Post trip report: First night at Afton we got rain into and through the night. There were lots of mosquitoes being so close to the water even with the winds those suckers are tenacious. A bug suit may have been appropriate,,,,,, Lots of invading frogs through the campground. In the morning the rain subsided and everyone packed up camp and headed out. Afton Canyon had a lot of water flowing through it which made for a lot of mud. The water crossings were about the same as always. We made the decision to head out along the railroad tracks and north into Jackass Canyon because Soda Lake would have been impassable. About 3/4 of the way through the tracks 3 vehicles got stuck pretty good. We had a good recovery drill going on in a very difficult situation because of active rail road tracks and obstacles and angles. Scuba Dale did a great self recovery which helped things out a lot. Shorts and Teva's aren't optimal for this type of activity but they do work in a pinch. After some time everyone was pulled out and we were back on our way with lots of railway spikes sunk in around 1920.
In Jackass Canyon, I had a small issue with the rear tire carrier that was dealt with easily enough. At this point it was getting long in the day and our second nights camp was still a bit of a distance away. The winds really began picking up through the day significantly dropping the temperatures. By the time we got to camp #2 it was pretty darn cold with ripping desert winds. Folks set up their camps as best they could and ate some food. A small fire was started with a small congregation that lasted about an hour or so before folks ditched out of the deserts winds to their camps.
It was a rough nights sleep with the tent collapsing and ballooning due to the alternating pressures and high winds. Some of my tents structural integrity got compromised and I got up in the middle of the night and put some 550 cord with prusik knots to work. With the help of Mrs. Celt wandering off finding several BFR's I was able to secure the tent. After we crawled back inside, through the night I heard the distinct sound of hammers and tent pegs so you get the idea. In the morning people started getting up still under ripping winds attempting to break camp. I can attest that easy ups no matter how they are anchored might not be the best suited for these winds but I'll let others with closer experiences with this chime in. By this point everyone was sick of the wind as it was very difficult to get stoves and the like going for breakfast. I think most just ate something of a cold breakfast.
On a lighter note, I started playing with my 2m radio at the foot of Beale Mt. waiting to get going. I was able to very clearly talk to someone in Covina Ca. After that, I hit the Big Bear repeater in the middle of their emergency net which had well over 200 people in the roll call so I didn't try and step in with that. Anyone familiar with this area would be interested to see the distances for a 2M contact.
Anyway, we got packed up and took off. The next stop was NY Mountains and we had our planned camp with no issues. There was a couple ahead of us that just came up for the day and made lunch but shortly took off. The night came on and was pretty darn cold as we were at 5600ft. We got a really nice fire going and once the big coal bed developed it was super nice. I did hear some rumor of Fire Ninja and body sushi going on in the large wall tent to our S/E but I cannot verify any of these reports. Perhaps they will be able to post up with some info on this................ Being very tired, I went to bed early. I "heard" even left 1/2 a canteen cup full of rum and coke behind by the fire (Blasphemy).
Next morning we got up and everyone seemed to have a big breakfast and breakdown their respective camps. In short order we took off and spent the day travelling through the open desert on a really nice day. Hopefully some pics will follow. We crossed the remainder and some aired up just outside of Laughlin. We went in and claimed our respective hotel rooms for a much needed shower, hot meal and rest.
The next day the lions share of us packed up and headed home. Sage Bromax and I headed back out westward on the road after some minor re-stocking. Shortly after Ft. Paiute we went back up the grade and across the Mojave Rd. We turned south and started looking for mines. We found plenty of open pit mines and some really interesting terrain. After a few more hours of exploring some uncharted terrain we decided we should find a camp. We decided to get deep into a wash and make a camp for two night there mainly to rest up a bit. We had some really nice camp fires with great food. On the morning of day one we took a short walk through the wash to check things out. We quickly saw snake track and then some coyote track. Where things got interesting was we saw large deer track headed back south. As we walked around we saw some big cat tracks following the deer tracks so a Mt. Lion and that deer passed very close to out camp that night as the tracks passed over Sage BroMax's vehicle tire tracks.
Our last night was very clear and calm through the night. Still very cold and made you want to put on everything you had once you left the heat of the fire. If I'm saying this anyone who knows me understands where I'm coming from. We got up early and headed out the next morning. Since we broke camp quick we didn't have much of a breakfast. We stopped at Goffs and got a cup of coffee and headed out. Since $25 per vehicle to drive through J-Tree was a little excessive we headed out through 29 Palms. The trip out was really rough with a strong headwind and very interesting driving habits by many local individuals all along the way home.
Once we parted ways we were able to keep contact on the 2m using a repeater to make sure both of us got home. All in all I think this was a very successful trip. The conditions were not perfect or even good like we had last year. The conditions we had this time was much more like I expected to have last year. I can say this though. This group of guys were amazing. Everyone jumped in without complaint every time anything was needed and still had a great attitude. This trip wasn't for everyone as we really had some rough conditions but we got through it and did so in some style. I will post some of the pics I took later and if I can get the Go-Pro footage I took I'll do so. This was one of those trips that I really appreciate everyone on it and all their help. You guys are all the ones that made this such a great trip!
Thank you very much for attending and I hope to do it next year! You guys are awesome!!
Mrs Celt, Scuba Dale, Chimpanzee, Fire Ninja, Fathead +2, Jayrat, Sage Bromax, JVR, A.J. AKA #2 +1.
