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A good reason to take Rice Road.

Mike K

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I had to make a banzai run from OC to Havi to get my truck from Vaca home ... I never take Rice Rd cuz my wife doesn’t like it ... used to make our cat throw up too ... but anyway ... I jammed out there by myself turned around and came back ... so now I’m on Rice Road ... just chilling and I get to the stop sign halfway between... its dark about 7pm ... pulled over to take a break ... no traffic ... no lights ... no sound ... but zillions and zillions of stars ... I was blown away ... I hadn’t seen stars like that in 30 years ... so quiet and I could see way out into the desert cuz it was bright ... I called my buddy who does the Adventure bike riding to Death Valley all the time ... and told him “now” I can appreciate all his “stars over beers “ stories ... so anyway ... YES .. u can see stars like we could when we were kids ... sometime when u have a chance do take Rice Rd at night and just pull over and look up ... geez ... so cool.
 

monkeyswrench

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It's amazing what you see when you take the time to look.

20 years ago I used to think that about sitting on the waters' edge in Needles. More stars than I had seen ever growing up in the San Gabriel Valley. Now, walking from my shop to my house, more stars than I ever thought existed.

Yep, we're just a spec...
 

RiverDave

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I had to make a banzai run from OC to Havi to get my truck from Vaca home ... I never take Rice Rd cuz my wife doesn’t like it ... used to make our cat throw up too ... but anyway ... I jammed out there by myself turned around and came back ... so now I’m on Rice Road ... just chilling and I get to the stop sign halfway between... its dark about 7pm ... pulled over to take a break ... no traffic ... no lights ... no sound ... but zillions and zillions of stars ... I was blown away ... I hadn’t seen stars like that in 30 years ... so quiet and I could see way out into the desert cuz it was bright ... I called my buddy who does the Adventure bike riding to Death Valley all the time ... and told him “now” I can appreciate all his “stars over beers “ stories ... so anyway ... YES .. u can see stars like we could when we were kids ... sometime when u have a chance do take Rice Rd at night and just pull over and look up ... geez ... so cool.

Every time I take rice rd at night, I stop right there and have a cigarette and look at the stars..

RD
 

sintax

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I did the same thing actually this early summer, I made a quick out and back trip.

Just passed the railroad tracks that parallel the road a I stopped to piss. It was maybe 11pm, around 78 degrees and just as peaceful as you could ever imagine. There was no moon and the stars were super intense. I popped the tailgate and hungout for 15 or 20 min just enjoying it.
 

rrrr

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This reminded me of a deer hunting trip with my Dad when I was about 10. We were in Northern New Mexico, sleeping on the ground, and the millions of stars looked like splashes of diamonds across the sky.

I woke up in the early morning hours, and was laying on my back enjoying the show. Some movement near the horizon caught my eye, and as I watched a brilliant spot of light moved across the sky. It must have been a satellite. I can still picture that moment in my mind that happened over fifty years ago.
 

GOTTBoat

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If I'm not towing it's Rice Road almost every time, if I'm towing its Parker tp Ehrenberg every time.
 

DrunkenSailor

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I did a non stop to Silverthorne CO a couple years ago. Left after work. Was driving through Utah on the 70 at about 3am. I don't think there was a light on within 100 miles except at the gas station some 25 miles up the road. I stopped the car and got out and just stood there for a half hour. I had never seen horizon to horizon filled with stars like that before. It was incredible.
 

DaveH

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try floating in the middle of a lake powell basin in the middle of the night when there is no moon.

another mind blowing view is the hike to rainbow bridge at powell at about 10pm when there is a full moon,
 

RiverDave

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try floating in the middle of a lake powell basin in the middle of the night when there is no moon.

another mind blowing view is the hike to rainbow bridge at powell at about 10pm when there is a full moon,

I think that would freak me out.. lol
 

Backlash

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Every trip out to Parker I go outside at night and walk along the waters edge. Sometimes casting a lure, sometimes walking the dog. Either way, I always take a look up at the sky. It's amazing! 👍
 

Racey

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This reminded me of a deer hunting trip with my Dad when I was about 10. We were in Northern New Mexico, sleeping on the ground, and the millions of stars looked like splashes of diamonds across the sky.

I woke up in the early morning hours, and was laying on my back enjoying the show. Some movement near the horizon caught my eye, and as I watched a brilliant spot of light moved across the sky. It must have been a satellite. I can still picture that moment in my mind that happened over fifty years ago.

