The Mojave Road JAN 9/11 09'

[ralphie]

I just got home, Run was Outstanding! hope everyone else had a good time. it was great meeting everyone and hope we can do it again. I am tired and smell a little so i will try and post some pics tomorrow.
GOOD TIMES!!

[gon2srf]

Glad you guys had a good time. I'm looking forward to the pics, carnage report if any... how was the wind, has soda lake dried up a bit? etc.,etc.

[BorregoWrangler]

Oh my, what an amazing trip it was! I am so beat but I got all my pictures loaded up. There is just so much to see and explore out there. Three days is definetly the minimum amout of time you'd want to travel through the Mojave Road. Now that I'm somewhat familiar with it I'll have to plan another trip for the spring and bring the wife along.

Well, around 3:30 on thrusday I met up with thatsalexus? (Steve) in Santee and headed on out. Chatting on the CB is always fun on a long haul. We gased up again in Barstow and reached the Mojave Road trailhead around 10:00 I believe. Ralphie was probably already cozy in his hotel room. 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. I must had gotten a few hours of sleep, though.

Day One

Here we are camped out at the trailhead, just off Needles Highway.


Sunrise.


While waiting for everyone to show up I decided to checkout the river.


Should have brought the fishing pole.


Lined up, aired down and ready to go.








Our first stop was Fort Piute.


























That'd be quite the drive if the road still went through the gorge. On the way out I rode a little too high up on the side of the trail and punctured the sidewall of my front passanger tire. Didn't get any pics but I'm sure someone else did!



You'll always see these old corrals scattered about the area.


New York Mountains in the distance. Our first camp.


School bus in the middle of the joshua tree forest.
















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










Yes, it was cold!


The fire was blazing and the heater was blasting but the wind didn't make for a pleasant time around the campfire. Around 7 or so everybody turned in and called it a day.

[gon2srf]

Sweet pics John, sorry about the tire. I was thinking the Santa Ana's were gonna be tough. You are posting more pics right?

[big dave]

Day 2 day 2!

[BorregoWrangler]

Day two

After breaking camp we decided to head on up Caruthers Canyon a little ways. The trail got rockier and narrow the further we went. But we had to turn back and save it for another day.


























The next point of interest along the trail was Rock Spring, which happend to be totaly frozen!












Government Holes.






After endureing a long strech of sandy whoop-it-dos, we came upon Marl Springs.








Shortly afterwards, we stopped at the Mail Box to register.




Here we are parked near the lava tubes within the Cinder Cone Lava Beds Wilderness.














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


The conditions here were much nicer than our previous camp. The moon was huge as it came over the horizon. Steve made some awesome tacos for everyone and we all enjoyed ourselves well into the night.






Lap dogs!

[BorregoWrangler]

Day three

Rise and shine! The coals were still hot in the ring so I had a fire up in no time.


Heading between Cowhole Mtn and Little Cowhole Mtn towards Soda Lake.


Back near camp there were signs along the trail saying that Soda Lake was impassable. Everyone hanged back at the edge while ralphie and I made our way cautiously across the dry lake to check it out.


It was fine. Come on out guys!






Parked at the 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.


After passing through Rasor OHV Area and rocky Shaw Pass, the terrain became very sandy.


Dropping into the Mojave River and under the railroad bridge.




Afton Canyon. I'm sure there is much more water in here at times.




We soon came to Afton Canyon Campground and followed the graded dirt road to I-15 where we aired up, thanked each other and said our goodbyes. It seems like it all went by too fast. I'd like to go again in the spring sometime. I also have video that I'll have to put together.

A big thank you to everyone who came along and made it such an enjoyable journey!

[cruiserlarry]

Terrific pictures - looks like a great time was had by all.

Nice to see the weather held up, Soda lake was passable, and no major carnage occurred.

[gon2srf]

John you are awesome man. Full trip report before 11:00pm on Sunday at the end of a great 3 day journey, what a trooper. Those whoops between Beale Mtn. and Marl Springs are ruthless but it looks like your new hitch/rack worked great and survived the trip!

Edit: I just noticed you had five no shows. I sure hope they all tried to get in touch with you, that's just not right. Who is driving the other FJ besides Ralphie, is that Bruised FJ? Anyway 6 rigs is perfect!

[cruiserlarry]

John you are awesome man. Full trip report before 11:00pm on Sunday at the end of a great 3 day journey, what a trooper. Those whoops between Beale Mtn. and Marl Springs are ruthless but it looks like your new hitch/rack worked great and survived the trip!

Edit: I just noticed you had five no shows. I sure hope they all tried to get in touch with you, that's just not right. Who is driving the other FJ besides Ralphie, is that Bruised FJ? Anyway 6 rigs is perfect!

It's a shame so many who committed didn't show, but small group can be a lot of fun, too...

I think that is BruisedFJ - so how did the new radio work out in Mojave, Jon ??