bob

Badwater Or Bust

(original posts)

This page presents all of the postings from the original Badwater Or Bust (BOB) blog, where three correspondents received cell phone calls from Steve during his trip, and then updated the blog with his daily progress. This arrangement kept enthusiastic followers up to date on Steve’s progress riding the tricycle.

Desert Dune, Jack Freer, and David A. Wright were the three people who made the BOB blog possible, with their willingness to take notes during each call from Steve (who was usually out in the middle of nowhere), and then log-in to the blog and make these posts. These folks wrote in excess of 22,000 words during the trip, all of which now appear here on this bob page!

Unlike the Badwater Or Bust blog, which is in reverse chronological order (the nature of blogs), what follows below is ordered from the beginning to the end of the adventure, which makes the reading of it much easier to understand. If you wish to view the actual blog, which also has photographs and live links, please click HERE.

From the beginning, here are the posts:

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Live the Adventure – by Jack Freer:

This weblog exists to follow the progress of author, adventurer, and naturalist Steve Greene on his Death Valley Tricycle Expedition, as he begins by tricycling into a mysterious hidden world 282 feet below sea level. This is Steve’s first cross-country journey in a human-powered vehicle.

The majority of posts appearing below have been entered by enthusiastic supporters of this expedition. Steve contacted these people when telephone service was available en route, provided them the latest progress, and the information was then placed on the weblog. This third-party arrangement was established so that Steve did not have to carry a laptop in his already-heavy gear. Posts from Steve appear subsequent to the conclusion of the travel to and through Death Valley.

Start date: October 01, 2009. Vehicle: ICE Q narrow-track tricycle, with trailer. Objectives: Travel from the Pacific Ocean on the central Oregon coast to Death Valley’s Badwater Basin, tour selected portions of Death Valley National Park, attend Old West Days in Shoshone, speak at Death Valley 49ers Author’s Breakfast at Stovepipe Wells, and share with others the adventures of traveling through the natural world by trike. End date: November 06, 2009. Duration: 37 days. Human-Powered Distance Traveled: 1,030 kilometers / 640 miles. Weather: Rain, snow, ice, 100-degree temps, 70 MPH winds, dirt storms. Elevations: Highest: 5,925 / Lowest -282.

Introduction – by David A. Wright:

Well, has Steve lost his mind?  Mankind tends to progress forward as they mature and age.  Steve has gone the other direction.  His first ride was likely a tricycle.  He gave those up for motorcycles and then automobiles and then 4WD vehicles.  Now he’s gone backward and has given them all up for a tricycle.

I first met Steve in the spring of 2008 at the California / Nevada state line in northernmost Death Valley.  He was driving a late model Nissan Xterra at the time.  You can read about our meeting and travels in the nearby region at:

http://www.gbr.4wdtrips.net/trips/greene.html

We had been communicating via email for some months prior to our meeting.  Early on he had stated his wish to leave a smaller carbon footprint on this planet.  But as yet he never divulged his wish to sell his four wheels powered by six pistons and go through life on three wheels powered by two legs.

Steve has asked that I participate in a support position in his effort to tricycle to Death Valley by supplying words and if possible photos of the land that he rides through.  That landscape will turn from seaside Oregon coast, to mountainous and timbered Oregon interior to Nevada sagebrush, to Mojave Desert scrubland and finally to Death Valley’s salton sink.

Steve will be passing close enough in time that it might be possible for me to take a drive out to wherever he is passing by and meet with Steve and snap a few photos of his progress.

Good luck Steve!  It must be wonderful to be a kid again!

Greetings Expedition Enthusiasts – by Desert Dune:

The desert duners will be interested to follow this expedition from start to finish. As Steve calls us on the telephone when he is able, we will take notes and post the tales of his adventurous journey on this blog. In this way, it will be an adventure for all who find riding a tricycle to Death Valley National Park fascinating. Bon Voyage Old Trailmaster! May the force be with you!

Introduction – by Jack Freer:

Steve Greene and I share a lot of the same interests in exploring. We were also once colleagues in the same profession and locale. We may even have passed one another without even knowing as we both started exploring the Mojave and Colorado deserts at an early age. Steve specialized in Death Valley while I explored mining and ghost town areas throughout the Mojave and Colorado deserts of California. We both started our exploits with a Jeep CJ-5.

As time moved on, so did we and the focus of our professions and exploration changed. But we both held the basic drive to explore extreme wilderness areas close to our hearts.

Recently I found a renewed interest in returning to Death Valley to explore the northern most regions I had missed in my earlier years. I discovered Steve’s detailed websites on Death Valley as well as his books and reached out to him for even more information. It was then we discovered that we shared a lot of common interests.

With a renewed enthusiasm, I prepped my latest Jeep for more wilderness exploration only to learn that Steve had sold his BEV (Backcountry Exploration Vehicle) for a friggin trike! Here I finally meet the expert on Death Valley exploring and he doesn’t even have a vehicle. There goes my luck.

Once I learned about Steve’s plans for his new adventure, I saw a way we could both share in this major endeavor. I then volunteered myself to be his exploration support crew, shadow team and forward reconnaissance reporter. I will be able to support Steve during his trip, and in return I will have the expert of Death Valley as a captive professor with me at the camp fire for hours of recounts of his previous adventures and knowledge.

I wish Steve only the best of luck in his trip and I look forward to meeting up with him on the trail soon!

The Journey Begins – by Desert Dune:

Tomorrow morning at 6:30 a.m. a reporter from the Eugene Register Guard in Eugene, Oregon plans to arrive and take photos of Steve as he begins his journey. Several bike enthusiast friends of Steve’s will also arrive to ride a short portion of the trip with him. The incredible journey begins. His bags are packed, he’s ready to go! His trike is loaded, his food is packed, and he has a great day ahead with partly sunny skies and moderate temperatures. Rumor has it that Steve has even packed a miniature teddy bear named “Tumbleweed” to keep him company on the long trek. Hmm… maybe this little bear will become the subject of a childrens book that Steve will write. We wonder. We want all the stars in the sky to look after you and keep you safe. Take care Old Trailmaster. Ride with the wind in your tricycle dream!

Casting Off – by David A. Wright:

Well, the day has come and this morning Steve shoved off.  Early this morning, likely surrounded by a small group of fans, friends, and a reporter or two from the local media, Steve tricycled his way from his home.  Like a two year old with newly found independence via three wheels wheeling down the sidewalk two doors down from home, 58-year old Steve found new independence via three wheels once again.  Only he’s going a lot farther than two doors down.  Think two thousand miles down – and home again.

His first leg of the journey will take him along the coast of his home state of Oregon.  A few triking and biking friends will accompany him for a while, then fall away and eventually Steve will go it alone.  What will go through Steve’s mind then?  “Did I bring enough toilet paper for two months?  Oooh!  My right leg is pumping up more than I remember during practice runs!  Oh, oh!  Did I remember to pack in the ground sheet for the tent?  Ugh!  My underwear is chafing!”

Any trip I’ve ever taken I always go to extremes to prepare well before the trip.  And yet I ALWAYS forget something.  Usually something I need or use daily.  The stuff I never use?  Plenty packed for the trip.

Steve has been a health enthusiast and keeps himself in shape.  Upper body strength isn’t what he’ll need on this trip though.  I teased him the other night on the phone that he’ll look like an “upside down body builder” by the time he makes Death Valley – his legs will look like Mr. Universe’s upper body, while from his waist up he’ll still be the twig I first met last year.

So, thus the journey begins.  Steve’s journey will have its ups and downs – and that’s more than just the topography.  We’ll keep an eye on Steve and keep you all posted.

Eugene Oregon Newspaper Article:

The following article appeared in the Eugene Register Guard newspaper the day after Steve’s departure. It was written by reporter Winston Ross. Eugene is the second largest city in the state, after Portland.

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photograph by Winston Ross

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TRIPLE THE CHALLENGE

A coastal man embarks on a tricycle trek to Death Valley

By Winston Ross

The Register-Guard

(Appeared in print: Friday, Oct 2, 2009)

At just after dawn on Thursday, you could find Steve Greene in his garage, fastening a dish towel to his head.

Greene is a long way away from the Death Valley landscape that warrants this particular adaptation of his outfit, but he has spent four months preparing for an unusual odyssey. Couldn’t hurt to don his low-budget sunshade early, he figured.

The Oregon Coast is a breeding ground for adventurists of all kinds. They ride bicycles stuffed with rain-proof equipment from one coast to the other, or from Canada to Mexico. Some have walked the entire Oregon shoreline.

Steve Greene left town Thursday on a tricycle — though it’s a far more burly and expensive trike than the ones on which preschoolers cruise their cul-de-sacs.

This is a British-engineered recumbent that cost Greene about $4,500 when you include the trailer and other gear he also purchased — a worthwhile expense, he figures, if it gets him the 2,000 miles or so to and from Death Valley’s Badwater Basin safely.

Greene’s destination is Southern California’s Death Valley National Park, where he’ll speak at a five-day encampment of the Death Valley 49ers, an event that draws more than 5,000 people from across the United States and abroad each year.

Greene was invited to the event’s “authors’ breakfast” because of two books he wrote about the park. He has a third on the way. The obvious modes of transportation would be a car or an airplane, but the 58-year-old retired L.A. County sheriff’s deputy decided he’d use this as an opportunity to raise awareness about human-powered transit.

“I know it’s not going to have an effect on the vast masses,” Greene said. “I don’t have any grand dreams or delusions that this is going to change the world, or anything. I’m just wanting to spread awareness about non-petroleum vehicular options.”

The idea came about after Greene sold his last vehicle that runs on petroleum in December, “as a Christmas present to the Earth.”

In a search for alternatives, he ultimately decided against even the hybrids now on the market. He wanted something that runs only on sweat.

When the Death Valley invitation came along earlier this year, Greene saw it as a perfect opportunity to find a vehicle that could get him there.

He decided on a tricycle with two wheels in the front and one in the back — a style that’s known as “tadpole” because its design offers the least chance of crashing during a high-speed descent.

The trip has required months of planning, gear purchasing and training for the punishing endeavor, all of which Greene and his supporters are chronicling on his blog, badwater.wordpress.com.

Greene is hoping people will follow the journey and learn more about Death Valley and human-powered transport.

Including himself, Greene figures his trike is hauling 375 pounds of gear, which won’t be easy to pedal up hills on the way to the lowest walkable land in North America.

He’s left himself enough time to reach Stovepipe Wells, Nev., where he’ll give his talk, by Nov. 6. Then the aim is to get back across the Cascades before the snow hits.

“If this winter is like the last one, it will be non-problematic,” Greene said. “It didn’t start dumping white stuff until December. But if I hit snow, I’ll have to hunker down, pitch a tent and wait for the plows to hit the road.”

Worst-case scenario, if the weather gets really bad, Greene is prepared to rent a truck and haul his gear back to Oregon. He’s optimistic it won’t come to that, though.

“I’m pretty good at surviving, making a go of things,” he said.

“I believe I’ll do it one way or the other.”

_______________________________________

end of article

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October 1st, A Grand Beginning – by Desert Dune:

There was a flurry of activity before Steve headed off, but he felt a sense of calm when he headed out to begin the first leg of his journey. His friend, Matt, rode along for the first section of the trip. Steve and Matt had fun racing past each other at 40 mph on some steep hills. Matt treated Steve to a veggie burrito before Steve then headed on alone in his journey of self-discovery.

Steve spent the first night under early clear skies, camping at Bunch Bar, after riding 52 miles. Bunch Bar is a large pull-out rest area 5 miles west of Elkton. He pitched his tent on a bed of cedar chips in a big ravine near the river.  He enjoyed seeing the picturesque countryside with a big, old barn, huge oak trees, and the mountain scenery. The sound of crickets and the river made for a peaceful retreat after a long day of riding. The night sky sprinkled rain upon his humble abode for about an hour prior to dawn’s light.

October 2nd, A Hard Climb – by Desert Dune:

Today was a challenging ride for Steve even though it was only 36 miles. The climb from Elkton to Sutherlin was very difficult, especially at Milepost 4–5. Pulling a trailer of 130 pounds up steep hills takes lots of energy and requires high calorie foods. Steve is learning early in the trip that he will need to eat more food than he thought necessary. Burning between 5,000 to 7,000 calories per day requires eating more than he had planned on. Having discovered this, Steve plans to eat what he needs from his supply and then stock up again when he gets to northeastern California.

Going to sleep on his tricycle suited up in rain gear at the United Methodist Church in Wilbur is Steve’s lot for tonight. Tomorrow he plans a ride into Susan Creek Campground, a 30 mile ascent into the volcanic Cascade Range. Tomorrow he plans to set up his tent early, take advantage of a warm shower at the campground, and rest a bit before continuing. It will be nice to set up the tent after a night of sleeping on the tricycle! Susan Creek is a beautiful campground next to the Umpqua River and a series of spectacular waterfalls nearby.

October 3rd, The Moon River Ride – by Desert Dune:

At 1:00 a.m. Steve began a night ride from Wilbur to Glide along the Umpqua River. The moon was full, the night silent, and Steve experienced an inspiring trek. The song, “Moon River” comes to mind to describe this experience. As Steve rode, he saw animal eyes in the woods watching. Perhaps they were deer or cougars, but the experience was captivating. He even passed a skunk!

The day before he saw 5 wild turkeys and a flock of geese that flew low just above him. As he spoke of his moonlight ride, the sound of geese honking was audible on the phone. The sight of the full moon on the river, the silence, and the peering of the animal eyes from the woods was truly inspirational. None of this would be possible in a car. Since the moonlight was so bright, Steve left his headlight off and used only his strobe tail light. He rode for five hours, from 1:00 a.m. until 6:00 a.m., making 17 miles in the cool night air.

At one point, Steve’s hands and feet became so cold that he stopped at a ranch driveway to pace back and forth, trying to warm up. He found that his hands were so cold that he had trouble zipping his coat and snapping his down vest. Still, the practical benefit of the night ride was that he avoided the heat of the day on an uphill trek. Even at night, he found that it was hot going uphill and then cold going downhill. Having weighed in at a semi truck scale at 350 pounds, Steve is aware of the limitations of pulling a trailer with so much weight. Riding the rest of the way into Susan Creek Campground will be quite enough for today.

