overland

Mojave Road: Feb 15-16 2025

Mash5

Trail Grom
Joined
Jan 27, 2023
Messages
18
Location
Cameron Park, CA
***You Must Have a Ticket to Attend this Event***


Presidents Day 2025 Tour of Mojave


The desert is a land of mystery, a land of little forgiveness, and a place where dreams have blossomed and withered.



Join us as we attempt a west-to-east traverse of one of the old west’s most legendary overland routes. The old Mojave Road, also known at various times as Old Government Road and the Mohave Trail, is a historic route and present-day 4x4 road across Mojave National Preserve in the Mojave Desert.

If you have never been to this area, you will be astonished by the stories of its early settlers and the trials they endured just to survive in this picturesque but overwhelmingly hostile landscape. If you are an experienced Mojave desert explorer, we invite you to join us and share your experience with us.

This will be a quick travers with long days in the saddle interspersed with stops to do some moderately strenuous exploration of some of the natural and historical sites along the way. Families are very welcome, and kids will have a great time being explorers. I plan to bring my wife and three boys, 9, 13, and 17.

Trip duration: 2 days

GPX File: Download Link

Trip leader: Mark Ashurst @Mash5

Meeting Time: February 15th - 08:00

Meeting Location: Afton Canyon Campground (35.03889, -116.38292).

Group size: We are limiting this trip to five vehicles, so there are only four slots available. We will try to keep on a schedule each day to see everything on our list and complete the trail. Too big a group slows things down, so I ask that you only sign up if you are committed and will show up. If there is more interest, we can start a waiting list in case of dropouts.

Vehicles: A high-clearance 4x4 is required. No all-wheel-drive SUVs unless they are highly modified. Most stock 4x4 vehicles should be fine. At least one rated recovery point on the front of your vehicle is required. Front and rear is preferred. A working full-size spare tire is required. Some way of airing your tires back up is required. Plan to be self-sufficient. Please reach out to me if you have any specific questions.

Food: Please plan to eat breakfast before we get on the trail each day. We will take a brief lunch stop at midday sometime at one of the locations we plan to visit. Please keep it simple and quick (~30 minutes), as we will want to get back on the road to keep on schedule. Dinners will be the time to get a bit fancy if you are inclined. We will be trying to make it to camp well before dark so we can enjoy a bit of campfire time. The days are frustratingly short this time of year, though, so we may be rolling in late if things don’t go to plan. Once the group starts to form, it's always fun to plan some meals together, and sharing what you bring is always encouraged.

Documents: Valid driver's license, vehicle registration

Firearms: If you carry a firearm, it should always be concealed and stored safely. Shooting is not part of this trip and is basically prohibited on the Mojave National Preserve. You are responsible for following all applicable laws as you cross through several legal zones.

Pets: Well-behaved pets are welcome and must always be under your control.

Fuel: The planned route is only about 150 miles, but it is all off-pavement, and things may not go as planned. If you have a vehicle with good range, you will probably be fine fueling up in Barstow or Yermo. If you have a bigger vehicle with a smaller tank, you may want to plan to carry some extra as a backup. I would want to have about 300 miles of available road range to comfortably make it to the next fuel after you get off the trail.

Medical Info / Emergency Contact: Please print a copy of pertinent medical information and emergency contact information (for at least two persons) on a card or piece of paper and attach it to your visor.

Comms: We will use GMRS channel 5 (462.6625 MHz) as the guide channel for vehicle-to-vehicle communication and maybe HAM 146.52 MHz for some talk around. Installed radios are encouraged because of their better range and reliability, but handhelds can work if you have a way to charge them or extra batteries. Please let me know if you don’t have one, and we can help you find a solution.

Firewood: Barring a fire ban, which is unlikely this time of year, if each vehicle brings a small bundle, we should have plenty for the group to have a nice fire at camp. Collecting and or cutting firewood is prohibited.

Personal Packing List
Normal camping items such as sleeping bags, etc.
Hiking shoes
Warm Clothes (Expect daytime highs from 75-55 and nighttime lows as cool as low 50s)
Rain jacket/poncho
A good hat
Plenty of wag bags. (Technically, human waste can be buried at least 6 inches deep; toilet paper needs to be packed out.)
At least two days' supply of water (1 gal per person/day). Some of this can be in the form of drinks. Gatorade keeps my kids hydrated cause they will drink it more than water.
Cooking fuel (propane/butane)

Vehicle packing list
First aid kit, w/ medicine for diarrhea and stomach issues
Vehicle fire extinguisher
Recovery gear
Air compressor
Shovel
Spare tire
Tire repair kit
 
