MagicMtnDan
FRF Addict
Perhaps the best treasure in eastern California's Mojave National Preserve is a pair of tracks that cross the middle of it. This famous trail is the Mojave Road, one of the early routes that brought American pioneers to California. This trail is unique in that for most of this 138 mile stretch it is in much the same condition as the pioneers would have found it, and a lot of the trail passes through country that is virtually unchanged since prehistoric times. The road bisects the Preserve, wandering from waterhole to waterhole, and is mostly a 4-wheel-drive trail.
The Mojave Road was a main wagon trail for only a relatively short time, two decades after the civil war, when the railroads came, as the railways created an easier route to the south complete with oases on the bitter-dry deserts. While it was used, the Mojave Road was a route plagued by hostile Indians, a lack of water, long stretches of sand and rough hill climbs. For caravans of travelers and a handful of soldiers, it was a proving ground that brought out the best and the worst of them.
The Mojave Road is a 138-mile stretch of dirt road through the center of the Mojave National Preserve. The road leads from waterhole to waterhole, and is mostly a 4-wheel-drive trail.
Traveling the Mojave Road is a 2- or 3-day excursion, best made with a group of well-equipped off-roaders.
The trip begins at the Colorado River and ends in Afton Canyon near Barstow. The Mojave National Preserve is huge and empty. Except the store at Cima (which may or may not be open) there are no services of any kind available. Take plenty of emergency rations and extra water, and fill up your gas tank. Bring plenty of film for your camera; you'll use a lot.
The indisputable authority on this trip is the book Mojave Road Guide, written by Dennis Casebier. Casebier spent decades traveling the trail and has an insatiable appetite for history and geology. Mile by mile, the book guides travelers over the passes and through the valleys, 138.8 miles.
Links:
http://www.dirtopia.com/wiki/Mojave_Road
http://www.desertusa.com/mag99/nov/stories/mojavetrail.html
I have an opportunity to go on a 3-day trip on The Mojave Road next month (Fri 4/16-4/18). Let me know if you are seriously interested and I'll ask the organizer.
The Mojave Road was a main wagon trail for only a relatively short time, two decades after the civil war, when the railroads came, as the railways created an easier route to the south complete with oases on the bitter-dry deserts. While it was used, the Mojave Road was a route plagued by hostile Indians, a lack of water, long stretches of sand and rough hill climbs. For caravans of travelers and a handful of soldiers, it was a proving ground that brought out the best and the worst of them.
The Mojave Road is a 138-mile stretch of dirt road through the center of the Mojave National Preserve. The road leads from waterhole to waterhole, and is mostly a 4-wheel-drive trail.
Traveling the Mojave Road is a 2- or 3-day excursion, best made with a group of well-equipped off-roaders.
The trip begins at the Colorado River and ends in Afton Canyon near Barstow. The Mojave National Preserve is huge and empty. Except the store at Cima (which may or may not be open) there are no services of any kind available. Take plenty of emergency rations and extra water, and fill up your gas tank. Bring plenty of film for your camera; you'll use a lot.
The indisputable authority on this trip is the book Mojave Road Guide, written by Dennis Casebier. Casebier spent decades traveling the trail and has an insatiable appetite for history and geology. Mile by mile, the book guides travelers over the passes and through the valleys, 138.8 miles.
Links:
http://www.dirtopia.com/wiki/Mojave_Road
http://www.desertusa.com/mag99/nov/stories/mojavetrail.html
I have an opportunity to go on a 3-day trip on The Mojave Road next month (Fri 4/16-4/18). Let me know if you are seriously interested and I'll ask the organizer.