Steve plans to stop there, take it easy, set up camp early, and rest up for the 60 miles ahead going up over the Cascade Mountains towards Diamond Lake and Crater Lake. Thoughts of the inspirational “Moon River” ride will keep him going when he starts on the next difficult uphill climb through the Cascade Mountains.

Snow in the Cascades! October 4th & 5th – by Desert Dune:

Steve spent a rainy night at the Susan Creek Campground On Saturday, October 3rd. A father and son camping nearby invited him to share their campfire that night to warm up a bit. The next morning he set out at 8:00 a.m., stopped in Steamboat at the Dry Creek Store for a snack of three bananas for $1.80. Here he got the forecast that snow was ahead in the Cascade Mountains.

At that time, he did not know that he would be facing the greatest challenge of his life. In 35 miles to Diamond Lake, Steve climbed uphill and increased elevation by 4,000 feet hauling 350 pounds (including his bodyweight). He rode his tricycle through snow for 20 hours, from 8:00 a.m. Sunday until 4:00 a.m. Monday, October 5th. He rode in low gear at about 3 – 4 mph in a grueling uphill climb as the snow kept coming down.

Steve said, “This is more of an epic adventure than I initially imagined. It takes all the fortitude you can muster. It is the most challenging thing I have ever done in my life. Nothing was as fear inspiring as this experience was.” When Steve says this, it means a lot, knowing the challenges he has taken on with Search and Rescue in the mountains of Colorado and his work in the Los Angeles Sherriff’s Department and his jeeping expeditions.

Having been an EMT himself, Steve was aware that he was becoming hypothermic. At about midnight, when the temperature was 32 degrees F, Steve stopped to open his trunk for a snack. He started shaking, felt clumsy, and got an unusual warm sensation, all symptoms of hypothermia. He debated as to whether he should set up a bivouac on the side of the road, get in his sleeping bag, and try to warm up, but he decided to just keep pedaling. That he did for 20 hours straight, going uphill. His waterproof boots that he brought for snowy conditions did not work well and caused an uncomfortable feeling in his Achilles tendons. He found that wool socks and more flexible boots work better for pedaling.

In icy spots on the road, Steve did experience some slipping and sliding, however the road was plowed. “Heat management was a problem as sweating caused the chills on downhill sections .” This increased the hypothermic response. At 4:00 a.m. Steve finally arrived at Diamond Lake Lodge where a night watchman let him in to sit by the fireplace and warm up.

If you have ever lived in the cold country of Minnesota, Wisconsin, the high mountains of Colorado, or elsewhere in the world where the winters are long and cold, you know the joy of sitting by a warm fire after being outdoors in the winter. You can breathe a sigh of relief as you get toasty warm. After a 20 hour ride like what Steve did, that fire must have felt just wonderful!

He checked into the lodge, and ate breakfast as he watched the sunrise over Diamond Lake in a winter wonderland. He looked out the big picture windows onto the lake and ate a big breakfast including a Spanish omelet, hashbrown potatoes, toast, oatmeal with raisins, brown sugar, and butter. Then he had hot chocolate with whipped cream! After you’ve climbed that mountain by bike, by trike, or by foot, there is nothing like having a great meal and getting warmed up by a fire.

After breakfast, Steve set about drying out all of his equipment which had gotten wet from the rain and snow, did his laundry, and shipped back home about 7 pounds of unnecessary gear plus the waterproof boots to lighten his load in the trailer. He got new batteries for his headlight and rear strobe light which had gone dead.

Tomorrow he plans to set out again, but with a change of route. He will ride about 5 miles to the Crater Lake National Park road and then downhill to Highway 97 to avoid encountering any more snow. He will take 97 to Klamath Falls. Hwy 97 has a wide shoulder and goes downhill to Klamath Falls from Diamond Lake. To this point in his journey, Steve has traveled 170 miles and crossed two mountain ranges, the Coastal Range and the Cascades!

As Steve said, this is quite an “epic adventure.” It puts perspective on the feat the pioneers completed when they crossed mountain ranges in covered wagons. In many ways, we have lost touch with direct involvement in the hardships and challenges that nature offers. Part of our identity as human beings is to be directly in touch with nature’s challenges in a physical way. This direct challenge is something we lack in modern culture, but we need and seek.

Where is Steve Now?? Oct. 6 – by David A. Wright:

To facilitate keeping up on Steve’s progress, I’ve put up a map that will be updated occasionally as more reports come in.  The map is up to date as of October 5th and Steve’s salvation at Diamond Lake, Oregon.  Since the map will be kept in large format, you can find it at the Reconnoitering in the Eastern Sierra and Great Basin by 4×4 website at:

http://www.gbr.4wdtrips.net/greeneblog/badwater_tricycle-tour/images/map_steveride.jpg

Yes, where are you Steve? Possible bad weather in your path!! Oct. 9 – by Jack Freer:

Still waiting to get a confirmation on Steve’s location soon. Hopefully he has received advanced notice of this special weather statement.

A SIGNIFICANT STORM SYSTEM IS ANTICIPATED TO IMPACT MUCH OF THE

WESTERN U.S. TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY OF NEXT WEEK. WHILE THERE IS GOOD CONFIDENCE IN THIS OCCURRING…THERE IS SOME UNCERTAINTY IN THE EXACT TIMING AND TRACK OF THE SYSTEM.

BASED ON THE LATEST INFORMATION…SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF PRECIPITATION ARE POSSIBLE IN THE SIERRA AND SOME WESTERN NEVADA VALLEY LOCATIONS TUESDAY THROUGH EARLY WEDNESDAY. THE LATEST PROJECTIONS INDICATE SEVERAL INCHES OF RAINFALL FOR THE TAHOE BASIN NORTHWARD INTO LASSEN COUNTY WITH UP TO AN INCH IN THE LOWER ELEVATIONS AROUND RENO AND CARSON CITY. SNOW LEVELS ARE GOING TO BE VERY HIGH WITH THIS SYSTEM…WITH SNOW IMPACTS LIMITED TO MOUNTAIN ELEVATIONS ABOVE 8500 FEET. THE SNOW LEVEL MAY BRIEFLY FALL AS LOW AS 7500 FEET MONDAY EVENING. HOWEVER MOST OF THE PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO FALL AFTER SNOW LEVELS RISE EARLY TUESDAY.

THE RECENT DRY CONDITIONS AND LIMITED SNOW PACK WILL PRECLUDE

FLOODING OF MAIN STEM RIVERS. HOWEVER HEAVY RAINFALL WILL PRODUCE RISES ON SMALLER CREEKS AND STREAMS AND MAY CAUSE MINOR

FLOODING IN URBAN SETTINGS AND NEAR STEEP TERRAIN.

THIS STORM SHOULD BRING STRONG WINDS IN EXCESS OF 100 MPH ON

TUESDAY TO THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE SIERRA. IN ADDITION…STRONG DOWN SLOPE WINDS MAY OCCUR ALONG THE EASTERN SIERRA TUESDAY. MOTORISTS IN HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES WITH PLANS TO TRAVEL TUESDAY ALONG HIGHWAYS 395 AND 95 WILL WANT TO MONITOR WEATHER CONDITIONS CLOSELY.

Downhill Ride at Last! Oct. 6th & 7th – by Desert Dune:

When Steve left Diamond Lake Lodge, he realized that he had been through quite a difficult experience traveling by tricycle through a snowstorm. He even recalled that he “dozed off several times along the snowy route while pedaling on the trike pulling 350 pounds.” “It was interesting that this was possible to fall asleep under extreme physical exertion.” One would think that the physical exertion would keep a person awake, but the exhaustion of riding for 20 hours in the cold with 350 pounds of total weight was definitely hazardous. We’re just glad he is ok!

From Diamond Lake Lodge Steve rode downhill on Hwy 138 at 40 mph. From 138 he took Hwy 97 following a wide, open downgrade. He stayed in high gear and really enjoyed the downhill ride after the difficult uphill stretch through the Cascade Mountains. He found a campsite in Ponderosa pines and aspens on October 6th while the sun was still up. He made a doormat from pine needles to keep the dust down. The campsite he found was a little difficult to get to as the dirt road he pulled off onto had red pumice and sand on an uphill grade.

That night the temperature fell to 23 degrees F. When he woke up on October 7th, his water in the trike water bottle was frozen solid. His water supply in the trailer was still liquid, however the tent fly was frozen solid.

For breakfast, Steve stopped at the Collier State Park Logging Museum. He sat at the picnic table there and ate a breakfast of grapenuts and raisins. He went inside to warm up by the woodstove for a while. He then rode on until he came to Klamath Falls, where he went through heavy traffic on a road with a poor shoulder. The air temperature rose to 70 degrees F. in Klamath Falls.

People in cars sometimes honked and waved. Steve said, “This kind of interaction boosts your spirits.” For lunch Steve stopped in Klamath Falls at a health food store and Albertsons. He had four bananas and two V8 juices.

That night he camped at the Harvest Outreach Christian Center next to a ranch three miles south of Altamont, Oregon, on Hwy 39. With the permission of the pastor, Steve set up his tent on the nice grassy lawn of the church. He said, “It feels like a sanctuary. It feels like Heaven lying here on the lawn of the church in my tent.” He really enjoyed hearing the sound of the horses neighing on the nearby ranch.

From here Steve will continue to head south towards Merrill and proceed into farm country. He plans to leave Oregon and head into California on October 8th.

Inspired Cycle Engineering (ICE) model Qnt Performs Flawlessly, Oct 8th – by Desert Dune:

Steve left his campsite at the church near Altamont at about 9 a.m. today. He commented that the ICE model Q nt (27″ narrow track) was performing flawlessly! He loves the great rear suspension and is “very impressed” with the well-engineered tricycle.

At about 1 p.m. he crossed from Oregon into California on Highways 39/139 between Merrill and Tulelake. He noticed a much improved road shoulder as he crossed the state line. He traveled 37 miles today going through the Klamath Basin. He took it easy today, trying to lessen the swelling in his Achilles tendons with ibuprophen. It is proving effective, more so than aspirin for reduction of swelling.

On Steve’s journey today he went through the Wong Potato Farm, finding a plentiful supply of potatoes along the side of the road. He found a great campsite in the Modoc National Forest in a grove of juniper and pinon trees. He pulled his trike 20 yd. by the boom (derailleur post) to get it into the campsite he found on a dirt road. Hwy 139 is lightly traveled and enjoyable.

Steve is feeling upbeat about his progress at this time. “By rough estimate I passed the 300 mile mark of travel today!” “On a trip like this a person goes through periods of self doubt alternating with optimism,” he said. His campsite for the night is beautiful with “mountains, pinon, juniper, sage, and birds all around.” He is enjoying the “wide open space, the smell of sage brush, and the feeling of being all alone in the wilderness.” He is camped under a big tree with pine needles to soften the ground. During his ride today, he had a lady bug sit on his knee for one mile.

From the local farm workers, Steve understands that there will be a 13 mile downgrade into Canby, California. He thinks he may make it to Alturas tomorrow where he will need to get more water. His trailer is getting lighter as he eats the food he brought. He is probably down to 325 pounds of total weight at this time (including his bodyweight, trike, trailer, and all gear). Cedarville will be “the stepping off point “into the great unknown.” Steve plans to travel through the Blackrock Desert of Nevada where there are no services for 83 miles. We want to keep an eye on the weather conditions of high wind warnings and snow that are predicted.

Steve has no advance warning of any oncoming weather conditions except what he is told by cell phone.

Where is Steve now, as of Oct. 8th? – by David A. Wright:

Given the recent update by Desert Dune, we can now ascertain that Steve is in the Golden State, and very soon to enter the Silver State where Steve will put on the most mileage of the trip before he literally falls into Death Valley and the Golden State once again.

I’ve now put up two maps to track Steve’s progress.  An overview of Steve’s progress through the entire trip can be found at:

http://www.gbr.4wdtrips.net/greeneblog/badwater_tricycle-tour/images/map_steveprogress.jpg

And to zero in on progress with the most recent update, there is still the large scale map at:

http://www.gbr.4wdtrips.net/greeneblog/badwater_tricycle-tour/images/map_steveride.jpg

As Desert Dune and JackNV update this blog, the maps will be updated.

Mount Shasta in View – by Desert Dune:

The glowing colors of the fall season remind us of the constancy of change in nature. Steve recalls the beautiful fall colors of the trees in the Cascades that rapidly changed into the winter world of the higher elevations. On the morning of October 9th, the moonlit mountain shadows of the previous night

became a glowing sunrise with the awe inspiring view of Mt. Shasta, prominent above all the rest of the landscape, just to the southwest of his campsite.

What a spectacular morning it was after a night when he heard coyotes howling to the moon as he slept in his tent. His tent was dry for the first time on the trip. What a relief to wake up to a dry tent, after being in snow and rain day after day. From his campsite on the northeast border of the Modoc National Forest, Steve rode on Hwy 139 to Canby, California. He had his photo taken at an Agricultural Inspection Station along the way.

He went uphill for 37 miles on a grueling ride of 4 mph through juniper and pinon pines. As he reached the higher elevations, he went through forests of ponderosa pines. The last 7 miles was a downhill stretch into Canby. Steve was able to enjoy going 35 mph on this stretch which he relished after the uphill climb. Canby, California is a town of 413 people at an elevation of 4,000 feet. After arriving at about 4:00 p.m. Steve asked the locals where he could camp. They suggested the city park. Their only advice, “Just don’t die back there because they won’t find you for a long time.”

Steve found the city park to be a good place to set up for the night. There was electricity nearby to charge the cell phone, as well as water, and a few tables. He set the tent up on concrete because of the automatic sprinkler system that would have come on in the middle of the night.

