Mojave Road trip - March 2017
- Thread starter VCeXpedition
- Start date
Influencer II
@fj80toyman Looks like you never added me to the wait list from this post. Can you add me since the cap is now happening. Thanks
Enthusiast III
Enthusiast III
Not sure how deep it will have to get for your rig, but its also a function of the time it spends in the water.
Most people I have talked to say that the water is usually just shy of 2.5" (Just at the top of most tires), however when I arrived it turned out to be closer to 3.5" (Reaching the door handles on my truck).
As far as keeping the interior dry goes, because you have a newer vehicle the door seals are probably pretty good (Mine are COMPLETELY shot), so if the water isn't too high for it I would recomend running your A/C at full blast with the windows closed (Creates a positive pressure to help keep the water out (A tip courtesy of Ronny Dahl ). While that has worked for me even with my shot door seals for smaller crossings I kept my A/C off and the windows open to hear my engine so I know what was going on.
This is Afton canyon in November. The water came 6 inches up my doors on my power wagon. I have 34 inch tires with no lift.
Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
Off-Road Ranger I
Hey all, I just got back from a pre-run of the Mojave Road and I can tell you the trail is in fine form!
A few good learnings from this trip, some of my own realizations, some that will definitely apply to the potential of this trip.
I can tell you that this many, however many decide and can go, is going to be a huge challenge logistically.
March is a very popular time to go to the desert as many of you know, so we will not be alone.
Although this is the wide-open desert of the Mojave, the issues are:
1. Permits for all - I'm going to make progress on that this week. I know @pabloquiros has some info, I'm going to follow up with him.
2. Camping space - I confirmed a couple of good locations for a lot of rigs, but I have no experience finding enough space for a huge number.
3. I'm really looking forward to this trip, this time the desert was cold and windy with overcast and sometimes sunny but unpredictable weather.
There are sections of this trail that will rattle your fillings out, my '80 paid a price as well as my nerves! Still recovering from that.
The alleged "Dry Lake" is not so much dry as it is a lake. If we continue to have a banner water year here in Kalifornistan, there may be a go-around advised for that portion! (thanks @Narbob for the tug!)
More to come soon.
Dan.
A few good learnings from this trip, some of my own realizations, some that will definitely apply to the potential of this trip.
I can tell you that this many, however many decide and can go, is going to be a huge challenge logistically.
March is a very popular time to go to the desert as many of you know, so we will not be alone.
Although this is the wide-open desert of the Mojave, the issues are:
1. Permits for all - I'm going to make progress on that this week. I know @pabloquiros has some info, I'm going to follow up with him.
2. Camping space - I confirmed a couple of good locations for a lot of rigs, but I have no experience finding enough space for a huge number.
3. I'm really looking forward to this trip, this time the desert was cold and windy with overcast and sometimes sunny but unpredictable weather.
There are sections of this trail that will rattle your fillings out, my '80 paid a price as well as my nerves! Still recovering from that.
The alleged "Dry Lake" is not so much dry as it is a lake. If we continue to have a banner water year here in Kalifornistan, there may be a go-around advised for that portion! (thanks @Narbob for the tug!)
More to come soon.
Dan.
Influencer II
Dan.. Please let me know if you need any help with any logistics. I am more than happy to help
Sent from my LG-H810 using Tapatalk
Sent from my LG-H810 using Tapatalk
Off-Road Ranger I
Hi Scott,
I appreciate the offer and I will take you up on it.
Love to get your thoughts off-line on some of the concerns I found.
I would be happy to help in anyway that I can, so if there is anything you can think of that I could be of use for, just let me know
Influencer II
No problem. Do you have contact info for me or should I pm it to you?
Off-Road Ranger I
Hey dan feel free to reach out. With a group this big we are going to need a few leaders and a solid plan I'll pm you my number.
Sent from my LGMS631 using OB Talk mobile app
Sent from my LGMS631 using OB Talk mobile app
Off-Road Ranger I
Wow, I sat down to write a paragraph about the pre-run and put down about 2,000 words summarizing our trip last weekend. Read it if you're interested and I'll add some pictures later.
Mojave Road pre-run over the MLK Weekend – 4 days of winter in the desert.
We started out in the south bay of southern California, three trucks. A well-equipped 2015 Jeep JKU Rubicon, a brand new, stock 2016 Tacoma Sport 4x4 and a well-worn 1995 Toyota Landcruiser 80 series that needs to go on a diet.
