Death Valley Panamint Springs multi-day dual sport ride (day 3)
Bikes parked at the desolate town of Darwin
Day 3 ride (30 miles):
Panamint Springs to Darwin and back
We decided to do a shorter ride for the third day, allowing time to get back on the road by the afternoon for heading back via Highway 395 to the north.
The plan was to take some back roads past Darwin
Falls into the remote town of Darwin. Darwin is a
fascinating community in desolate area of the desert.
It
is a former bastion of the late-great famous sculptor and artist Gordon
Newell who has constructed some remarkable pieces that can still be found
there today. While some of the building look abandoned, many
people still live here. It seems that they tend to like the solitary
aspect of this place, with some wandering out in the middle of the afternoon
to gather at the local office to await the daily delivery. Last time I
was through here while doing research for my book:
Travel Guide to California Photography, I chatted with some of these locals while they were
waiting for the mail. It was quite interesting to better understand
their personalities and demeanor. I found that they tend to be just
ordinary people like you and me, potentially getting away from some past
tragedy, and preferring the independence and ability to
live low in this remote region of California.
The road to Darwin via this back route is never too challenging, with some loose rock and sand in some places, but not too difficult. I noted that on the way back when it was warmer, the sandier sections were a bit looser, requiring more attention to keep the front wheel less weighted. This route in general is also more suitable for those riding a bigger style adventure bike with off-road experience.
On the way out we passed a few different mining sites, including what looked like an old well and rather large pump house. It looked big enough that it may have previously supplied water to a ranch, mine, or perhaps the town of Darwin itself. Moving on, we reached the town of Darwin after about 30 minutes of riding. After walking around and exploring some of the various areas on foot including the impressive pavilion (near the southwest edge of town), we headed back, reaching camp before noon.
Thinking about this ride, and the previous two days, I was quite satisfied with what we were able to explore, and the ability for our bikes to get there, albeit a bit more worse for wear. It is place I can see coming back to again as there are yet more areas of this vast terrain in and around Death Valley to cover, and potentially share with other enthusiastic riders.
