Upcoming Event - BorregoFest 2014

October is near and it's time to start planning for Outdoor Adventure USA's biggest annual event for October 10-12, 2014. Join us in the Anza-Borrego Desert for 3 days of camping, 4x4 trail runs, and hiking. We will also be offering Amateur Radio License testing on Sunday for all levels from 10:00 AM to noon. The "not to be missed" pot luck dinner and campfire will be on Saturday evening.

This is a family friendly event and an opportunity for us to meet the family members we never get to see on the trail and a chance to make new friends.

This year we will be located at the Butterfield Ranch Resort, located just outside the Park boundary. The Ranch is equipped with full hookups for RVs, plenty of tent camping, showers, and a well stocked store. For more information on all of the events, including, 4x4 trail runs, camp directions, Ham Radio testing and to sign up, click here. 

Flashback | Mojave Road, January 2009 - Part 3 of 3

Morning of our third and final day. Before heading out I was able to relight and enjoy the fire for a bit.

Ahead the trail passes between Cowhole Mountain and Little Cowhole Mountain before crossing Soda Dry Lake.

Soda Lake along with Silver Lake are what remains of the large, perennial, Holocene Lake Mojave. The waters of the lake, now with no outlet, evaporate and has left alkaline evaporites of sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate. Back near camp there were signs along the trail saying that Soda Lake was impassable. Everyone waited at the edge of the dry lake while another rig and myself made our way cautiously across the dry lake to check it out.

Soda Lake is located on the southern side of Interstate 15, and can be seen at the Zzyzx Road interchange and the Oat Ditch bridge, as well as the Soda Lake bridge (signed as the Mojave River) looking south from Baker.

Crossing the five mile wide Soda Dry Lake can be an adventure in itself. The monument it is a large pile of rocks that visitor's out of tradition add a rock to it on their way across the dry lake. There is a plaque in the center of the rock pile that makes up Traveler's Monument. It was formed as each new passerby added a rock. A plaque on the monument reveals a secret that only Mojave Road travelers are to know. I won't tell, so don't ask.

On the trail again and passing through the Rasor OHV Area.

Mandatory shoot of all the rigs under the Union Pacific trestle over the Mojave River wash.

There is always water in Afton Canyon, and it is one of three places along the Mojave River where there is year-round surface flow. The presence of this water in Afton Canyon is extremely important for wildlife.

Afton Canyon Natural Area

"Afton Canyon Natural Area is located 37 miles northeast of Barstow along Interstate 15 between the Afton Road and Basin Road exits. Afton Canyon is designated as an Area of Critical Environmental Concern to protect plant and wildlife habitat, and to preserve scenic values of the riparian area within the canyon. Early western explorers passing through this area included Jedediah Smith, Kit Carson and John Charles Fremont. The route following this road, known as the Mojave Road, is a rugged 4-wheel-drive scenic tour running from Fort Mojave on the Colorado River near Needles to Camp Cady near Harvard Road."

All too soon it seemed, our trip came to and end. Passing through Afton Canyon Campground and followed the graded dirt road to I-15 is where we aired up and said our goodbyes.

Flashback | Mojave Road, January 2009 - Part 2 of 3

Day 2:

After breaking camp we decided to check out the trail that meandered on up Caruthers Canyon a little ways. (See above photo.) The trail got rockier and narrow the further we went, so we eventually had to turn back and save it for another trip.

The next point of interest along the trail was Rock Spring. We were surprised to find it totally frozen!

I guess we should have brought along some ice skates.

This was the largest watering hole along the Mojave Road for weary desert travelers.

Here's a bit of history on this site.

The Government Holes, another water supply near Rock Spring, with an old concrete trough.

"The most famous incident in the history of Government Holes occurred on November 8, 1925, when two men, Matt Burts and J. W. "Bill" Robinson, shot it out in the cabin there. Both were killed. They were both gunfighters and hence vestiges of a chapter in western history that most thought had already passed."- Mojave Road Guide, Dennis Casebier

Soon we were on our way to the next point of interest along the old road. We had a pretty rapid descent back down to a lower elevation and then through some of the gnarliest whoop-te-doo's I've ever seen. 

 Coming upon another spring with a primitive concrete trough, named Marl Springs.