The only bad thing about the city park was that when Steve rode in over some oak leaves, enjoying the sound of the tricycle moving over the leaves, little did he know that beneath those leaves were thousands of sharp thorns. When he looked at his tires, he observed that “all five tires were so thickly covered with multi-sided thorns that they looked like a porcupine or a cactus!” He figures that he got at least 100 thorns in each of his tires. Carefully, he had to pull them all out – that’s 500 thorns! Some of the thorns broke off, and required using a Swiss Army knife to dig them out of the tires. Each thorn was 1/8th – 1/4″ long.

He has three layers of protection on his Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires including: 1)Plus Tires 2) Earth Guards 3)Q Tubes/thorn proof. He is carrying one spare tire, 2 spare tubes, and 1 spare Earth Guard. The question is: Will the tires hold up tomorrow when they looked like “pincushions with a hundred pins sticking in them.” This will be a true test of the thorn proofing materials. As Steve said, “This was a cyclist’s nightmare!” He plans to check the tricycle tires for 70 psi and the trailer for 65 psi before riding the next morning. He said, “The thorns were so thick that you could hardly see the rubber! The tread was completely obscured.” Still, Steve was confident that he would not get a flat tire. He worked hard to get all of the thorns out of the tires before calling it a day.

The “Perfect Storm” Approaches – by Desert Dune:

Steve has been getting warnings from locals along the way about the approaching storm on his planned route through the isolated regions from Cedarville, California to Gerlach, Nevada and on to Wadsworth, Nevada. A local resident in Tulelake, California advised him, ”You better be careful because there is a big Pacific storm headed here on Tuesday.” Another local resident advised Steve that he better have a gun out in those parts. She advised, ” If you go near anyone’s property out there, they’ll just shoot you!”

Steve’s feeling is, “If every possible objection for any project would have to be overcome, you would never go anywhere.” He continues,” Take away every danger and there would be no adventure. The love of adventure drives me to accomplish my goals.”

Steve says, “All I’m trying to do is get to Death Valley to give my talk at the Author’s Breakfast, co-sponsored by the Death Valley Forty-Niners and the Death Valley Natural History Association.” At this 5 day encampment, Steve is the sole author who will be speaking. His talk is scheduled for November 6th at 8:00 a.m. at Stovepipe Wells.

He realizes the danger of the approaching Pacific storm and is in touch with Jack Freer, Chief Deputy, Carson City Sheriff’s Office regarding the best plan of action at this time. The weather forecast of high winds above 100 mph, heavy rains, and flash floods headed directly in the path of his planned route could definitely be hazardous to his health to say the least.

The whole experience of this can remind us of the memorable “Truman Show” or “Reality TV.” We are observing Steve as a little pawn, moving on a map from somewhere in cyberspace, but he is a real person out there facing real life dangers.

At this time, the danger he is up against is the “Perfect Storm.” We are glad that he is now aware of its approach on Monday night and Tuesday so that he can plan accordingly. Having been through the 20 hour night ride through the snowstorm in the Cascades, Steve is contemplating his options for this next storm headed his way.

Mother Nature always wins… this we know. We are only her pawns woven into a tapestry of life.

STRONG STORM SYSTEM TO IMPACT THE AREA…

A SIGNIFICANT STORM SYSTEM IS ANTICIPATED TO IMPACT MUCH OF THE WESTERN U.S. TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION CONTINUES TO POINT TO SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF PRECIPITATION IN THE SIERRA AND WESTERN NEVADA VALLEY LOCATIONS. SEVERAL INCHES OF RAIN ARE LIKELY FOR THE SIERRA WITH UP TO AN INCH IN THE LOWER ELEVATIONS OF WESTERN NEVADA AND NORTHEAST CALIFORNIA.

SNOW LEVELS WILL START AROUND 7000 FEET MONDAY EVENING. HOWEVER WARM AND MOIST AIR WILL ARRIVE OFF THE PACIFIC AND PUSH SNOW LEVELS TO 8500 FEET OR HIGHER LATE BY TUESDAY AFTERNOON. THESE HIGH SNOW LEVELS WILL REDUCE IMPACTS FROM SNOW ACCUMULATIONS. SNOW LEVELS WILL LIKELY FALL SOME EARLY WEDNESDAY AS PRECIPITATION BEGINS TO TAPER. LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS OF SNOW COULD POSE A BRIEF PERIOD OF TRAVEL INCONVENIENCE ON AREA PASSES MAINLY ABOVE 7500 FEET AT THE BEGINNING OF THE EVENT EARLY TUESDAY AND AGAIN WEDNESDAY MORNING.

THE RECENT DRY CONDITIONS AND LITTLE TO NO SNOWPACK WILL PRECLUDE FLOODING OF MAIN STEM RIVERS. HOWEVER HEAVY RAINFALL WILL PRODUCE RISES ON SMALLER CREEKS AND STREAMS AND MAY CAUSE MINOR FLOODING IN URBAN SETTINGS AND NEAR STEEP TERRAIN. SLICK ROADWAYS AND PONDING OF WATER FROM MODERATE TO HEAVY PERIODS OF RAIN WILL RESULT IN HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND TUESDAY NIGHT.

IN ADDITION TO HEAVY PRECIPITATION…THIS STORM WILL BRING STRONG WINDS IN EXCESS OF 100 MPH TO SIERRA RIDGES. GUSTY WINDS WILL ALSO AFFECT MANY LOWER ELEVATIONS AND POSE A THREAT TO HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES.

CONTINUE TO CHECK OUR WEBSITE AT WEATHER.GOV/RENO…OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR UPDATES ON THIS DEVELOPING STORM SYSTEM.

HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/RENO

Hazardous Weather Update – by Jack Freer:

In all my 18 years in western Nevada I have never seen a storm warning of up to 6 inches of rain from one storm..

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO NV

329 PM PDT SUN OCT 11 2009

…STRONG STORM SYSTEM TO IMPACT THE AREA…

A SIGNIFICANT STORM SYSTEM WILL IMPACT MUCH OF THE WESTERN U.S.

TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY. BETWEEN 3 TO 6 INCHES OF RAIN ARE EXPECTED

FOR THE SIERRA WITH UP TO AN INCH IN THE LOWER ELEVATIONS OF

WESTERN NEVADA AND NORTHEAST CALIFORNIA. SEVERAL FEET OF SNOW ARE

LIKELY AT THE HIGHEST ELEVATIONS AND BACKCOUNTRY OF THE

SIERRA…MAINLY ABOVE 9000 FEET.

The Death Valley National Park Morning Report is forecasting rain, yes rain, in Death Valley, on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Achilles Tendon Swelling – by Jack Freer:

Steve is suffering from significant swelling in both of his Achilles tendons. This has apparently been brought on by extreme overuse in pedaling the trike for eleven days straight, 8-10 hours per day. I have done some study of his symptoms and gathered information about the potential problems associated with the repetitive stress of cycling.

From WebMD online comes this quoted information about the Achilles tendons:

_____________

The Achilles tendon connects the calf muscle to the heel bone. It lets you rise up on your toes and push off when you walk or run.

What are common Achilles tendon problems?

The two main problems found in the Achilles tendon are:

• Achilles tendinopathy. Achilles tendinopathy includes one of two conditions:

o Tendinitis. This actually means “Inflammation of the tendon,” but inflammation is rarely the cause of tendon pain.

o Tendinosis. This refers to tiny tears (microtears) in the tissue in and around the tendon caused by overuse. In most cases Achilles tendon pain is the result of tendinosis, not tendinitis. Some experts now use the term tendinopathy to include both inflammation and microtears. But many doctors may still use the term tendinitis to describe a tendon injury.

• Achilles tendon tear or rupture. An Achilles tendon also can partially tear or completely tear (rupture). A partial tear may cause mild or no symptoms. But a complete rupture causes pain and sudden loss of strength and movement.

Problems with the Achilles tendon may seem to happen suddenly, but usually they are the result of many tiny tears to the tendon that have happened over time.

What causes Achilles tendon problems?

Achilles tendon problems are most often caused by overuse or repeated movements. These movements can happen during sports, work, or other activities. For example, if you do a lot of pushing off or stop-and-go motions when you play sports, you can get microtears in the tendon. Microtears can also happen with a change in how long, hard, or often you exercise. Microtears in the tendon may not be able to heal quickly or completely.

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms of Achilles tendon problems include swelling in the ankle area and mild or severe pain. The pain may come on gradually or may only occur when you walk or run. You may have less strength and range of movement in the ankle.

If your symptoms are severe or do not improve with treatment, your doctor may want you to get an X-ray, ultrasound scan, or MRI.

How are they treated?

Treatment for mild Achilles tendon problems includes rest, over-the-counter pain medicine, and stretching exercises. You may need to wear well-cushioned shoes and change the way you play sports so that you reduce stress on the tendon. Early treatment works best and can prevent more injury.

Even in mild cases, it can take weeks to months of rest for the tendon to repair itself. It’s important to be patient and not return too soon to sports and activities that stress the tendon.

Detour to Picturesque Adin, Oct. 10th – by Desert Dune:

After consulting with Jack Freer, Chief Deputy, Carson City Sheriff’s Office, regarding weather conditions in the remote areas between Cedarville, California and Gerlach, Nevada, Steve decided to take a detour and change his route. The huge Pacific storm, heading into the area is expected to bring high winds, flash floods, and severe dust storms. Based upon this information and the fact that he has an Achilles tendon overuse injury in both tendons, Steve decided to meet up with Jack somewhere between Adin and Susanville, California on Hwy. 139.

The plan… Steve would come to Gardnerville, Nevada to stay for a while with Jack and Stephanie Freer at their country ranch, for a respite from the potentially ominous storm and a recovery period from the injury. The injury was most likely sustained in the 20 hour uphill trek over the Cascade Mountains. To have continued through what would have been undoubtedly the most remote landscape of the journey on Nevada Highway 447 would have been ill-advised considering the circumstances.

To begin the day on October 10th, Steve awoke at the little Canby City park. His air mattress worked great on the concrete slab under the tent. He enjoyed eating his breakfast of Grape-Nuts on a picnic table instead of using his trailer for a table. He checked the air pressure in the tires which was perfect despite the hundreds of thorns that had embedded themselves in his 5 tires the previous evening. He kicked the thorns out of his path as he exited the park, and then rode west and south to the picturesque country town of Adin, California.

The first four miles of the route, he rode in mid-range gearing at a speed of 10 mph. The next five miles, he rode at about 3 – 4 mph to the Adin Summit of 5173 feet. He entered the Modock National Forest again, and then pedaled through a rural agricultural valley for 7 – 8 miles.

When Steve arrived at Adin it was 12:30 p.m. He had ridden 22 miles from Canby to Adin. The town of Adin has a population of around 800 people and has an early American atmosphere, with a general store and an old west feeling. Steve spent an hour in the irresistible town, relaxing in the General Store, and writing in his journal.

He then rode past the town park and the library. At the school, a girls volleyball team all waved to him, so he stopped to talk to the girls about his tricycle expedition.

Steve rode 12 more miles up and down after he left the town of Adin. He rode through an area thick with grasshoppers! He began to climb up again into the Ponderosa pines of the Modock National Forest. He camped that night just off the road in the Ponderosa forest, above a rancher’s field and a stream. A warm breeze blew that night, he could hear his flags fluttering outside the lone tent, and the weather was pleasant and dry.

Road Angels, Oct. 11th – by Desert Dune

When Steve woke up on the morning of October 11th, a cold wind began to blow. The flags on the tricycle flapped in the wind, and he stayed in his tent a little longer than usual, just to stay warm. By 8:30 a.m. he was on the road again.

He saw highway signs saying: “Watch for Snow,” “Icy,” Watch for Falling Rocks,” and finally “Entering Modock National Forest.” These were all cycling clues that extended low-gear time was ahead! He rode on an uphill grade for a long way with a very cold wind blowing. He wore his down vest, polar fleece hat, and Gortex jacket. After about one hour and 20 minutes of riding, he ate an energy bar snack, and took off his cold weather gear as the sunny sky caused his internal temperature to increase.

He rode another mile and saw Jack Freer’s truck coming down the seemingly endless hill. After consuming a filling bowl of cereal on the tailgate of Jack’s truck, Steve and Jack loaded the trike, trailer, and gear into the truck’s six foot covered bed. The two of them then set out to Jack and Stephanie Freer’s ranch in Gardnerville, Nevada where Steve is staying as he waits out the storm and rests from his Achilles tendon injury.

Jack and Stephanie Freer are truly “Road Angels,” treating Steve to wonderful dinners and a spare room at their ranch! Steve is very thankful for their warm and friendly hospitality. All of Steve’s friends and family are concerned about Steve, hoping that he recovers from the Achilles tendon injury sustained from overuse during his challenging ascent in the Cascades. We are all glad that he is safe from the impending storm as well.

Thank you Jack and Stephanie, “Road Angels.”

Update October 13th – by David A. Wright:

I’ve talked to Steve on the phone at length since he has been at Jack’s.  We discussed some of his options as to his ride to Death Valley.  Steve is confident his tendon issue is his body’s way of “breaking in” on this grueling ride.  Steve still desires to ride into Death Valley on his trike.

Steve isn’t that far off his original route there at Gardnerville.  He can easily get back onto it out from Carson City out to Silver Springs, where he’ll hit US95 Alternate; which was his original intended route.  He’s also mulling over riding south on US395 and entering Death Valley via Panamint Valley, Towne’s Pass and Stovepipe Wells – a grueling route, especially over Towne’s.

However, Steve is finding that on the short stretches of dirt road he pulls the trike off onto nightly to camp, that it’s not well suited for dirt road driving when pulling his trailer.  Steve’s original route was to take him into northern Death Valley National Park via Eureka Valley, which would require miles of dirt road driving.  I suggested a bypass from Dyer, Nevada (along his original route), east out to US95 via Lida, Nevada; then south on US95 to Scotty’s Junction and west down Grapevine Canyon and Scotty’s Castle.

To date, Steve figures he has triked approximately 411 miles. Where Jack drops him off to resume the expedition will be determined by how well and quickly his Achilles tendons return to a normal functioning state, and from that point, the tricycle mileage will resume on his quest to reach Badwater.

