Trac-On Mighty Mojave Adventure Ride
Two weeks before Christmas…
A Chuck Sun take
Trail Boss Daryl Folks threw caution to the wind when he invited me to ride sweep on his Trac-On Adventure Tour’s Epic 3 day Mighty Mojave Adventure ride. www.Trac-On.com Riding bags stashed in the motor home, a brief 30 minute drive from Sportsmans Cycle KTM in Las Vegas, we arrived at the trailhead in Nelson Hills. When you think 3 day ride, visions of a scenic dual sport ride comes to mind. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but this was to be 3 days of single track shredding, technical ridge trails aboard exotic European off-road race bikes complete with electric start buttons as a bonus to the great views!
Trail Boss Daryl Folks threw caution to the wind when he invited me to ride sweep on his Trac-On Adventure Tour’s Epic 3 day Mighty Mojave Adventure ride. www.Trac-On.com Riding bags stashed in the motor home, a brief 30 minute drive from Sportsmans Cycle KTM in Las Vegas, we arrived at the trailhead in Nelson Hills. When you think 3 day ride, visions of a scenic dual sport ride comes to mind. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but this was to be 3 days of single track shredding, technical ridge trails aboard exotic European off-road race bikes complete with electric start buttons as a bonus to the great views!
Adventure implies expected and unexpected experiences. Within minutes Boston’s Bruce Murray and Florida’s Mark Kriz were blazing up a sand wash, bumps filled in from a recent rain. Daryl quickly sized up his guests ability and opted for the technical ridge tops, made more challenging by the sudden high wind gusts that visit the Mojave. Admiring Lake Mojave from our lofty vantage, Daryl pointed out a very technical race course that dropped down into the canyon. That is where my ADD kicked in and I darted off to check it out. Lost in the wind was Daryl’s warning against dropping in. Too late, both wheels locked up and picking up speed, I was more concerned on how I was going to get back up! Fortunately a faint goat trail allowed me to build momentum and claw back to the ridge top.
We later learned from a colorful local rider at the Searchlight Casino that we had ridden in on his “trap line” trail. Trap line? Oh yea, we’ll git all kinda critters, Bobcats and every now and then a cougar are great pelts that go for extra Christmas cash. Cool!
A clean motel provided much needed rest before departing Senator Harry Reid’s hometown of Searchlight. Wind was gone and a balmy 50 degrees found us on faintly used trails taking us to the Thurman Mine, Senator Reid wrote about in his history of Searchlight. With any hope Reid will continue to allow access to these historical treasures. Daryl found bits of race course from the base of Newberry Mtn. range positioned just north of Laughlin all the way West through the Crescent peak range to the Nipton train station, logging in 100 miles of trail heaven. Nipton Bed & Breakfast cooked up a thick juicy pork chop for our dining pleasure! Nearly 100 years ago movie stars would escape Hollywood’s hustle for the reclusive peace of the mountainous high desert of Nipton’s train station.
Temperatures dropped to freezing over night bringing with it a light dusting of snow! Cactus covered snow is a rare treat in the Nevada Desert and had Boston Bruce and Marlin Mark ready to test their snow riding skills. Daryl showed his preparedness of Trac-On by hauling out warm hand guard mitts. Daryl kept riders a little closer as visibility was reduced with heavier snow fall. Slick rocks made the bikes dance a bit more than normal, but in no time perfect conditions created by the fresh snow left the dirt a perfect moisture for carving! Snow did not detract from Daryl’s course to the 1907 inhabited Hop’s Well, that kept miners hydrated during hot summer days. David Whitehead volunteered to drive the motor home providing timely gourmet lunches. David had found a strategic location just as we began to become saturated and frozen at the same time. Hot Cider inside the motor home with dark looming in the next couple hours, it was decided that fun was had by all and we were not leaving the warm motor home!
Hey! Not done yet, enter the Techatticup mine. With the help of local Indians in the 1850’s gold hungry prospectors discovered the Techatticup mine. Techatticup guide Tony W shared great stories of the cutthroat mining community where murder ran rampant in the town that had a population greater than Las Vegas at its peak. Touring caverns and tunnels of the 600 foot deep mine had us in awe of the back breaking labor these minors went through. It even made me find new found appreciation for my role as a Trac-On day laborer! Ride Adventurer’s Bruce and Mark can’t wait for their next ride in Nevada’s vast wilderness with Daryl’s Trac-On crew! Take a look at the various rides Daryl has put together throughout the year on www.Trac-On.com or call 702-641-6401 and plan your next adventure!
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