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Dumont News

Baker, CA gets it's first traffic signal

A traffic light? In Baker? No, it doesn't mean Baker is booming enough to need one. It is simply being installed in front of the Baker Travel Center on Baker Blvd at Caltrans Avenue because it is a cheaper alternative for the gas station owner than the traffic mitigation fee already imposed by San Bernardino County. Apparently there was already an agreement for the owner to install the traffic light in order to get the business permit for the station. Because of Baker's remote location and lack of contractors to get the work done on time, it has taken 4 years for this to finally happen. So hopefully this traffic light doesn't back things up getting to Dumont. Only southbound I15 travelers from Vegas would go through this light as they get into Baker. CA vistors would not be affected. Just thought we'd spread the "breaking Baker news" with the community.

forum discussion, http://www.dumontduneriders.com/invision/index.php?showtopic=20688

Seize the Weekend!

You just never know what kind of spring weather you'll get at Dumont this time of year. Usually it starts getting plenty warm by now, but the temperatures have dropped and stayed low enough to squeeze a little more season out of the dunes. Our friends at GTP Offroad were scheduled to go up north and hit Coral Pink Dunes for the weekend of April 30-May 1st, however the forecast showed it was going to be super cold. On the flip side, Dumont was looking nice and cool with only a slight chance of rain. They didn't let that stop them though. They packed it up and headed out to the empty, overcast dunes. The dunes were smooth and they only saw a couple drops of rain all weekend. The wind was fierce Friday night, but conditions remained a step above amazing all weekend long. So to those who think the season is over, you just never know. Have your toys ready, keep an eye on that forecast and you just might be able to seize an epic weekend in the sand and have it all to yourself. Speaking of doing that...check out those temps for this weekend! (mid 70's!)
photos by Jodi Knight


Get the full trip report here! http://www.dumontduneriders.com/invision/index.php?showtopic=20676

Polaris Voluntarily Recalls Certain RZR 900 & 1000

MINNEAPOLIS (April 19, 2016) Polaris Industries (NYSE: PII) jointly announced with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, today, that the company is voluntarily recalling certain RZR 900 and 1000 off-road vehicles manufactured since model year 2013 due to reports of thermal-related incidents, including fires. Detailed information about the recall is available at www.polaris.com/rzr-recall.
Polaris conducted a thorough investigation to pinpoint the root causes and put forward a comprehensive solution to address them.
"One of our foremost guiding principles is Safety and Ethics Always," said Scott W. Wine, Chairman and CEO, Polaris. "We know that the foundation of a good ride is a safe ride, and we have been proactive, aggressive and thorough in putting forth a plan to get our vehicles repaired and give us and our customers confidence in the safety of our RZR vehicles."
All affected vehicle owners will be asked to contact a dealer to schedule a complimentary service appointment, which should take approximately one hour. Polaris is working quickly to source the necessary parts and is allocating parts daily to dealers as they become available. Dealers will schedule appointments subject to parts availability.
"We are working day and night to inform our customers and dealers and to obtain the parts needed for the repairs we identified in our comprehensive analysis," said Wine. "We apologize for the inconvenience to our customers as we work to ensure all the systemic thermal risks we identified are eliminated from our vehicles."
Polaris has already begun implementation of its Corrective Action Plan and has made manufacturing updates in new-production vehicles. Polaris also plans to include a warning on new-production vehicles instructing riders not to carry fuel and other flammable liquids in their vehicles, and cautions against carrying flammable liquids in previously produced models.
About Polaris
Polaris Industries Inc. (NYSE: PII) is a global powersports leader with annual 2015 sales of $4.7 billion. Polaris fuels the passion of riders, workers and outdoor enthusiasts with our RANGER®, RZR® and POLARIS GENERAL side-by-side off-road vehicles; our SPORTSMAN® and POLARIS ACE® all-terrain off-road vehicles; VICTORY® and INDIAN MOTORCYCLE® midsize and heavyweight motorcycles; SLINGSHOT® moto-roadsters; and Polaris RMK®, INDY®, SWITCHBACK® and RUSH® snowmobiles. Polaris enhances the riding experience with parts, garments and accessories sold under multiple recognizable brands, and has a growing presence in adjacent markets globally with products including military and commercial off-road vehicles, quadricycles, and electric vehicles. www.polaris.com

Trip Report Late March

Ah, that time of year to squeeze one (or two!) more trips to DD. Assembled a tight crew of one this time. Quick one nighter but a lot of riding up and around the area. It was actually strange to ride/camp in dry sand! It was quite the nice and wet season eh? Can't say I don't miss the wettish sand, but love the warmer temps!
We had a crew that could go next week but the weather is looking too wet/stormy. Mayyyyybe week after if the temps hold under 90.....
Just a few pics this time, enjoy!

One of the best sunsets of the season....one of those type that just keep changing and keep their color forever it seems

If you end your day at top of a dune, you must be doing something right!

