BajaNomad

Mojave Road trip planning

John M - 10-4-2011 at 11:56 AM

I can lead a trip except for the first weekend of November.

The Mojave National Preserve limits group size to 6 vehicles AND fewer than 15 people without a $50 permit. If your vehicle is not 4x4 do not sign up. I know a lot of folks brag that their 2 wd can make it, but not on my trips, please.

A drive over the entire 130+ mile route takes a minimum of two full days at anything approaching reasonable speed. Three full days are much better. Winter days are shorter thus you cannot cover as much ground.

Interesting side trips, although very short in distance, subtract substantially from the available drive time.

The nice part is that we can go where we want, spend time as we want, and then plan to finish the 130 miles another time, if we only have two days. Or there are plenty of easy access routes to both the I-15 and I-40 throughout the entire distance of the Mojave Road if someone wants to bail out early.

I'd much prefer traveling east to west. First night camping or at Laughlin - weekday hotel rates are cheap - like $20 at some hotels. That puts us near the start of the Mojave Road, alongside the Colorado River early the following morning.

So far, interested:

John & Barbara M
TW
David K
Surfer Jim
Baja12valve - added 5 Sept.

...have expressed interest - that's 4 of the 6 vehicles.

I could start the trip any day of the week, weekdays are cool with us. Second week of November is ok, but how about the 22th or 29th of October - those weekends?

post your preferences here.

John M

[Edited on 10-5-2011 by John M]

Barry A. - 10-4-2011 at 12:22 PM

Here is my input for what it may be worth--------

My son and I drove that entire road (Colorado river to near Barstow) about 6 years ago, using 3 days and camping out for 2 nights. We were in an Isuzu trooper, and 4-wheel drive came in very handy for sure. It is a wonderful trip!!!!

To enhance your experience, I would recommend getting the 'MOJAVE ROAD GUIDE' by Dennis Casebier, a hardback book that may be available at ABE BOOKS, or on E-Bay, or one of the other "book" sites on the internet. NOMAD Neal Johns was a valuable contributor to that book, and knows a lot about everything having to do with that road. The book covers a lot of valuable history and things to see along the way.

An excellent map of most of the route is the "MOVAVE NATIONAL PRESERVE" Recreation Map by Tom Harrison Maps, tho it cuts off slightly both the far east end, as well as the far western end.

The AAA San Bernadino Country Map is helpful, tho it is somewhat inaccurate in several places concerning the "mojave road" in particular.

The BLM has excellent maps of this entire area, and I consider them the best available, tho I am prejudiced since I was involved in the making of those maps back in the 70's.

Barry

Mojave Road Guide

John M - 10-4-2011 at 01:03 PM

Thank you Barry, you are right on the money!

The newest Mojave Road Guide, 2010 edition with GPS is available via MDHCA.org for $19.95 + tax + shipping.

Or, if you want the book faster just send me a u2u.

John M

David K - 10-4-2011 at 01:32 PM

John, it would be a pleasure to let you guide us... I need a break form so many Baja guided trips over the years! LOL

I won't buy the book and try and second guess your directions! LOL

surfer jim - 10-4-2011 at 05:19 PM

Any weekend works for me......retired.

We did the east to west direction and it worked good. Ended up somewhere around Baker.

Barry A. - 10-4-2011 at 07:29 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by surfer jim
Any weekend works for me......retired.

We did the east to west direction and it worked good. Ended up somewhere around Baker.


The area west of Baker is really cool. We had to drive around the "dry" lake south of Baker as it was not "dry", but there are some neat things along the "road" west of the lake and thru the river canyon (Afton) east of Barstow. This is an excuse for you to go back and see some more on a "day trip". :lol:

We did not do the section west of Afton Canyon and into the Barstow area------wonder what that part is like???

Barry

[Edited on 10-5-2011 by Barry A.]

West of Afton

John M - 10-4-2011 at 09:38 PM

Barry - immediately after the Afton BLM Campground you head west in the Mojave River bed - a new little detour is in place but no big deal. Then it's maybe 12 miles up river to a point where you pick up Manix Wash for a mile or so, then west again on roads to the site of Camp Cady #1 and Camp Cady #2.