We chose a route other than the direct I-15 -> I-40 -> Needles way, choosing instead to travel through 29 Palms, Amboy and up to the I-40 for short distance to Needles. This provided a little more off the well-worn path route where the pace was a little slower and the scenery just a little more relaxed. It rained hard in 29 Palms all the way through and beyond Amboy, finally breaking up and letting the blue sky crack through for the final stretch into the Avi Casino where a lunch at the Mexican restaurant began the real adventure.
Another few miles down the road, the dirt began and would last for another 3 and a half days. There’s a lot of driving in dry washes, with California’s wet winter so far, in the back of my mind I was hoping that they would stay dry. The trail crossed the Needles highway after about 10 minutes, where there was an assortment of RV’s parked just off the road, but we didn’t see any evidence of their occupants.
Climbing up, in and out of the washes, the desert started to show its beauty. The trail is not a cake-walk with some wear from erosion, bumps at the transitions from hard rock to soft sand… and then there’s the corrugations! Holy corrugations. They rattle everything, and it would last, on and off for the next 3 days. The old ’80 would pay a price that would reveal itself later.
As we worked our way almost directly West we crossed back into California from Nevada without any notice. There wasn’t a casino at that border. Up through the Dead Mountains Wilderness, back out into the higher elevations of the Mojave. Not much happens before you cross highway 95 and much the same until you come to the actual border of the Mojave Preserve, bordered by a North-South powerline road.
On up straight ahead leads to Fort Piute for a quick look-around to see some history, old structures and remnants of an old soul’s life scratched out of the desert, abandoned out of lost hope. The road up is rough, stops just short of the Fort, a short hike up would show the rest to us, and a hike beyond could take us to the other side of the hill were we not in competent rigs.
Rumor had it that there was a detour imposed by the National Park Service, but there were also those who said it was passable. “Road Closed” signs and a sinking sun convinced us to take the detour the long way around. There is no bad choice when picking a route through this area. The detour was a treat on its own. It leads us through some challenging terrain, sometimes the trail would disappear and we would be left to follow our nose having no cairns on the right to mark this part of the trail. It was fun and relatively fast enough to get us to the end of our day though. Piute corral was our destination and we would reach it just before the sun set which is early this time of year. It was cold enough to wear our warmest jacket and the wind added to the desire to get a fire going as fast as possible. We had what was left of a full moon that rose late but was brilliant and beautiful and huge, washing out the night stars.
The next morning the sun was up and the sky was blue but the wind remained. A quick breakfast, some chat, planning and packing up put us on the trail about 9:30 or so, we were in no rush. And it was great. Heading West again, more corrugations and the beauty of the desert. I was using a Delorme In-Reach with a .gpx track provided by an OB member (thanks @GregS, it worked so well). I dropped the hint for the In-Reach as a Christmas present to my wife and she took the bait. I had her convinced that it would be a safety improvement. In fact it was. The texting capability when there’s no cell service is priceless. Connecting my Samsung Tab A by Bluetooth and using Earthmate worked great but I’m sure there are other and maybe better alternatives available.
The road passes by an old hammered school bus that doesn’t appear in Casebier’s book. Not sure why, maybe it arrived after the book was written, or maybe he didn’t appreciate someone parking their bus on his trail. In any case, it’s become a thing, so much so that when, several years ago a bunch of zealous bro’s in their trucks decided to yank it over, such was the cry from the interweb that they were shamed to huge embarrassment, and ultimately a group went out and re-righted it. And there it sits. Not mentioned is the old Ford station wagon that sits unrecognized right next to it, but to me is just as interesting.
Onward we cross Lanfair road, or Ivanpah road, depending on where you are on it. Un-remarkable dirt at best. Shortly after that crossing, I’m intrigued by a camp site that Casebier calls Phallus Camp, but of course officially it’s called Carruthers Canyon Campground. It got its appropriate nickname due to a large and obvious protuberance rising from the mountains beyond and clearly visible. I had to witness. And there it was. Lunch by this time was in order but I felt uncomfortable to stay longer. I don’t know why. It would be a great place to stay when the lower elevations get just beyond that point where it’s too warm to visit, this is higher elevation and it’s got a lot of shade and wind-break. Pleasant, yet uncomfortable. Strange.
(Continued next post)
Mojave Road pre-run over the MLK Weekend – 4 days of winter in the desert.
We started out in the south bay of southern California, three trucks. A well-equipped 2015 Jeep JKU Rubicon, a brand new, stock 2016 Tacoma Sport 4x4 and a well-worn 1995 Toyota Landcruiser 80 series that needs to go on a diet.
