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Dumont Conditions
as of 6-28-08
Sand Dunes: not
one paddle track in
sight, virgin soft
sand, steep & sharp
razors
# of people at
Dumont: other
than us, ZERO
Temperature:
77°F @ 5:00 am, 95°
@ 9:00am, very
slight breeze at
times
Entrance Road:
wash boarded with
potholes |
Not many people will wake up
at 2:45 in the morning to
drive to the middle of Death
Valley to ride in some sand.
The people that do are a
rare breed. Their
population is very limited
these days. Some people look
at them like they are out of
their minds. Other
than oxygen, their bodies
require a very crucial
ingredient. SAND,
untouched virgin sand! These
people are
called.....dedicated die
hard duners. Ok enough of
that gibberish. On with the
report right?
 A
handful of us duners from
DDR headed out to Dumont
very early in the morning on
the Saturday, June 28th. We
rolled into
Dumont around 5AM. The sun
wasn't even up yet and the
temperature was a cool 77°.
We quickly unloaded and
geared up to hit the dunes.
Our first run began by
dropping in just to the
right of the backside of
Banshee Hill. We zig-zagged
through the dunes towards
the north pole. The dunes
were so smooth! In the
 summertime
the dunes are very "slick".
There is a very fine layer
of sand on top that makes
for very easy sliding. Some
of the dunes and berms were
so steep that the usual line
had to be cut short because
the dune was just a wall of
sand and steep as sand would
stack.
 After
that run we arrived at the
north pole to find that the
nearby finger dune had
shifted considerably closer
to the pole. Some people
don't realize that the winds
of the Mojave Desert Valley,
which created Dumont Dunes,
shift the dunes more and
more every year. Lately the
dunes seem to have been
moving in a north east
direction.
 After
a breath-taking moment at
the north pole of watching
the sun rise up over the
mountains, we headed back
through the dunes and over
to comp. The hill had
absolutely no whoops at the
bottom and was very smooth.
The rest of the morning
consisted of a handful of
runs through the dunes and a
short stop at the south
pole. It was a wonderful day
of duning with, fortunately,
no breakdowns or injuries at
all in the group.
 These
summer rides can be very
dangerous. There are many
things to keep in mind if
you ever choose to challenge
Dumont Dunes in the
summertime. Even though the
dunes are very smooth, they
are hard to read with zero
tire tracks. "Witch eyes"
and unexpected drop offs are
very common this time of
year. Only those duners who
are very experienced should
even attempt a trip like
this. Another thing is the
temperature. Temperatures
rise very quickly at Dumont.
As soon as the sun comes up
there isn't much time before
triple digits set in.
Without shade and plenty of
water, it can turn deadly
very quick. One more thing,
rescue crews are at least 30
minutes to an hour away.
There is no medical staff or
rangers on site. It's just
something you have to always
keep in mind. Be safe and
have fun!
For
more pictures and trip
reports from this trip
posted on the forum, click
here. |