You don't appreciate it until you realize how much light pollution stops you from seeing them.

A real trip is when you are in the Southern hemisphere and none of the constellations are recognizable.
 

was thatguy

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Reminds me of sitting about 15 miles off the north coast of Alaska on the ice cap in Feb in my 966 loader. (Winter exploratory oil drilling)
It’s like being on the moon with the entire cosmos overhead.
I swear to God you can actually hear the Northern Lights, and they are every color of the rainbow and fill the entire sky.

Shemya in the dark is similar, but without the northern lights so much.

Same with countless all night high desert drives over hwy 50, Nv and Utah.

Right now I’m sitting in Moreno Valley on security watch waiting for relief...all I see is a lot of zombies and a big white “M” on the hillside.

But I will be on rice rd by about 2 AM tonight non my way home for a few days.
I will stop at the stop sign and revel at the sight!
 

Shlbyntro

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try floating in the middle of a lake powell basin in the middle of the night when there is no moon.

another mind blowing view is the hike to rainbow bridge at powell at about 10pm when there is a full moon,

My friends and I used to do something similar at Mead. Call it a game or a dare but a single person would ride a stand up out to the middle of the lake and shut it down in the middle of the night. Talk about a cool scary ass feeling. Time seamed as if it had stopped and the only thing to guide you back to the beach was a little spec that was the bonfire off in the distance. You'd be out there for 10 minutes and it felt like 2 hours
 

stephenkatsea

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Powell is good star watching. But, we’ve found Mead and Mohave each get substantial light pollution from LV.
 

rivermobster

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Was driving from Havasu back to Parker late one night. I have my best friend with me.

I know we are on a stretch of the road that's flat and straight for miles. I take a good look up ahead, and then I say to him...

Hey dude, you know what's really wierd?

What?

I turn the headlights off. No moon. Pitch black. It feels like your fucking flying.

He literally Screams at me...

TURN THE FUCKING LIGHTS BACK ON, FUCK!!!

He didn't think it was so funny. Me, I did it a couple more times, just for good measure.
😁
 

Taboma

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We are leaving for Parker tonight and I'm not towing. I prefer the 10 to CA 95 to Wilson Agnes. I always stop and stretch at the bridge. Shut everything down and look around.

Now with Mohave Rd closed from E-berg, debating CA 95 or AZ 95. Haven't been on either since mid 80's. Seemed there were a lot of double yellow sections on the CA side, didn't know if that meant getting stuck, or is there simply not that much traffic ? I'm sure there's more on AZ 95 as a main route.
 

OCMerrill

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Now with Mohave Rd closed from E-berg, debating CA 95 or AZ 95. Haven't been on either since mid 80's. Seemed there were a lot of double yellow sections on the CA side, didn't know if that meant getting stuck, or is there simply not that much traffic ? I'm sure there's more on AZ 95 as a main route.

The CA 95 has always been pretty quiet. The last couple times through Rice road I was pulling so people pile up and then try to kill me passing. I wont exceed 65 on Rice towing because I'll get the red lights. That is my luck factor.
 

OCMerrill

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Was driving from Havasu back to Parker late one night. I have my best friend with me.

I know we are on a stretch of the road that's flat and straight for miles. I take a good look up ahead, and then I say to him...

Hey dude, you know what's really wierd?

What?

I turn the headlights off. No moon. Pitch black. It feels like your fucking flying.

He literally Screams at me...

TURN THE FUCKING LIGHTS BACK ON, FUCK!!!

He didn't think it was so funny. Me, I did it a couple more times, just for good measure.
😁


I thought I was your best friend. What a whore. :p:p
 

rrrr

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Was driving from Havasu back to Parker late one night. I have my best friend with me.

I know we are on a stretch of the road that's flat and straight for miles. I take a good look up ahead, and then I say to him...

Hey dude, you know what's really wierd?

What?

I turn the headlights off. No moon. Pitch black. It feels like your fucking flying.

He literally Screams at me...

TURN THE FUCKING LIGHTS BACK ON, FUCK!!!

He didn't think it was so funny. Me, I did it a couple more times, just for good measure.
😁

I did that on the old Highway 44 in a motorhome full of my friends while driving from Albuquerque to Durango in the 70's, got the same reaction.

😁
 
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