...the hills are watching....

The hills are.....happy! You can spy this geological "wonder" on the way to Shoshone via hwy 127 (between Tecopa and Shoshone)

Chicago Valley Rd area (on other side of pass east of Shoshone), found the "12 mile Spring", but didn't find the nearby grinding holes (mortars) or agave roasting pits. But did score some nice pics and wasn't shot at for going into some possible private property.

What's that, you wanted more flower pics??LOL! Back to the sand....this spot at the Little Dunes always seems to pop up the best desert lilies, they just hadn't bloomed yet

Too hot to ride in midday so I grabbed my gloves and some bags and started some clean-up along the track that goes from big dunes to salt creek mine area. I went to pull on a strap sticking out the sand and pulled up a lost bag.....some big cresent wrenches (rusted), an intact bottle of water, a busted Pepsi can, some intact snack bags. You never know what's lurking beneath that sand!

If you know what "Volcom" is, you'll like this....there are lots of cool rocks around the area, but this one is amazingly similar to the "Volcom Stone". I didn't bring it home, see if you can find where I left it??

Usually when you get stuck at Dumont, it's in the sand right? Well, I highly recommend NOT riding into the "dry" Little Dune Lake! Holy crap, what a mess....I was coming back from Big dunes to camp and while messing around in the little dunes rode thru some area that looked dry but 20 feet in my bike sank up to the axles.....quick mud!? No chance to lift it out....had to tip the bike on it's side and wrestle the rear tire out, then the front....and repeated for almost 40 minutes until I finally reached some solid ground, a whole 20 feet away!!! Damn, it was a chore but could have been worse being I was solo. Poor bike! It was the worse kind of mud....playa or alkaline mud, very very sticky and is like a suction cup when wet and drys hard enough to require an hour or more with a pressure washer to get mostly clean. You should have seen my front brakes....had to tear it all apart to get all the dry mud out. If I would have been in a Sxs or quad I would have been completely screwed!

Can you guess what side I dragged it out on? My driveway is permanently stained from the mud (nice reminder) now

It was surreal driving out on Tuesday evening, the wind was a bit much for riding or camping, glad the timing worked out. Hope to be back in a week or so for one more round this season! Anyone else going out this month?

Easter Weekend 2016

Can you believe Easter Weekend is already here? The season has flown by! Easter is the last official holiday of the season. It's never a crowded weekend and don't expect many vendors, if any, to be there but it is a great weekend for duning.
The forecast is looking like the weekend will have great weather with highs around 80 and lows in the 50's.
Everyone be careful and have a great weekend.

Dumont Superbloom!

Springtime is always the time of year when Dumont blooms with vegetation and flowers. This year's bloom, however, is different. Death Valley usually only receives 2 inches or less of precipitation per year and in some years, none at all. In early October alone, there was more than 3 inches of rain. This rainfall is what prompted millions of wildflower seeds to grow creating what has now been called a rare superbloom!
Bright yellow desert gold flowers are the first to catch your eye. They can be seen mostly along the north edge of the camp area near the base of the dunes.
 
photos by Jodi Knight






 
Other species of flowers, such as the deep purple phacelia and desert primrose, can be found mixed with the desert gold flowers creating quite the display of colors.




 
Another very interesting one is the pink and purple desert five-spot. The 5 pedals open up in the afternoon and close at night.

 
As mentioned earlier, many of the flowers are easily accessed on the north edge of camp while others are farther to the south end. The super bloom won't be around for long so get out there and see it for yourself. There are probably only a couple weeks where the bloom will be at it's peak. Once the temperatures start to rise, the only flowers that will survive will be at higher elevations (not Dumont).


Mid February Rain, Summit and Crusty Bunny Ranch

It was a great trip with 8 guys and one gf. Drove out from Big Bear with light rain from Barstow, turning heavy after turning toward Baker. Heavy winds and more rain that fortunately lasted until midnight, then was quiet as a mouse! As you can guess, the conditions were amazing the rest of the trip! We did plenty of dune riding, a side trip to the infamous "Crusty Bunny Ranch" (southeast of Dumont), and a long 180 mile loop to Furnace Creek via Harry Wade road. Saw plenty of prudy wildflowers....we nailed it on the timing for this decades Super Bloom, by accident, sweet! Dantes View was also on the agenda. The rest of the crew did another side trip up Sperry Wash to gulp down a few Date Shakes at China Ranch date farm, so I got bored and decided what the hell I'm going to find out what is on top of that big mountain to the east of the Little Dunes!! Check out the pics for the killer views....
Planning another trip next week and probably one more mid month if the weather holds up. Enjoy!
WET and FUN

This sunsets for you Barrie Morris....RIP

Miss ya Mate

Anyone ever slept next to your ride when it's raining? I can cross that off the list! Clancy, Coors lite, CRF

The gang, mid 30's to the mid 70's and we ain't talking temperature!

