Took a trip down the Mojave Road for three full days and two cold nights.
Solo Mojave Road Run Nov 2010
We hit Afton Canyon campground and rather than head east we went under the trail trestle and west for about 20 miles worth of trail to near Yuma - the site of old Camp Cady. The trail was new to us and pretty scenic. We backtracked to Afton, made the water crossing. Every time I take that thing I'm waiting to hit a nice big 24" big rock sitting in the middle!
The water was deep and the second crossing was wet and as nearly as deep as the first one.
Posted for pictures under the second trestle.
Solo Mojave Road Run Nov 2010
The river was flowing for a good distance.
Solo Mojave Road Run Nov 2010
We camped west of Soda Lake in the area of some of the old mines. The wind was brisk but let up after dark.
The next morning we headed east to the Soda Lake which was closed last solo trip.
Solo Mojave Road Run Nov 2010
Solo Mojave Road Run Nov 2010
Solo Mojave Road Run Nov 2010
The lake was only semi-dry and there were places where the mud was fresh, wet, and rutted. I was fearful of getting caught in a rut which would pull me off into the bottomless mud. Near the traveler's rock pile the mud wasn't bad. So I took a lap around the pile.
Solo Mojave Road Run Nov 2010
Further east it got deeper in places but most of it was fine. I'm glad I had 4WD and that the lake wasn't any wetter.
Solo Mojave Road Run Nov 2010
Further east past the lake the wooptie-do's were still there and there and there. Nice views.
Solo Mojave Road Run Nov 2010
Just to the west of the Mail Box I lost a tire big time. The rocks change to lava in this area and I must have clipped the edge of one as it sliced the sidewall open big time. Driving through the rocks I couldn't "feel" the thing until about 50 feet later. $30 and America's Tire guarantee and I'll have another new tire.
Solo Mojave Road Run Nov 2010
It took about an hour to jack the truck up and find all the parts to swap the first spare tire out. I had a spare spare too - up under neath in the stock position and another on the rear bumper. Vultures or hawks started to circle us.
Solo Mojave Road Run Nov 2010
On to the infamous Mail Box and American Flag - this time sporting a second "Don't Tread On Me" (Gladstone?) flag below.
Solo Mojave Road Run Nov 2010
The frogs are in good spirit - I found the three we left last year and added three more.
Solo Mojave Road Run Nov 2010
The gnomes have returned!
Solo Mojave Road Run Nov 2010
The valleys beyond there are huge and can't be taken very fast at all because of the never ending wooptie-do's. We ended up camping where we camped with the group in 2008 at the base of the mountain. That night the winds came in big time and the sky filled with black dark clouds over night. It got down to 36 degrees that night.
Solo Mojave Road Run Nov 2010
The kangaroo rats (mice) were out and not fearful of us at all. We had brought a pound of bird food for them and they put on a nice show for us bouncing around gathering the seeds and running off with them.
Solo Mojave Road Run Nov 2010
The next morning and the dark clouds had cleared but were still there both north and south of us. This is looking South toward Kelso Dunes.
Solo Mojave Road Run Nov 2010
The rest of the park is really a long long ride. We hit Marl Springs and found the water dry as a bone for the first time ever. The siphon had stopped providing water for the wild life. A little HDR (high dynamic resolution) picture on the way to Government Holes
Solo Mojave Road Run Nov 2010
At Government Holes we tried a run a road called Providence Road which showed up on my maps as a "back" off-road way of getting south toward Mid-Hills and The Hole-in-the-Wall. About two miles down the road someone had put up a nice double fence line with two locked gates. So much for that road.
Solo Mojave Road Run Nov 2010
Heading south on Black Canyon road we came across some wildlife. First a red tail hawk.
Solo Mojave Road Run Nov 2010
Then a whole flock of these guys ... we were careful because we had some ribeye steak the night before!
Solo Mojave Road Run Nov 2010
And finally we stumbled upon a covey of wild deer.
Solo Mojave Road Run Nov 2010
We went to The Hole-in-the-Wall campground which had about 10 RV's parked there, and then around to the park which had just a couple of cars there. We walked a bit of the ring trail before calling it a third day and heading home.
Solo Mojave Road Run Nov 2010
I shot some video and took some trail tracks which I'll post up with the map here in a bit.
Solo Mojave Road Run Nov 2010
