Desert Rats' Xmas in Big Bend

[TexasShadow]

I can still hear the coyotes yipping, feel the cold wind and dust on my face and hands, pick the sand out of my nose, eyes and swipe it off my goggles, see the glittering stars overhead, and feel the growl and clicking of two wheels on the sand, rocks and dirt.

I knew this would happen: sitting here back in 'this place' wishing I was 'back there'. Wanting to bear the harshness, timelessness, freedom, sun, sand, dust, dryness, dirtiness, coldness, nothingness. Willing to walk away from, give up, hand it all over, chuck it all here, to go back to riding on those sandy rocky trails, crashing on the way up the rocky inclines, standing on the pegs riding the crest of the hill when you are suddenly engulfed by everything that lays out before you, swallowed by the desert whale; where you feel so minuscule that you find your heart beating in your ears with maniacal laughter echoing because you realize you are so stinking small and don't mean a thing to anything else out there.... and don't care because you are there. Being it. A part of it. It..... you feel alive.

And that's all that matters.

I had the best time of decades out there in the Big Bend Desert. With roads, trails, riding buddies, food, sun, wheels, mountains, cactus, everything. I can't thank enough of all of you that were there with me, that made this possible. And I hope we all do it again.

But............
.... the double secret trails.
Are OURS!!!!

It began with a full moon, Odie and us howling at the moon. He's a very good guard coyote.



There's a place, a secret place, we call.....Moon Valley.



The not so secret Lodge at the Basin with rewarding delicious cobbler and ice cream. Necessary fodder for hungry dust riders that walk in amidst Clint Eastwood harmonica and a lone guitar, our boot cleats clicking on the flagstone.... Beware and hold your children close.......



Base camp was a mixture or trailers, trucks, tents, bikes, chairs, logs, bikes, rocks, and hammocks. We Desert Rats live where ever we find a way to plop or hunker down. And we tend to gnaw a lot on various food stuffs.



And when night falls over the desert the light of the campfire makes our beady little faces glow while we titter and giggle, sharing stories and tales, legends of our own making, or others, memories to share, some growing in size fed by desert antifreeze.



The white globe that makes our blood run, we find ourselves sometimes crawling on all fours, whiskers swishing, tales wagging, howling with the coyotes at night, fattening the quail by day with chicken scratch, just like Hansel and Gretel.



We, the Desert Rats, led by our fearless leader Roger Rat (he ate Roger Rabbit), explored many secret, some double secret trails: the DSDST. (aka Double Secret Dual Sport Trails). Our tires ate dirt, sand, dust, rock, water, more than asphalt. We would return covered in gray, blowing gray sand from our noses, wiping gray sand and dust from our eyes and faces. Gray to the bone, we were.







We rode flat trails, creeks, rocks, hillsides, down banks....







We dared ride where no rat has gone before......





over and over.



We had fine, fine food...



sometimes sat and contemplated in Posthenge or other places....



and saw what others never see.



Sometimes we gave ourselves to the asphalt and ran where the wild things run.



To be continued....

[jbh]

Looks great
I think I need to go in February!

[Tourmeister]

I love the Moon Valley shot... just enough gray to make you stop and wonder...

[TexasShadow]

There
I am.
Here
I'm not.

I have to clear space on my mac's hard drive before I can even download the rest of my photos. So it will be a day or so before Part Two.

Meanwhile, this Desert Rat wants to follow the crumbs back 'there'.
After I stop blowing my nose........

[busarider1]

Looks like you had a heck of a time, Elzi. Can't wait to be able to see the pics!

[TexasShadow]

Originally Posted by busarider1

Looks like you had a heck of a time, Elzi. Can't wait to be able to see the pics!

I'll remedy that problem for you soon.

[thumper]

Fantastic Pics!!! Someday I'll get to ride there, but then I'll hafta deal with not wanting to leave

Looking forward to the rest

[The Bruce]

[KenH]

[bigdon55]

Elsi. Great pictures.
It was nice meeting you and all the guys. The Desert is a great place!
I plan to attend more TWT functions in 08 . I may start with Uncles ride in Feb.

[TexasShadow]

Why do we do it?

