Hell to Heaven Gold

Hell to Heaven Gold

June 27, 2019

This is an Iron Butt Association Ride called Heaven to Hell or Hell to Heaven depending on which direction you are going. Here are the rules for it: “This ride is from the top of Mt. Evans or Pikes Peak (the highest point in the continental United States) to Badwater, Death Valley, CA (the lowest point in the United States) via Aspen, CO and Ely, NV (additionally you MUST take a photo at the top of Independence Pass, CO, Mt. Evans, CO and the Badwater Basin, CA, signs in the parking lot). 

“Your official time is determined by the starting and ending receipts. Check these documents and make sure the clock and date is correct!” 

“Spotwalla.com or other independent satellite tracking system that will work in remote locations is required for this ride, there is no exception for road closures on this ride." 

"Since road closures are common, even in the summer, this ride best completed from Colorado to California. However, a few riders have completed the ride from Death Valley to Mt Evans. You can do it either way.” 

“You should get receipts at the closest stations (for Mt Evans that is Idaho Springs, Colorado and for Badwater we recommend Beatty, Nevada as the pumps as Furnace Creek will not always issue a receipt.”

Two Iron Butt rides in less than a week! This time my wife. Laurie would go with me, what a good sport, and a dedicated supporter. This will be her second IBA ride.

This ride had/has several challenges besides being over 1,000 miles in under 24 hours. 

The timing was one of the challenges and the other was temperatures. We started at Furnace Creek gas station with the first receipt. The gas was almost $6.00 a gallon. On to Badwater Basin to get a picture of the sign in the parking lot. We could have taken a little more time here; the temperature was just into the nineties so that wasn’t a concern. I was trying to plan the ride, so we didn’t have to be riding to the top of Mt. Evans in the dark, the road is broken up in some areas with large frost heaves and wanted to be able to see animals on or near the roadway. I was mostly worried about the heat in Death Valley. I hadn’t thought enough about the cold. The heat was not a problem, but the cold was. From Aspen, CO on the temperature was 38 to 42 degrees. We didn’t have enough warm gear. We were frozen when we got to Idaho Springs, CO after going over Independence Pass. So we stopped for gas and some hot chocolate to warm up before it got light and we could ride to the top of Mt. Evans. Our timing worked out close to the planned stops which helped to manage the temperatures and the light. 

 

When we finished the ride back at the gas station in Idaho Springs, CO but, our hotel was still 2 ½ hours away (170 miles) and we were beat tired. I took a rest on a park bench behind the gas station, which for some reason freaked my wife out (she sat up and stayed awake). We made it just fine and crash on the bed when we got to the motel. We got up later and went out to find some dinner. 

We stayed with family in Torrey, UT the next night, and then road Hwy 12 home. Hwy 12 in Utah is one of the top motorcycle roads in the USA in my opinion.