We chose a route other than the direct I-15 -> I-40 -> Needles way, choosing instead to travel through 29 Palms, Amboy and up to the I-40 for short distance to Needles. This provided a little more off the well-worn path route where the pace was a little slower and the scenery just a little more relaxed. It rained hard in 29 Palms all the way through and beyond Amboy, finally breaking up and letting the blue sky crack through for the final stretch into the Avi Casino where a lunch at the Mexican restaurant began the real adventure.
Another few miles down the road, the dirt began and would last for another 3 and a half days. There’s a lot of driving in dry washes, with California’s wet winter so far, in the back of my mind I was hoping that they would stay dry. The trail crossed the Needles highway after about 10 minutes, where there was an assortment of RV’s parked just off the road, but we didn’t see any evidence of their occupants.
Climbing up, in and out of the washes, the desert started to show its beauty. The trail is not a cake-walk with some wear from erosion, bumps at the transitions from hard rock to soft sand… and then there’s the corrugations! Holy corrugations. They rattle everything, and it would last, on and off for the next 3 days. The old ’80 would pay a price that would reveal itself later.
As we worked our way almost directly West we crossed back into California from Nevada without any notice. There wasn’t a casino at that border. Up through the Dead Mountains Wilderness, back out into the higher elevations of the Mojave. Not much happens before you cross highway 95 and much the same until you come to the actual border of the Mojave Preserve, bordered by a North-South powerline road.
On up straight ahead leads to Fort Piute for a quick look-around to see some history, old structures and remnants of an old soul’s life scratched out of the desert, abandoned out of lost hope. The road up is rough, stops just short of the Fort, a short hike up would show the rest to us, and a hike beyond could take us to the other side of the hill were we not in competent rigs.
Rumor had it that there was a detour imposed by the National Park Service, but there were also those who said it was passable. “Road Closed” signs and a sinking sun convinced us to take the detour the long way around. There is no bad choice when picking a route through this area. The detour was a treat on its own. It leads us through some challenging terrain, sometimes the trail would disappear and we would be left to follow our nose having no cairns on the right to mark this part of the trail. It was fun and relatively fast enough to get us to the end of our day though. Piute corral was our destination and we would reach it just before the sun set which is early this time of year. It was cold enough to wear our warmest jacket and the wind added to the desire to get a fire going as fast as possible. We had what was left of a full moon that rose late but was brilliant and beautiful and huge, washing out the night stars.
The next morning the sun was up and the sky was blue but the wind remained. A quick breakfast, some chat, planning and packing up put us on the trail about 9:30 or so, we were in no rush. And it was great. Heading West again, more corrugations and the beauty of the desert. I was using a Delorme In-Reach with a .gpx track provided by an OB member (thanks @GregS, it worked so well). I dropped the hint for the In-Reach as a Christmas present to my wife and she took the bait. I had her convinced that it would be a safety improvement. In fact it was. The texting capability when there’s no cell service is priceless. Connecting my Samsung Tab A by Bluetooth and using Earthmate worked great but I’m sure there are other and maybe better alternatives available.
The road passes by an old hammered school bus that doesn’t appear in Casebier’s book. Not sure why, maybe it arrived after the book was written, or maybe he didn’t appreciate someone parking their bus on his trail. In any case, it’s become a thing, so much so that when, several years ago a bunch of zealous bro’s in their trucks decided to yank it over, such was the cry from the interweb that they were shamed to huge embarrassment, and ultimately a group went out and re-righted it. And there it sits. Not mentioned is the old Ford station wagon that sits unrecognized right next to it, but to me is just as interesting.
Onward we cross Lanfair road, or Ivanpah road, depending on where you are on it. Un-remarkable dirt at best. Shortly after that crossing, I’m intrigued by a camp site that Casebier calls Phallus Camp, but of course officially it’s called Carruthers Canyon Campground. It got its appropriate nickname due to a large and obvious protuberance rising from the mountains beyond and clearly visible. I had to witness. And there it was. Lunch by this time was in order but I felt uncomfortable to stay longer. I don’t know why. It would be a great place to stay when the lower elevations get just beyond that point where it’s too warm to visit, this is higher elevation and it’s got a lot of shade and wind-break. Pleasant, yet uncomfortable. Strange.
(Continued next post)
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Off-Road Ranger I
We continue our diversion and head West before dropping South back down to the main trail, our target tonight being Mojave camp. This is our coldest and windiest night yet with temps barely in the 40’s and a steady wind that convinces us that 8:00 o’clock is a fine bedtime.
