Saturday, February 21 through Wednesday, February 25, 2009

CORPScamp Concept:
• Cycling and other sports at their absolute best!
• One-of-a-kind, wondrous locations!
• Rejuvenate, relax, recharge!
• Personal attention or solitude: As much as you want!
• Sportive Lifestyle: Learn, get fit, socialize, explore!

CORPScamp features a specific route each day, with route sheets, support vehicle on the course, and two or more ride leaders. The group is encouraged to ride together at a conversational pace for the first ten miles, then everyone is free to ride at their own pace; most routes feature various distance options, too. Each afternoon at our CORPScamps features "The Yoga Social" with a rejuvenating CORPSyoga class taught by a fellow cyclist, Elizabeth Jefferson, who was trained at the world renowned White Lotus Foundation and holds a Yoga Alliance RYT 200 instructor certification, not to mention a Ph.D. in chemistry. CORPSyoga is designed for all camp participants, regardless of yoga background, or lack thereof, and is designed to help each camper unwind, accelerate recovery for the next day's adventure, minimize the chance of injury, and rejuvenate and restore energy balance. Social time before and after the actual yoga class gives everyone a chance to swap stories while enjoying herbal tea by Joshua Tree Products and/or Hammer Nutrition Recoverite. Each camp also includes two group dinners, plus optional hikes and other outings. One-on-one coaching and custom bike fitting is also available at no extra charge. Every activity is optional, though; campers are free to "check out any time you like" if they want a break, extra rest, or private time.

Please understand that CORPScamp Death Valley is designed as a multi-day lifestyle adventure - five days of fantastic cycling and outdoor adventure in an otherworldly place - and the camp is only as difficult as YOU want it to be. Most days, participants can make their daily mileage any number they want! We're not timing everyone, we're not keeping score, and we're not getting out the rulers for anything but checking seat heights! So please don't be put off by the name - CORPScamp is only as hard core as you want to make it! If you love cycling and want to get away from it all and enjoy the company, and insights, of fellow cyclists, then you will enjoy CORPScamp Death Valley!

What

The original CORPScamp features five days and up to 400 miles of epic, one-of-a-kind cycling in and around “Mother Nature’s Greatest Sports Arena,” Death Valley National Park. We've been producing events here since 1990 and we never tire of sharing one of the world's most dramatic, inspiring, and unusual landscapes. From desert flowers to snow-capped mountains, we'll see it all by bicycle. Bring a camera or nobody will believe your stories!

Registration & What's Included

To register for the 2009 CORPScamp Death Valley, please click here for the Active.com registration page.. SPECIAL NOTE: As a special bonus, those who register for CORPScamp Death Valley will also have the guaranteed opportunity to register for the ever popular (and quickly sold out) 2009 Spring Death Valley Century and Double Century!

Your $395 CORPScamp enty fee includes:
- Five days of awesome cycling: Route slips and maps; two ride leaders
- National Park Service Entrance Fee paid on your behalf
- The AdventureCORPS Map of Death Valley National Park
- Support vehicle with cycling snacks, drinks, and energy foods on the road each day
- Dynamic Warm-Up each morning
- CORPSyoga class each afternoon
- Two group dinners: Sunday evening and Wednesday evening
- Coaching and/or expert bike fitting, if desired
- AdventureCORPS 100% Organic Cotton t-shirt and hat
- AdventureCORPS water bottle and keychain lanyard
- Hammer Nutrition samples and catalogue
- Participation in the Wednesday evening raffle for a variety of cool stuff, including the Grand Prize, a wool jersey of the winner's choice made by Earth Wind and Rider.

Registration is limited to 75: First come, first served. Sorry, there is no discount for attending less than the full five day camp.

When

CORPScamp Death Valley will be held Saturday, February 21 through Wednesday, February 25, 2009. Participants should plan to arrive the 21st and then depart the 25th, or stay longer, perhaps to ride the Spring Death Valley Century and Double Century on February 28, 2009 (for which you would register separately). As a special bonus, those who register for CORPScamp Death Valley will also have the guaranteed opportunity to register for the ever popular (and quickly sold out) 2009 Spring Death Valley Century and Double Century at the same time!