The only way to experience anything is to become immersed in it. You can't do that in a vehicle with four sides; it is a cage. Nor on a bike screaming on the asphalt whizzing by. You can glance at it, maybe smell it, but not experience it.

On the roads less traveled, the trails covered with leaves, dirt, sand and rock, your speed is limited by your degree of death wish. A dirt bike, a dual sport bike, tires that bite and grab, kick up stones, splatter water, push or hover over sand, you are out there. Dust and sand covers your gear, helmet, goggles or shield; it crusts inside your nose and the outside of your lips. Odors, sun, water, sand and dust entomb you and your machine; rocks, boulders, sand and creek water chain you and your machine to the back of the terrain and take you for a ride as if you were tethered to Moby Dick. You can go down and under, the elements are unforgiving.

You rely on your nerves, judgment and skill. Adrenaline feeds your brain and steadies your hands while you snort and grin inside crusted sweaty gear. Pure determination keeps your legs from buckling under you after hours on the pegs. You fall, you get up, pick it up and try it again.

It's not a sport. It's not touring. It's real riding and being immersed in the terrain. A compromise between the engine and wheels under you and your perseverance on how far you want to, how far you can, push it. It's being there. It's being alive.

You stop at the top or bottom, turn off the engine and look around; and breathe deeply. Grinning. Knowing you're alive.

This is why we ride dirt.

[Quick-Silver]

Glad y'all made it back. I worried that it might be too cold there to have fun, but I see from your pictures it wasn't.

How did the DS tires fair? Were you comfortable with them?

[ed29]

Jerry, my Kenda 761s fared alright. I would call them a true 50/50 tire as the street performance is outstanding, yet they bite the dirt better than they look like they would. They were half worn out having racked up around 4,000 miles on the XR before this trip. There was only one stretch where I would have really liked having a toothier[sic] rear tire, and will have one on before the February return trip. When I get my film back along with the digital disks I will write a detailed report with pics.

[Kidder]

I have never been to that part of Texas. I am apparently missing a LOT. Any chance of sharing the double secret trails? Also, I saw there was a KTM 950. I wonder if I could've done that on my DL650?

[Trail Boss]

But............
.... the double secret trails.
Are OURS!!!!

Elsi,

The double secret trail is, by far, the best dual sport road in Texas but you really shouldn't be teasing the audience about it. After all, you did swear an oath of secrecy as a member of the DSTRC (double secret trail riders club) not to reveal the location of the double secret trail.

[Simmons1]

[thumper]

Originally Posted by TexasShadow

[/i]

Where is this road and what is it's name

[Kidder]

Originally Posted by Richard_

Elsi,

The double secret trail is, by far, the best dual sport road in Texas but you really shouldn't be teasing the audience about it. After all, you did swear an oath of secrecy as a member of the DSTRC (double secret trail riders club) not to reveal the location of the double secret trail.

I'll bribe her with ice cream.

[TexasShadow]

Originally Posted by thumper

Where is this road and what is it's name

I. Must. Not. Reveal...........

Originally Posted by Richard_

The double secret trail is, by far, the best dual sport road in Texas but you really shouldn't be teasing the audience about it. After all, you did swear an oath of secrecy as a member of the DSTRC (double secret trail riders club) not to reveal the location of the double secret trail.

Ah, but they don't know which one(s) of the 1140 miles of dusty roads and trails it is, or the others. It once was lost but now its found. Amazing how that happens......... and how sweet the ride*.

*Uh oh, I foresee a song in the making..... Amazing Roads to the tune of Amazing Grace. Our DSTRC song.

[TexasShadow]

Originally Posted by bigdon55

Elsi. Great pictures.
It was nice meeting you and all the guys. The Desert is a great place!
I plan to attend more TWT functions in 08 . I may start with Uncles ride in Feb.

Yes, please do!
Don, it was great meeting you, Tom, David, Hardy, Steve, Joel, Richard, Aaron, and all the others, and best of all: riding, eating, sharing stories, all of it with y'all. Kudos and a big bow to Roger, our fearless desert rat leader.

Although, I could easily pass up the stereo snoring between four of ya....

(thank you, David, for the ear plugs!)