Shortly afterwards, we stopped at the Mail Box to sign our names.  This metal box, with its solitary flagpole was installed by the Friends of the Mojave Road in 1983, a conservation group and historical society who were looking to add a place for travelers to mark their passing on the old dirt road. In addition to the countless stickers and graffiti on the outside of the box, there is a book inside it where you can sign your name, leave any comments, and check out who else has braved this desert passage.

A field of cinder cones stands out dramatically from the surrounding Mojave Desert. Here we are parked near the lava tubes within the Cinder Cone Lava Beds Wilderness.

Within the lava field is a short trail leading to a tube formed long ago by molten lava. A ladder takes hikers down into the tube where skylights illuminate a subterranean world. 

After blasting down soft, sandy Willow Wash we crossed over Kelbaker Road and made camp near Seventeen Mile Point.

The conditions here were much nicer than at our previous camp. The moon was huge as it came over the horizon. We really did stumbled upon the "perfect" campsite. Just about the time everyone had strategically placed their vehicles to create the most effective windbreak, the wind died completely.

It was a beautiful night, perfect really. Steve whipped up a batch of his delicious tacos which we all wolfed down so fast that even the dogs didn't stand a chance. Those were followed with Ralphie's s'mores and of course, more beers. A perfect end to this day along the Mojave Road.

Part 3 of 3 coming soon!

Flashback | Mojave Road, January 2009 - Part 1 of 3

From Indian Trail to Wagon Road to 4WD Adventure

I started this journal back in 2008 but didn't really do anything with it until 2010. So here is a long lost report from my first Mojave Road trip from back in January 2009, with my 1989 YJ Jeep Wrangler. There is just so much to see and explore out there. Towering sand dunes, volcanic cinder cones, Joshua tree forests, and carpets of wildflowers are all found at this 1.6 million acre park. A visit to its canyons, mountains and mesas will reveal long-abandoned mines, homesteads, and settlements.

Three days is definitely the minimum amount of time you'd want to have to explore the Mojave Road or the preserve. One of these days I'll get my family out there to explore more of the preserve.

Well, around 3:30PM on a Thursday, I met up with my friend Steve in Santee and headed on out. Chatting on the CB made the long haul seem not so long. We gassed up again in Barstow and reached the Mojave Road trail head around 10:00PM. Our friend Ralphie, was probably already cozy in his hotel room at the Avi Resort & Casino just across the highway. I didn't feel like breaking out the tent so I just slept in the front of the Jeep. Well, not really slept, more like tossed and turned, trying to get comfortable- not the easiest thing to do in a Jeep Wrangler. I might have gotten a few hours of sleep, though. I regret not setting up the tent and air mattress that night…

Day 1:

Here we are camped out at the trail head, just off Needles Highway in Nevada.

While waiting for everyone to show up I decided to checkout the Colorado River here.

Lined up, aired down, and ready to go.

Our first stop was Fort Piute.

Exploring the remains of the old fort.

 After visiting the old fort we had to backtrack a ways to the main trail. On the way out I had a moment of inattention and drove up a little too high up on the side of the trail and punctured the sidewall of my front passenger tire on some rocks.

Back on the trail.

You'll often come across these old corrals that are scattered about the area.

New York Mountains in the distance, where our first night's camp is located.

This school bus in the middle of this Joshua tree forest is a well-known sight. Vandals recently overturned the bus. However, it was righted to its proper place by some local off-highway vehicle enthusiast.

Just passed the stone cabin we turned north up Caruthers Road towards our first night's camp in Caruthers Canyon.

All these folks following me have a lot of faith that I'm not getting them all lost!

Nestled high in the New York Mountains is Caruther's Canyon, a side trip offering a cooler setting when traveling the Mojave Road in the warmer months. Several primitive campsites are available here along with great scenery and rocks, canyons, and old mines to explore.

While I enjoyed camping at altitude the first night, the wind was a little much. I don't mind the cold but the wind was a different matter. Most of us ended up gathered around the fire as soon as our camps were set up to grill and enjoy some chicken, braut's and beer. We all ended up hitting' the sack pretty early.

Parts 2 & 3 of Flashback | Mojave Road, January 2009 coming soon!