The updated maps as to Steve’s progress to date are at:

http://www.gbr.4wdtrips.net/greeneblog/badwater_tricycle-tour/images/map_steveprogress.jpg

And to zero in on progress with the most recent update, there is still the large scale map at:

http://www.gbr.4wdtrips.net/greeneblog/badwater_tricycle-tour/images/map_steveride.jpg

October 14 Update – by Jack Freer:

Steve’s ankles seem to be returning to a deflated state fairly rapidly. He has full flexibility now, with little stiffness. He reports that the upper portion of each Achilles tendon is still a little tender when pressure is applied, but not painful at all.

Many of you may know that he is a health-nut type of guy, so during his brief recuperation layover here in Gardnerville, he has turned to advanced nutrition to hopefully accelerate his recovery. With the daily use of MetRX protein drinks, Clif high protein Builder’s bars, and other protein-dense foods like gourmet halibut steaks, Steve believes that the repair process will allow him to continue on into Death Valley National Park under his own power. He is also supplementing daily with vitamins and minerals (and making up for his former calorie depravation on the road).

We are tentatively scheduled to depart Gardnerville this Saturday, October 17, to deposit the old triker back out onto the asphalt, somewhere on the remote stretches of Nevada desert into which he was originally headed when the tendons and typhoon issues came to light. Where exactly this will be depends on how well his ankles have recovered. If there is reason to believe that further long uphill grades will plunge the Achilles tendons back into a condition that leads to re-injury, the drop-off point will be closer to DVNP.

As we have been watching the local Nevada weather news each day, following the effects of Typhoon Melor’s fallout, it became apparent last night that a massive high-activity weather cell had centered over the countryside from Gerlach, Nevada south to Pyramid Lake. This was the region where Steve had planned on being last night if he had proceeded eastward from Canby, California on Saturday. As things are turning out, this change of plans has been a good thing!

More on the results of the storm in the next post …

Weights and Measures: There may be some confusion regarding the weight that Steve is pulling with the trike. The numbers of 325-350 pounds include the total weight of everything, including Steve and the trike itself. His estimate of the towed weight, behind the trike, is around 130 pounds (and that is decreasing as he is eating from his food cache each day). The trailer is aluminum and the trunk is plastic. We weighed Steve on a scale Monday, and he is down about ten pounds below his normal weight, so not only is his load getting lighter each day, so is he! The scale read 154 pounds with him dressed in the shirt and pants he wears when cycling, but he had on flip-flops instead of his boots. Of course, if he keeps eating like he is, and just hanging around with his feet elevated in the recliner, doing no physical activity, his bodyweight will likely return to a higher number. Every aspect of this has its own pros and cons.

Doctor’s Orders – by Jack Freer:

Earlier this week, an email was received from an old friend of Steve’s, who used to explore with him in their Jeeps back in the 70s and early 80s out in the Death Valley region (Rich had a 1974 CJ-5, and Steve had a ‘75 CJ). His friend Rich also happens to be a doctor, so the following advice was dispensed Steve’s way:

Hey there,

I’m at work and will write more later, but … listen, hot and cold packs on the Achilles … Advil or Motrin, 600 to 800 mgs about every five hours for the next five days. Slow and careful ‘passive’ stretching – Means use your own hand to manipulate the foot into dorsal (top) flexion as in toes to shin. Always finish with ‘warm’ when using hot/cold therapy. If you must pedal, use more of your heels! Really, not kidding. Makes the ‘tibia’ the lever instead of the toes.

Rich

Steve has been implementing the advice, spending much time on the recliner with feet up, while alternating ice packs with a heating pad. Although he doesn’t normally do drugs, under these circumstances, he is also following the Advil advice, but plans to stop as soon as he feels it is no longer necessary. Tomorrow is the day that Steve will be back on the long road to Badwater, so any last-minute recuperation is welcomed. Fortunately, as the objective of his journey nears, the terrain morphs into extensive downhill, which will lessen Achilles strain quite a bit. Today, Steve plans on doing some trike maintenance to ensure the equipment is ready to go again (chain and cassette cleaning, lubrication, tire pressure, etc).

Yes, it all fit! Oct. 16th – by Jack Freer:

The trike has been in the truck since the rescue from the pending storm.  Today the trike and trailer are coming out for a cleanup and checkover so they will be all ready for the departure tomorrow morning.

Gardnerville, Nevada – by Jack Freer:

Want to learn a little more about the place where Steve spent five days, after being rescued from the typhoon tribulations and tendon troubles? If so, please click this link:

http://www.gardnerville-nv.gov/

The views of the Sierra Nevada Range are unparalleled, and the open spaces abound. It’s a great place to call home, even if it’s only for 120 hours. Steve gives it two thumbs up!

Last Minute Badwater Prep, Oct. 16 – by Jack Freer:

This was a work and preparation day, getting three vehicles prepared for the third phase of this expedition: the descent into North America’s lowest landscape. The three vehicles are: 1) the Q trike, 2) the Burley trailer, & 3) the Jeep Wrangler. The Jeep Wrangler?

Yes, during this part of Steve’s journey, I will be tagging along for a little while. Tomorrow morning early, Steve and I leave Gardnerville for the wide open spaces of western Nevada. We will be shuttling his gear in the pickup truck to his point of resumption. There, the intrepid trike pilot will begin pedaling once again, despite the fact that both Achilles tendons are still not functioning at 100% (swelling still remains, albeit much less than on Monday). Steve will be using a modified pedaling technique, with his feet pushing more from the heel portion rather than the toe. He will also keep the trike in lower gears to avoid undue stress on the tendons.

Once he is out of my sight, I will return to Gardnerville for a week of work. Then, next Saturday (October 24th), I plan to drive my Jeep Wrangler south to meet up with Steve at  Furnace Creek. The idea is that he and I will spend a couple of days exploring some remote dirt backroads in the Jeep, some that he knows like the back of his hand, but I have never traveled.

Steve also has plans to ride the trike to several well-known Death Valley National Park locations as part of his autumn tour prior to his presentation at Stovepipe Wells on November 6th. Being the ever-prepared guys that we are, we have also devised a makeshift method of keeping him mobile should the terrible tendon troubles become too unbearable, and force a cessation of pedaling the tricycle:

A rescue option, in case his Achilles tendons plunge further into distress: The trike can be hauled out on the Jeep’s roof rack if necessary. Steve clearly prefers to continue under his own power however, so this will likely not come to pass if he has anything to say about it. Well, at least the heavy rains, high winds, and flooding are all over! That’s one big obstacle out of the way.

The Journey Continues – by Jack Freer:

On Saturday October 17 at 12:20 pm Steve and I arrived at the intersection of Road 267 and Hwy. 95.  From Steve’s temporary stop in Gardnerville we traveled down Hwy. 395 to Lee Vining, CA and then east on Hwy. 120 to Benton, CA.  From there we continued east on Hwy. 6 to Tonopah, NV and then south on Hwy. 95 past Goldfield and stopped midway between Goldfield and Beatty Nevada at the junction of Road 267.

The trike was unloaded from the truck and made ready for the trip into Death Valley.  At 1:00 pm Steve started riding east on Road 267 towards Scotty’s Castle.  The temperature was 84 degrees.  The forecast for the day called for 92 degrees at Scotty’s Castle and 101 degrees at Furnace Creek.

Pedaling Away Again – by David A. Wright:

Well, it looks like Steve will peddle into Death Valley under his own power.  However, owing to circumstances with his Archilles Tendons, he’s cut out a large chunk of peddling.

In a telephone conversation with Steve shortly after he arrived at JackNV’s house in Gardnerville, we plotted some courses he might take, depending on how his recovery went while at Jack’s.  One of them was this very route.

Dropping Steve off at Scotty’s Junction, or the junction of US95 and NV267; Steve will have a pretty muc level route to near the Nevada/California state line, as he crosses the northern portion of Sarcobatus Flat.  Imperceptibly, the route will then cross into Bonnie Claire Flat and climb very gradually and gain little altitude; then about 1.5 miles before crossing the state line drop Steve into Grapevine Canyon for an E-Ticket ride through twists and turns.  Maybe he’ll get a glimpse of Scotty’s Castle as he whooshes by!

After Steve drops into Death Valley, his route will literally be downhill all the way to his final destination at Furnace Creek.  Here in this section of the country, Steve will be out of touch until he is rejoined by Jack, who has a satellite phone.  Cell phones do not work through the vast majority of Death Valley National Park.  So Steve might be lost to us for a while.

I must say, JackNV has gone beyond the call when giving Steve aid.  Driving hundreds of miles to locate and rescue Steve and bring him to Gardnerville; driving hundreds of miles to drop Steve off at Scotty’s Junction; providing Steve the use of his home.

So where is Steve at last report?  The maps are at the links below.

http://www.gbr.4wdtrips.net/greeneblog/badwater_tricycle-tour/images/map_steveprogress.jpg

http://www.gbr.4wdtrips.net/greeneblog/badwater_tricycle-tour/images/map_steveride.jpg

Report from Mesquite Springs – by Jack Freer:

Sunday morning Steve called from the pay phone at the Grapevine Ranger Station.  He reported that after he started heading west into Death Valley Saturday afternoon he reached Scotty’s Castle in three hours time.  He averaged about 7 miles per hour on the trip to the castle and then increased his speed to 21 miles per hour as he came down Grapevine Canyon.

He then continued on to Mesquite Springs campground and setup camp for the night.  There he met Mike Cole from San Luis Obispo.  Mike watched as Steve rode in to camp on the trike and with the high temperatures figured Steve could use a cool drink and gave Steve some frozen pineapple juice.  Steve traveled 32 miles on Saturday.

This morning he got up disconnected the trailer from the trike and took the panyards off the trike and left them in his tent.  With no trailer and less weight on the trike he was able to make a much more enjoyable ride up to the ranger station to use the pay phone.  From there he was going to do some side exploring and riding and then spend Sunday night back at the Mesquite Springs camp.

Below is a link to information Steve has previously published on Mesquite Springs.

http://oldtrailmaster.wordpress.com/2009/08/12/mesquite-springs-campground/

October 19, 2009 Memories From Mama, The Desert Gypsy – by Desert Dune:

From Steve’s mom comes these words:

LOOKING BACK IN THE HOUR GLASS OF TIME…….I SEE STEVE RIDING UP AND DOWN OUR DRIVEWAY ON HIS LITTLE TRICYCLE ……..THEN VISITING HIS COUSINS, FROM TIME TO TIME, AND RIDING THEIR TRICYCLE WHILE PULLING ONE COUSIN IN A LITTLE RED WAGON. IN THE BEGINNING HIS TRANSPORTATION, WHEN JUST A MONTH OR SO OLD, WAS RIDING WITH HIS MOM & DAD, IN A SIDECAR ATTACHED TO A MOTORCYCLE ON THEIR WAY TO VISIT HIS GRANDMOTHER. AS HE AGED AND MATURED HE FOLLOWED IN HIS DAD’S FOOTSTEPS AND CAME TO OWN A MOTORCYCLE. THROUGH THE YEARS HIS INTERESTS CHANGED AND EATING RIGHT, EXERCISING MORE AND GETTING BACK TO NATURE TOOK PRECEDENCE. TO THIS DAY HE IS VERY AWARE OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND WANTS OTHERS TO CONSIDER MAKING CHANGES IN THEIR LIVES, WHICH IN TURN WILL HELP TO GIVE FUTURE GENERATIONS A CHANCE TO ENJOY IT ALL.

Update from Furnace Creek – by Jack Freer:

On Sunday October 18 Steve rode north from Mesquite Springs campground to Ubehebe Crater with just the trike.  The trailer was left back at camp.  He took some photos of the trike on the rim of the crater and met Paul and Britt Beard who were visiting from England.  Steve then rode back to Mesquite Springs campground for a total ride of 15 miles that day.  Steve spent the night again at Mesquite Springs campground.

On Monday October 19 Steve rode 53 miles south from Mesquite Springs to Furnace Creek.  The route took him through a descent in elevation of 2,456 feet in 51 miles.  Steve rode along at up to 40 miles per hour.  As he got closer to Furnace Creek he ran in to headwinds that he estimated to be up to 40 miles per hour from the south.  So he had to actually start peddling while still going downhill.

Just before Steve reached Furnace Creek he stopped at the Death Valley Natural History Association office to meet with the DVNHA Executive Director Dave Blacker. http://www.dvnha.org/

After talking with Dave for a while Steve then rode into Furnace Creek campground at 5:30 pm and pitched his tent in high winds.  The winds continued with gusts between 50 and 70 miles per hour up until midnight.

On Tuesday October 20 Steve woke in his tent to mild breeze and a coyote lurking around his camp site.  Steve left the trike parked for the day and met up with Jim Graves, the Production Chairman of the Death Valley 49ers organization and Jim’s wife Nancy.  Steve spent most of the day with Jim getting a tour of the event sites for the upcoming Death Valley 49ers Encampment. http://www.deathvalley49ers.org/

Tuesday night Steve checked in to the Furnace Creek Ranch for much needed rest and relaxation, a soft bed, shower and laundry facilities.

http://www.furnacecreekresort.com/furnace-creek-ranch-535__60.html

Goal! – by David A. Wright:

Now that Steve has made his goal, the updated maps are at:

http://www.gbr.4wdtrips.net/greeneblog/badwater_tricycle-tour/images/map_steveprogress.jpg

http://www.gbr.4wdtrips.net/greeneblog/badwater_tricycle-tour/images/map_steveride.jpg

Updates from Death Valley Continue – by Jack Freer:

Wednesday October 21. Steve spent one last night at the Furnace Creek Ranch.  He said that the two outer toes on both feet are still numb so he continued with his R&R.  He also discovered that the left tire on his trailer finally went flat from the slow leak.

Thursday October 22. Steve walked a short distance to the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe office and met with Barbara Durham.  Barbara helped with Steve’s research for the Death Valley Book of Knowledge.

http://www.timbisha.org/

Later on in the day Steve met with Sarah Craighead, the Death Valley National Park Superintendant.

