Post by: steve c on April 13, 2016, 09:48:27 AM
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The boys and I got to get out of town last weekend!
This trip was to the Old Dale Mining District (https://www.google.com/#q=old+dale+mining+district) area of the Mojave Desert. This area is full of old mines, unblocked for the most part, and all sorts of buildings, tin cans and mining relics!
Jordan and John planning our weekend.
(http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/923/V9OOiL.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pnV9OOiLj)
(http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/922/G7rAYL.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pmG7rAYLj)
(http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/924/AdMi4v.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/poAdMi4vj)
Here's a quick timelapse of the shadows playing across the valley floor
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PW2U_I6-Koc
(http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/922/XyfvrW.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pmXyfvrWj)
(http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/921/U7wcqs.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/plU7wcqsj)
Mines everywhere!
(http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/922/WxrzB6.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pmWxrzB6j)
Lots of old buildings. Some in better shape than others.
(http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/924/FKthYj.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/poFKthYjj)
(http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/924/hgyh3Z.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pohgyh3Zj)
Because guys throw rocks...
(http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/923/GZ9wTE.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pnGZ9wTEj)
A lot of the trails have ben reduced to their rocky underneath.
(http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/921/0CUcpO.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pl0CUcpOj)
(http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/924/CYajT9.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/poCYajT9j)
I think this is where I dropped the truck onto my slider - really hard. So hard in fact that I needed to get out and take a pic. Not of the slider, or the rock that i hit of course! :D
(http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/922/CHoel6.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pmCHoel6j)
(http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/924/tSYo0z.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/potSYo0zj)
I forget what this mine was called, but they had this neat building and porch set up.
Over the years, people have built it up a little, adding the patio, fire pit and steps.
Behind the building in the foreground, there is a cave with everything you need, sans booze, to have a kick ass desert party. Tables, chairs, BBQ, canned food etc. It's pretty wild!
(http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/921/qIkwOo.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/plqIkwOoj)
(http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/922/CskjEM.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pmCskjEMj)
(http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/923/2h0KbP.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pn2h0KbPj)
(http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/922/4xVjDz.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pm4xVjDzj)
(http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/922/4wOdAs.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pm4wOdAsj)
(http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/921/ExrctK.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/plExrctKj)
(http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/921/UsEVeP.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/plUsEVePj)
(http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/923/ZgTiJL.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pnZgTiJLj)
We then headed up to the Brooklyn Mine.
(http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/924/9g67OL.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/po9g67OLj)
(http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/924/CBHcPs.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/poCBHcPsj)
(http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/922/P8Bas4.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pmP8Bas4j)
(http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/923/mdIdn0.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pnmdIdn0j)
Camp for the night. It ended up raining really hard that night!
(http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/923/nPrm9s.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pnnPrm9sj)
(http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/924/scdUut.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/poscdUutj)
I've been watching a lot of Casey Neistat (https://www.youtube.com/user/caseyneistat?nohtml5=False) on YouTube lately, and his videos inspired me to try some timelapses.
Here's one of us setting up camp.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQKuvECuFds
(http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/923/rcNyRx.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pnrcNyRxj)
Again, boys will be boys.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-LTESIsrGU
Here's a video from around 3am in my tent. It woke me up from a dead (slightly mostly drunk) sleep
(it's just a black screen video - just wanted you guys to get the idea of the RAIN! Also, this is the first time I've been in a real rain storm while camping. I didn't even get a little wet. Tent performed as advertised.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lz5kLvXbMQE
That's it for Saturday... All THREE of my stupid camera batteries were dead, so these next two shots are from Sir JoF.
(http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/921/IQCmXW.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/plIQCmXWj)
(http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/923/xhXbyJ.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pnxhXbyJj)
Post by: beedee on April 13, 2016, 11:12:52 AM
Post by: RBduffer on April 13, 2016, 11:20:31 AM
In fact this photo-journal saved you guys any harassment for missing a great ModDay.
Post by: knightrider on April 13, 2016, 01:24:25 PM
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/gyzOaoYZJc_tF8LFshggLcsApAKs9wBlyYxVJKYGgxu3mep7rIob132WKEGS---D2kK_XZVnNwW8GlWYihMlWee68eqADFBkZdSAnaZG4T_DCW-d8CczJN3xvMxdvPvXiPrei0BspjIiMRnqLX-I_YgkhLl0DxSlS7BCqqH66QSSVV_zePNFAvhM1PF-rDtL0pL5-iOM_4g0QVZBkyqaXZWG8rbIRn9LJZ4St-0eWxv0dgMAEmce3yi_eVoQO-Azh6_ABpjw0u9Q6wXYUKS6aW33VNN52qJOOJXos6y1AaQmGqr6Dt5CMwermcLdUSvhqwHVtlDjE0wYALbY6JilNFOYbsy60zhIEwC5yD5Vg-6ziw9PKS5SEPIDPosCF_EQqWVraJTtmvpZ-lbeBBDWMJ4mVsnp9wX8BLQD1i7nm6BQkuOJ8LIWlrgWmzF71KHw9Pj9MiVlyoQQnKxrMHlUrwLrtXlasLyeNNKbwag6FTutgRTiOZH_rtG2FiSXTTrRFJaSr0P5fEQQbuLDu6YZaiuatxrmzFLBM2rDdBbgABC2-29-21c-DXt-cfj5nLwBisbtEw=w1215-h912-no)
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/vSUuUwdbyaNkGR1WWH2ZLHLZgBJ8KVFC15By23s8XfMdAciHgjGlJdN4W2zY41jVDPEGeiys5wt7h_N2T8Vo1FgBM1DLEE2UDePCsGoHbRLMkhi2JHtJd1nysns09NP39tlMeI1TKUacP8B96DHzbYW1jBHqReHv5kwGpwtanvd30uEq9ASKEnEPbju4N43daGASv7iu8vD_fK6ToD3uzSFrBGhmyMbgnyNko9En6roFFyNLKSJK6UEkt1r80IwjyIw-NTWGiNoTFb5bh1eg7u1cNZEpMYXVEeWPcxNqseospaMSeMKr1jtzKzkWreMfTWON52BqXZt6Dgm72ZUKaMdqOd2dQjTI1gPf9ulcRZymE966FOvO6VzK06e5wHJp83y4Csmqgn5XfshaxmtVcaQxWakCYX-0HcdBxpDR7gRTo7lnHg9ZAZTUvYw1NJRDqo2QB75aKLW0fqrawFxuhUindLi8WpJpJKONDws_9JOrsKMaQoXKzYXChvcRGj0FoiTuYoI0LjSFp3e2NPfaNMQ3lt84PcMDlocd4eap1jcyvs7l0iSCfhqtLd_XO7NEcZFi1A=w1215-h912-no)
Post by: ultrapc40 on April 13, 2016, 01:35:34 PM
LOL at Jordan sitting when you guys are setting up tents
Post by: (Sir)JohnOfFullerton on April 13, 2016, 09:41:35 PM
That looks like a blast. I would love to do that trip.Professional supervisor. We had to hire him so we wouldn't get ourselves dead one way or another.
