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Gauging interest: Desert exploration?

LagunaH1

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,703
Location
Lake Forest, CA
Hi everyone,

This thread is to gauge interest in some desert exploration in and around the Mojave desert and other SoCal desert regions.

I'm wanting to put together long one day trips or weekend trips to explore the desert. Destinations and topics could be anything from known landmarks (Kelso Deport, dunes, points in and around Death Valley, Cerro Gordo, etc) or just pick a spot on a map really far away from everything and go camp out for a night, check out old mines, ghost towns etc etc.

Most likely there will be very little technical wheeling, but any vehicles going on this type of trip must be reliable and safe, too of course.

Possible ideas:
Death valley to Cerro Gordo and anything interesting in that area
Kelso Depot
Joshua Tree Natl. park and points north.

Ideas welcome!
 

06 H3

a.k.a. "The Jackal"
Messages
9,350
Location
Meridian, ID
Depending on when I would love to do some exploration. Vdawg on here should chime in. He does a lot of exploration type wheeling and goes to those areas quite often even though he’s up in northern cal
 

alrock

El Diablo
Staff member
Messages
10,442
Location
Scottsdale
We do need to do a Mojave trip sometime. It's a bit harder for me to plan considering the driving distances, but I want to do it.
 

Vdawg1115

Well-Known Member
Messages
358
Location
Oakland, CA
DV sounds really good. Was just outside that area a few weeks ago. I have done the long trail at Cerro Gordo which is cool and scenic course only two obstacles on that trail and they’re nothing a stock H3 cants handle. I haven’t done the trails on the eastern side of DV.
 

LagunaH1

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,703
Location
Lake Forest, CA
I’m think we start with the Mojave Road in late Jan or early feb. I’ve run it one time and it was a 2 day trip, camping out about half way.


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dinov

Active Member
Messages
29
Location
Tehachapi Ca
Last chance and Death Valley

I will be running last chance canyon on Feb 24th. March 24-25 I've planned a trip out of Bishop into death valley via the Eureka Dunes down through Steele Pass to the warm springs then back to Bishop via the Saline valley north pass. Sunday will be a short trip to either Cerro Gordon ghost town or the Salt Tram


QUOTE=Vdawg1115;220138]I am actually gonna be headed out with a group to Mojave at the end of February.[/QUOTE]
 

Zach

Mall Crawler
Messages
4,812
Location
So Cal
I will be running last chance canyon on Feb 24th. March 24-25 I've planned a trip out of Bishop into death valley via the Eureka Dunes down through Steele Pass to the warm springs then back to Bishop via the Saline valley north pass. Sunday will be a short trip to either Cerro Gordon ghost town or the Salt Tram


QUOTE=Vdawg1115;220138]I am actually gonna be headed out with a group to Mojave at the end of February.
[/QUOTE]

Would like to, but both dates I can’t make


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Mb30sdl

Hamster that pokes Bears
Messages
1,586
Location
Irvine,ca
One wise man told me once after I said I’ll be running Cleghorn.

“Why don’t u run a real trail”

Something to think about[emoji848]


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3Hummers

Super Moderator
Staff member
Messages
10,398
Location
Central Texas
For those of you that haven't spent much time in the desert it is absolutely beautiful. I think the high desert is my favorite place outdoors to hang out.
 

rascole

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,580
Location
Bellflower, CA
One wise man told me once after I said I’ll be running Cleghorn.

“Why don’t u run a real trail”

Something to think about[emoji848]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sometimes it's nice to take your time relax and enjoy the solitude of the desert. Lots of history to be seen without ever needing 4Lo.
 

sonicstage

Well-Known Member
Messages
147
Location
Burbank, CA
Hi everyone,

This thread is to gauge interest in some desert exploration in and around the Mojave desert and other SoCal desert regions.

I'm wanting to put together long one day trips or weekend trips to explore the desert. Destinations and topics could be anything from known landmarks (Kelso Deport, dunes, points in and around Death Valley, Cerro Gordo, etc) or just pick a spot on a map really far away from everything and go camp out for a night, check out old mines, ghost towns etc etc.

Most likely there will be very little technical wheeling, but any vehicles going on this type of trip must be reliable and safe, too of course.

Possible ideas:
Death valley to Cerro Gordo and anything interesting in that area
Kelso Depot
Joshua Tree Natl. park and points north.

Ideas welcome!

I’m very interested in running mojave road as well


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Kurt

Well-Known Member
Messages
955
Location
Orange County, CA
I made a few maps last year and flagged a few primative and not primative camping areas along Mojave Road / Afton Canyon last year.

Went back and forth off I-15 to Afton, Rasor Road, Basin Road and Xyzyx Road, and doubled back and forth along a few trails there along with Mojave Road. I mapped out a few spots on GPS. There's an outdoor UP rail maintenance yard out that way and passed by a spot where a coal train derailed with a ton of scrap piled up from the cleanup.

Only note, I'd say is Xyzyx Road is officially closed off to Mojave Road access. It's BLM owned, but it's under management of CSU and anything off road related is closed off for rehabilitation. Out of curiosity, I decided to check it out since I had time to kill, I drove up into the compound past the parking area, there's a road called Paul Tiberius which dog legs around a 90 degree angle before the center, and that leads behind the complex to the desert, but it's gated. The no trespass signs are facing the opposite way. Unless its an emergency, I'd just use Basin/Rasor road exits or something closer to baker. That being said CSU had a locked gate blocking access at the end of the Xzyzx properity but it seems like the hinges were unbolted so you could in theory lift the gate or unscrew the bolt holding the lock in place and just open the gate.. in theory. :huh:

Also saw a few ranch/compounds out in the middle of nowhere out that way. Pretty cool.
 

Savethereef

Well-Known Member
Messages
179
Location
Long beach ca
I'm .doing my first Mojave trip end of this month with a closed group. Kinda scared as the trips I've done are day trips. But never overnight trips. Don't know what to expect.

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Mb30sdl

Hamster that pokes Bears
Messages
1,586
Location
Irvine,ca
I’ll pass spent too much time doing desert off-roading, too hot and dusty for me.

I don’t know if u guys will go toward Johnson Valley, but it got a lot smaller thanks to marine base expansion


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TACMEDIC

Member
Messages
22
Location
SoCal
Hey guys, I haven't been on for a while. I see some familiar names still. (3Hummers, LagunaH1, Zach, and Kurt.)

I still have my Hummers and will be watching for the next group adventure.

Thank you & take care.
 

Zach

Mall Crawler
Messages
4,812
Location
So Cal
Hey guys, I haven't been on for a while. I see some familiar names still. (3Hummers, LagunaH1, Zach, and Kurt.)

I still have my Hummers and will be watching for the next group adventure.

Thank you & take care.

Been awhile, correct me if I’m wrong, Lane? Sometimes horrible with names, but, hope I’m right. Glad you still have the H1’s


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SoCalH3

Well-Known Member
Messages
106
Location
Beaumont
Depending on timing, I am definitely interested. Normally work is crazy busy, but right now in between projects. I have done a lot of work on all of our Desert pipelines. One of them runs along Mojave Rd.

Learned to love the SoCal Desert while working over the years and watching the seasons pass! I love finding/checking out abandoned mining camps and mines
 
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