Where

CORPScamp Death Valley is held in Mother Nature's Greatest Sports Arena, Death Valley. this is also the venue for the annual Furnace Creek 508 bicycle race, Badwater Ultramarathon running race, and the biannual Death Valley Century and Double Century, all also hosted by the CORPScamp Death Valley organizers, AdventureCORPS, and its Chief Adventure Officer, Chris Kostman.

Host Hotel

CORPScamp is based in Furnace Creek in the heart of Death Valley. Participants may stay at the host hotel, Furnace Creek Ranch, or at the Furnace Creek Inn, at one of the campgrounds in Furnace Creek (tent or RV camping), or 25 miles away in Stove Pipe Wells. The Furnace Creek Ranch has just 40 rooms available at the special CORPScamp rate. The reservation code will be provided to each CORPScamp participant when they register (not posted here, so that only CORPScampers can use it).

CORPScampers are responsible for making their own hotel reservations directly with either property. We will also be happy to match up would-be roommates, so email us if you have a room you'd llike to share and we'll circulate your offer with the other CORPScampers.

Images from 2008

Click here for the 2008 CORPScamp Death Valley report and five slideshows!

Daily Destinations and Schedule

Check-In: We will have check-in on Saturday from 11am to 1230pm at Room 516. This is on the right, in the one-story row of rooms on the way to the far back of the whole Ranch property (last room on the right). Please come there to sign the waiver and pick up your goodie bag, t-shirt, route sheets, and such. At 1pm, right by Room 516, we will do a five minute off-the-bike warm-up routine created by Ron Jones, then we will depart on the ride. If you arrive later in the afternoon on Saturday, and thus miss that ride, look for us about 4pm at Room 516 instead to check in.

Each day's ride (except Saturday) will begin at Room 516 at the Furnace Creek Ranch. All distances listed below are round-trip. All rides are non-competitive and can be shortened by simply turning around sooner. Civil twilight is at 610am each morning. Sunrise is at 630am and sunset is 530pm. We would really like to see us all depart together and spend 10-20 miles each morning getting a proper warm-up and getting to know one another, before we eventually "go at our own pace" and spread out - that means we stay together as a group for at least ten miles each morning.

Saturday, Feb 21:
100pm: Meet, announcements, Dynamic Warm Up, Tip Of The Day
115pm: Artist’s Drive: 25 miles
4-5pm: Intro to CORPSyoga 

Sunday, Feb 22:
615am: Meet, announcements, Dynamic Warm Up, Tip Of The Day
630am: Townes Pass (85 miles) or Stovepipe Wells (
330-430pm: CORPSyoga
500pm: Walk to The Inn
530pm: Dinner Party with movies 

Monday, Feb 23 (Century Day):
615am: Meet, announcements, Dynamic Warm Up, Tip Of The Day
630am: Jubilee Pass (105 miles) or Ashford Mill or Mormom Point
330-430pm: CORPSyoga 

Tuesday, Feb 24:
615am: Meet, announcements, Dynamic Warm Up, Tip Of The Day
630am: Depart to Zabriskie Point for group photo. After that, ride options are Danté’s View or Death Valley Junction
100-400pm: Park Service Support Project (if it can be arranged; otherwise a hike)
400-500pm: CORPSyoga 

Wednesday, Feb 25:
615am: Meet, announcements, Dynamic Warm Up, Tip Of The Day
630am: Scotty’s Castle Road, then to the exit of Titus Canyon or up Mud Canyon to Hell’s Gate and back down Beatty Cut-Off
100-345pm: Ranger-led hike to Zabriskie
400-445pm: CORPSyoga
500pm: Meet out front to walk to the Inn
600pm: Pizza arrives
700pm: Slideshow, raffle and thank you’s 

Wednesday evening's get-together officially concludes CORPScamp Death Valley. For those staying longer in the Valley to participate in the Death Valley Century & Double Century on Saturday, Feb 28, these additional unofficial opportunities will be offered on the two days between CORPScamp and the Spring DVC&DC:

Thursday, Feb 26:
700am: Dynamic Warm Up
715am: Easy morning ride: Death Valley Junction
300-400pm:  CORPSyoga 

Friday, Feb 27:
700am: Dynamic Warm Up
715am: Easy morning ride: Stovepipe Wells
1200-100pm: CORPSyoga
600-900pm: Check-In for Spring Death Valley Century and Double Century 

Schedule for the Restaurants and Cafés in Furnace Creek: Breakfast at the buffet is from 6-9am, lunch buffet is from 11-2 and dinner at the Steakhouse is from 5pm - 9:30

Breakfast at the Café is from 7-11am, lunch is from 11-4pm and dinner is from 4-9pm.

