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John M
Super Nomad
Posts: 1921
Registered: 9-3-2003
Location: California High Desert
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Mojave Road trip planning
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]
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Barry A.
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Location: Redding, Northern CA
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Mood: optimistic
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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
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John M
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Mojave Road Guide
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
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David K
Honored Nomad
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Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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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
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surfer jim
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Any weekend works for me......retired.
We did the east to west direction and it worked good. Ended up somewhere around Baker.
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Barry A.
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Location: Redding, Northern CA
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| 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". 
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.]
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John M
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West of Afton
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
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mcfez
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Location: aka BN yankeeirishman
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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...
Old people are like the old cars, made of some tough stuff. May show a little rust, but good as gold on the inside.
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David K
Honored Nomad
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Location: San Diego County
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Thanks for the link Deno... Do you have a link to a map to visualize the route?
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TMW
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John any date is good for me. The 22nd or 29th sounds good.
Thanks Mcfez for the link.
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John M
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Location: California High Desert
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Thanks McFez
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
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Baja12valve
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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.
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TMW
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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?
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Barry A.
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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.
The Mojave Road is relatively smooth & sandy, so they could have made pretty good time in the old days, I am thinking.
Barry
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David K
Honored Nomad
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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).
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John M
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Freight, mail, and stages
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
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John M
Super Nomad
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Location: California High Desert
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Possible dates
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
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surfer jim
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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).
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John M
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Friday afternoon
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
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surfer jim
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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.
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