We've done the Mojave Road a number of times recently, including four weeks ago, and some of it again last weekend.

John

mcfez - 10-5-2011 at 08:12 AM

Mojave is a great place. My Dad loved the place.
I added this link to your post....I am sure that there are many here that dont have a clue as to what the Mojave run is...hope u dont mind.

http://jeep.off-road.com/jeep/trails/the-mojave-road-15045.h...

David K - 10-5-2011 at 09:05 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by mcfez
Mojave is a great place. My Dad loved the place.
I added this link to your post....I am sure that there are many here that dont have a clue as to what the Mojave run is...hope u dont mind.

http://jeep.off-road.com/jeep/trails/the-mojave-road-15045.h...


Thanks for the link Deno... Do you have a link to a map to visualize the route?

TMW - 10-5-2011 at 10:30 AM

John any date is good for me. The 22nd or 29th sounds good.

Thanks Mcfez for the link.

Thanks McFez

John M - 10-5-2011 at 12:33 PM

That is a good link - I appreciate it.



Mojave Road map.

The Mojave Road was initially an Indian trail, then a wagon road to support the military in Arizona in the 1850s-1870s connecting Los Angeles with the Colorado River and beyond. Stagecoaches, the US Mail, miners, and government shipments made this an important trans-desert route. Subsequently abandoned as a supply route with the coming of the railroad in the 1880s, the Mojave Road fell out of use except by local traffic.

For nearly 20 years Dennis Casebier studied the history of the Mojave Road and in the early 1980s he decided the "Road" should be brought to the public's attention. In 1981, a group of volunteers called Friends of the Mojave Road deicated themselves to reopening the Mojave Road for recreational, educational, and inspirational purposes. The road retains as much of its original appearance and flavor as possible over its nearly 140 mile distance.

That initial work, plus the contribution of others to maintain the Mojave Road since that time, and more importantly the respect shown by modern-day travelers to make use of the "Road" in a way that is not destructive shows the wisdom of Dennis Casebier's decision.

Evidence of ranching, homesteading, and mining history dot the route of the Mojave Road.

John M

Baja12valve - 10-5-2011 at 01:05 PM

Now THAT is a trip I have always wanted to do. I have to consult my wife on this. I have researched it, lots of information out there, just have not done it. This could be the time. I know that the weekend of November 5-6 is not possible. I will be watching this.

TMW - 10-5-2011 at 02:31 PM

Sort of a side question. On TV when you see a stagecoach the horses are always running not walking and usually not trotting. My question is just what was the pace of a stagecoach. How long did it take a stagecoach to cover the 140 miles and were there stage stops to change horses on the Mojave Trail?

Barry A. - 10-5-2011 at 04:09 PM

Great question, TW. A horses natural gate is a trot, I'm told, so I am betting that is the one most used. The only commercial enterprise that used "running" horses, I believe, was the short-lived PONY EXPRESS. Of course, hostiles sometime provoked un-natural circumstances.
:lol:

The Mojave Road is relatively smooth & sandy, so they could have made pretty good time in the old days, I am thinking.

Barry

David K - 10-5-2011 at 05:06 PM

Someday, I wonder if the same interest will be made of THE BAJA ROAD? For me, having been over its entire length in 1966 (Tijuana to Cabo) it holds tons of nostalgia... and I have written some articles here to describe its location compared to Mex. 1 (south from El Rosario).

Freight, mail, and stages

John M - 10-5-2011 at 05:17 PM

Barry and TW - good questions

The first freight wagons, from Los Angeles headed to Ft. Mojave left Oct 12, 1859 and got to Ft. Mojave on the 5th of November - they were heavily loaded with 25,000 lbs of freight and 250 feet of lumber, plus 10,000 lbs of barley for the animals. The train consisted of ten wagons each drawn by eight mules. The round trip took 33 days. Later there were two deliveries of the U.S. mail per week, once delivery by stage and the other by mule back. The mail was an off and on again proposition due to Indian attacks.

