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- Jan 4, 2012
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2012 has been a great year for the Raptor Expeditions group, as we expand our operation to include much larger events, including a few private events, single-day runs, and more "Day in the Dirt" events. The full 2012 schedule will soon be released with dates and details of each run.
With that being said, we are pleased to announce the next upcoming run!
Operation: Desert Heat
Dates: June 23rd & 24th
Type: Point-To-Point 2-Day Run
Destination: Anza Borrego to Victorville (via Palm Springs)
Cost: $480.00 per truck. $50.00 per passenger
Driving level: 3/5 difficulty - All skill levels welcome
Accommodations: To Be Determined, Indio/Palm Springs area Resort
Weather: 90F +
Miles: 400
Terrain - Dirt roads, rock climbs, open trails, sand washes, rocks and down hill decents.
Driving Ability - Level 2-3. Beginner to Intermediate.
Accommodations- To Be Determined. We will pre-book the hotel and get a group rate for the night. This discount will be e-mailed to you.
Weather - HOT! It's called "Desert Heat" for a reason, prepare accordingly.
Description: Our next adventure takes us on a 2-day tour of the Palm Desert valley. This 2 day run finds us trekking through beautiful landscape, many routes rarely used by frequent off roaders. From low speed rock crawling, to high-speed flats and lake beds, this is truly Raptor country.
Day 1 will begin in Anza-Borrego with a group meeting early in the morning. Over day 1, the group will be led through the southern stretch of Anza-Borrego, continuing through Westmorland past the natural Bubbling mud pots on the way up to Niland. From Niland, we will find ourselves on the Bradshaw trail, eventually heading west towards Palm Springs, through a trail system with breathtaking views the group is sure to enjoy.
Day 2 will be an early start, leaving Palm Springs heading northeast through a wide variety of terrain, eventually blazing through Twenty-Nine Palms. Just north of Joshua Tree, the group will head northwest through some wide open desert trails where we will make great time headed towards our final destination of Victorville for this run.
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WHAT'S INCLUDED???
Oakley Trail Bag- This includes swag from Monster Energy, T- shirts from various sponsoring vendors, hats, lanyards, Oakley sun glasses, vendor stickers, contact info, etc.
Driver awards - 3 Event awards.
Vendor prizes - Over $5,000.00 in prize give aways from sponsoring vendors: Monster Energy, General Tire, Method Wheels, Oakley, Vision X, Volant Intakes, Azuinia Tequila.
Dinner - To Be Determined, catered dinner included in event cost.
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WHO IS QUALIFIED FOR THE RUN: Beginner to intermediate drivers who meet the truck requirements. The trail is challenging but enjoyable with some high speed driving. We strongly encourage a co driver!
SUPPORT ON THE RUN: Raptor Expeditions will have the full chase support truck and trailer fully equipped with parts, tools, welders, fuel, and spare tires. The chase truck will be at designated spots along the Rally, so when needed, it won’t eat up our time for a pit stop. Raptor Expeditions will also have 3 Raptors on the trail. The first Raptor, or lead truck, will lead the pack over the entire course and will be constantly monitoring the progress of the entire group as well as the logistics of chase meeting points and fuel stops. The second truck, RSV 4, will relay information from the Lead Truck to the RSV 2, and provide trail support as needed. The last truck on the trail will be RSV 2 and serve the purpose of sweeping the trail and making sure everyone gets there safely.
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Truck prep.
Raptor prep is a must prior to any Run. If one Raptor has a problem, we all have a problem.
- All services done on truck.
- All tires aired to proper pressure. (25 PSI recommended for Off-Road use)
- All equipment and parts securely tied down in truck.
- Fuel topped off and extra 5 gallons in bed.
- Tools, Jack and tow strap securely fastened in truck.
- Know how to use GPS / Radio
Requirements for the Run.
* DL / Reg / Ins
* Off Road lights. (Other then stock)
* 1 Spare tire in bed of truck. (Must be tied down)
* 5 gallons of gas in bed of truck
* Jack
* Tools / Tow strap (Bring only the basics we’ll have the rest)
* Food / LOTS of Water
* Helmets
* Radio’s VHF with our frequency
* Lowrance GPS Unit (We will download the course)
* Every thing must be tied down on the truck.
VHF Handheld Radios and Lowrance Elite 5M GPS Units will be available to rent.
To Register Please fill out link.
Registration | Outlaw Raptor Expeditions
To Contact Connor: [email protected]
Web Site: Outlaw Raptor Expeditions
---------- Post added at 10:57 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:54 AM ----------
This past weekend, the Raptor Expedition vehicle RSV 4 took to the trails with a few other Raptor owners for an Explorer run, to pre-run sections for Day 1 of the upcoming Desert Heat run. One thing that we already know from this pre-run... the name "Desert Heat" is fitting to say the least! This route will not only challenge some drivers mentally, but the heat will challenge ALL participants physically! One of the best parts of doing these runs through the area we're travelling through, is the isolation from other enthusiasts. Areas that have been crowded and full of OHV enthusiasts in the past, are now EMPTY leaving the Raptor to explore the wide open spaces from the comfort of your air-conditioned cab!
We left from Anza Borrego at around 8:30AM, before the heat was in full force... although to my 97 degrees at 9AM is still pretty darn hot! The start will be in Borrego Springs, which is becoming an RE favorite due to it's surrounding trail systems and scenery. The other added benefit, is for the folks travelling from San Diego, who don't have to drive quite as far to meet up for the start of the run!
One of the first stops of the day, will be "Font's Point" which is a simply breathtaking view of the Anza-Borrego canyons from a high vantage point. This is a view that few may have seen before, but one you don't want to miss.
From there the trail leads the group through a series of canyon passes, opening into some high speed wash roads. These wash roads are truly what the Raptor was made for! High speeds with minor obstacles, that allow you to push your truck as fast as you desire. Through a variety of washes, the trail will lead the group onto a few of the parks maintained dirt roads, through the Ocotillo Wells recreation area. This area is full of some beautiful scenery and well-groomed roads, allowing for a relaxing cruise through the area.
From there, the group will take a short stretch of Highway 86S, on their way south towards Westmorland near the Salton Sea. In Westmorland, the group can top off with a splash of gas, and refill on liquids! The group will depart north from Westmorland, towards the Salton Sea recreation area.
The Salton Sea recreation areas are basically no longer used... once the water level dropped, many of the once popular areas have become abandoned, leaving behind what looks like a ghost town in some instances. One particular area that we will stop for a group photo, is what appears to be a once popular boat lunch and picnic area, which has clearly been vacant for years.
It's visiting places like this that really make you feel like you're in a whole different part of the world... there's a bizarre and mysterious feel to the entire Salton Sea area, and surrounding cities, that can only be appreciated by exploring some of these areas. The route then takes us to the next oddity, which is very rare to see anywhere else in the world! The Salton Sea bubbling mud pots, where hot grey mud literally bubbles up to the surface, forming large volcano-like mounds of mud. If you're lucky, you can actually approach one of these pots and see the large pools of mud right in front of you.
and yes theres some desert heat down here! lol right now we are at 110 degrees on the city! imagine on the desert! lol!