The wind slows, then stops sometime in the night and we wake up to blue skies on day 3 in the shadows of a large boulder mountain that is blocking the sun’s warmth. We break camp in the brisk shade and head out before our other campsite mates are ready to roll.
Today’s plan is to visit the Lava Tube near the Kelbaker road area. I say ‘tube’ as a singular surprise as I thought from all the press that it had gotten that there might be others, but no, we found just one. It was definitely worth a visit if you have never seen one, but once might be enough for me. I have been to some spectacular lava tubes; this was perfectly average as far as natural phenomena are concerned.
Having seen our fill, we go South and make the trek to the Kelso Depot. This is an historic train station that has some history. I won’t reveal it in case you want to go and see it for yourself, but it also is worthy of your time. A 15 mile trip down and another 15 back put us back on track, past Seventeen Mile point and some of the most washboard, corrugations yet. My dental fillings are now beginning to show the strain. We decide to make it to a camp labeled Green Rock Mill which is pretty easy to find and the closest we can get to the East edge of Soda Dry Lake in a reasonable camping spot, at a reasonable time of day to get some daylight before ending the day. We planned on doing some shooting and other extra-curricular, dirt-related activities. It’s the point where we were just deciding our resting spot that Matt recognized that distinct sound that has no match – an exhaust leak and it’s coming from the front of the ’80. A quick look reveals what the corrugations have leveled against the 20+ year old truck. The exhaust pipe has come completely separated from the down-pipe. So much for recreational resting.
Breaking out the welding kit I put together (I learned from Overland Expo West at the 7P area), it is relatively quick to melt some metal enough to put two pipes back together, but not before creating some other small holes in the old pipe upstream. I blame inadequate goggles and thin pipes from 160,000 miles of supercharged exhaust. At least it won’t fall off the truck. Hamburgers with cheese and garlic butter sautéed mushrooms for dinner make me feel better.
I don’t know if it was from the misfortune of the exhaust problem, or a sense of foreboding thinking about the upcoming Dry Lake crossing, but I was a little anxious for day 4. The rain was very much more this year than in recent years and I had no experience how Soda Dry Lake would take all that water. Turns out, it would do what lakes do best. Collect water. But we would not confirm that until too late to turn around, or at least common sense would be a too-small voice to hear. We forged ahead even after the dirt turned to mud, the mud turned to soup, and the soup turned to glue. Turning the steering wheel in this scenario really just provides a suggestion of which way you’d like your car to go, but by no means is the ultimate decider. The truck finds its own path, and in this case, it’s into soft, undisturbed and deep goo that brings me to a quick and certain stop. Reverse has no effect on my motion. Reverse, Forward, Reverse. Nothing. Only deeper. Traction boards cannot be pushed deep enough. A kinetic strap has little effect. Finally, Bob in the Jeep with a winch comes to the rescue. Reeling out enough length to get him some footing on firmer ground, and wedging the traction boards under his front tires, he is able to pull me out only slightly quicker than he is pulling himself towards me. Some judicious Reverse and more winch get me to traction and I’m out. What a muddy, messy ball of fun that was!
Moving on and further ahead, Matt in the Tacoma experiences the same steering wheel effectiveness issue and gets sucked into the right side of the track, burying the passenger side deeper than the driver side. We know what to do by now and a tug from Bob’s winch gets him out. We find the secret to staying on top of this goo is a beyond-common-sense amount of speed and a new track for each of us. Following in the others track would have meant another recovery that we didn’t have the energy for. The dry lake is criss-crossed with small river-lets full of water and they can hide themselves pretty well, at least until you’re right on top of them, so hitting them at speed is a combination of the thrill of the splash and the fear of sinking back into the mud. No more stucks, please!
We make it to the Travelers Monument, where there is a pile of rocks and plaque of some significance, of which you must, by the unwritten creed of Mojave Road travelers, witness for yourself. The requisite poser picture and our rocks appropriately placed, we move our muddy, worn-out selves out of the preserve and into the Rasor OHV area.
A late lunch and a look at our clocks, combined with the consciousness of the impending traffic from Las Vegas after a holiday weekend make the decision for us – we call it a successful run and head for the highway. Maybe we can return soon to finish the distance from Rasor, through Afton Canyon and the railroad under-crossing, through the water hazards to the official end of the Mojave Road. Until then desert!
Dan.
The wind slows, then stops sometime in the night and we wake up to blue skies on day 3 in the shadows of a large boulder mountain that is blocking the sun’s warmth. We break camp in the brisk shade and head out before our other campsite mates are ready to roll.