Steve also met Mark Paxton who is a professional tour driver for Pink Jeep Tours.  Steve and Mark hung out for a while in the club house of the Furnace Creek golf course.  http://www.pinkjeep.com/jeep-tours/lasvegas/death-valley-in-park.shtml

Thursday night Steve setup his tent under a large grove of Tamarisk trees in an area reserved for the Death Valley 49ers Encampment.  Gene and Janet Pickering are staying in their motor home and acting as the gate keepers for this area and have become good friends of Steve over the past few days.

Friday October 23. Steve has also become good friend with Death Valley Ranger Jay Snow.  Jay is now in charge of the Death Valley R.O.C.K.S. program.

Death Valley R.O.C.K.S!

Recreational

Outdoor

Campaign for

Kids thru

Study!

Death Valley National Park’s Education Program enriches lives and inspires learners to a lifetime of stewardship.

What is Death Valley R.O.C.K.S?

This education program is designed to promote children getting out into the world of natural and cultural history! In the fall of 2007, the Death Valley staff decided to try an experiment reaching out to schools in locations where the students might not get an opportunity to come to the park without assistance – financial and academic. Ultimately it is our goal that through experiencing nature and history where it is happening, students will have greater opportunities to learn and become stewards of their heritage.

http://www.nps.gov/deva/forteachers/index.htm

Ranger Snow is conducting a program Friday night and has invited Steve to come over and talk with the kids.

Steve also wanted his fellow bike riders to know that Adventure Corps is holding the Fall Death Valley Century and Double Century events this weekend.  More information on this event can be found at   http://www.adventurecorps.com/dvfall/index.html

AdventureCORPS Bicycle Race, Oct. 24 – by Desert Dune:

On Friday October 23rd and Saturday October 24th Steve met up with Chris Kostman, Founder and CEO of the AdventureCORPS 100 and 200 mile bicycle race in Death Valley National Park. The race starts and ends in Furnace Creek. Chris Kostman is written about in Steve’s new book, “Death Valley Book of Knowledge.” Chris Kostman was aware of Steve’s “Badwater or Bust” tricyle trip, to be the subject of Steve’s next book. Steve had fun talking to some of the cyclists in the race, including a woman who had ridden her bicycle from Salem, Oregon to Death Valley for the race. It took her 8 hours to complete the 100 mile AdventureCORPS race.

To learn more about the AdventureCORPS race, go to www.adventurecorps.com

The Coyotes Howl, Oct. 23 – by Desert Dune:

Steve has become accustomed to hearing coyotes howl while he is asleep in his tent at night, but on Friday, October 23rd, a whole pack of coyotes visited his camp and started howling at the top of their lungs only 15 feet away from his tent. It was a loud, amplified sound, like a megaphone next to his ears, and he awoke, startled to hear so many so close! He tapped on his tent and they all ran away instantly.

Steve has a great campsite, thanks to Jim Graves, Production Chairman, and Vice President of the Death Valley Forty-Niners. Jim gave Steve a couple of nice lounge chairs to put next to his tent under some big trees

In about one week, the stage area will be the arena for lots of live fiddle music and a circle of covered wagons! The covered wagons and travelers portraying the American pioneers are coming 50 miles to Death Valley along the Harry Wade Exit Route road and the West Side road. The covered wagon circle is a once in a lifetime experience, not to be missed!

This past week, western music is being played at the Sunset Campground. This is a treat to hear in the evening hours as it drifts through the dry desert air to all the nearby campers.

Steve met Ranger Jay Snow, Education Officer, who has walked across the USA from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. Ranger Jay Snow invited Steve to speak to a group of students from Bailey Middle School in Los Vegas if the time allows. The students were enjoying star gazing this past evening, courtesy of a presentation by Ranger Snow.

Timbisha Shoshone Tribal Visit, Oct. 25 – by Desert Dune:

This past week, Steve walked through the desert to the Shoshone Tribal Office to meet with Barbara Durham, Tribal Preservation Officer. Barbara helped Steve with his book by contributing information and writing about the Timbisha Shoshone tribe. During the week of November 2nd, Steve will go to the village to meet with two Elders of the tribe, Pauline Esteves and Grace Goad, both who helped provide information to Steve for his book, “The Death Valley Book of Knowledge.” The Timbisha Shoshone tribal members are descendents of the people who lived in the Death Valley area 9,000 – 10,000 years ago. It is quite an honor for Steve to have the privilege of meeting with Pauline Esteves, Grace Goad, and Barbara Durham.

Steve plans to enjoy a one of the great Indian tacos that will be for sale! He can’t wait for this!

Learn more about the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe, go to timbisha.org.

Author’s Breakfast on November 6th – by Desert Dune:

The “Death Valley Forty-Niners Official Program, 60th Annual Encampment,” a 25 page official program with color cover, lists the following information about Steve’s presentation.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6TH

STOVEPIPE WELLS, 8:00 A.M.

AUTHOR’S BREAKFAST, POOLSIDE

“Steve Greene, author of ‘Death Valley Book of Knowledge’ and ‘Exploring Wild Death Valley’ will talk about his exploits. Ask him how he got here! He has some great stories to tell.

Be sure to attend Steve’s presentation about his new book if you are able. He will be posting photos about the latest blog entries when Jack Freer arrives. They will use Jack’s laptop to upload the latest photos to the blog.

Death Valley 49ers 60th annual Encampment Program – by Desert Dune:

Below is a link to the program of events for the 60th Annual Death Valley 49ers Encampment! What a lot of fun!

http://www.deathvalley49ers.org/

Jack to Steve, Come in Steve … – by David A. Wright:

This morning, October 28, 2009, JackNV will be leaving his Gardnerville home and heading south to Death Valley.  There he will meet with Steve and the two will be doing some “reconnoitering” together.  Steve will play tour guide and ride in Jack’s Jeep Wrangler to places that Jack has never been to in Death Valley National Park.

Jack was planning on a couple of days to get to Death Valley, maybe another, to do some reconnoitering on his own on the way down.  But with snow and winds visiting northern Nevada the past day, leaving dirt roads likely muddy and squirrelly, he might instead opt out to run straight for warmth and dry.

Jack informed me that Steve has made friends with the rangers in Death Valley, and has gotten hold of an Internet connection, so will be able to put up his own posts, while Jack enjoys a refreshing cold drink in the shade somewhere nearby.

Be safe, Jack!  Have fun, Steve!  And Jack, don’t let Steve talk you into trading your Wrangler in for a tricycle!  Jeeps are more fun!

High Winds & Dust Storms – by Desert Dune:

In recent days, high winds have been ravaging Death Valley National Park. Gusts up to 65 miles per hour blew through the valley Tuesday and Wednesday (October 27 and 28). The valley was so filled with dirt and dust that Steve reports the 11,000 foot Panamint Range has been mostly obscured for a couple of days. He has hunkered down in his tent at times for relief, as dirt in the eyes is apparently not his favorite thing. Other times, Steve has taken refuge in the Visitor Center, and written in his journal.

Today, Thursday, October 29th, the wind has finally subsided, the sky is clear, the mountains are once again as majestic as ever, and temperatures are in the upper seventies. At last, he was able to have his bowl of Grape-Nuts this morning without airborne dirt making its way into the wheat and barley.

Steve met ultra long distance cyclist Paul Ganeau this past Monday evening as he was leaving the Visitor Center. Paul was looking for a place to camp, so after attaining permission from the 49ers, Paul set his tent at Steve’s camp for a couple of nights. Paul is on a 15,000 mile trek aboard his mountain bike, starting 5 months ago in Fairbanks, Alaska. His destination is the southern tip of Argentina, Tierra Del Fuego, a goal he hopes to accomplish in the months ahead.

Steve says the warm spring fed pool at the Furnace Creek Ranch is a pleasant 85 degrees Fahrenheit, and every 7 hours the water has completely changed. As each day passes, more and more motorhomes arrive at Furnace Creek in anticipation of the Death Valley 49ers encampment.

Yesterday, Wednesday, October 28th, Steve rode his trike to Zabriskie Point, the most-photographed landmark in Death Valley. He left the trailer and panniers at his camp. The 11-mile round-trip ride occupied an hour of riding time, although he spent much more time there, answering many questions of curious travelers who wanted to know where he was going on his tricycle. Steve was there with Paul Ganeau, so between the two of them, crowds seemed to gather.

Tentatively, the plan is to ride to Badwater either tomorrow (Friday) or Saturday. Steve is interested in using photos from this portion of the trip on the cover of his next book, and Jack will need to be there to capture the images. Jack should be arriving soon. As things are unfolding, it is probably best that Jack has waited, because he has avoided the extreme wind and dust storms.

Jack at Furnace Creek, Oct 29 – by Desert Dune:

Today at approximately 3:00 PM, as Steve was sitting on the old wooden boardwalk in front of the Wrangler Steakhouse, munching on his fruit, seeds, and nut trail mix (along with two bananas, a V8 Juice, and a pound of seedless red grapes), he heard a voice out of the past say: “Hey Steve!” Having met so many fine 49ers this past week, he expected to see one of them approaching.

Well, wonders of wonders, as he turned his head to the east to behold the person behind the voice, his jaw drops when he learns that it’s Jack. Yes, the dependable back-up guy finally made it to the lowest land in North America! And it couldn’t have worked out better … for Jack anyway. As it turns out, with the ferocious winds these past couple of days, filling the valley with intolerable dust at 65 miles per hour, Jack’s timing was perfect. Today’s temperature at Furnace Creek was in the upper 70s, and the air was calm as can be. This was reportedly a great day for the area. Everyone was smiling as the wind had played itself out.

So, now Jack and Steve set out to accomplish a few things. First, tomorrow morning at first light, Steve will set out on the trike to Badwater (a 36 mile round trip). Badwater is 282 feet below sea level, so Steve will be at a lower elevation than where he started this trek back on October 1st. Jack will drive along a little later and capture him on his camera. Photos will arrive on this blog quicker now, as Jack has his laptop, and the Furnace Creek village has two excellent and free Wi-Fi options (from the Death Valley Natural History Association and the Xanterra Resorts company).

Then, the two explorers plan to visit ghost towns of Ryan, Rhyolite, Bullfrog, Chloride City, Furnace, Kunze, Greenwater, and also the Inyo Mine ruins up Echo Canyon, which is past the fascinating Eye of the Needle rock formation. They will also attend Old West Days in Shoshone, California, where Steve was invited to stop in and meet everyone. The Beatty Museum has also asked that he visit while in the region. These two guys will stay busy all the days leading up to the Death Valley 49ers Encampment. Once that starts, there will be western music coming from many talented musicians each night only yards from their tents.

Stay tuned for all the latest!

Triker Hell (and Heaven) – by Jack Freer:

On the Badwater trip today (October 30, 2009 – read about it in a following post), Steve took a 9 mile side trip up the beautiful Artist Drive, a place where the colors of the rock are truly amazing.  The climb from below sea level was relentless and sunny, the first 5 miles of which required him to use his granny low gearing, even though he did not have his panniers or trailer on the trike today. Later on this one-way road, there is yet another mile of climbing, for a total of 6 miles where the lowest gearing had to be used. Some might call this triker hell, but remember, for most every grueling uphill, there is usually a corresponding downhill section … the heaven part! Yes, on the way down, there were 3 miles of winding and fast asphalt leading back to the basin of Death Valley. Steve said it felt like driving a sports car at full tilt, requiring him to lean into the turn, and even use his brakes in some of the ultra-tight 15 MPH turns. Well, he did it, and says: “It was worth it, just for the experience!”

A note for other cyclists familiar with elevation change:

After consulting several elevation topo maps, we determined that in the first 3 miles of Artist Drive, from the lowlands of Death Valley, the elevation increased approximately 1,123 feet up the huge alluvial fan! No wonder he was just creeping along for so darn long. Okay, it’s making me tired just writing about it, so I bid you farewell tonight.

Mushroom Rock – by Jack Freer:

Back in 1955, Steve’s mom (aka Desert Gypsy or Teakettle Mama) held Steve on her lap at Mushroom Rock. He was only 4 years old. Steve’s dad took the photograph, which is viewable on some of Steve’s other Death Valley websites. The rock has worn considerably in the past 54 years, both from erosive forces of nature and climbing visitors, but it still remains. The National Park Service has however taken away the parking turnout and sign, to reduce further accelerated destruction. Steve was very happy today to be able to revisit this special family place!

BADWATER! – by Jack Freer:

October 30th was the day for Steve to finally pedal south into the Badwater Basin. Badwater or Bust is what the blog is titled, and after today’s 43 mile ride, it surely was no bust! He made it. The trip to Badwater from Furnace Creek took about an hour and 48 minutes, entirely in mid-range and high gears on his tricycle. He rode out onto the salt flat of Badwater, which dips to 282 feet below sea level at its lowest point. On the way back, he triked the Artist Drive road, stopped at Mushroom Rock, and visited Barbara Durham, the Tribal Historic Preservation Officer of the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe. It was a full day, and he is now ready for a full dinner!

The Ghost Town of “Greenewater” – by David A. Wright:

When Jack Freer and Steve drove through Greenwater Valley, they bypassed only by a few miles the once busy town of “Greenewater”.  Men once made this a busy metropolis – at least that’s what they envisioned it to be.  Homes, offices, saloons, red light houses – all built with a few baseboards and canvas – sprung up on the creosote covered gulches that ran down the west side of the Amargosa Range.  Soon  it became so crowded in that little gulch that Greenewater was moved out into Greenwater Valley.

But drive to the site of Greenewater today and what will you find?  To the untrained eye – nothing at all.  But look through the creosote – zillions of cans can be found.  The tin age peaked in the early 1900s in Death Valley.  There’s enough tin in Greenewater that it would fill a landfill the size of Lake Mead.

Steve, being the modest fellow that he is, doesn’t divulge his discovery and involvement in the fabulous boomtown of yesteryear.  But I’ve found proof in the archives of Death Valley National Park.  Back in 1906, A.E. Holt, a prominent photographer of the era,  stood his large and bulky camera in the busy main street of Greenewater, it’s population eager to have their images associated with the busy town.  And there’s Steve right in among them, at the forefront.  For Greenewater was named for Steve Greene.  Being the good and considerate guy he is, he’s stopped his trike so as not to spook the horses.  And being an ex-cop, he knows that in California that the guy on the right has the right of way in an uncontrolled intersection.  Way to go, Steve!  Even Holt spelled your name right!  Something I never could get right for the first few months I knew you!

