Photos by: Brett Beadle (@brettbeadle), Brent Akhurts (@brentakhurst) & Ben Couves (@elliottbenjaman)
Shop buddy Brett Beadle (out in Vancouver, BC) recently did the LA - Barstow to Vegas Enduro Ride for the first time with a few buddies of his and after some serious FOMO from the instagram shots from his ride/trip, we asked if him and the guys would be down to send us some pics and tell us about it. Here's what Brett had to say:
My buddies Brent Akhurst, Ben Couves and myself headed down to ride the 30th annual La-Barstow-Vegas enduro ride this year. Steeped in history, this two-day 450 mile off-road organized ride makes it's way through the Mohave from Palmdale, California to Las Vegas, Nevada.
Brent, Ben and I trailered our bikes down in two days, with a stop in Boise. (Brent on a WR450, Ben and I on XR650Rs) I rented a U-haul to take us from Vegas to Palmdale with the bikes so our vehicle would be waiting for us at the finish line. It was amazing seeing 500+ dual sport bikes ready to rip the first morning in Palmdale. The entire town seemed to be filled with the noise of BRAP BRAP BRAP and a lot of very stoked riders.
The first morning was challenging because visibility was pretty much nil. With so many riders starting out, there was a lot of dust and sand being kicked up by the riders in front of you, which gives you very little room to see whats coming. I would say this is one of the major challenges I found with my first time riding in the desert, getting used to all that SAND and DUST!
We made it through both days of riding with only one major breakdown and one major crash, Ben went over the bars after ripping through a rocky single track section and hit a washout in 3rd or 4th gear, which sent him flying. He dusted himself off and finished the day with us, with a few big bruises to show from his spill.
Sunday morning was another early start. Without having to go through registration like we did on the first day, the Saturday morning was pretty much "get up and go." This meant we were riding directly into the rising sun and also through some of the most treacherous sand we had faced. Although it was challenging riding, with a lot of riders stuck in the sand and at the side of the trail, we made it through and continued on our day.
We ripped through miles and miles of deep sand to find our way at the Red Rock Canyon. This was the last stop before Vegas. A technical rocky ride was a lot easier on the smaller bikes but on big 650s it makes it a bit more challenging. We made our way up the canyon with the rest of the pack and snaked our way down into Red Rock Canyon park on the other side, and rode out to Vegas. The night was filled with beers and good times meeting a lot of fellow riders in the afterparty that night at The Orleans hotel.
After a couple days recouping and relaxing in Vegas, Brent flew home for work and Ben and I made our way to Utah to ride the White Rim Trail in Canyonlands National Park. It was hands-down one of the most amazing rides of our lives. The scenery in incredible and we had the entire park to ourselves. The 100-mile trail snakes it's way along the canyons and buttes of this magical part of Southern Utah.
After that, it was time to make our way home. With a pit stop to rip the Bonneville Salt Flats in Wendover, a beer at Dechutes Brewing in Bend, a good soak in Bagby Hot Springs outside Portland, and a quick Portland visit, we were home washing the heaps of caked desert dust off our bikes and getting the ready for the next adventure.
See everyone at LA-Barstow-Vegas 2015!!!!
- Brett Beadle, Ben Couves & Brent Akhurst
from http://townmoto.com
