Kawasaki Super Sherpa

Bruce Gillies
DST 04
Suzuki V-Strom 1000

Wendy Brant
{New rider; no photo}
Honda CRF 230L

Sam Kaufman
{New rider; no photo}
BMW R1200GS

Phil Houtz
{New rider; no photo}
BMW R1200GS

Irl Sanders
{New rider; no photo}
Kawasaki KLR 650

Ronnie Mojzis
{New Rider; no photo}
Suzuki DR650

Joe Petersen
{New Rider; no photo}
BMW R1150GS Adventure

Jordan Eller
{New Rider; no photo}
BMW Dakar

Blake Hill
{New Rider; no photo}
BMW R1200GS Adventure

Werner Hahnlein
{New Rider; no photo}
Suzuki DR 650

Bill Wensel
{New Rider; no photo}
Yamaha TTR - 250

Kuan Lin
{New Rider; no photo}
BMW R1200GS

2008-12/20 - '08 Adventure Day Ride 03 - Intro

2008-09-02T19:19:00.000-07:00

ROMERO-CAMUESA

What
When
Where
To Register
Registration Fee
Lunch (optional)
08ADR 03 Pages

Dualsport Ride, full day
Meet Saturday, 20 Dec, 7:30 AM
Meet @ BMW Motorcycles of Ventura County
email EarthRider
$25.00
$13.00
[ADR 03 Intro] [ADR 03 Roster] [ADR 03 Recap]

Expect a water crossing or two...

ADR 03 is an out-and-back route in the Los Padres. We will cover some terrific paved Santa Barbara area back roads on the way to our destination. Steep tree-crowded grades await us; twisted one-lane hill routes and sections made up more of pothole than pavement – and that’s before we even hit the dirt!

ADR 02 / ADR 03 Comparison: On ADR 02 we encountered a short section of steep, loose terrain: Expect a similar, slightly steeper, encounter on ADR 03. Riders will also have the option of introducing themselves to single-track riding on a short out-and-back run, later in the day. Remember, this series is all about helping you become a better rider, gradually. If you have questions about how to meet any of a ride’s challenges, the ride leader is eager to help you out.

We will be out in the sticks for lunch again. You can pack your own, or choose one of the gourmet sandwich options below, provided by Main Course California:

House Roasted Turkey Sandwich with Red Onion Marmalade, Arugula, & Roasted Peppers

-or-
MCC Philly – Grass Fed Beef with Roasted Peppers & onions, Chimichurri & Cheese
-or-
Grilled Veggie Sandwich – Grilled Seasonal Vegetables, Chimichurri & Hummus

A side of Pita Chips & Hummus is included with any sandwich,
as well as gourmet trail mix for snack time.

Please make your preference known when you register.

Great views at the end of the single-track section.

VCARS Original Series Celebration & Slideshow

2008-09-02T17:39:00.000-07:00

THE VENTURA COUNTY ADVENTURE RIDE SERIES
Retrospective Celebration & Slideshow

What
When
Where
Registration Contact
Registration Fee

Refreshments, Slideshow
Meet Thursday, 25 Sept, 6:30 PM
Meet @ BMW Motorcycles of Ventura County
EarthRider
$Free

Next:
[]

The first Ventura County Adventure Ride Series, the immensely successful BMWVC-sponsored series of GS-oriented adventure rides and instruction days, has come to a close. The results have been spectacular: Graded fire roads may have seemed significantly challenging during DSR 01, yet many were riding with confidence in deep riverbed sand well before the series was over. Four VCARS riders completed the Great Divide Route this year.

Join us on the evening of Thursday, September 25 at 6:30 PM for the first annual VCARS retrospective celebration. All VCARS vets are encouraged to come enjoy refreshments, catch up with riding buddies, and tell tall tales. If you missed the last VCARS series, this is your opportunity to hear firsthand accounts from survivors (ahem…), and find out more about what we have planned next. Ride leader Laine MacTague of EarthRider will speak about what the upcoming ride series has to offer. Come enjoy good food and good company. Furthermore, if you rode in the series, you are in the VCARS retrospective slideshow! Don’t miss it!

Great turnout! For those of you who asked for a copy of the slideshow, or wanted to se it but were unable to attend, It's available at the top of the left column on this page.

2008-11/01 - '08 Adventure Day Ride 02 - Intro

2008-09-02T17:34:00.000-07:00

EXPLORING THE ANGELES

What
When
Where
To Register
Registration Fee
'08 ADR 02 Pages

Dualsport Ride, full day
Meet Saturday, 01 Nov, 7:30 AM
Meet @ BMW Motorcycles of Ventura County
email EarthRider
$25.00
[Intro] [Roster] [Recap] [Slideshow]

We put ADR 01 on a strict gym regimen for about a month, and created ADR 02: Blissful sweeping curves through the mountains? Yes, through bigger, curvier mountains. “Paved” sections slowly being encroached upon by the wilds? More. Longer. The plants crowd in a little closer, the potholes grow a little wider. Fire roads meandering through the backcountry? Definitely. Further back, and a lot more meander. “Road Closed November 15 – May 15”. We’re just getting in there under the wire.

ADR 01 / ADR 02 Comparison: Still a beginning ride, ADR 02’s terrain offers ample opportunities for more experienced riders to test their skills if desired. Fire roads include more twists and turns, often requiring a decrease in speed (or an increase in cornering skill!). We will encounter a few small loose / sandy patches. The ride has a slightly more remote feel to it, as well. Remember, if you have questions about how to meet any of a ride’s challenges, the ride leader is eager to help you out.

