As my buddy and I drove down highways 78, we saw the distant dunes of Glamis spreading across the horizon. Although the “official” season was well over, we considered ourselves lucky, cuz our season never ends, it is only continuing. Summer time is when Glamis is free from the big crowds and tracked up dunes.
It was 4:30 in the afternoon as we turned down Gecko road, and we noticed that Mother Glamis had taken on a different look. Her sand is noticeably darker, as if a drenching rainstorm had just passed through, leaving her with the look of a dark brown shade of color. But then we realized that it was just her summer look. We passed only a single camp on pad 2 and waved as we went by. We then noticed that their whips were sportin checkered flags, and we felt an unmistakable camaraderie. Gecko looked like a ghost town, and we reminisced that only a short time ago, hundreds and hundreds of motor homes and trailers lined the edges. But today there was only one.
As we got out of the air-conditioned truck and stepped into the desert air, the hot wind hit us like a mack truck. It felt as if the world’s largest hair dryer was stuck on high and blowing all over us. But we didn't worry too much about it. By the time our camp was set up, we had acclimated to the heat, and it became quite bearable.
When 6 pm rolled around, we decided to head out and see what Mother Glamis had to offer. With camel backs full of water, and a heavy breeze blowing, we fired up our bikes and headed towards Ozbourne Overlook to hit the big stuff. It was well over 100 degrees, but our loose fitting t-shirts allowed the wind to pass through to our bodies, and it was comfortable. The sand was very soft, and not one sign of a witch eye. However, as we flowed through the rolling dunes, we couldn't help but notice the MILLIONS OF GLISTENING WIND BLOWN SAND RIPPLES--EVERYWHERE. We are talking ripply-doo-dah. It is a sight that only the summer duner will ever witness. Honestly, there is no better feeling than pegging a 4th gear power slide on a 100 yard rolling slope full of nothing but golden ripples just off of Gecko Road. We wanted to put a track on every single ripple out there, but that would take us years.
By the time we had reached the big stuff, our t-shirts were damp with sweat, but we were oblivious to the heat. And as long as we kept riding, we stayed relatively cool. We were having a glorious time, pegging it wide open from one bowl to the next, and thats when I began singing the song from On Any Sunday, "On any Sunday with a touch of a breeze." And that's when the chills went down my spine.
Everywhere we rode there was nothing but virgin sand; no bouncing and bopping on other people’s tracks; it was nothing but smooth sailing. It even got tough choosing what line we wanted to take, because it was open season on ripples. After nearly 20 minutes of pegged riding and seeing no one, we found ourselves pulling into Mother Glamis’s prized possession, the SuperBowl. And with everywhere else, there wasn’t a track on it. This bowl is a near full enclosure, and it is the biggest Mother Glamis has to offer; a real treat to ride during the season; a downright dream to ride during the summer. This big monster was completely rippled, so we stopped to etch the photo in our minds. It is a rare treat to see the SuperBowl like this. But now it was time to make tracks on it, and we were off. 4th, 5th gear pegged, round and round we went, never once hitting the same line twice. It was absolutely amazing.
As we pulled out of the SuperBowl and headed west into the fast setting sun, the wind had picked up considerably. So much that the sand was being lifted and traveling like a fast moving conveyer belt just six inches above the ground. As we rode towards the sun, we got the distinct sensation of flying. It was exactly like that dream you had as a child of flying through the air like Superman. Although we were just cruising, it felt as if we were traveling 100 miles an hour, and it was incredible.
The sand glistened in the sun, and it moved quickly over every single inch of the dunes. We then stopped for a short time and took in this amazing site. It was absolutely breathtaking. However, the sun quickly set, and it soon became dark. So we fired up the bikes, turned on the lights, and headed into the big stuff again. We had all night with Mother Glamis, and she turned out to be one very hot date.
…YYYEEEEEEEHHHAAAAAWWWWWW. If you ain’t ever done Mother G in da summer time, Slappy highly recommend you give her a try, she is well worth it. Just make sure you take plenty of water, and keep yoself hydrated at all times. The experience you have will last a lifetime, Slappy promise.
[ 06-09-2002: Message edited by: Slappy ]