Topic: 1/24-25 Joshua Tree + Bradshaw

[xtoolbox]

Thinking this might be a good time for a southern desert run

Meets:
1/24 10:15am @ LOVE'S TRAVEL STOPS #207
45761 DILLON RD
COACHELLA, CA 92236
http://search.yahoo.com/search?ei=UTF-8&fr=b1ie7&p=dillon+road+gas+station+indio&SpellState=n-2512887579_q-czO6ADrb7Sgdwb%2F82eaHYgAAAA%40%40&fr2=sp-qrw-corr-top

Berdoo Cyn [Easy to Moderate: ~ 25miles & 4 hours w/ Geo Tour Rd ]

Starts off in wash before the park border, passes through a fun rocky canyon, turns into a sand wider open track.  At the one way we will swing around to maybe the wind caves and dam at Squaw tank, continue down the geo tour towards Jumbo Rocks.

North Entrance: Mine Sites or Pinkham Cyn

For the 2nd half of the day may head down the Utah trail and try the dirt north entrance: Italy Mine, Goat,  Pinto,  North Star mines,  Music Valley Area just out side the park for camping.  Other possiblites include Pinto Basin Rd to Cottowood, Pinkham Cyn out to I-10 Catus City rest area.

1/25 Bradshaw Trail:

From mitch:  Sunday will be a trip down Red Canyon Road to the Bradshaw Trail.  Then west for a wash run to an oasis and then the Bat Caves and finally ending up at Hwy 111 near the lovely and effervescent metropolis of Bombay Beach. 
These would be a stock friendly trails with an opportunity for gas and groceries Saturday afternoon at Chiriaco

Other possiblities include connecting down I-10E, exit Eagle Mt Rd, Chickwall Mts exploring east as far as we feel looking going to the border

This run will be diverse and offer something for everyone from easy wash running, desert fast tracks, traditional trail rides, optional rock piles, with views, mine site, landmarks, and flora to see along the way.  Please post up if you're interested, have some other stuff in mind, etc.

Reference / GPS:
Guide to Socal Backroads and 4-wheel Drive Trails: Charles A. Wells
Berdoo Canyon #75

Primitive Group Camping Saturday night at someplace that looks good :

FRS Channel 1, Subcode 24
CB Channel 12

Brian

[FrankB]

I like either of those ideas Brian.   I can be there both days, and can help with planning or leading, whatever. Here are a few thoughts:

For Joshua Tree I was thinking we could do a mix of easy and challenging, by going in through either Berdoo or Pinkham/Thermal and then camping at the spot we found in Nov 2006 (I think it was in the Gold Crown area). That would make Saturday a pretty much stock-friendly day, then on Sunday those who want more of a challenge could head up into the mining district and out to Hwy 62.  If someone wants to make it a one-day trip they could easily exit on Saturday by driving back south on Old Dale to pavement (about 10-12 miles of easy sand); and we can set up a meet spot for Sunday morning at that point where the long straight section of Old Dale ends just before it starts up into the mining district. That is about where the trail from the camp site joins it. I would likely head into the Park itself on Sunday to do some exploring there, maybe try to tour the ranch if I can get there early enough.

For the Bradshaw the only real problem I see is if we start at the far eastern end it takes a long time to get out there to start. We could do it like the Mojave, spending Friday night someplace near Blythe and then running the whole trail east to west, which is supposed to be the better way for views of the mountains and Salton Sea. We could camp either near where we did in March 2007 (off Red Cloud Mine Rd.) or near Red Canyon, which looked pretty nice. The only thing with Red Cloud Mine is that it is a ways off of the Bradshaw itself. The spot was pretty nice, though.  If we wanted to see some of the east portion but still travel east to west, we could meet at Chiriaco Summit like we did in 2007, but instead of heading down Red Canyon go east on I-10 to either Wiley's Well or for something closer, the off ramp that leads to Graham Pass, and take that down to the Bradshaw. Might be a lot of highway driving though.

Maybe Mitch has some ideas, I think he knows these areas pretty well.

[Bobby B.]

Don't know if this will be an issue, but this guy says they put in a locked gate.  Might need checking possible alternate route in?

http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=20831

[AV Xterra]

I'm out already. Business trip 4-17 Jan. 

[FrankB]

It occurs to me now, as I sit here in sunny San Diego freezing my butt off, that it will likely be quite cold at night in Joshua Tree if anyone wants to camp.  Just a thought.

[Soylent Yellow]

I'm out that weekend too.  Mary is having her shoulder scoped the Thursday before so I'll tending to her.

[xtoolbox]

Changed to the following weekend: 1/24-25  so more people can attend

 

[FrankB]

Looks like I'm out for the 17-18th after all. Heather and I will be driving to Phoenix to see her mother.

[SuperSlideStyle]

I'd be in if it's on the 24th. of Jan. '09.  I'd go for Saturday only though.  Can't seem to convice my wife to camp out overnight (she's got this fear of lions, tigers, and bears, oh my!).  And snakes, scorpions, bugs, cactus, leaves, dirt, rocks...

I'm not giving up and still trying however.

[Goldfish]

So is it Joshua Tree or Bradshaw?

[SuperSlideStyle]

I prefer Joshua Tree.  Wait, which Joshua Tree is it?  The one north of Palmsprings of Hwy. 62/247 or the one much farther north towards central Cali.?  If its the one of the 62, I'm in.  Otherwise it's too far for me.

[Xterror]

If I can find my wife a ride to work on Saturday the 24th, I'll go for the day.  She won't drive my car because it's stick shift    I would prefer the closest ones to me, since Im going for 1 day.

[Paul]

We're good to go.

Trixie the Wonder Dog, Noon, and their driver, Paul. 

We're good to go both days and camping over night.

[Paul]

I'd be in if it's on the 24th. of Jan. '09.  I'd go for Saturday only though.  Can't seem to convice my wife to camp out overnight (she's got this fear of lions, tigers, and bears, oh my!).  And snakes, scorpions, bugs, cactus, leaves, dirt, rocks...

I'm not giving up and still trying however.

Get yourself a double bed sized airbed and a pump. That thing will fit just fine inside the truck. There's normally some of us camping in tents so the lions, tigers, and bears (oh my!) get their feed on them and very rarely attack the folks in their trucks. Since it's winter the sunsets early making it easy to find a quite rock earlier in the day for bathroom breaks.

[Soylent Yellow]

Mary's shoulder surgery got rescheduled so I'm back in!  Either place either weekend as its all in my backyard.