Last update March 4, 2007

Spring is nearing and it is once again time to head down to Songdog Ranch for some camping on the bluff under the star filled skies. I always enjoy camping at this beautiful site nestled between the Sierra Madre Mountains and the Carrizo Plain National Monument in New Cuyama. There are plenty of great places to set up your tents, and bring your camera for the wildflowers, and great views from the camp. Whats even better about showing up for this month’s camping is that you have an option to enjoy a good home cooked meal right at the campsite, so you can leave your granola bars, ramen noodles and camp stoves at home. Michelle and Steve Palmer will be providing a nice Italian meal for all campers, including: Caesar salad, bread and butter, spaghetti with meat sauce, and cookies/brownies. Steve and Michelle ask for an approximate headcount so we know how much food to bring. Cost will be whatever you feel like donating and bring your own beverage or some to share. We will have a large cooler and ice. Please email
gsdmichelle@earthlink.net by March 22 to let her know if you will be taking her up on the meal. (Note: the chef likes red wine).

Think it might be too cold to camp? Maybe you should still join us for the tour down to the ranch but try booking a room at the Buckhorn Motel (661) 766-2591 located in New Cuyama. At the time I write this they have several rooms available for about $49.50. Join us for the ride, meeting and dinner and then bail to your warm room….you wimps. I’ll be enjoying the room with a view of the open sky and a warm campfire.

The tour will leave from Denny’s restaurant 8425 San Ysidro Ave. Gilroy, CA 95020 at 8:00 a.m. sharp. Please arrive with a full tank of gas and be ready to ride by the departure time. There are many good routes to Songdog ranch from Gilroy. We will take the twisty route 25 south to rout 198 west into San Lucas. From there we’ll head toward Lockwood and down G14 to Paso Robles for lunch. From Paso Robles we’ll head over to route 58 to 33 south and over 166 to New Cuyama. The route is subject to change depending on weather considerations and road conditions. Please check the club website for the most up to date information on the route before the weekend of the tour.

As always, new riders and non-club members are very welcome to join us on our tours and at our meetings. You can e-mail Warren at tourcaptain@bmwnorcal.org with any questions.

We will start the ride with a brief meeting to go over the route and general safety rules. I will distribute written directions to all of the riders. Everyone is strongly encouraged to ride within your limits.

Last month we had a fairly small turnout for the long President’s day weekend in Death Valley. About 15 riders camped at Furnace Creek. We had some interesting weather as a storm system moved through on President’s day dropping some rain in the valley and a little snow above 5,000 ft in the mountain passes. Some members bailed out on Sunday due to the predictions of snow in the passes. For those unflappable riders who remained, Sunday turned out to be a very nice day in the valley with mild temperatures and partly cloudy skies. For those members and first timers who joined us for the weekend and headed home early Monday morning there were plenty of road surface variations present to keep them on their toes for the trip out of the valley. Below is an email from a rider new to the club who took the uncommon road conditions in stride:

“Hi Warren,
First, it was really great to meet you and your wife. You both are very nice
and gave me a very warm welcome--thanks! I enjoyed our trip to Titus canyon
and a great dinner…..BTW-The ride home was off the hook. First, right out of the gate, the flash deep flooding (in the dips) for the first 60 miles. On the way up from Stove
pipe Wells, I ran into several deep mud (desert), rock slides. One deep and
wide slide section I hit at over 70 (it was on the other side of a BIG dip)
and I'm not sure how I made it across (I remember just standing and pinning
it--and hoping for the best)? Then it snowed at the top of the pass-hailed
on the other side. At the bottom of the hill I turned left into a monsoon
for over 60 miles through Trona, and steady rain to Ridgecrest. Thought
all was well until I climbed over the next pass before Bakersfield and then
hit snow and slow traffic (can you say cold?). Once on highway 5 beautiful clear
weather with 40-60MPH cross winds all the way to Livermore. And finally I
pulled into the rush hour traffic and slugged my way across to home--11
hours. I had one of the best rides of my life! Total adventure riding….”

I don’t want to give folks new to the club the wrong idea here, this is not the typical type of riding we do on our tours. I like clean roads and safe conditions, and will not take the tour onto dirt roads, but thanks to Randy for the enthusiastic thank you, and great story of his return trip from Death Valley. Randy rides a GS and was happy to test the off road capabilities of the bike the previous day while riding through Titus Canyon.

Our ride to Songdog will be on paved roads through some beautiful areas of California. Hope to see you there.

Warren Barnes, Tour Captain