2018 Atomic 1000 reminder

Brian Thorn

Premier Member
#1
(This Forum and the IBMR Facebook page is the only place I am posting this notice. You are welcome (and encouraged) to share it far and wide, but be sure to keep an eye on THIS posting in case Mike has any changes he wants me to make to the wording. Keep in mind that this is not yet a "formal" IBA ride, but if you jump through the normal hoops and provide good documentation it should get certified like mine did.)

Hi everyone,

You may remember that last October my wife and I established the Atomic 1000 SaddleSore. This was an SS1K that we rode to the site of the very first nuclear detonation in New Mexico. This ride is unique in that it is only available to you twice a year; the first Saturday in April and the first Saturday in October, and you only have a SIX HOUR window in which to be there. In order to qualify for the certificate you must ride at least 1000 miles within 24 hours and your ride must include the Trinity Test Site parking lot as either the starting or ending point, or as a waypoint during your ride. If someone were to do this as a BBG that would be pretty darn cool considering the traffic situation.

The closest location to get a DBR (that I am aware of) is in San Antonio, NM, about 12 miles from the entrance to the Missle Range and then it's another 20+ miles to the actual site. Speed limits on the Range are slow and monitored. You will need to meet certain identification guidelines in order to get on the Range. The Range is only open limited hours on the days in question. Radar detectors are not allowed because you're on a military reservation. Traffic lines can be long and slow to get onto the Range because the Military Police will be questioning occupants of every vehicle as it comes through the gate. Plan ahead!

Motorcycles are sometimes given priority parking near the actual Trinity sign, but that is not a guarantee that you'll be allowed to park there when you arrive. There were some water jugs and some Porta-Pottys on site, but shade is scarce. Plan ahead!

If you have a SPOT or similar device you are advised to show an OK marker (or whatever your device allows) when you are parked at the Test Site. There are also several signs and objects that will show that you are at that site if you take a photo with your bike (and preferably you) in the shot. Last year there was a vender on site near the blast ring but I do NOT know if they are able to provide a computer generated DBR, nor do I know if they will be there this year. As with any ride, the more documentation and photos you can provide, the more likely you are to get the ride approved.

Mike and his team are working to develop more specific guidelines and actually work with the Military on this, but so far they haven't had much luck. As with any other ride that may be questionable, the more documentation you can provide to prove that you rode the ride and you were actually there, the better chance you have of getting this approved.

If you Google "Trinity site 2018" one of the first responses should be the US Army's information page about Trinity and it will give you much of what you'll need to know about getting to the location.

If you're interested in doing this, keep in mind that the first opportunity is less than 60 days away. Start doing your research.

I've got the Tour Of Honor kicking off on April 1, and a rally on April 13th so I don't know if I can be there this year to serve as a witness for those that do show up. *IF* I do show up (big if) I will be on a silver Goldwing and I'll have a large Two Wheeled Texans banner on the side of my bike. I myself will probably be in a chair somewhere under a shade umbrella, but I'll try to keep a watch out for any riders. *IF* I do show up, I will do my best to be there when the gate opens and stay there until the last vehicle has been admitted through the front gate and makes it way to the parking lot. That typically means that if you're not through the front gate by 2 pm, you ain't gonna make it. I will be packed up and leaving the parking lot by 2:30 pm local time.

If you hope or plan to make this ride, please comment in this thread and not on the FB page as you can't always see certain postings on FB.. If there appears to be little or no interest I'm not going to make the 1000+ mile ride to cool my heels for 6 hours, but if there is a lot of interest I'll do my best to be there for you.

Plan your ride, have fun, and let me know what questions you might have.

Brian 50053
 
#3
I plan on making this ride ( april )an ss1k with the trinity site as my halfway point.Hopefully weather/roads will work with me from roswell to san antonio nm.
 
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Brian Thorn

Premier Member
#5
I can't remember if my cell phone worked while I was on the Range, but I sincerely doubt that it did. My radar detector was worthless because it was sounding off every 2-3 seconds. You'll see radar installations EVERYWHERE while you're there. That's part of their mission... launch missles and then track them.
 

kwthom

=o&o>
Premier Member
IBA Member
#6
You might check with your carrier; many have on-line coverage maps. On the range itself, there may be coverage, but it's not a guarantee that it would function reliably.

On-Range communication is done by radio, with repeaters that can be remotely controlled (i.e. disabled) at certain times.
 

Dr. Tiki

Premier Member
#8
Me Me Me! I plan on doing it. I have been waiting for more information since your ride in October and I have been researching since.

I am planning on leaving Las Vegas (or maybe PHX) and using the site as a midway point to get back home to Vegas.
 

kwthom

=o&o>
Premier Member
IBA Member
#9
My late spring trip has moved to the right a bit - there *may* be an opportunity to get in on this.
 

Ira

Staff member
Premier Member
IBA Member
IBR Finisher
IBR Staff
#13
The speed limits on the missle range are pretty low, but I don't recall it taking that long. Also, at least in the past one didn't need to caravan from the gate - you can just go.
 

Dr. Tiki

Premier Member
#15
There is a caravan from Alamogordo High School but you don't have to participate in it if you don't want to. I think the caravan takes you through another entrance/exit that you must be in the caravan to utilize. Otherwise the Stallion Gate is fine.

I do expect the speed limits to be slow and that the wait time at the gate will be significant, but it's hard to believe that Garmin took that into consideration already.

I wonder if the govt. will allow me to smoke a cigar while riding along slowly through the range. I guess I'll just show up to the gate with one already in mouth and see what happens.
 

kwthom

=o&o>
Premier Member
IBA Member
#16
The point of this ride (Atomic 1000) is to physically ride your motorcycle to this site, thus taking the caravan may or may not fit a timeline for this specific Iron Butt ride.

I wonder if the govt. will allow me to smoke a cigar while riding along slowly through the range. I guess I'll just show up to the gate with one already in mouth and see what happens.
Heh...if it's unlit, they may tell you to stow it.

Remember you're entering a munitions range...those people are jittery as it is.
 

Ira

Staff member
Premier Member
IBA Member
IBR Finisher
IBR Staff
#17
When we say "caravan", we mean that you take your own vehicle but go as a group.

The distance between the gate they use on the Alamogordo side is about 70 miles from Trinity Site. If you go in that way, they will require you to have a full tank of gas before you go.

Ira
 

Brian Thorn

Premier Member
#18
We arrived at the Stallion Gate about 1 pm. It was probably less than 15 minutes of waiting in line for the ID check, and then another 20+ miles to the actual site. We cruised at the low speed limit until the rabbits behind us got impatient and passed us, then we just tagged along at a safe distance. Come to think of it, since my radar detector was falsing left and right from all the spurious signals I wonder if an actual radar gun would work on the range?

EDIT: My SPOT marker shows me outside the gate on the main highway at 12:02 and at the parking site at 12:40.
 

kscyclist

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#20
We visited the site last October, at 8 am the line was a couple of miles long so there was some setting around but it only took an hour from getting in line to actually getting to the site. We left the site around 11 and the traffic coming in had slowed so if you arrive later it might be easier to get in and out timely.