Inn breakfast is 7-10:30am, lunch is 12-2:30pm and dinner is from 5:30 to 9 or 9:30 (weekends).

Pre- and Post-Ride: Each morning, we will do a five minute off-the-bike "Ron Jones' Dynamic Warm-Up", then we will depart on the ride. (This is done while standing, so no towels or props are needed.) Each afternoon we'll enjoy and benefit from "The Yoga Social" - a nice CORPSyoga class followed by quality chit-chat time on the lawn. We won't all finish together, but we've done our best to schedule the Yoga Social so that most everyone can attend. Bring a yoga mat or big beach towel for the afternoon. Both these very important pre- and post-ride activities will take place on the grass between Room 516 and the pool.

Weather & What to Bring

In February each year, the average daily low is 46 (8c) and the average daily high is 72 (22c). February is the "wettest" month in Death Valley with a whopping .35" or 9mm of rainfall on average. For historical, typical, and average information about the weather in Death Valley, click here. For the current weather and road conditions in Death Valley, read "The Morning Report" from DVNP by clicking here.

Riders must come prepared for any possible mechanical failure or contingency. At the very least, all riders should carry a spare tube, tire, pump, patch kit, basic tools, water bottles, money, personal and medical identification, cell phone (though it will usually not work), money, credit card, and a good attitude. Add to that the necessary fuel and fluid for your each day's adventure (each day, a SAG vehicle or two will park at one or a few locations along the route to provide fluid recplacement and access to personal drop bags). We also strongly recommend a yoga mat for the afternoon stretch class.

New! Click here for AdventureCORPS Recommended Products and Services!

Fueling

We highly recommend the fueling, hydration, and supplement products from Hammer Nutrition. Prepare yourself a "four hour bottle"* of Perpetuem, Sustained Energy, and/or HEED each day, bring along a flask of Hammer Gel and a container of Endurolytes and Anti-Fatigue Caps, and all you''l need is more water as your day unfolds out there.It's a simple but extremely effective way to sustain yourself for long days in the saddle. (We'll have a SAG van to provide water, but it's a good idea to bring a CamelBak, too. See below.)

*My "four hour bottle" includes four scoops of Perpetuem and four scoops of HEED. This provides 920 extremely tasty calories, including 24 grams of protein, eight grams of fat, and a nice selection of electrolytes and more, not to mention lots of great, long-lasting carbo energy. I drink this mix slowly (hence the name, "four hour bottle") and drink plain water at the same time (about one bottle an hour).

Hydration

Death Valley got it's name because it is a place were living things go, get dehydrated, and die. Death Valley has the driest climate on this planet. Most of the time there is practically no moisture in the air at all. This means every breath goes in dry and comes out wet. When you are sleeping in Death Valley your body processes about a pint of water an hour by breathing. This means at the end of 8 hours sleep you have consumed about 1 gallon of water. You must hydrate and replace your electrolytes even when you are not cycling. Therefore we suggest you bring a Camelbak!

Personal SAG Vehicles

Not allowed! Death Valley is a beautiful, generally traffic-free place to ride, so why spoil it with more cars? The definition of a personal SAG is any non-staff motor vehicle that is providing any type of aid, assistance, or motivation to any rider. No RAAM crews in training, personal cheering squads, photographers, video crews, or the like, please! A limited number of spouses / significant others / friends may be recruited to serve as SAG for the entire group, depending on field size and need. Please email us before the Camp if you have somebody who would like to lend a hand and who is available to accompany you on your trip.