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Mash5

Trail Grom
Joined
Jan 27, 2023
Messages
18
Location
Cameron Park, CA
Itinerary

Day 1 - Feb 15

Total Expected Miles: 76 miles
Camp: Around Kelbaker Road

Anyone camping at the meeting spot, Afton Canyon Campground, the night before should be filed up and ready by 08:00. Anyone coming in from Yermo, will need to be there for the drivers meeting by 08:00 sharp. We plan to be wheels up by 08:20 at the latest.
Right after the campground, one of the most technical parts of the trail will be a river crossing in Afton Canyon that can be pretty deep. The last time I did it, water briefly reached the bottom of the door on my stock-height jeep, with a tiny bit of seepage reported by the kids in the back. If you have never done water crossings, this can be nerve-racking. The bottom is rocky and firm, so most 4x4s can do this crossing without any issue, but if you are concerned about it, let's talk about it in advance.
Just after this is Spooky Canyon. This was a highlight for us last time. The kids loved it. I don’t want to spoil it for first-timers, but it is a real adventure. Bring a headlight and sturdy shoes. After Afton we cross a sandy open wash before heading up to Zzyzx. This is as far as I have been from the West, so I will be exploring with you for the rest of the day. Zzyzx is an old soda works and lake with quite a story of its own. We may not spend much time there, but we don’t want to skip it.
Next is a big pile of rocks that passers have left called the Travelers Monument. Feel free to bring a rock to add. From there, we continue east across Soda Dry Lake. I want to make a quick detour up Little Cowhole Mountain to see what some structures I can see on the satellite are, and it should be a great view. As we climb up past Seventeenmile Point, we will start looking for camp. There are lots of mines in the area where we could camp, but we probably want to cross Kelbaker Road and head up the wash to the left to find a spot out of the wind along the lava flows. Hopefully, we get into the camp with enough time to enjoy a meal and campfire together before turning in for some rest.

Day 2 - Feb 16
Total Expected miles: 65 miles
Camp: Drive home (option to camp near Piute Springs)

With fewer stops and fewer miles, we can afford to take a little more time in the morning, but we will still want to be on the road by 09:30. We will head north for a quick visit to check out a lava tube before heading back east to the first of a series of “Mailboxes” out in the Mojave. Next is Marl Springs, just a few miles up the trail, which is an old settlement with a spring. Some of the old buildings are still standing for us to explore. As we head east, we start to get into the Joshua tree forest. Watch for wildlife! After crossing Kelso Chima Road, we re-enter the part of the trail I had done before. We will head uphill to Round Valley and Cedar Canyon, where there are some historic structures we can check out, including “Government Holes” and “Rock House.” One of the last things I want to check out for the day is the old site of Lanfair. This old townsite was founded in the early 1900s by black settlers who came to Lanfair Valley to escape oppression and bigotry. The last time I came, though, I didn’t know this was here, and I blew right by, so I want to do a bit of exploring. The Piute Range is the last range on the trail. Our trip is drawing towards its close. There is a spot of trail that is a bit technical with off-camber and big rocks, crossing the southern end of the range. For our last stop, we will head up to Fort Piute, which is in a bit of a protected valley and will make a decent place to camp if you want to spend one more night on the trail. The trip will officially end about 5 miles further east at US 95, where anyone who is not camping will air back up and say our goodbyes.

The Mojave Road technically continues for another five miles or so across to Fort Mojave. There is some deep sand along the California—Nevada border. US 95 offers a quick shot up to Vagas to the north, or you could drop south to catch the Needles highway going back to Barstow or east toward I-40.

As long as there isn’t a storm rolling into the northern Sierra, my family will head north and probably try to grab a motel to clean up in Searchlight or something. Then, we will head up 395 or 95 on our way home toward Sacramento the next day. Anyone who wants is welcome to follow along as much as they want. If there is a storm, we will head back to Barstow and Tehachapi and up 99 or I-5.

Contingency: If anything goes wrong, such as a medical or mechanical problem, we will all work together to deal with it. We will also stop to help anyone we encounter in need along the trail. A number of north-south roads cross our route and allow evacuation to the north and I-15. It is a very remote area, and we will not leave anyone behind.

Join us for a grand dessert adventure through an unparalleled wilderness.
 
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BrewMeister

Trail Grom
Joined
Oct 8, 2024
Messages
5
Sounds like a good time to me! I'm in, and I will talk to a friend who might be interested as well!
 

Mash5

Trail Grom
Joined
Jan 27, 2023
Messages
18
Location
Cameron Park, CA
Sounds like all slots are full at this time. How about a sound-off from those who hold tickets and those on stand-by. Let us know what you are looking forward to seeing and maybe one question you have.
 

Mash5

Trail Grom
Joined
Jan 27, 2023
Messages
18
Location
Cameron Park, CA
I am thinking about changing the meetup to the Afton Canyon Campground (35.03889, -116.38292). This would allow anyone who wanted to camp together the night before. It would also mean we were camping at the meeting spot. It would streamline the first morning and shortcut Manix wash, which would allow for a bit later start... Maybe a driver's meeting at 8:00 and wheels up at 8:20.
I think my crew will camp there regardless, and anyone is welcome to join us, of course. If there are no objections in the next couple of days, I will make the official change to the meeting location/time.
 

BrewMeister

Trail Grom
Joined
Oct 8, 2024
Messages
5
I am thinking about changing the meetup to the Afton Canyon Campground (35.03889, -116.38292). This would allow anyone who wanted to camp together the night before. It would also mean we were camping at the meeting spot. It would streamline the first morning and shortcut Manix wash, which would allow for a bit later start... Maybe a driver's meeting at 8:00 and wheels up at 8:20.
I think my crew will camp there regardless, and anyone is welcome to join us, of course. If there are no objections in the next couple of days, I will make the official change to the meeting location/time.
I think that sounds like a great idea!

I'm coming down from Sacramento so it'll be nice to have a good spot to setup for the off road portion.
 

Mash5

Trail Grom
Joined
Jan 27, 2023
Messages
18
Location
Cameron Park, CA
Hearing no opposition. I'm going to make the change to the meeting location to Afton Canyon Campground (35.03889, -116.38292).
 
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