Sierra Nevada Adventures Multi Day Rides

CALIFORNIA BDR DEATH VALLEY (North) 3-Days

California BDR Death Valley (North) 3-day ADVENTURE ride EXPLORES the California South Backcountry Discovery Route between Death Valley north to the picturesque Chidago Canyon near Benton just east of beautiful Mammoth Lakes California. SNA has customized this route to include additional amazing OFF-ROAD routes and points of interest along this amazing Backcountry Discovery Route in the Death Valley region.

California BDR Death Valley (North) 3-day ride is a 600-mile, off-pavement route designed for adventure motorcycles. Starting in Lone Pine CA on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada at the base of Mt. Whitney. You will traverse the rugged Inyo Mountains including the vast Panamint Range on remote two-track dirt roads through majestic canyons, rocky riverbeds, and sandy washes of California’s famous Death Valley including the dramatic Eastern Sierra region.

CABDR Death Valley (North) 3-day ride is a guided adventure ride with the perfect mix of on-road and off-road adventure. You will have the luxury of exploring this rugged and remote backcountry with an experienced adventure guide known as SNA Mark, the trail scout, guide, and owner of Sierra Nevada Adventures. SNA Mark has spent a lifetime exploring every nook and cranny of this amazing backcountry region now known as the California Backcountry Discovery Route (CABDR-South). You will have the opportunity to explore off-road wagon routes to visit historical mining sites, Native American petroglyphs, and an off-road mining route to explore an abandoned gold and silver Reward mine, including the amazing Cerro Gordo ghost town from the Wild West. You will also explore off-road two-track routes through high desert mountains, and rugged and remote canyons, and ascend mountain peaks with amazing panoramic views in all directions including the lowest point in North America at 282 ft. below sea level known as Badwater Basin in Death Valley.  

SNA Mark's lifetime experience exploring the Sierra Nevada backcountry spans the spectrum from the summit of the highest peaks in the Sierra Nevada range to the lowest point in North America to remote corners of the Death Valley region including a lifetime of researching and studying the amazing history of these regions from Native Americans, frontiersmen, mountain-men, pioneers, and prospectors from the California Gold Rush. SNA Mark has successfully guided thousands of adventure riders throughout the Sierra Nevada and beyond to the remote corners of California and several western US states since the creation of Sierra Nevada Adventures in 2007. SNA Mark's lifetime experience of exploring and wealth of historical knowledge along with his love for the mountains adds the next level of experience to ensure you have an epic adventure on the SNA BDR Death Valley (North) 3-day ride.

Your adventure begins in Lone Pine CA located at the base of Mt. Whitney at 14,505 ft., the highest mountain in the contiguous United States. The majestic view of Mt. Whitney and the amazing sight of the impressive Eastern Sierra is the perfect location to start an epic adventure! From Lone Pine, your adventure ride explores an amazing off-road and on-road route through a fascinating landscape of Alpine mountains, rugged canyons, and vast desert valleys sculpted by fire and ice, where geothermal hot springs bubble up through the landscape, where unique rock formations rise above an ancient dry lake bed, where 14,000-foot peaks descend from blue skies to sage-filled plains including unique volcanic craters, domes, and lava flows stretch across this unique landscape. While traveling in this desert landscape you will experience a unique off-road route to a remote ghost town nestled in the Inyo mountains which provides an amazing panoramic view of the Eastern Sierra Nevada. The Sierra Nevada range in California stretches 400 miles north-south from the Mojave Desert to the Cascade Range in the northern region. Notable features include General Sherman Tree, the largest tree in the world by volume; Lake Tahoe, the largest alpine lake in North America; Mt. Whitney at 14,505 ft the highest point in the contiguous United States; Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park and the world-famous Yosemite Valley sculpted by glaciers from one-hundred-million-year-old granite, containing high waterfalls. The Sierra is home to three national parks, twenty-six wilderness areas, ten national forests, and two national monuments. These areas include Yosemite, Sequoia, and Kings Canyon National Parks, as well as Devils Postpile National Monument including Death Valley National Park.

Your off-road adventure explores several amazing geological sites throughout the Death Valley region. For example, you will explore the historic Cerro Gordo ghost town, scenic Mustard Canyon, unique Ubehebe Crater, rugged Lippincott Pass, fascinating Alabama Hills, abandoned Reward Mine, Owen Valley, scenic red-rock Chidago Canyon, Ancient Petroglyphs, the vast Badwater Basin in Death Valley National Park, including additional amazing points of interest.

Cerro Gordo Mines History: Discovery of the silver ore is credited to Pablo Flores, who began mining and smelting operations near the summit of Buena Vista Peak in 1865. Increasing migration to the area was met with resistance from the Native Americans, which limited early mining efforts. The establishment of Fort Independence allowed for the expulsion of native populations, facilitating the expansion of the mining town. These early miners employed relatively primitive techniques of open pits and trenches and used adobe ovens to smelt the ore. Businessman Victor Beaudry (younger brother of Los Angeles Mayor and developer Prudent Beaudry of nearby Independence, California, became impressed by the quality of silver mined at Cerro Gordo and opened a store nearby. He soon acquired several mining claims to settle unpaid debts and proceeded to have two modern smelters built. Beaudry continued acquiring mining rights from debtors until he soon owned a majority of the richest and most productive mines in the area, including partial interest in the Union Mine. In 1868, Mortimer Belshaw arrived in Cerro Gordo (lit. "Fat Hill" in Spanish), attracted by the rich deposits of galena ore. After establishing a partnership with another stakeholder in the Union Mine, he brought the first wagon load of silver from Cerro Gordo to Los Angeles. In Los Angeles he was able to secure financing to build his own smelter that was superior to all other smelters at Cerro Gordo, as well as to build the first wagon road up the mountain. This road became known as the Yellow Road from the color of the rock that had been cut through. By operating the Yellow Road as a toll road, Belshaw was able to earn income and control the shipments of silver from the mountain. Between 1879 and 1880 in the Cerro Gordo district, 4,223 short tons (8,446,000 lb; 3,831 t) of ore were raised and treated, $3,307 ($88,088 in 2021) gold bullion was produced, and $140,517 ($3,742,932 in 2021) worth of silver bullion produced. During its entire operating history from 1865 to 1949, mines produced over 35,000 short tons (70,000,000 lb; 32,000 t) of lead, 4,400,000 troy ounces (300,000 lb; 140,000 kg) of silver, and 11,800 short tons (23,600,000 lb; 10,700 t) of zinc, with an estimated worth of over $17 million. By 1907, high-grade zinc ore was found in Cerro Gordo and ore shipments began, and by 1912, Cerro Gordo became the largest producer of zinc carbonates in the U.S. In 1916, the town became electrified, replacing the steam power that operated the machinery. In 1920, about ten miners still worked, mostly mining silver-lead ore. Mining had largely ceased by 1938. As of 2019, a former high school teacher was the only miner; the then-70-year-old had been collecting small amounts of silver underground since 1997, selling the silver to tourists, while searching for a productive vein. The Cerro Gordo mines were the most extensive with more than 30 miles (160,000 ft; 48 km) of underground tunnels in the Cerro Gordo Mining District.

The ghost town of Cerro Gordo was purchased in June 2018 with the intent to turn it into a tourist attraction, accessed by special permission. At that time, it had several vintage buildings, including the general store and 336 acres (136 ha). The buyers, Brent Underwood and Jon Bier, purchased the property with additional Los Angeles-based investors. The American Hotel, an icehouse, and a residence were destroyed in a fire on June 15, 2020. Despite these challenges, Underwood says he is still committed to the project and currently rebuilding the American Hotel.