Special Park Service Regulations

The National Park Service requires that we ride single file at all times. We must also ride as far to the right hand side of the lane as is safely possible. Always use front and rear lights while cycling at night. Do not turn them off! Remember, your behavior on the road dictates whether or not we get to host this event again. Take this seriously. We do!

*Death Valley National Park requires us to pay the $10 per rider park entrance fee on behalf of each entrant. The park depends on this type of income to support what they do there. It's a great place and much cheaper than a movie! When you check in for the Camp, we'll give you the Park Entrance Fee ticket for your car window.

Important Registration Details and Policies

1. All entrants are required to sign the Accident Waiver at check-in (before beginning the event). The waiver may not be modified in any manner.
2. Entry fees are non-transferable.
3. Entry fees are refundable, less $100, until January 15, 2007, upon written request.
4. We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone.
5. We will keep you up-to-date via our email newsletter, but only if you choose to sign up for it. We will also send some CORPScamp Death Valley-specific email updates directly to all campers.
6. CORPScamp Death Valley will take place rain or shine.
7. All riders must be friendly and must always display a good attitude before, during, and after the event.
8. All riders must carry proper personal identification and personal emergency contact phone number at all times while cycling. We recommend the fine products from www.RoadID.com.
9. All riders must wear a properly fitted and fastened helmet while cycling.
10. All riders must obey all laws and all relevant aspects of the California Motor Vehicle Code and National Park Service regulations.
11. All riders must follow the basic rules for safe cycling, including, but not limited to: Ride to the right, single file at all times. Stop at all stop signs and red signals. Protect and warn one another about road hazards and traffic. Don't overlap wheels. Practice safe paceline and group riding etiquette. Be courteous to and cognizant of motorists and other park visitors.

Pdf download of the best route to drive to and from Death Valley. Print this and use it for your drive to and from the event!

Here is the coolest and most direct route from LA (or anywhere that passes through Mojave on the way to Death Valley): Reset odometer to zero in Mojave and take Hwy 14 north. At mile 20, veer right onto Randsburg Road. At mile 32.2, stay straight (not right). Go left at the t-intersection junction with Hwy 395 at mile 40.5. At mile 43.6, turn right on Searles Station towards Trona (easy to miss). At mile 50, a t-intersection, turn left to Trona. At mile 58.4, another t-intersection, turn right on Hwy 178 towards Trona. Pass through Trona, including its Chevron Gas and Mini Mart, at mile 71.0. (Be sure refuel here; They are nice people and have a remarkably clean restroom!) Trona must have been featured in The X-Files, don't you think? NEWS FLASH: One can now buy an espresso, latté, or chai in Trona at the Desert Holly Espresso at 82856 Trona Road. This is a bit after the Chevron, on the left, by the Rite Valu. Halleluhah! Tell them Chris at AdventureCORPS sent you!

At mile 104, you have two options. If it's nighttime or you don't like a little adventure, turn left towards Death Valley via Hwy 190. At mile 117.5, turn right at the t-intersection on Hwy 190 towards Death Valley. You will now ascend the infamous Townes Pass (elev. 4965'), known worldwide from its presence on the Furnace Creek 508 race route. You will go over Townes Pass, pass through Stove Pipe Wells (gas, mini mart, hotel, and restaurant), then arrive at Furnace Creek at mile 170.

Your second option back at mile 104 is infinitely more fun and interesting, as well as even quieter. It's truly epic and feels like going back in time a few zillion years. So, at mile 104, if it's daylight and you have a working spare tire in your car, stay straight towards "Death Valley via Wildrose" instead of veering left as in option one. You will ascend over Emigrant Pass (elev 5318'). But first you'll go over three very short gravel stretches. They are only a few tenths of mile each and are easily passable in a normal car (not to mention on a road bike), unless there's a storm dumping on you. Be sure to check out the neat little oasis-like canyon you'll pass through. At mile 113.5, go left at the t-intersection towards Stove Pipe Wells and Furnace Creek. At mile 121 you'll summit Emigrant Pass. At mile 134.3, turn right at the t-intersection with Hwy 190 towards Furnace Creek. You'll pass through Stove Pipe Wells at mile 143.5 on your way to Furnace Creek, which you'll reach at mile 168. Voila!