Today’s plan is to visit the Lava Tube near the Kelbaker road area. I say ‘tube’ as a singular surprise as I thought from all the press that it had gotten that there might be others, but no, we found just one. It was definitely worth a visit if you have never seen one, but once might be enough for me. I have been to some spectacular lava tubes; this was perfectly average as far as natural phenomena are concerned.
Having seen our fill, we go South and make the trek to the Kelso Depot. This is an historic train station that has some history. I won’t reveal it in case you want to go and see it for yourself, but it also is worthy of your time. A 15 mile trip down and another 15 back put us back on track, past Seventeen Mile point and some of the most washboard, corrugations yet. My dental fillings are now beginning to show the strain. We decide to make it to a camp labeled Green Rock Mill which is pretty easy to find and the closest we can get to the East edge of Soda Dry Lake in a reasonable camping spot, at a reasonable time of day to get some daylight before ending the day. We planned on doing some shooting and other extra-curricular, dirt-related activities. It’s the point where we were just deciding our resting spot that Matt recognized that distinct sound that has no match – an exhaust leak and it’s coming from the front of the ’80. A quick look reveals what the corrugations have leveled against the 20+ year old truck. The exhaust pipe has come completely separated from the down-pipe. So much for recreational resting.
Breaking out the welding kit I put together (I learned from Overland Expo West at the 7P area), it is relatively quick to melt some metal enough to put two pipes back together, but not before creating some other small holes in the old pipe upstream. I blame inadequate goggles and thin pipes from 160,000 miles of supercharged exhaust. At least it won’t fall off the truck. Hamburgers with cheese and garlic butter sautéed mushrooms for dinner make me feel better.
I don’t know if it was from the misfortune of the exhaust problem, or a sense of foreboding thinking about the upcoming Dry Lake crossing, but I was a little anxious for day 4. The rain was very much more this year than in recent years and I had no experience how Soda Dry Lake would take all that water. Turns out, it would do what lakes do best. Collect water. But we would not confirm that until too late to turn around, or at least common sense would be a too-small voice to hear. We forged ahead even after the dirt turned to mud, the mud turned to soup, and the soup turned to glue. Turning the steering wheel in this scenario really just provides a suggestion of which way you’d like your car to go, but by no means is the ultimate decider. The truck finds its own path, and in this case, it’s into soft, undisturbed and deep goo that brings me to a quick and certain stop. Reverse has no effect on my motion. Reverse, Forward, Reverse. Nothing. Only deeper. Traction boards cannot be pushed deep enough. A kinetic strap has little effect. Finally, Bob in the Jeep with a winch comes to the rescue. Reeling out enough length to get him some footing on firmer ground, and wedging the traction boards under his front tires, he is able to pull me out only slightly quicker than he is pulling himself towards me. Some judicious Reverse and more winch get me to traction and I’m out. What a muddy, messy ball of fun that was!
Moving on and further ahead, Matt in the Tacoma experiences the same steering wheel effectiveness issue and gets sucked into the right side of the track, burying the passenger side deeper than the driver side. We know what to do by now and a tug from Bob’s winch gets him out. We find the secret to staying on top of this goo is a beyond-common-sense amount of speed and a new track for each of us. Following in the others track would have meant another recovery that we didn’t have the energy for. The dry lake is criss-crossed with small river-lets full of water and they can hide themselves pretty well, at least until you’re right on top of them, so hitting them at speed is a combination of the thrill of the splash and the fear of sinking back into the mud. No more stucks, please!
We make it to the Travelers Monument, where there is a pile of rocks and plaque of some significance, of which you must, by the unwritten creed of Mojave Road travelers, witness for yourself. The requisite poser picture and our rocks appropriately placed, we move our muddy, worn-out selves out of the preserve and into the Rasor OHV area.
A late lunch and a look at our clocks, combined with the consciousness of the impending traffic from Las Vegas after a holiday weekend make the decision for us – we call it a successful run and head for the highway. Maybe we can return soon to finish the distance from Rasor, through Afton Canyon and the railroad under-crossing, through the water hazards to the official end of the Mojave Road. Until then desert!
Dan.
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Pathfinder II
Great write up @fj80toyman, makes me feel like I was there. Oh wait...Actually, you captured the weekend perfectly. Looking forward to our next outing.
Lovely write up! Soda lake can be no joke, when I went through there hadn't been any rain in over a month, however after a little foot exploration mud could be found just an inch under the surface only about 10 ft off the track.
Also I want to see some poser photos from the monument!
Also I want to see some poser photos from the monument!