Crusty Bunny Mine

Inside the earth

Terry checking out old headframe

Wet desert traction for days

Apparently, the Crusty Bunny Ranch has been closed for some time....

Near Ashford Mill in DV

Super Bloom!

About 150 miles into the 180 mile loop, east entrance to DV. Red Bikes galore!

Sperry Wash was running

FYI, the "Death Valley Internet Cafe" is in Tecopa, 20 minutes north of Dumont. They offer FREE WIFI, great food, beer and wine and a great atmosphere. Checkitout!

You seen this mountain behind the Little Dunes? I decided to see what was on top. Started (hiking) from camp, went up the "road" that goes to first little peak, found a goat trail that climbed to next peak, and then worked north/left to Summit. Very nasty scramble down but totally worth the effort!

Halfway up. Not much of a trail eh?

Made it to the top! There was a large rock stack, some possible sleeping circles, sentry post, and of course a killer view! Can you see our ring of campers (middle, just before Hwy 127)? Note water flow and cool dune formations!

Mandatory Summit Selfie!

Rock and Sand contrast

Love us some DD! See ya soon!

2016 President's Weekend Recap

This President's Weekend had quite the turnout for 2016. BLM reported an estimated 12,000-15,000 people visited Dumont over the holiday weekend. Vendor row was full and quite busy all weekend with some vendors such as GTP Offroad offering end of season blowouts. This was basically the last big holiday weekend for most so many made it count. Sunny and warm weather made for a beautiful weekend with friends and family at the dunes.

Aerial photos by Tess Roussin

The Las Vegas Jeep Club in coordination with SxS Wars/ K&T Performance put on one of the biggest racing events Dumont has seen in years, Sand Wars! Excitement has been brewing leading up to this event. Many remember last year where there were no races at all due to time constraints and personal commitments with some of the organizers. Well this year they made up for it big time with the Sand Wars. The event was a perfect mix of old and new. Many are into the old Jeeps and dragsters, while the side x sides have grown HUGE in popularity.

Guys like K&T Performance have taken the Polaris RZR to levels nobody has seen before.

On Saturday, duners pulled up and filled the area scouting for the best spot to watch the races. The races consisted of the Jeep Club doing their regular format of hill climb drag races along with their Turtle Crawl. In addition to the Jeep races, the multiple class side x sides raced on the hill as well. The tricked out side x sides turned heads when they lined up and pulled the front tires off the ground. Many don't ever expect that kind of performance from a side x side. Sunday consisted of the 300' sand drag competition with both the dragsters and UTV classes.

With the large crowds you can guess what the nightlife was like over at Comp Hill. Rows and rows of lighted whips and lights filled the entire staging area of Comp. Photographer, Jason Wink, caught some great long exposure shots of the action.


In addition to the excitement going on at Sand Wars, Comp Hill, vendor row, camp and of course the dunes, Banshee Hill had a huge gathering in itself. Racers from Utah, CA, and AZ came out to race each other in typical holiday weekend fashion. North Shore Drag Racing shared some photos of the action.

Throughout the weekend the BLM staff opened it's doors to the public at the Dumont Dunes visitor center. They hosted a "Meet the Medics" open house and desert wildlife display.

Flight for Life made numerous landings throughout the weekend. We only heard of one fatality, but that is one too many. A Utah man died while racing his Banshee on Banshee Hill. Other injuries occurred in other various accidents including a couple accidents on Comp Hill and a broken femur which was near a major artery and the person required immediate Flight for Life medical attention.


To share your own pics and stories, hop on to our forum and post it to the community, http://www.dumontduneriders.com/invision/index.php?showtopic=20585

Engaged on Comp Hill

For some people, a wedding engagement usually takes place in a hot air balloon or over a candle lit dinner. Well not for this couple! After being together for 4 years it was time to make it official. Over President's Day Weekend, Kennon Werner popped the question to his girlfriend, Brittnee Bennett, at the top of Comp Hill. The couple, from St George, UT, have been together for 4 years and visit several dunes throughout the year. Dumont has always been a favorite for them and will now hold a special meaning.
Congratulations to Kennon and Brittnee!

Fatal accident on Banshee Hill President's Weekend

Over President's Weekend around 3 PM on Friday afternoon, a Utah man was killed while racing his Banshee ATV up Banshee Hill. He apparently rode off of a steep drop off at the top of the hill. While it it uncertain at this point, some assumed his throttle stuck. Flight for Life was called out but it was too late and he succumbed to his injuries and passed away in his son's arms at Dumont. CHP and the coroner were called in because of the fatal accident. The man, Tony Costanzo, was 53 and was from Provo, Utah. Drag racing Banshees was his passion.
If you would like to help his family with burial expenses, please follow the GoFundMe link,
https://www.gofundme.com/mkamnhac
Forum link, http://www.dumontduneriders.com/invision/index.php?showtopic=20587


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