To see the image: http://www.gbr.4wdtrips.net/greeneblog/badwater_tricycle-tour/images/stevegreenewater.jpg

Seriously folks, if you want to see what the real Greenwater, Furnace, Kunze and Willow Creek townsites of the greater Greenwater mining district look like today, check out my website page at:

http://www.gbr.4wdtrips.net/trips/green2002.htm

One Step at a Time! Nov. 1st – by Jack Freer:

Today, Steve and I hopped into the trusty Jeep Wrangler and headed northeast into the ghost city of Rhyolite. Steve was intent on finding and meeting Suzy McCoy, a lady who offered assistance to him during his work on Death Valley Book Of Knowledge. She runs the Goldwell Open Air Museum at Rhyolite now, and when Steve and I stopped in there to grab some photographs of the local artwork, lo and behold, Suzy was there.

After a nice visit, we drove on into Beatty to see what was going on with their Beatty Days celebration, which is held the last day of October. It was a big gala affair, with live music, cowboy shootouts, food booths, and numerous vendors of all types. It was held in the Beatty town park.

From there, after gassing the rig at the Rebel station ($2.79 per gallon), we took off Nevada Highway 347 on the Titus Canyon road. The day was picture perfect again, with mild temperatures in the high 70s and low 80s. Steve updated me periodically about this and that, including Titanothere Canyon, where the thunder beast of 37 million years ago roamed in a semi-tropical haven.

At Leadfield, the infamous lead scam town of Charles Courtney Julian, we hiked around the ruins. I looked up and Steve was off cross country through the bushes towards a large tailing north of me. He yelled to bring the camera, but I opted to return to the Jeep and a cool slug of water. Steve had located the Crystal Snow Cave, a place where special white aragonite crystals grow underground in miniature caverns. It’s quite a story if you have time to read about it. The cave was intercepted by Julian’s miners, when they bored a hole into it. Steve says that now the National Park Service has it locked up behind a huge steel door, accessible only to the scientific community with legitimate need to study the underground wonderland.

It was now time for the drive through Titus Canyon, a place where I’ve never been before. Edgar Morris Titus met an untimely demise in here, according to my personal history interpreter. In the vicinity of the NPS sign that says “Entering Titus Canyon”, I stopped for a photograph. Within a minute, Steve tells me to catch him when I can, and there he goes walking down canyon.

Now, this guy is a little different from most people. He may be in need of some professional help, I don’t know. What I do know is when I asked him what he’s doing, he informed me that he was going to walk through Titus Canyon today. Here he had a comfy seat in the Jeep, but he’s out walking down the rocky road instead. So, I begin heading out, and taking photos here and there. Over the course of the next 7 miles or so, we played leap frog, and were passed by about 15 different vehicles before coming out at the alluvial fan overlooking the Death Valley Wash and the Scotty’s Castle road.

I figured that since he couldn’t ride his trike today, as it doesn’t do well in dirt, that he felt he needed some additional exercise.  Either that, or after indulging in dinner together the night before last, where the two of us emptied two bottles of wine, that he felt guilty for polluting his body, and this was his way of making up for it. Whatever the real reason, Steve  has his version of why he took to foot travel through Titus Canyon:

“I realized that Jack, having never been here before, would need a lot of extra time to really soak up all that Titus has to offer. Simply driving through is not enough to truly get to know this deep cut in the Earth. So, walking the canyon was purely a labor of love for my Nevada friend. My sacrifice allowed Jack to become one with a marvelous landscape seldom visited by average folks. You owe me one Jack!“

Well, as I pull on my waders, and wonder about the validity of his explanation, it was indeed a great day of exploring. I like to snap digital photos every chance I get, and due to our slow progress through the canyon, I did just that, taking over 100 pictures along the way, some of which will end up somewhere on this blog.

Steve says his feet are tired after the seven miles, and is looking forward to hitting his sleeping bag tonight. Although, since the fiddlers are now performing at the fiddler’s stage just yards from our tents, he may not get to sleep as quickly as he wants. By the way, here is another reason I question Steve’s mental stability: For dinner tonight, he had a pound of red grapes, two bananas, a bottle of V8 juice, several handfulls of prunes, and a bag of Fritos! Fritos? Hey, those aren’t good for the body are they? Well, he thinks he needed extra salt after today’s endeavor.

As he indulged in the bizarre foods, I enjoyed another beer, and dreamed of a huge ribeye steak!

Echo Canyon & Indian Tacos – by Jack Freer:

Expedition Day 33:

At 60 degrees, this morning is getting warmer quicker than recent days. They predicted a high of 94, yet the arid conditions seem to make it tolerable. Steve joined me in the 49er Cafe while I ate breakfast. He already had his Grape-Nuts with raisins and oat bran. Oh yeah, and his vitamins too! So I ate a normal breakfast of bacon and eggs while he got excited scanning Tom Harrison’s Death Valley map, as he attempted to figure out elevation gains over certain mileages.

Not long afterward, we took off in the Jeep for Echo Canyon, one of the area’s most popular four-wheel-drive roads due to its close proximity to Furnace Creek, and its relatively easy driving on the class-2 road. We stopped at the famous Inyo Mine for photos and exploration. Steve wanted to proceed on up the Echo Pass road, which forks off to the north just west of the mining relics, but after driving a ways, and seeing relatively bad road conditions, I decided to pass on the pass. Of course, Steve, being the die-hard backroad guy that he is, lamented that we couldn’t take photos of the Jeep on the class-4 dryfalls to make David A. Wright wish he were here, but hey, that’s the way the canyon crumbles!

This was to be a half day exploring, for two very important reasons. First, the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe began their week-long sale of Indian tacos on their tribal land south of the Furnace Creek Ranch. And yes, we had to be there for the first day’s lunch opportunity! Second, it was time for Steve to partake of his weekly shower, and then do his laundry.

After eating our authentic Indian tacos, we chatted with Barbara Durham and Pauline Esteves. Pauline is the dynamic tribal elder, born in 1924, who was instrumental in the tribe’s efforts to regain control over the lands that the United States government took from them many years ago. She still is as spunky as ever, and visiting with her is a real fascinating treat. You can learn more about this unique tribe HERE. The tacos were excellent, by the way, especially after a bumpy morning in the canyons!

Steve did his chores this afternoon as planned. As he was leaving the shower room, walking past the warm spring pool (which was filled with 60 senior citizens by Steve’s count), four ladies engaged him in conversation, wanting to know all about his book and how they could get it. As the days pass, The Old Trailmaster is becoming more and more known in these parts, and the dwindling number of his books on the shelves of the Visitor Center attest to the growing interest. I think part of the mystique is knowing that this author is riding a tricycle all over this valley. Many people report having seen him out on the road when they meet him later. Maybe the mad triker isn’t so crazy after all … maybe there is a method to it all?

Back at our camp, under the trees near the fiddler’s stage, motorhomes are now everywhere (when Steve arrived, he was alone). Behind a large travel trailer that now sits next to his tent, 7 musicians were playing music already at 2:00 PM. It’s hard to go anywhere in these parts now without being serenaded with old western music.

This Thursday, Steve will be breaking down his camp and setting out for Stovepipe Wells Village, 24 miles distant, on his trike and trailer. He prefers to be there already for the morning of his talk, which, at his rate of travel speed, is a very wise idea!

Monarch Canyon / Chloride Cliff – by Jack Freer:

Day 34

Steve and I had our final day together of backroad exploring today. This is because tomorrow, Wednesday, he wants to contact some people regarding business dealings. He plans on riding the trike around the area to generate interest, and this curiosity naturally seems to be occurring everywhere he rides and parks based on what I have witnessed. Then Thursday, he will ride his trike the 24 miles over to Stovepipe Wells Village in preparation for Friday’s Author’s Breakfast. Tomorrow, I will hit the exploration trail on my own in the Jeep, taking in a few more sights prior to also going up to Stovepipe.

Today, our destination goals were Monarch Canyon, Chloride City, and Chloride Cliff. It seems I had visited Chloride City many years ago, but I never had seen Monarch Canyon, a locale that Steve just raves about. So, off we went into the wilds, far removed from the motorhome and fifth-wheel city that now surrounds us on all sides here at Furnace Creek. Instead of generators, we would once again be hearing the sounds of nature. Any of you who know Steve, also know that he is a dedicated naturalist at heart, a guy who yearns for the wide open spaces far away from any crowds.

We took the Beatty cutoff road, and then about 3 miles from where it joins the Daylight Pass road, a small nondescript two-track dirt road heads off to the southeast up a little canyon. There isn’t even a sign that tells what is up the road! The only signage from the National Park Service simply recommends high clearance 4wd vehicles. Anyone traveling 55 MPH will likely miss the road altogether … all the better for a couple of guys who enjoy solitude!

Two miles up the winding and tight road, another road cuts off to the west. There is no sign at all. This is Monarch Canyon, a little version of Titus that is very short, but has a two-story dryfall at the end. It made for some spectacular photographs. At the bottom is Monarch Spring. There is an old mining road going down the steep hillside to the spring, but it is unbelievably narrow and washed out … okay to hike down, but a big mistake to attempt in a vehicle (can you say rollover?). The end of this road would make an excellent camp, providing the sky is clear and predicted to stay that way. Any water that could have carved this fall has to be deadly to humans!

Then on we went in high-range 4wd to the remnants of Chloride City, a mining area that is quite extensive, and would take at least 2 full days to fully explore if you’re a mining buff. At the south end of the ghost town, the road soars upward and deadends at the steep overlook called Chloride Cliff. The final yards of this road are best walked, as they are truly rocky and torn up.

Views from the top are 360 degrees of California and Nevada. We could see Rhyolite, Bullfrog, Red Pass area, Cottonwood Mountains, Cottonwood & Marble Canyon roads, Stovepipe Wells, Mesquite sand dunes, Mosaic & Grotto Canyons, Tucki Mountain, Telescope Peak & the Panamint Range, the Owlshead Mountains, Dante’s View, Badwater Basin, Devil’s Golf Course, the Zabriskie Point area, Furnace Creek’s lush vegetation, Cow Creek, and the cliffs above the Keane Wonder mine, among other locations. In other words, there isn’t much you can’t see up here! Definitely worth the visit.

At 5,279 feet above sea level, and 5,561 feet above Death Valley’s lowest floor, this is the place to see the views from the north. Like Dante’s view to the east, and Aguereberry Point to the west, Chloride Cliff rounds out the viewpoints very well. There is a government location marker in the rocky ground up here, and someone even has placed a geocache of some sort in a rockpile.

While Steve and I were enjoying the sights and using the cell phones to make calls that we couldn’t do from Furnace Creek, another Jeep parked below the tough final road to the summit, and a couple walked up to join us. They were Tony and Melanie Sanders of Chico, California. The two of them have been visiting Death Valley for the past 6 years, and they love the place. After we departed, they went on into Titus Canyon for a late afternoon visual feast, while we headed out to Highway 95 in Nevada to make a loop through the Ash Meadows area, and back to Furnace Creek via Death Valley Junction.

The weather cooperated well again today, with blue sky and pleasant temperatures, probably no higher than 80 degrees up at these higher elevations. The Jeep is very dusty now, and really looks like we’ve been somewhere. What good is a clean Jeep?

Our only regret is that we missed the Indian tacos for lunch today. Maybe tomorrow?

Online Access Issues – by Jack Freer:

The Death Valley Tricycle Expedition has encountered a few days where access to the online world has not been forthcoming. Our apologies for the delay. The wireless connection at Stovepipe Wells is, well, less than functional, which has led to a number of resort guests spending an hour or so in utter frustration. Perhaps this is not always the case here, but during the expedition’s limited time at the Wi-Fi facility, we have experienced a ‘black-out’ phase during our posting attempts.

So, I will attempt to get new posts up as soon as possible. They will be posted after the fact, but that’s how it goes when you’re away from your own internet connections sometimes. The posts will be started again (hopefully today) for Wednesday, November 4th, and posted one day at a time.

Moonlit Stealth Departure – by Jack Freer:

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4th, 2009 … DAY 35

Okay, this guy knows how to disappear without a trace, even better than Arnold Schwarzenegger in his action movies! We have our tents separated by about 15 feet, and I park my Jeep in between them. Just to the south of our campsite, past the huge tamarisk shade trees, is an asphalt driveway for the Furnace Creek golf course. Steve used this knowledge to his advantage very early this morning. Here’s the story, which must be true, because sure enough, he’s gone … long gone:

The full moon of the past 2 nights has been illuminating Death Valley enough to actually read a book. Last night, it was virtually full again, but the area where are tents are pitched is still shaded at night, so the tents get filtered moonlight through the thick branches. To the east of Steve’s tent, a very large house trailer established residence Tuesday sometime while we were out exploring, and the pop-out portion of the trailer encroached into Steve’s space a bit. As I later learned, Steve could hear the man snoring inside.

To the west of my tent, a gigantic motorhome also took up residence the same day, although it did not get quite so close to my tent. Just imagine two little tents surrounded by a sea of motorhomes and trailers. For a guy like Steve, who is used to camping in the wilds, this was not ideal. Did this have anything to do with what happened next?

When I awoke this morning, which is always well before sunrise so I can get a shower before the line develops, I noticed something was amiss. As I walked around the Jeep to get in for the morning drive to the showers, a couple things caught my trained investigative eye. First, where Steve’s tent, trike, and trailer usually sit, the ground is bare. Nothing is there, not even tire tracks! He’s gone. Then, while I am pondering what happened, I notice a note under my windshield wiper blade on the driver’s side. Hmm. The note read:

TUESDAY, MID-NIGHT

JACK: WENT TO STOVEPIPE WELLS. WILL GET A ROOM AND CLEAN UP. SEE YOU THERE.

