Topic: South Bay LA area, looking for a 1-3 or 3-5 day trip coming up?

[Buddhist Warrior]

Pouring money into my truck, and I really want to show it off, hoping there is a trip coming up soon so my newb member status can be changed tp member 310-989-6826 hit me up for any runs.

[FrankB]

Pouring money into my truck, and I really want to show it off, hoping there is a trip coming up soon so my newb member status can be changed tp member 310-989-6826 hit me up for any runs.

Keep an eye on the Xcursion Forum, but I don't think you'll see many 3-5 day trips. The (usually) 3rd weekend of the month club runs are generally 1 to 2 days long. Paul or Brian may set up a 2-night Mojave Road trip in the Spring, and maybe Bradshaw Trail before that, which could easily be a 2-night trip.

If you want to set up something longer you would probably be better off researching something yourself and then asking if anyone here wants to join you.   Hint: the more information you provide the more likely you are to get someone interested.  There are lots of good guidebooks mentioned in the Xcursion Guidelines posting that you might find helpful. 

If you're looking for ideas for longer trips, maybe someone here can suggest a few trails.  If I were going to spend a few nights out this time of year, I would probably think of the Bradshaw. Even that might be a little cold at night though. You could easily spend several days wandering Death Valley, but be careful of snow on the way out.  Once Spring gets here there are several more options.

Just a few thoughts - I'll leave the rest for someone else.

[Soylent Yellow]

It's supposed to be cold out this way.  Overnight lows in the thirties.

[FrankB]

It's supposed to be cold out this way.  Overnight lows in the thirties.

So what happened to Global Warming?  I've been doing my part to warm things up, it doesn't seem to be helping.  I am so disappointed in Al Gore, I was hoping to have some warmer weather to help with the arthritis as I get older.

[AV Xterra]

So what happened to Global Warming?  I've been doing my part to warm things up, it doesn't seem to be helping.  I am so disappointed in Al Gore, I was hoping to have some warmer weather to help with the arthritis as I get older.

So many reasons to be disappointed in Al Gore...

[Bobby B.]

Now, now, he did invent the Internet...

[Ghost65]

Pouring money into my truck, and I really want to show it off, hoping there is a trip coming up soon so my newb member status can be changed tp member 310-989-6826 hit me up for any runs.

5 day trip coming the end of May, 2011.  GoneMoabX is taking place the end of May, there is a SoCal Caravan meeting in Las Vegas the Friday before.  We are meeting several Members from California, Nevada, and then running to Moab on Saturday morning.

Check out www.gonemoab.com for more information, or PM me and I will be happy to answer any questions you might have.

John, GhostX

[Buddhist Warrior]

Nice that 5 day sounds sick

[Paul]

You're going to have a challenge this time of year with one long trail.

The Mojave is good for five days but with the recent rains the Mojave River crossing at Afton canon is going to be as deep as it gets - which is to say as deep as the bottom of the windows or better on a non-lifted truck. Soda lake which was barely dry enough to cross last month will likely not be. That said you could pick up the trail from Baker and head out to the east with excursions north and south as the park has plenty of N-S activity as well as the normal E-W that we travel. Gasoline is going to be a challenge so bring lots of spare.

The Bradshaw is good for three easy days as a very good percentage is not more than a very well maintained and wide dirt road that can be traveled at 40-50 mph for long stretches. The St. Augustine pass is a wee bit of fun and coming back through the next pass to the east is easy. Government Pass is an easy scenic few hour side trip. But ... you can't go south on the trail (bombing range!) and there are few trails to the north.

The weather is going to be challenging on both desert trails as winter storms bring rain, cold weather, and to me worst of all - those 30-50 mile per hour winds. Watch the storm tracks coming down from Alaska or in from Hawaii and make a run between them.

I want to make another long excursion up into the central and northern ends of Death Valley this spring but they're also weather driven - too early and the trails are impassable in the snow. Too late and well ... it's Death Valley hot. In the middle are 45 days or so to hit the area while dodging the storms (see 50 mph wind warning above). I did it last year threading the needle perfectly. I watched the radar for days before hand and we finished with four days and three nights just as it started sprinkling as we hit pavement. 

The club will be hitting the Bradshaw this spring before it gets too hot - March or April are good in my book.

[Ghost65]

Paul, I just drove through the desert north of Las Vegas and around western Arizona...it was COLD.  Snow on the ground at 3,500 ft. elevation, and in the low 20's at night.

Driving through the north Mojave on Highway 40 wasn't much better.  I agree, maybe March or April...camping out over night in that cold and wind might not be too much fun.

[GUANO]

Paul, I just drove through the desert north of Las Vegas and around western Arizona...it was COLD.  Snow on the ground at 3,500 ft. elevation, and in the low 20's at night.

Driving through the north Mojave on Highway 40 wasn't much better.  I agree, maybe March or April...camping out over night in that cold and wind might not be too much fun.

North of Vegas?   On the 15 NE or the 95 NW?   Did you do Wheeler Pass from the 95 NE over the mountain to Pahrump?  I saw over 200 elk up there one time by Cold Creek, and there are always horses... There probably would have been a lot of snow up there and would have made for a pretty challenging run I can imagine...  Hell, when we used to go up there we were running big Fords and Dodges from the late 60's, early 70's.  Those trucks were some monsters!  I'm looking to do a run this weekend but since I have to have a baby sitter it will only be a day trip so i'm thinking Rattlesnake Cyn will probably be it again...   Think there will be snow up there?