ADR 02 includes a late restaurant lunch stop. We’ll take a few breaks along the way; bring snacks to tide you over!

That's our road, off in the middle distance. And again, in the far distance...

2008-09/27 - '08 Adventure Day Ride 01 - Intro

2008-09-02T16:27:00.000-07:00

EXPLORING THE LOS PADRES

What
When
Where
Registration Contact
Registration Fee
Pre-packaged Lunch (optional)

Dualsport Ride, full day
Meet Saturday, 27 Sept, 7:30 AM
Meet @ BMW Motorcycles of Ventura County
EarthRider
$25.00
$14.00

Next:
[ADR 01 Roster]
[ADR 01 Recap]
[ADR 01 Slideshow]

Thursday: VCARS celebration at the shop.

Friday: Recuperate at work.

Saturday: The Ventura County Adventure Ride Series begins anew!

This introductory ride will take us into the Ventura County backcountry for a day of long sweeping mountain road curves, broken up by shorter out-and-back explorations of some of the area’s more manageable unpaved and – well – pseudo-paved roads. Although experienced riders can change the level of challenge of any ride with a slight movement of the wrist, the route for this ride has been chosen to be within the abilities of riders with no off-pavement experience. Whatever your level of ability, we are in for some beautiful scenery.

Our lunch stop locale happens to be in the middle of nowhere. We have arranged the option of a pre-packaged gourmet lunch prepared for you by The Main Course. What BMW is to adventure bikes, this menu is to brown-bagging: Italian Style Flank Steak Sandwich with Red Onion Marmalade and Arugula; Manchego Cheese with Dried Fruit; and Rosemary Shortbread Cookies for desert. Vegetarian / other special diets happily accommodated. If you would like lunch prepared for you, please let us know by 24 September.

Where does that road go? Join us Sept. 27 & find out!

The Ventura County Adventure Ride Series

The Ventura County Adventure Ride Series - Introduction

'10 Adventure Day Ride 06/12 - R2 - Recap

VCARS IN WORDS & PICTURES - 2010

Ride Photos

Ride Words

Ride Videos

'10 Adventure Day Ride 09/18 - R4

'10 Adventure Day Ride 07/10 - R3

'10 Adventure Day Ride 06/12 - R2

'10 Adventure Day Ride 05/08 - R4

'10 Adventure Day Ride 04/10 - R3

'10 Adventure Day Ride 03/13 - R2

'10 Adventure Day Ride 02/13 - R4

VCARS IN WORDS & PICTURES

Ride Photos

MISSED THE RIDE?READ THE RECAP

Ride Videos

Visit EarthRider'sYouTube Channel

'10 Adventure Day Ride 01/09 - R3

Adventure Day Ride 12/05 - R3

2009 Adventure Day Ride 09/05 - R3 - Recap

Adventure Day Ride 11/07 - R2 - Roster

Adventure Day Ride 11/07 - R2 - Intro

2009 Adventure Day Ride 10/03 - R3/4 - Roster

2009 Adventure Day Ride 10/03 - R3/4 - Intro

2009 Adventure Day Ride 08/01 - R3 - Recap

'09 Adventure Day Rides - July - December - Slideshows

2009 Adventure Day Ride 07/11 - R2 - Recap

2009 Adventure Day Ride 09/05 - R3 - Roster

2009 Adventure Day Ride 09/05 - R3 - Intro

2009 Adventure Day Ride 08/01 - R3 - Roster

2009 Adventure Day Ride 08/01 - R3 - Intro

2009 Adventure Day Ride 07/11 - R2 - Roster

2009 Adventure Day Ride 07/11 - R2 - Intro

'08 Adventure Day Rides 07-08 - Slideshows

2009-06/06 - Adventure Day Ride 08 - Roster

2009-06/06 - '08 Adventure Day Ride 08 - Intro

2009-03/07 - '08 Adventure Day Ride 05b - Roster

2009-03/07 - '08 Adventure Day Ride 05b - Intro

2009-05/02 - '08 Adventure Day Ride 07 - Roster

2009-05/02 - '08 Adventure Day Ride 07 - Intro

2009-04/04 - '08 Adventure Day Ride 06 - Roster

2009-04/04 - '08 Adventure Day Ride 06 - Intro

2009-02/07 - '08 Adventure Day Ride 05 - Roster

2009-02/07 - '08 Adventure Day Ride 05 - Intro

'08 Adventure Day Rides 04-06 - Slideshows

2009-01/03 - '08 Adventure Day Ride 04 - Roster

2009-01/03 - '08 Adventure Day Ride 04 - Intro

2008-12/20 - '08 Adventure Ride 03 - Roster

'08 Adventure Day Rides 01 & 02 - Recap

2008-11/01 - '08 Adventure Day Ride 02 - Roster

2008-09/27 - '08 Adventure Day Ride 01 - Roster

2008-12/20 - '08 Adventure Day Ride 03 - Intro

VCARS Original Series Celebration & Slideshow

2008-11/01 - '08 Adventure Day Ride 02 - Intro

2008-09/27 - '08 Adventure Day Ride 01 - Intro

MISSED THE RIDE?
READ THE RECAP

Visit EarthRider's
YouTube Channel