Desert 100

Longstanding event continues without skipping a beat

With winter now over you can put away your "On Any Sunday" VHS tapes, your "Crusty’s" DVDs and your "Motocross Madness" video games. It’s time to get back in the dirt and have some fun.

It’s no secret that since 1970 The Stumpjumpers motorcycle club has hosted two fun filled days of off-road and dual sport riding, with the main event being the Desert 100.

In October of 2002 the club was notified that the land they had used for numerous years near Vantage, just off I-90, would not be available for their pleasure anymore, instead the area was set to be covered with bio-solids, something you don’t want to ride your motorcycle through.

A member of the club read an article about a ranch further east, who was looking to provide their property for recreational events. A letter was sent, a deal was struck and the Desert 100 goes on without skipping a beat.

The weekend has evolved over the years and now it’s jam packed with fun for the whole family. There are five events that happen. They are a Dual Sport Ride, Family Poker Run (just 50 miles), an Ironman Poker Run (80 miles) a Mini’s Race for the youngsters (11 and under) and the main event on Sunday – The Desert 100.

The Desert 100 race consists of just that – 100 miles through the desert. Specific to the race, your bike must have an ORV tag and a spark arrestor to compete. Due to land management rules, no quads or three wheelers may participate.

There are separate entry fees for each event ranging from $20 to $30 and all participants will take home commemorative shirts and goodies from the sponsoring dealers and maybe even some cash prizes for placing or winning!

Each year more than 1,500 riders compete. Over the years the event has been known to get rained out so it’s a good idea to check the weather prior to heading out.

Spectators may gather at the start and finish lines to root the competitors on. And just what might a spectator do during the 3-6 hours in between start and finish? You could begin by exploring the town of Odessa, but there are hundreds of miles of paved back roads to be enjoyed, so whether you ride a cruiser, touring bike or sport machine, you’re in for some great riding. A good road atlas such as the Gazetteer put out by Delorme is highly recommended.

Dry camping (no fresh water) is available onsite at the event free of charge and there are nearby accommodations in Moses Lake and Euphrata for those of you who have had your lifetime fill of sleeping on the ground.

The event occurs in April.  For the date of this year’s event visit the Sound RIDER! calendar.

For more information about the Stumpjumpers visit http://www.stumpjumpers.org

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