- STEVE

The story he related to me later was that he awoke in the middle of the night in order to walk over to the NPS Visitor Center and use the john. On his 50 yard walk back to his tent, he realized that the 28-day moon cycle had elapsed from his early October moonlit ride from Wilbur, Oregon to Glide, Oregon (17 miles). Last night was 61 degrees, and bright as can be. Steve says he wanted to ride by moonlight again since the weather was ideal. The distance from his tent to Stovepipe Wells is only 24 miles. He had made up his mind … it was time to leave. Not when the sun came up, mind you, but as soon as he could break down his camp and start pedaling! Sometimes, he’s impulsive.

As he tells it, he quietly pulled his trike by the front portion of the frame around the Jeep, the huge motorhome, and onto the asphalt on the golf course property. Then, under the cover of darkness provided by the tamarisk trees, he removed the panniers in his tent, took them to the trike, and mounted them on the rack. Rather than taking down the tent in the dirt, Steve lifted it and carried it over to the asphalt near the trike, breaking it down on a cleaner surface, and avoiding noise that could have tipped his hand, both to the snoring man in the trailer, and to me. And since there is no engine on his machine, he just slipped away up the road in absolute silence. I still think that he was motivated by the proximity of the big rigs all around.

Based on the distance he rode to Stovepipe and the time he got there (7 AM this morning), he thinks he left Furnace Creek somewhere around 3 AM. He says the ride was like a tonic to his soul, a journey through the wilds of Death Valley by moonlight. Not only that, but I’m sure it was one heck of a lot cooler than if he waited until mid morning. This ride took him from 214 feet below sea level to sea level, an approximate gain of 214 feet in 24 miles, something that is relatively easy for trained cyclists I’m told.

Once at Stovepipe, Steve decided to book a room and luxuriate a bit … guess he was tired of the tenting life for a while. While he was hanging out until mid-day when they would give him his room key, he parked out front of the motel. Many people stopped by and talked to him about the trike and his expedition as he sat in the reclined seat and wrote in his daily journal. In fact, he was garnering so much attention, three people offered to buy him lunch (and Steve never passes up free food!). These people were Wayne and Eileen Kading from Anaheim, California, and their humorous friend Terry Peterson from Pollock Pines, California. Get this: they even took him across the street to the Stovepipe Wells General Store and bought him an ice cream dessert. Guess it was a good thing he happened to be there today, just at the right time and place.

Oh, he also said that since he was just resting on the trike, a man came over and said they needed a fifth judge for the “Pampered Pet” dog show, where owners dress their dogs up in different costumes. So, he spent an hour engaged in an attempt to judge the best dogs and their outfits … not his cup of tea, but it’s hard for Steve to say ‘no’ when anyone asks his assistance.

Later that afternoon, he attended a presentation by well-known Death Valley documentary film maker, Ted Faye. And, to top off this different day, he hit the sack on a real bed instead of a sleeping bag. The room had no television, telephone, or clock, so it was perfect for him to sleep in for a change. The more elaborate rooms in Stovepipe have these amenities, but since Steve is ever saving money, he opted for the Spartan version.

What a day … and night!

Desert Gypsy Arrives – by Jack Freer:

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5th, 2009 … DAY 36

Steve slept in late, and had a late checkout of noon. In preparation for tomorrow’s Herculean ride, he kept his feet up in bed right up until time to vacate the room. From the poolside stage on which Steve will speak tomorrow, Sourdough Slim played his guitar and yodeled up a blue streak, keeping Steve entertained as he was relaxing.

Steve’s mom (aka Desert Gypsy, or Teakettle Mama), and his sister Willow arrived today at Furnace Creek, and checked into their motel. Then, they drove the 24 miles to Stovepipe Wells to finally meet Steve after all these days and weeks of his expedition. The three of them had a nice visit, and then I got there. We all went to dinner at the Toll Road restaurant (so named because of the original developer who built a toll road to this resort in the 1920s. His name was Herman -Bob- Eichbaum). The Desert Gypsy bought my dinner, in exchange for making sure that her son didn’t perish on his remote route to and through Death Valley. Guess I was at the right place and the right time.

After dinner, Teakettle Mama and Willow went on back down to Furnace Creek to their motel room. Steve is staying in my room this evening, on the spare bed, so he wouldn’t have to break down a camp tomorrow morning before his Author’s Breakfast talk. The morning chow-down begins at 8 AM, and consists of such things like scrambled eggs, sausage, biscuits and gravy, and you name it. He will likely partake of everything he can, as he’ll certainly need it!

Be sure to check back in for Friday’s news!

Author’s Breakfast – by Jack Freer:

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6th, 2009 … DAY 37

Today was the big day for The Old Trailmaster! Time to get up in front of an audience and talk. Steve considers himself a writer rather than a speaker, but today he had to create as he spoke … no way to choose just the right word or synonym this time. Fortunately, his state of mind was such that after the challenges of riding his tricycle overland as he has been doing, along with living in a tent most of the nights, talking to a group of people interested in his book would be relatively easy. There’s always an upside to most everything.

The celebrated author stayed last night on the spare bed in the room I rented, and he even paid me fifty bucks as compensation, something that I resisted, but he insisted. Guess he wanted to take it easy before the presentation rather than have to worry about breaking down a campsite in the morning. As first light broke through the room’s blinds, he was up. Today was to be one of many tasks and challenges, for he also faced one of his most challenging trike treks after the talk

About 7:45 AM, people began arriving at Stovepipe Wells Village for the festivities, which also included a live music serenade from two guys with guitars singing western songs. They sat on the small poolside stage strumming as attendees got their lavish breakfasts from the old covered chuckwagon. Tables were laid out in several rows for the breakfast portion of the program, and several rows of chairs were in front of the stage. By my count, there were at least 75 people in attendance at this Author’s Breakfast, enjoying the music, table conversation with friends, and waiting for Steve to get up and entertain them.

As 8:30 rolled around, and the minstrels finished their final song, Production Director Jim Graves stepped upon the stage and introduced the guest speaker, non other than the rogue triker I had been babysitting all these weeks. After adjusting the microphone, Steve began speaking to his fans (or hopefully soon-to-be fans). A black mesh material over the raised platform helped keep the morning sun out of his eyes, but he still wore his trademark Aussie hat, the one with sweat stains permanently soaked into the faded green fabric from 17 years of hard outdoor use. He says that people are always suggesting he get a new hat, but he declines because this one has ambiance! Okay Steve, whatever you say.

Over the next hour, among other ramblings, Steve related the story of his mom and dad’s first trip to Death Valley in 1947 on his dad’s Harley-Davidson motorcycle, and his own first trip in 1955. He went on to describe his newest book, Death Valley Book Of Knowledge, telling about the contents, and why he put the book together in the first place. Steve then read some selected excerpts from the book, which gave the audience a good overview of what the Death Valley region is all about.

He finished up his presentation with a few details about his Death Valley Tricycle Expedition, which the people were all eagerly waiting to hear, because the trike and trailer were parked below and in front of his podium all this time. Besides that, so many people had already learned about how he got here this year during the days leading up to this talk, that they wanted to learn more about his unusual transportation. Word had spread like wildfire throughout the 49ers encampment about this odd fellow who didn’t match up to the traditional motorhome visitor.

At 9:30 AM, as the talk came to an end, the audience was applauding, and Steve descended from the stage, many people came forward to talk to him. Candace Lieber, the Administrative Assistant from the Death Valley Natural History Association, had copies of his book on a table nearby, and was busy selling them, and passing out Steve’s business cards. A line quickly formed of people who wanted to shake Steve’s hand and get his autograph in their books. After 30 minutes of intermingling, he told those still in close proximity that it was time for him to get back on the road, as he had quite a challenging ride that needed to commence before the day wore on any more.

Steve was hoping to get away sooner, but since he is always the ever congenial host, he stayed as long as anyone needed to talk with him. At a quarter after ten, he entered the trike’s cockpit, secured his boots in the Power Grips, shook one final hand of a lady bidding him good luck, and slowly pedaled out onto Highway 190.

I have learned over the course of my participation in this multi-faceted expedition that it’s darn hard to keep an avid triker still for very long! There is always this need to explore just one more road, one more curve, one more distant unknown. Steve was once again back in his element. While everyone else returned to their satellite TVs, motorhomes, and encampment events, Steve silently rolled into the hinterlands only 9 inches from the ground, with a full supply of water for the long miles ahead. His adventure was not over yet!

Panamint Traverse – by Jack Freer:

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6th, 2009 … DAY 37 – CONTINUES

Foundational Information:

Stovepipe Wells: Sea level (give or take a few inches)

Towne Pass: 4,956 feet above sea level

Elevation Gain from Stovepipe to Towne via Highway 190: 4,956 feet

Distance from Stovepipe Wells Village to Towne Pass: 18 miles

Average Elevation Gain per Mile: 275 feet (you gotta’ be kidding!)

Last Seen:

Today was the day that Steve and I parted company, after many weeks, days, and hours of planning and implementation of the Death Valley Tricycle Expedition. I must return to Nevada, and the associated urban sprawl that comes with the 9-5 territory. Death Valley will be very much missed: the lonely and remote canyons, the wide open spaces where few people wander, the evening howls of the coyote, the pleasant night temperatures, the warm dry days, the talkative blackbirds, and the smell of the creosote. Gone, at least temporarily, are the reading of maps, the exploration of the backcountry, and the challenge of getting just the right shot of Steve cresting yet one more hill on his trike. This time in Death Valley National Park has been one of lasting memories.

So where is Steve now? That seems to be an oft asked question during the hundreds of miles that he has been covering on his British-engineered and built tricycle, a piece of equipment that is a very long way from its point of origin. I bid the maverick rogue farewell tonight on the crest of the towering Panamint Range. My eyes last saw him heading south in the inky darkness, traveling into a slight headwind, although it was via a new mode of travel on the southern side of the Towne Pass sign.

I suppose the story from his departure after the Author’s Breakfast in Stovepipe Wells should now be told. Today may have been his greatest challenge, if you listen to the people interacting with him in Death Valley, although Steve says the #1 honor clearly goes to his snowbound traverse over Oregon’s Cascade Range in sub-freezing temperatures at night … remember the one where he seriously doubted the safety of his life back in October on day 3? It was a difficult and lengthy ascent of 129 feet per mile during the course of many arduous hours, and even though the upward grade was considerably less than today’s ascent, the survival factors and time frame ranked it the toughest challenge.

But that is not to diminish today’s ride by any means!

The ascent of the Panamint Range, where elevations reach a high of 11,049 feet at Telescope Peak, is no matter to be lightly dismissed by any traveler, even those in automobiles. Heck, even some of the original Death Valley 49ers of 1849 had a devil of a time leaving Death Valley via this route! Anyone who has driven southwest over the 18 miles from Stovepipe Wells on Highway 190 (sea level) to the summit of Towne Pass (4,956 feet) knows the strain it can place on the transmission, which seems at times to be forever stuck in second gear. People who drive down this section regularly overheat their brakes, as we found out when a Prius pulled into the rest stop at Emigrant Camp, and the smell of burning brakes filled our nostrils. Whether one drives, walks, rides a horse, or pedals a tricycle, the Panamint Range is a skybound region to be overcome!

Steve was absolutely intent on traversing the Panamints today … nothing could sway his iron determination and drive to achieve this goal before dark, even though the late start from the Author’s Breakfast put it all in question. Unlike the Cascade Range traverse, where he was totally alone without cell phone communication in sub-freezing conditions, today Steve had backup handy. The air temperature was also not a threat, at least when he began climbing. I shadowed his Day-37 journey in my Jeep, and his mom and sister were also slowly motoring along and waiting in their Ford F-150 pickup. He was covered front and rear, although that didn’t make his physical and mental efforts any less demanding.

He left Stovepipe at 10:15 AM this morning, and for the initial several miles up to the first sweeping curve to the southwest, he reports riding in the lowest of his mid-range gearing. This apparently surprised him, as the first very long hill was one that his eyes told him would require low range. Well, he is certainly stronger and more adept at cycling now than when he started October 1st, which may have something to do with it, and his food supply is also not nearly as heavy now, having eaten the major portion of it. Food and water have been the only variables in weight during the course of the expedition. Once around that huge curve, the road grade increased some, and as anyone who is familiar with this northern ascent of Towne Pass knows, the closer you get to the top, the steeper the grade generally becomes. One CalTrans sign warns of 8 percent farther up the mountain!

By 1:45 in the afternoon, after a couple of prior stops to eat an energy bar, offload excess water, or just to rest his feet with a few steps of walking, Steve slowly pulled into the Emigrant rest area and campground where his family and I were waiting with food, water, and encouragement. While there in the shade of mesquite trees, several people gathered around to learn about what he was up to. We all spent about a half hour here, and Steve even took the time to bring two Japanese fellows up to speed about his journey, complete with a pep talk about never giving up (those were the guys in the Prius with hot brakes). Steve’s mom encouraged him to pack it all up and put his gear in the back of the truck, but you know Steve! He doesn’t get this close to a summit and then change his mind … even knowing that the worst was yet to come.

I did some rough calculations for everyone, and predicted at the current rate of travel that he would summit around 6:30 this evening, a time of darkness because we went off daylight savings time on the first of November. This he didn’t like to hear, as he was strongly desirous of speeding down the southern side of the pass while still being able to see the Panamint Valley during his descent. A pass that was taking hours to get up would take only minutes to get down. Steve wanted that prize! He wanted the adrenaline rush of cruising 40-50 miles per hour while coasting down the side with an even steeper grade, on a pass that ranks among one of the most extreme gradients anywhere. Can’t say as I blame him after seeing the boundless effort of the climb in his sweat-soaked shirt. There is no shade on this pass.

Now he was fresh again, or at least as much as he possibley could be after 30 minutes of relaxing in the shade, consuming several bottles of water, eating a box of raisins, and devouring some Clif Bars. Off he went, to conquer the final third of the ascent, the portion where, an already tired guy is confronted with an increasing grade to the top. Thinking back to what people were saying this morning at the Author’s Breakfast when they learned he was heading over Towne Pass, it was evident that they all were disbelieving that he intended to ride the trike over the top. Well, I guess any cyclist who sets out on a distant overland trek sees things differently than most everyone else!