Piute Hill, 23 miles west of the Colorado River presented the hardest part of the trip - many wagons lost their loads there. We will be seeing that first hand if this trip works out!

Phineas Banning and Joseph Winston spearheaded the initial freighting.

John M

Possible dates

John M - 10-6-2011 at 01:42 PM

I have an opportunity to begin this trip on Friday, October 14 - leave the high desert in around noon or?? earlier? and see what happens. I'd propose Friday, Saturday, Sunday - with Monday an option to visit another cool spot a little to the north.

John M

surfer jim - 10-6-2011 at 04:24 PM

I guess we would all meet in Laughlin somewhere Friday afternoon/evening? I believe there is open camping off the road that parallels the river (west side).

Friday afternoon

John M - 10-6-2011 at 04:44 PM

Yea - the closest gas station to the Mojave Road is at the AVI Casino - about 20 minutes north of I-40 using the River Road offramp.

I'd just like to get to a campsite, probably within a couple of miles before it's too late. Maybe meet around 3:30 or 4:00 at the Avi?

This is Friday the 14th

John M

surfer jim - 10-7-2011 at 05:02 PM

Looks like nobody reads this forum or else it may be too soon to for others to plan.

Next week will be difficult for me so later would really be better. However, I can go "anytime" so what everybody wants will be fine.

Baja12valve - 10-7-2011 at 06:10 PM

I am trying to make arrangements to get free, still working on it. This is something I would like to do, I would look forward to the trip.

Let's get it together!

John M - 10-7-2011 at 07:17 PM

This will be difficult to try to pass along trip details on the Baja Nomad Board.

If you guys that are interested will send me an email i will put together details on Sunday or Monday and get it out via email replies.

jnmarnell "at" yahoo "dot" com

John

[Edited on 10-8-2011 by John M]

Count Me In...

Sublimity - 10-7-2011 at 08:19 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by John M
I can lead a trip except for the first weekend of November.

The Mojave National Preserve limits group size to 6 vehicles AND fewer than 15 people without a $50 permit. If your vehicle is not 4x4 do not sign up. I know a lot of folks brag that their 2 wd can make it, but not on my trips, please.

A drive over the entire 130+ mile route takes a minimum of two full days at anything approaching reasonable speed. Three full days are much better. Winter days are shorter thus you cannot cover as much ground.

Interesting side trips, although very short in distance, subtract substantially from the available drive time.

The nice part is that we can go where we want, spend time as we want, and then plan to finish the 130 miles another time, if we only have two days. Or there are plenty of easy access routes to both the I-15 and I-40 throughout the entire distance of the Mojave Road if someone wants to bail out early.

I'd much prefer traveling east to west. First night camping or at Laughlin - weekday hotel rates are cheap - like $20 at some hotels. That puts us near the start of the Mojave Road, alongside the Colorado River early the following morning.

So far, interested:

John & Barbara M
TW
David K
Surfer Jim
Baja12valve - added 5 Sept.
Sublimity - added 7 Sept.

...have expressed interest - that's 4 of the 6 vehicles.

I could start the trip any day of the week, weekdays are cool with us. Second week of November is ok, but how about the 22th or 29th of October - those weekends?

post your preferences here.

John M

[Edited on 10-5-2011 by John M]

David K - 10-7-2011 at 08:44 PM

The 14th, as in next weekend? :wow:

TMW - 10-8-2011 at 08:35 AM

My brother Bill and I are in. John I'll see you today at the Expo.

TMW - 12-18-2011 at 12:28 PM

Here are some pictures from our Mojave Road run.

Ready for the start.


First night camp.


Ft. Piute

TMW - 12-18-2011 at 12:38 PM

The Mojave Road, where we came from. The road is in the middle of the pix.


Lunch time what a view.


Indian Art at Indian Wells.


More Indian Art.

tripledigitken - 12-18-2011 at 12:40 PM

Nice, more please.

TMW - 12-18-2011 at 12:45 PM

The Toll Keepers Cup. A penny will do.


