The sand drags had thousands of spectators watching the races on both sides. All sorts of major machinery lined up at one end and randomly sped down the dusty, mile-long dirt course. Eardrums were bleeding, eyes were watering, and I tried my best to stay the hell out of the way. A sandstorm interrupted my plans for heading to the out-of-control parties.
Sunday
Bartels seemed surprised to see me. I got him back for the junky tent, Wash 13 and no paddles by depositing all the sand from my shoes, pockets and hair into his nice couch.
Finally back home, I'm still leaking sand, a reminder that Glamis is the kind of place you never really shake out of you. Part of the draw of the dunes is the freedom. We all know we can't wheelie, do a powerslide or just haul ass around our neighborhoods. But out in the sand, all of those rules melt away-it's just you against the laws of physics.
Dune Riding Pointers
* Don't ride up and over dunes. You never know what the backside is going to look like. Ride up to the crest and along the top before dropping back in.
* Don't slow down while going up a dune. If your quad starts to bog, turn back down the hill. It's a real pain to restart a quad while facing uphill.
* Water. Bring lots of it.
* Don't ride alone. There are all sorts of things that can and will go wrong in the desert.
* A GPS is handy.
* Don't arrive without a full tank of gas. Buy gas way before you get to Glamis or expect to pay more than $3 a gallon.
* Even though they are not a necessity, sand paddles can help you climb big hills, but they prevent you from sliding all over the place, which can also be fun.