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After a day of very challenging pre-running (both for Connor and Myself) it has been decided that the route for the upcoming run will change quite a bit. In fact, it will change a lot!
Our run will begin in Victorville, instead of our usual departure from Barstow. This will not only lengthen the run by a decent margin, but adds one of the more exciting of sections this area has to offer. The group will meet up in Victorville at 8PM, and prep the trucks and fill our stomachs before a quick driver's meeting. We hope to be on the trail by 9PM or so, heading northeast towards our eventual goal of Las Vegas.
This section of the trail is quite a treat for those who have never done it. As the trail turns from straight and smooth, to windy and hilly, the challenge is only amplified by the total darkness surrounding the group! Loose shale, and sudden dips and drops make the trail an exciting surprise for those who normall cruise the powerline roads or the wide open desert! From there, we will cross into a river wash for a short distance, to a small stretch leading over to the West side of I-15. From here, the path may be familiar to those who have done a Raptor Run with the Expeditions group in the past, except under the cover of night for the first time ever.
The group will fly through Fort Irwin roads at high speeds, with only our lights and the moon to show the way through about 50 miles of high speed dirt roads. The beginning of this section will challenge new drivers, as they dodge and weave the multiple cautions that are strewn along the first stretch of trail, as we finally enter the high speed sections of this run. From lake bed crossings, to rocky passes, and active mines, this trail has a wide variety of terrain to cover as we head towards our midway point of the run in Baker.
South of Baker, the group will pass through a challenging, yet passable section of desert which has seen recent changes due to the massive flooding and thunderstorms of the past few months! At night, this will be a new experience for many... This section will be short lived, as we head towards the Cima lava fields southeast of Baker, California. After a short stretch of highway, the group will head east towards the lava domes, as the group is in for a treat.
We will make a short stop at the Lava Tubes, which are naturally formed underground caves, carved from lava flows 1,000's of years ago. With the moonlight as our guide (and maybe a few flashlights
) those on the run will get to experience a very cool natural formation, at the most intimidating time of day... this requires descending into a completely dark cavern (with the aid of a staircase that was politely installed), and into the main "Lava Tube" room about 30 feet below the surface.From there, we will travel some of the more enjoyable roads, some of which many drivers call their favorite sections of trail from anywhere in the Southern California area... truly "Raptor Country". High speed trails with sudden drops, while still allowing speeds of 70+MPH comfortably. Very fun stuff... veterans of this stretch will likely continue to push themselves, as they have in the past. This stretch is littered with Joshua Trees on each side, and multi-colored dirt ranging from white, to red, to black.
From there the group takes our usual favorite route over the mountains into SkyRanch Estates... where we literally have no cautions marked for a good 20-30 mile stretch of incredibly pristine dirt roads, which allow for high speeds even at night. Unbeknownst to our drivers, we'll be passing through some of the most beautiful and scenic roads in this entire area between Barstow and Vegas, which will be hidden by nightfall or depending on our pace, may be a spectacular ride during the sunrise... if we're lucky to catch it there.
Our hope it so descend into Vegas between 10AM and Noon. This will allow for some serious R&R time, for all the drivers and passengers to really enjoy themselves on a beautiful afternoon in Las Vegas. No agenda, just relax, recover, and prepare for the group dinner that evening (TBD location). The group dinner will be a great chance to share the stories of day 1, hand out our driver awards, and award the raffle prizes for this run.
Day 2 will be a similar, but shorter route back towards Barstow, except this time leaving in the morning... forcing the group to brave the heat and daylight, for what we hope will be a quick trip back to Barstow, now that the group is familiar with the terrain we had experienced during the night. The return route will not be identical, as we will be stopping in Barstow instead of Victorville... to allow those who travelled long distances to make safe travels back home Sunday afternoon. We also may throw in a few surprise changes, to make things a bit more "tricky" on the return, time permitting.
Hope to see some of you out there... night runs are a blast, and this one will be enjoyed by all, I guarantee it.
Name: Creatures of the Night
Date: August 24th, 25th and 26th 2012
Type: This is a night Run starting Friday night the 24th. Day 2 will be a day-run on the 26th.
Destination: Las Vegas, NV
Meeting Place: Stoddard Wells Rd Exit, I-15 Victorville
Cost: $480.00 per truck $50.00 Per passenger.
Driving level: Intermmediate to Advanced. Family friendly.
What's Required: Off Road Driving lights, Lowrance GPS, Race Radio, and Helmets. Radio and GPS units are available for rent. Please call 949-581-5001 or email.
What's Recommended? 2 Spare tires are highly recommended. Raptor Expeditions will also be caring spares in the chase truck. Any thing in your truck must be securely tied down.
Technical Information: Helmets required on this run, If the truck is on the dirt and in motion your helmet must be worn no exceptions. The course will be pre-ran and marked on GPS. So all caution will be marked.
Accommodations: TBD, likely Hard Rock Hotel
Weather: 80F+ at night, 100F+ during day
Miles: 400+ off road
What included: Raptor Expeditions will offer on trail support as well as full chase support. The chase truck will carry spare parts and tools. We will help out any one who needs help with tire changes and other mechanical issues that might accrue. We will have 2 mechanics on the trail with us as well as tools and factory spare parts. Dinner on Saturday night and the awards raffle.
Please fill out the registration form on the Raptor Expeditions site.*