Goff


The Goff Cook House.


A wo stamp mill at Goff.


A Gyratory Crusher.

TMW - 12-18-2011 at 12:48 PM

A rough hill.


More Indian art.


The Rock House.

TMW - 12-18-2011 at 12:52 PM

The Lava fields have holes.


There are steps down into the Lava Tubes.


From down there, inside the Lava Tubes.

Baja12valve - 12-18-2011 at 01:03 PM

Nice trip. I don't know what happened because suddenly I got a ton of responses in my e-mail. It is like everything got saved up and released all at once. Bummer, I was looking forward to the trip. I seemed to have missed out on all the planning. Hopefully next time will be better.

TMW - 12-18-2011 at 01:04 PM

Some of our desert friends. He/she was in the road and I moved him/her to safety under a bush out of harms way. I later found out that when moving them always have their head facing you otherwise they could make a mess on you. He or she didn't, must have liked me.


Old Mining camp. Our last night on the trail.


The Traverlers Mounument. Bring a rock to place for good luck. Keep whats inside a secret.


That sums up our trail ride in pictures. Had a great time. Goff was especially fun and the museum at Kelso was very interesting. John was a great trail master.

TMW - 12-18-2011 at 01:11 PM

My brother and I left after this photo at Razor Rd, he had a Dr. appointment the next day otherwise we would have finished the complete run near Barstow. The monument above is on the Soda Dry Lake, was dry then. ZZYZX is in the background

Sweetwater - 12-18-2011 at 03:13 PM

Hope to catch you online....this looks like good moto territory as well as 4x4.....are there large patches of sand/silt and how much bouldering is necessary.....I would love to coordinate a couple moto's with a 4x4 sag.......???

Sublimity - 12-18-2011 at 03:40 PM

TW,

Awesome pictures!

We had an great time and it was a pleasure meeting you and your brother. Need to plan another trip.

B.

TMW - 12-18-2011 at 05:19 PM

Motorcycles need to be street legal. The trail itself reminded me of the one into Mission San Borja. There was a couple of soft sand areas but not any problem for a MC. If in a two wheel drive vehicle it would be good to have a 4x4 along for those areas. For the most part a two wheel drive can do it. Just air down all four tires and don't stop.

TMW - 12-18-2011 at 05:23 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Sublimity
TW,

Awesome pictures!

We had an great time and it was a pleasure meeting you and your brother. Need to plan another trip.

B.


It was a great time and yes we do need another trip. Maybe around Death Valley somewhere. I would love to do the trail that goes by the cabin they found Charlie Manson and also the Titus Canyon run.

David K - 12-18-2011 at 09:14 PM

Thank you TW!!!

A few additional photos

John M - 12-19-2011 at 02:34 PM

This was a good Mojave Road trip - no pressure to make time goals, just nicely paced scenic tour of the East Mojave. Great traveling companions. Baja 12 Valve - we can do it again - David K - you too!

John M

a couple of old homes near the Mojav Road


looking toward the creek at Fort Pah-Ute


National Historic Registry Plaque at Goffs Schoolhouse


Still functioning windmills at Government Holes, along the Mojave Road


We detoured off the Mojave Road to tour Macedonia Canyon a neat mining area
[IMG]

within the lave tubes



One of the mines near our camp the third night out - heavily mined region


Crossing Soda Lake heading west toward Travelers Monument



John M

[Edited on 12-19-2011 by John M]

Sweetwater - 12-19-2011 at 02:52 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by TW
Motorcycles need to be street legal. The trail itself reminded me of the one into Mission San Borja. There was a couple of soft sand areas but not any problem for a MC. If in a two wheel drive vehicle it would be good to have a 4x4 along for those areas. For the most part a two wheel drive can do it. Just air down all four tires and don't stop.


Muchas Gracias.....that's what I suspected........let me know if you put together another trip like this....I would enjoy providing moto escort....:D

David K - 12-19-2011 at 06:23 PM

Great John... we want to go! The question is when can we? Thank you!!