A little ride through the desert

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Good roads, good weather and strange people. Some friends and I took a ride through the Southern California desert this weekend. Here’s some photos we took along the way and a route map so you can do it yourself.

Photos: Sherman Thomas


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Places you need to visit are Salvation Mountain, the roads to and from Idylwild, the Ski Inn at Bombay Beach on the Salton Sea, Box Canyon, Joshua Tree National Park and the Colorado River in Parker, AZ.

  • contender

    Huh. I was out this weekend too. Went down to Ortega Hwy, on to Palomar, through the NW corner of Anzo-Borrego, and into Palm Springs. I don’t think I can leave CA.

  • http://wessiler.com wes’s new ca roomate

    just watch out for that left turn in box canyon

    …and your buddies pullin quick u-turn’s in front of you

    …and patches of sand you can’t see

    …and wes when he finds a spear

  • http://www.muthalovin.com the_doctor

    Artsy.

    Oh, and that spear shot is 11 kinds of awesome.

  • http://www.anotherdamndj.com evilbahumut

    yeah.. is there a story to go along with that spear? Dying to hear wtf that was about… who the hell carries a spear along on a ride?

    • http://hellforleathermagazine.com Wes Siler

      It just is what it is.

    • http://wessiler.com SM

      how do you think we caught food to eat while out in the desert.

  • Kirill

    I’ve been to most of those places except the bits out in Arizona. Great route. Bombay Beach is a surreal place.

  • Gregory

    If you need a place to go…

    http://www.roadtripusa.com/routes.html

    http://oregonmotorcyclist.com/

    Nice pictures, too.

    I particularly like the “BIBLE” scooter and the red milkcrate-like box.

    Vroom, vroom~

    -gceaves
    Portland, OR
    2008 Kawasaki KLR 650

  • JonB

    #3 perfectly Californian.

    • http://www.twitter.com/seanmacdonald Sean

      why thank you.

  • Joel

    Sweet, you guys hit the palms to pines highway, what a great road.

  • Sean Smith

    #13 shouldda been the top shot. Just saying…

  • http://www.thisblueheaven.com Mark D

    Motorcycles, rope swings, and fires. That’s like 3 of my top-5 favorite things. Awesome.

    How was the heat? I’m heading through Joshua tree on my way out to Cali this summer. I’m assuming it won’t be pleasant in August…I think afternoons from 11 to 3 will be spent off the road.

    • JaySD

      Those of us who ride the desert usually avoid it from june to novemberish. Thanksgiving is usually desert seasons big kick off.

      Make sure you are prepared for contingencies if something was to break down or whatever when passing through some pretty isolated areas

    • Kirill

      I strongly suggest against through JTree or anywhere near there in August. You will simply melt in your leathers in the 120-degree heat. Hell, even if you shorts-and-tshirt squid it, you’re still screwed unless you bring like a five-gallon camelback and suckle on it constantly…and douse yourself in SPF50 in advance.

      • http://www.thisblueheaven.com Mark D

        Thats a shame because its my big cross-country trip, and won’t be able to do anything like it for a while (starting law school…), but I grew up in New England; I sweat like a whore in church in 85 weather. 120 would probably kill me.

    • http://wessiler.com SM

      it wasn’t too bad. joshua tree was actually only in the high 80′s but it was about 105 the other two days.

      120 would probably be a lot more intense though.

  • debra

    looks like fun fun fun..glad to see you are adapting to west coast livin’, Wes !!enjoy

  • http://www.damiengaudet.blogspot.com damien

    cool shit. i want those arrow pipes for my thruxton, bad.

    • http://wessiler.com SM

      They’re amazing.

  • http://mdynamic.tumblr.com Mdynamic

    Should have traveled another 40 minutes past Parker to my home town, Lake Havasu, much better there! :p

  • Scott

    So when do we get together to plan the First Annual Hell For Leather ____________ <—(Insert clever ride title here)….or whatever you want to call it. odd people on odd bikes ridding to odd destinations. (Think Power Tour with our unique twist) I'm down any time.

    • Ted

      This. I have thought about a cross country trip for years. Hell, a decade or more. Sturgis isn’t my crowd, I think the HFL crowd is.

    • Gregory

      I suggest Crater Lake, OR. Mountain crater top road only open in late-July/ August. Vroom, vroom~

      -gceaves
      Portland, OR
      2008 Kawasaki KLR 650

  • Earl

    Come up to nothern California and see volcanoes, giant trees and weeks worth of twisty mountain roads–over to the coast in summer to beat the heat

  • Beale

    You guys did a variation on my regular Sunday rides. Shhhhhh, on the Palms To Pines thing. It totally blows, no one wants to ride there. It’s terrrrrrrrable, boring and no fun. Especially the drop into Banning.

  • Kevin

    Which helmet is that in foto #3? I really dig the orange.

    • http://www.twitter.com/seanmacdonald Sean

      biltwell. it’s actually gold.

  • Jefferson

    Where did you guys swim? Is that the Salton Sea? Private? Public?