2008 KTM Adventure Tour

Everyone was wearing smiles at the first shared meal and they would last until our final dining experience. Left to right: Stijn, Eric (not riding), Tom, Steve, Scot Harden, JC and Jeff.

Legal papers were signed and a list of emergency contacts handed out and then it was time to get familiar with our new steeds.

Scot is able to separate into two groups which generally gets riders pretty close to where they want to be in terms of speed and technical requirements for their skill level.

Day 1 took us through rocky terrain that was riddled with abandoned mine shafts like this one. Just about every time we stopped to look at something Scot would have some kind of interesting trivia to go along with it.

Each tour participant was given a little swag bag with a few goodies and KTM paraphernalia and a certificate of completion to forever commemorate the occasion.

As part of the "A" group, one of my primary tasks was to keep up with Stijn (left) and Scot. Considering the amount of desert experience these two have it was no small feat. Thankfully they allowed me to tag along.

Several of the license plate holders were caving under the abuse, and most of the blinkers were long gone.

Stijn is a sand-riding expert. In the not-so-distant past he was a national-caliber Dutch motocrosser, a man who claims Southwick is virtual hardpack compared to his everyday tracks in Holland.

Justin Maley (right) and I had to buy this guy a beer just for having the balls to wear that shirt in public. We have no idea who he is, but it's suspected that he is the original P-Diddy. Our final night was spent celebrating a successful tour. Justi

Trust me when I say our night of karaoke in the Tickled Trout was epic. Could this really be any more perfect?

The only time we stopped at a fuel station to get topped off. Every other refueling was perfored by Justin at the suupport truck.

Three days of riding, a pit pass and VIP access to Red Bull at the Supercross and a ticket to the race are worth the pricetag alone.

We skipped our morning ration of nutritional supplements on Day 3 and instead busted down Highway 78 towards Julian where we stopped and made up for the missing meal at the comfortable Julian Caf‚ and Bakery.

Steve works his way through the giant rain rut.

Several of the riders had been riding with Scot before. The guide says many, if not most of his riders are repeat clients.

The Crack was an interesting challenge for all of our riders despite the variety in skill levels.

Who wants to munch on my peas?

Breaking for lunch revealed a waiting support truck with Justin Maley at the helm. The likeable Australian had already set up a table, tools, hydraulic bike stand and a line of orange cones that made lining up our bikes for assembly line maintenance stupidly simple.

Scot gives us the tour of the KJSC big-rig.

It's always exciting to be presented with a fresh lineup of new bikes first thing in the morning. Our group only had five riders (and two guides), but Scot will accept up to 10 for the Supercross Tours.

Scot Harden and KTM are a good match for the Adventure Tour program. The bikes couldn't have been better-suited and the guide service was equally as impressive.

We've been trying to get on one of these tours for a couple years now so when our Off-Road Editor got the invite he packed his bags and headed for the nearest airport.

Making new friends and helping one another is just as big a part of the tour as the actual riding.

Eric, Stijn, Steve, Jeff, Tom and Justin watch Supercross and try to avoid the edible projectiles.

Tom and the rest of our crew were happy to see a little green on our final day of riding. The weather and moisture content of the soil were just about perfect.

We've been trying to get on one of these tours for a couple years now so when our Off-Road Editor got the invite he packed his bags and headed for the nearest airport.