LOL at Jordan sitting when you guys are setting up tents
Post by: knightrider on April 13, 2016, 11:06:32 PM
Post by: JFanaselle on April 14, 2016, 06:42:49 AM
Post by: Ghost65 on April 14, 2016, 09:03:29 AM
Dig the rain sounds from the tent...that is an epic experience!
Glad you guys made it outside and explored some really cool desert!
Sent from Cygnus X-1
Post by: steve c on April 14, 2016, 09:45:25 AM
Nice trip report Steve! Looks like you guys had a blast, sans the crazy rain. Old Dale is on my short list of places I'm dying to go explore. :) Now that you've been out there, is it advisable for someone who is unfamiliar with the area?
Please see the below quote from Sir JoF
Professional supervisor. We had to hire him so we wouldn't get ourselves dead one way or another.
There are some "main" roads apparently that are not that gnarly.
Jordan led us on some of the more scenic routes shall we say.
However, our Toyota buddies found us tucked back in a canyon, in the dark.
And actually, that's a super cool story too.
John's buddies, Brian and John, wanted to join us for some camping fun. They didn't get off of work until 5pm in Orange County, but being 26 year olds, some night driving did not detour them from coming out.
The area we were in had zero cell coverage so we relied on APRS!
They looked up our final location for the night at a Del Taco somewhere and managed to find us!
From what Jordan says, my radio was hitting a beacon somewhere in Palm Springs.
Here are some screen shots of what the boys were looking at. On their phones too btw, which makes it even more impressive that they found us!
Our route in. Notice, it's not PERFECT, but it's good enough
(http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/922/YEdwxW.png) (https://imageshack.com/i/pmYEdwxWp)
Our stopping point for the evening.
(http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/922/OgFhCP.png) (https://imageshack.com/i/pmOgFhCPp)
My transmission hitting a beacon on top of a mountain somewhere, then being beamed across all of Joshua Tree to a digipeater in Yucca! Pretty wild stuff
(http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/922/VpcLPV.png) (https://imageshack.com/i/pmVpcLPVp)
Post by: Jayrat on April 14, 2016, 09:48:13 AM
Post by: Ghost65 on April 14, 2016, 02:35:19 PM
What is this site coming too... ;) ;) ;)
Post by: Celt on April 14, 2016, 02:37:43 PM
Post by: FrankB on April 14, 2016, 09:39:09 PM
https://frankbaiamonte.smugmug.com/So-Cal-Club-Xterra-SCCX/Not-Really-Joshua-Tree-Nov/
There is one shot of Brian standing next to a hole in the ground, at the top of the road that drops down into the "party spot". You can't see how deep the hole is in the picture, nor could I tell how deep was when I got out of the truck and realized I almost went right into it.
Post by: knightrider on April 14, 2016, 10:55:24 PM
old
https://frankbaiamonte.smugmug.com/So-Cal-Club-Xterra-SCCX/Not-Really-Joshua-Tree-Nov/i-Ks9Fx4X/A
new
(http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/922/4xVjDz.jpg)
Post by: JFanaselle on April 15, 2016, 12:46:14 PM
The area we were in had zero cell coverage so we relied on APRS!
They looked up our final location for the night at a Del Taco somewhere and managed to find us!
That's pretty freaking awesome!
Post by: steve c on April 15, 2016, 01:39:11 PM
That's pretty freaking awesome!
I knew if anyone would appreciate that story, it would be you, Joe!
Between this last weekend's use of APRS and my Grandma's joy watching where I'm at on a trip through aprs.fi, the BIG premium I paid for this radio is paying off.
Post by: FrankB on April 15, 2016, 09:52:22 PM
I like this picture, you can see the improvements that have gone into that spot.
old
(https://frankbaiamonte.smugmug.com/So-Cal-Club-Xterra-SCCX/Not-Really-Joshua-Tree-Nov/i-Ks9Fx4X/0/L/jtnp_nov06_15-L.jpg)
new
(http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/922/4xVjDz.jpg)
That should work now.