East to West in the Mojave Desert - Easter 2016

[t-rex grrr]

Driving down from the Bay Area, we took the 5 to 7th Standard Road to 99 to 58 to 395 to 40...it was a looooong drive

Aircraft boneyard in Mojave

Choo choo

After a night at the Avi Hotel and Casino, we met the rest of the group to gas up and to gather last minute supplies.

Off we go!

 

[t-rex grrr]

Rock piles are your friend. Traveling east to west, you’re heading the right direction as long as they’re on your right side.

The girlfriend did an amazing job with packing the meals. My favorite was a cold soba salad that was perfect for our lunch breaks in the warm desert heat.

If you see a bunch of lush greens in the desert, there’s water nearby. Top of the hill at Fort Pah-Ute

The guys discussing their favorite cartoon characters

Our awesome leader, Robert - Really appreciate the historical facts he provided during the drives.

I really wanted to see a rattlesnake, but this was the only reptile I saw all weekend.

A reminder to future travelers, do not shoot at property that does not belong to you.

Mikey’s fiancé wasn’t able to make it, but we’ve got Photoshop, so it’s all good.

I love the “e” written in black

 

[t-rex grrr]

After a long 5-6 hrs worth of driving (average speed was 11mph), we approach our camp for the night.

SUPER windy that night, but everyone was up and ready for the new day.

Back on the trail…

Showing off some of that Metal Tech LT flex (LOVE the flex, but dislike the limited up travel. I might be updating my rear suspension soon&#8230

 

[t-rex grrr]

The crew

On our way to Kelso Depot (They really should sell popsicles and ice cream there)

After a break at Kelso Depot, we made a short trip to our campsite at Beale Mountain

Morning view

 

[t-rex grrr]

Frog shrine and our contribution

The flowers around the volcanos are beautiful

Mikey tossing his contribution to Traveler's Monument

 

[t-rex grrr]

Advise! If you're going to hop on 15 after the river crossing, do not air up at the Afton Campground b/c you'll be attacked by swarms of mosquitos. Plus, the drive from that camp to 15 is still a bumpy dirt road. Air up when you get closer to 15.

 

[EMrider]

That was excellent, thanks for preparing.

Makes me want to get back out there asap.

R

 

[Smksignals]

What day did you start the trail? My group stayed at the Avi Monday night and we headed out Tues morning. We camped in Carruthers Canyon Tues night and it had to be at or below freezing. It was cold !!! Wednesday we hit rain off an on through out the morning. At Bert G's cabin it was actually snowing on us. We headed to the Kelso Depot which was closed. On the way we hit major downpours and it was still very cold out. We decided to cut the trip short and head home. We are going back to finish the trail soon.

 

[t-rex grrr]

What day did you start the trail? My group stayed at the Avi Monday night and we headed out Tues morning. We camped in Carruthers Canyon Tues night and it had to be at or below freezing. It was cold !!! Wednesday we hit rain off an on through out the morning. At Bert G's cabin it was actually snowing on us. We headed to the Kelso Depot which was closed. On the way we hit major downpours and it was still very cold out. We decided to cut the trip short and head home. We are going back soon to finish the trail soon.

We spent the night at the Avi on Thursday the 24th, and started our trip on Friday. The weather was perfect all weekend, but Friday night was a bit windy and chilly.

 

[unkamonkey]

Nice. In a way it reminds me of traveling with my parents. Mom... Windmills were called twirleys, twirleys and oil pumps were called upper downers. It took me a few years to figure out how smart she actually was.

 

[Wilbah]

Great write up thanks! Gotta love the wide open empty spaces. Good for the soul. Thanks for sharing.

 

[gunrunner99]

Love the write up. What was the consensus on the roof top tents to the ground tents.

 

[t-rex grrr]

Love the write up. What was the consensus on the roof top tents to the ground tents.

This is definitely a subjective topic. I have a ground tent and don't mind it. We're usually the first to pitch our tent, but it's probably due to the simplicity of it. To make it more comfortable, we pack 6 foam floor mats that fit together to perfectly cover the inside of the tent before we inflate our sleeping pads. The whole setup is cozy, doesn't require a lot of packing space, and is light. However, we are on the ground, which tends to be colder and easier for snakes, bears, rhinos, etc. to access. Also, it sucks being on the ground when it rains...

Why don't I have a RTT? There are a number of reasons why I personally have not purchased one yet.

2. I haven't found one that I like. I like the Tepui Ruggedized Kukenam b/c the price is right and it looks like a great tent, BUT I don't like how boxy RTTs are when they are folded up. With that being said, I have also been looking at the Autohome Maggiolina, but it's quite pricy...
4. Although it isn't my daily driver, I don't what to have to leave the RTT on my roof. I like to park in my garage, but I also don't have the space to store the RTT if I were to take it off.
6. I like being able to put ******** on my roof rack, rather than cramming everything in the truck. Extra jerry cans, wood, cases, etc.

I still have other things to purchase for my truck, so the RTT is prioritized at the bottom of the list.

Hopefully this helps!