Of course, Towne Pass has a well-earned and ominous reputation. Steve was learning this up close and personal today …

From Emigrant Campground until it was getting too dark for safety, Steve’s 56 year-old sister walked along behind him. Since he was in his lowest gearing most of the way now, which probably places him at the 3 to 4 MPH mark, she was able to comfortably walk along and keep him company. When small dips allowed him to upshift one notch, she would fall behind a little bit, but then when the monster grade resumed, Willow would catch back up with him. It had to be somewhat discouraging for him to see a walking person keeping pace in his rearview mirrors, especially since many portions of his journey have been at speeds impossible to even run. Keep in mind though that Steve’s load was a heavy one to pull, while Willow’s load was just herself. Wheels do prove advantageous. How long would it take to walk up here with a 175 pound backpack.

As the sky darkened, a south wind grew. This kept him cool, but also made the ascent more difficult. Fortunately, the breeze never reached high enough speeds to markedly affect his progress. Traffic on this road kept increasing as it got later. By now, Steve had his 10-LED tail light on, as well as the super bright marine rescue strobe attached to the rear of his trailer. When he went to turn on his headlight, he discovered the battery had again died (second time during the expedition), so he flagged me over to get four new AA batteries.

Even though it was finally pitch black out, cars gave Steve plenty of room. His lighting setup is very bright, and he thinks it’s just as safe traveling at night as it is in the daytime, or perhaps even more so. Unless you saw how well he shows up at night, you probably wouldn’t believe it. Sometimes, his mom would keep her headlights on him while she was parked if a bunch of cars were coming, further illuminating him. Heck, he has so many reflectors and so much reflective tape on the rear of the trailer, even if he had no lights on at all, he would still show up like a neon sign to passing drivers.

After I gave him new headlight batteries, I went on ahead to the summit, and also spent some time scouting the southern side of the pass where it heads down into the Panamint Valley. What I found was concerning to me however. In a few locations, fist-sized rocks had fallen onto the roadway from the road cuts. If Steve were to ride down this side at the speeds the trike attains on really steep roadways, this could be very dangerous to his safety. This is especially true due to his extreme fatigue after hours of uphill pedaling in the sun. It seemed to me to be an accident waiting to happen. Even if he could avoid every rock at his speed, what if a car were coming from either direction at the same time he encountered a rock that required him to swerve? I didn’t like what I saw.

I returned to Towne Pass summit to await his arrival. Eventually, his mom and sister also pulled into the large turnout on the west side of the highway, and we all waited in the cooling night air. It was becoming downright chilly out, and since I had left my jacket in the Stovepipe Wells motel room figuring I wouldn’t need it in Death Valley’s heat, it felt best just to remain in the vehicle. The breeze was moderate. While I waited, I downloaded more photographs from the digital camera onto my laptop, and also onto a 2 GB flash drive so Steve could take a copy with him.

At five minutes after six, guess who showed up! I rolled down the window to hear his first utterance: “Is this the top?” he wearily asked (even though he was very familiar driving over this pass many times … in his deteriorating mental condition, and in the pitch darkness, the disorientation made it difficult to tell, but he knew it was a large level spot). I told him that it was.

It seemed very clear to me that Steve was getting pretty tired. I told him about what I had observed on the descending side of Towne Pass, and advised him that further travel would not be a good idea in my opinion. Night time, rocks, lots of traffic, and a fatigued trike pilot traveling at high speed doesn’t add up to good judgment. Steve asked me what I thought he should do. I told him it was finally time to pack it in … the hard part was over. The cake didn’t need to be iced.

Seven hours and fifty minutes had elapsed since his departure from the Author’s Breakfast at Stovepipe Wells this morning. Excluding approximately 45 minutes of total rest times along the ascent, Steve had been pedaling for just over 7 hours on a relentless grade of 8 to 9 percent, most of which was in full sun and very warm temperatures. In the soft light from my Jeep’s interior, I could see the anguish in his face when he realized that my serious recommendation was not his first choice.

He had come into Death Valley National Park on his own power, had visited several key locations within the park on his own power, and he fully intended to at least leave the park on his own power. But the logic was clear: all that remained to do was coasting down the ultra long and steep grade to the Panamint Valley park entrance, something that he could easily do under normal circumstance, but was not a good idea tonight. These were not normal circumstances!

Mulling all this new information over in his mind, he began getting chilled in his lightweight cotton shirt, with the cool breeze. Having spent many a day modifying his clothing along the expedition route since October 1st, Steve knew precisely which of his panniers to unzip and retrieve his warmer clothing. Quickly, he put on a down vest, a polar fleece jacket, and a polar fleece skull cap to stop the heat loss. Funny, but only a few hours earlier, he was seeking shade at Emigrant, and now he was seeking warmth.

Fortunately, Steve agreed with my assessment of the situation, and he asked my assistance loading the trike and trailer into his mom’s truck. It was getting late, I was getting cold with no jacket, and it was a determined effort to get all his gear into the truck bed.

It turns out that his mom, sister, and he got to mom’s house around 10:30. It was a very long day indeed, but one filled with challenge and reward. In fact, Steve’s entire trip followed the same trend … challenge followed by physical and mental rewards. He set out on October 1st from the Pacific Ocean, with a set itinerary and strong will to follow it. But adaptation is all part of the bigger picture. Steve has always been fond of telling people his favorite saying about Death Valley: “The only thing certain about Death Valley is uncertainty.” Well, it’s true, and he is at peace with the way things went down.

He achieved his overall goals, opening a lot of people’s eyes in the process. He rode a tricycle 180 miles in Death Valley National Park alone, not to mention the hundreds of other miles prior to his arrival here. And when he wasn’t riding, he was walking everywhere he could, like the 7 miles through Titus Canyon. He passed through weather ranging from pleasant coastal sunshine, to constant drizzling rain, to freezing cold, to snow and ice, and then on to high winds, dust and dirt storms, and hot temperatures. The water in his two plastic bottles mounted on the front of the trike went from frozen solid to nearly too hot to drink. He had people tell him he was a nutcase for attempting this, and others who paid him their full respect and admiration

Just like Death Valley is a land of extremes, Steve’s tricycle expedition has been an odyssey of extremes.

His original objective was to return to Oregon on the trike. This was also modified, especially in light of things such as the early snows in the Cascades over a month ago (what would they be like by the end of November?), and the uncertainty of further injuring the Achilles tendons if a dogged surge to beat winter weather had been undertaken immediately after his Author’s Breakfast. Steve’s main reason for the trike expedition was to speak at the Death Valley 49ers encampment, and this was achieved. All things considered, for his first overland tricycle journey, things went pretty well I think.

I last saw Steve driving away south into the Panamint Valley, as I turned about and headed north again. Everyone was so tired at the pass that we didn’t even think to take his photo in front of the Towne Pass sign. The expedition has reached its final stage, and we’re all heading home. It’s like the famous Thornton Wilder quote that Steve has somewhere on his website goes: “When you’re safe at home you wish you were having an adventure; when you’re having an adventure you wish you were safe at home”

So, as asked by so many along the way, were is Steve now? Well, I couldn’t say for sure because I haven’t spoken to him for a few days, but I think he may be reclining at 37 degrees again … not on his trike this time, rather on his mom’s leather Barkley recliner in the living room watching televsion, while allowing his Achilles the real time they need to return back to their former perfect condition. I’m betting he’ll be back on the trike soon, probably riding around each day in Apple Valley, before he gets back up north. Wonder if he’ll clean the dirt and grime off the Q first, or retain the less than stellar appearance to let people imagine what he went through?

One thing is certain … wherever Steve is right now, or wherever he roams in the weeks, months, and years ahead, you can bet that he’ll find a way to carry on in his own incomparable style. He is a survivor, very capable of handling whatever comes his way. He may go at things a bit differently than you or I, but his ways work for him.

The Death Valley Tricycle Expedition, the story of a unique guy on a unique set of wheels, is truly something that is off the grid of common human existence. It’s the stuff legends are made of! Talk to you later Steve … and thanks for the ride!

Destination: Sea Level – by Desert Dune, November 24

Steve’s travels have taken him up and down thousands of vertical feet over the several hundred miles he pedaled on his tricycle. He began the Death Valley Tricycle Expedition only a mile from the shore of the Pacific Ocean on the central Oregon coast, at an elevation of about 50 feet. After heading south on Highway 101 for 20 miles, he then turned east and rode up and over the Coastal Range, not a very high range elevation-wise for automobile travelers, but enough to get the attention of a guy on a trike with a heavy trailer.

Through the hilly central valley after the coastal mountains, it must have felt like a slow roller coaster before the daunting path hit the Cascade Range, which topped out at nearly 6,000 feet above sea level. The cold storm that hit as he was touring these mountains served to underscore the altitude gain from the ocean, where temperatures were still somewhat balmy.

Sea level must have seemed like a distant memory as he sped south to Klamath Falls and into northern California, where flatlands offered reprieve from his ups and downs. Then, it was up, up, and farther up once again as he wound in and out of the Modoc National Forest in California, ascending and descending the fingers of tall mountains that branch out of the northeastern portions of the Sierra Nevada Range. He reported three significant climbs over this range, each with long and moderately steep ascents, followed by thrilling downhill sections as his reward.

One of the main goals of his journey was the Badwater Basin in Death Valley, and on his way there, through vast sagebrush deserts, he passed an odd sign considering the location: Elevation Sea Level. We think of sea level when we are at the ocean, not in the midst of the northern Mojave Desert. He and the trike did not stop there however, as they plunged to a depth exceeding 200 feet below sea level to set camp.

There are even salt water fish there, believe it or not! But, there is no ocean. The water is saltier than the ocean, the fish are only an inch long, and the water is but a few inches deep, yet there is no sea there below sea level. That is what makes the sign so fascinating for tourists, and why the National Park Service has a second sign under the elevation sign that warns motorists to park off the pavement. Apparently, this whole sea level thing is so bizarre out there that some drivers just stop right in the middle of the roadway to snap photographs!

Steve hit a low point at the Badwater roadside rest area, a place where some GPS units have been known to register 292 feet below sea level, but the lowest point is reported to be only 282 feet below, and it is a four-mile walk out onto the salty remains of ancient Lake Manly. From here, he had nowhere else to go but up! His home was some 325 vertical feet higher, but it was a world away, with thousands of vertical feet standing between Steve and his ending destination, which was just above sea level by a few feet, not to mention hundreds of paved miles distant. The first wake-up call hit home during an eight-hour period on November 6th, when 18 road miles threw a 4,956-foot climb right at him.

Now, he rests at more than 3,000 feet above sea level in the high Mojave Desert, as his Achilles tendons pass through their final phases of healing, and he decides how to return to sea level once again … how to get to his home, the final destination on his most recent adventure.

He celebrated his mom’s 82nd birthday with her and his sister a few days ago, and is about to share a Thanksgiving dinner with them this week. It is a special time for all three, as their visits are far and few between due to the distance between their homes. The last time Steve visited his mom in Apple Valley was a year and a half ago. Mom has reportedly done her motherly duty of putting some meat on his bones after such a long time of minimalistic food consumption while eating out of a Rubbermaid storage trunk for weeks on end.

Expeditions are exciting, yet they do not always make for the healthiest eating. On this particular journey, he was ingesting around 2500 calories a day during his road time on the trike he figures, yet for days on end, he was probably burning up at least double that number of calories. Quick calculations show that this is not a sustainable model of existence, so Jack Freer and Steve’s mom have done all they could to reverse his decline into the world of the invisible.

In any event, his next destination is once again sea level, but his time there will actually be a cool ocean there to greet him, rather than hot and blinding white salt flats and sharp briny pinnacles. What a contrast! All his time with family in southern California has put his return late in the season, a time where coastal storms have been washing across northern California and Oregon already, dumping significant rains. Snows are reported in northern Nevada and other high mountain regions. From a common sense point of view, returning to his home destination at sea level is best done in a good old car, not on a tricycle.

Steve is now about 1,000 miles from home, a distance that would take him at least 20 days if all went well, and assuming 50 mile days. But, as we have learned earlier, not all days are 50 milers because there are mountains in the way, and his load is rather heavy. If he were supported by a chase car, and only had to pedal the 35-pound trike, he could perhaps make the journey in two weeks. Even if he really did that well, and he left the day after Thanksgiving, he would not arrive home until December 10th, a season of wintery and sometimes very wet weather along the coast.

For a brief time recently, he spoke of actually going ahead with the ride, just for the experience of triking north through central and coastal California. Fortunately, calmer heads have prevailed, and he has now decided to do the unthinkable (for him at least): drive a petroleum powered car, with trike onboard. His family and friends are relieved.

Checking with U-Haul, he learned that to rent the smallest vehicle they had would cost him $1,057 to get back to the Oregon coast. The mileage was limited to 1,050, with 40 cents per mile charged after that. When his jaw dropped, the clerk relented and said he would discount it 20%, but then with the $90 insurance fee, along with California state taxes, it would net out at $1,016. That would mean he would pay over $500 per day for the two days he would need the truck … ouch! That’s a lot of money to get a lightweight tricycle back to home base.

After further checking around, it now looks like he will be renting a Hertz minivan, an option that will require $349.70 as the bottom line … quite a savings over U-Haul. The minivan comes with unlimited mileage. He will probably have to partially disassemble his tricycle to get it in, even with the folding seats, and he says that he will place large garbage bags around parts of the trike that could soil the cloth upholstery. This is, after all, a passenger vehicle, not really designed to carry what he has in mind.

The advantage of U-Haul would have been a local drop-off point, where he could walk home afterwards. With Hertz, after he unloads the trike and gear at home, he has to return the minivan 50 miles away. Oh well, life is a series of trade-offs. For the money saving difference though, this is really a no-brainer, and he will have to figure a way to work it all out.

His route will be considerably different than the one he used to get to Death Valley. On his return trip to Oregon’s sea level next week sometime, he will travel north on California’s central valley freeways, and then use I-5 to access Oregon. His speeds will be in a range unattainable on a tricycle. Once home, Steve plans on helping a Death Valley friend and author design a book cover, and then he will begin writing his new book about the tricycle expedition.