California here I come!

[REVERUP]

Road trip! Early March a few family's in our club are heading down to California for a week. This will be my first trip down to go ride. We are headed to the Ridgecrest / Mojave area which is about 1200 miles from where I live.

We will be checking out Jawbone canyon, Red Rock canyon, Spangler hills, and Dove springs. We will probably also check out the Husky monument and the living Ghost town of Randsburg.

This will be our first vacation since 2000, other than a couple of days here and a couple of days there.
I'm really stoked that my wife and I got the OK from our bosses to take the time off and can't wait.

If any of you know this area and would like to share any info about it that would be cool.

Roscoe

[slocalspode]

I have a .pdf file of the Jawbone riding area I'd be happy to
send you.
It is too large to post here as an attachment...I believe.
It is about 1.4MB
I looked at PM'ing you, but, can't find where to place the
attached file.
Jeff

[REVERUP]

Thanks Jeff for the maps. Looks like some fun riding areas.
I will keep you informed so we can possibly hook up for a ride while I'm down.

Roscoe

[slocalspode]

This may also help:
http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/ridge...open_area.html
http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/ridge..._ohv_area.html
http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/ridgecrest/spangler.html
http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/barstow/stoddard.html
http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/ridgecrest/panamint.html
The area you mentioned.
http://www.totalescape.com/active/ca...LM/mojave.html

Get a map and let me know where and what type of riding you
are interested in doing. ie: Open desert single track, dirt BLM
service roads to old mining towns. Mountain single track, sand
washes with miles of whooped out trails. etc...etc... I might
be able to steer you in the right direction if you have not already
picked a place to camp or stage your rides from.
Best wishes, Jeff

[REVERUP]

I am tagging along with a guy who is from the area many years ago, and goes down annually to do this trip. This is his 10th anniversary doing it. We will be meeting a few others that live in California along the way I have rode with them up here as they come up here annually. He already has an idea of where and when and what I was just wondering if there was any don't miss it kind of trails monuments etc.. Below is an Email I received from him if your interested in reading it. Thanks again for responding!

Roscoe

Travel Information – it is about 1,150 miles from Auburn to the campsite. Depending on the group going down, we can drive straight through or we can stop and spend one night on the way.
Lodging – I will be camping for the week. Hotels are also available in town, Ridgecrest, CA (5-25 miles away from camping sites). For those camping we will be relocating mid-week to a site about 40 miles from the first site.
Food – For those camping there is a grocery store in Ridgecrest. Even though I will be camping, I plan on eating in town several times during the week.
Cost estimate – this will be 10th year making this trip. While each person will be responsible for their own expenses, in years past we have spent between $600 – 800 per person. The cost seems to run about the same regardless of camping vs. hotels (due to higher gas consumption in the RV).
Rider Experience Requirements – all levels of riders are welcome. Depending on the number and skills of the riders we will likely split into two groups on most days. One or two of the days will be “destination” trips where all folks can make the trip, with detours around the technical sections for those who want an easier ride.
Bike requirements – a valid ORV sticker from WA and a gas tank with a range of at least 50 miles. Also a bike in good running condition since we will be as much as 20 miles from the vehicles on most days. Good tires are ideal. In fact I will likely start with new tires and replace my rear tire after 3 days of riding! Paddle tires are NOT required, nor recommended.
Daily mileage – we will typically cover 40 – 75 miles a day. Depending on the group and what rides we settle on (we decide over breakfast most days) we may do one trip of 140 miles!


Overview of the Type of Riding

There will be something for everyone on this trip. The general plan will be to ride different terrain each day. One day we will be riding single track through rolling hills across the desert floor will deep sand, miles of whoops, scatters rocks, scrub brush, and “Joshua trees”. Another day will expose the group to rocky mountain trails with loose shale, rock ledges, and scenic views. Another day will move the group into sand hill climbs, hard pack single track sand “competition trails”, and numerous climbs over and around mountains. Another day will include rocky climbs, ridgeline riding with “cross wind challenges”, and impossible hill climbs. Other day’s adventures will include one of several “destination rides” to places like the Pinnacles National Landmark or the “Husky” monument or a trip through Red Rock State Park. Each of these destination rides will include some “dirt road” riding (no license plates required) but almost all roads can be avoided if the group so desires. Keep in mind that many of the “dirt roads” are 4 X 4 accessible only! If we are lucky enough to get some rain one day, then we can ride some single track with sections that make Capitol Forrest mud seem tacky!



Games and Special Rides for the Week

Some of the activities that I am considering for the week include:

Hill climb competition – can anyone make it?
“Follow the leader” – the area has three different “open” riding areas that cover over 80,000 acres of land. “Open” riding means that you can ride anywhere your skills and machine can take you. So we may blaze some new trails! One word of warning here… it has been said that following a blind Indian’s trail made more sense than the trails I made in the desert!
Mini Hare Scramble – 2 or 3 laps on a marked course of 10 – 15 miles
Point to Point Races – sit on one hill top, pick a destination off in the horizon, and race to it! Pick an existing trail or blaze your own! Watch out for those washouts!
Night Ride – let’s get out in the desert to see what types of things come out at night!


A couple of noteworthy items:

There is a KTM shop in the City of Mojave (about 30 miles away). They carry a good supply of plastic, levers, and other stuff.
There is a Honda shop in Ridgecrest. They also carry a good supply of spare parts. Actually a few years ago we broke a shift lever and the owner took one of a bike on the showroom so we could get back to riding!
There is a Wal-Mart in Ridgecrest and numerous other stores.
There are several (read 4 or 5) good places to eat in Ridgecrest and several places sell and/or serve really cold beer!
The weather we can expect will be lows in the 40’s and high’s around 70. March is the 4th highest rainfall month of the year with average rainfall of ½ inch for the month!


Information on the Web:

Go to www.jawbone.org to get some information about the “Friends of Jawbone”. These folks publish the map that I will be using all week.
Look up Spangler Hills Open Area (a 57,000 acre riding area where you can ride anywhere your skills and machine will take you)
Another riding area is Dove Springs Open Area
Another riding area is Jawbone Canyon Open Area
Another place to ride is the Red Rock Canyon State Park (you must at least 16 years old to ride here)
Look up the Husky Monument
Check out the City of Randsburg, CA http://www.desertusa.com/magfeb98/Randsburg/Ran.html This is a small living ghost town that we will ride our bikes to one day.


Well I hope this information has your interest peaked about the upcoming club ride. At our next club meeting I will bring maps and other information to review with those that are interested in making the journey. Right after our regular meeting I would like to spend a few minutes with those folks that may be going on this trip. At this time we will be able to start making plans about who is driving down, etc. For example I will be driving down an RV, towing a trailer. I will have room for a couple of extra bikes and gear in my trailer. Also if someone wants to camp (read tent here!) they (and their tent) can ride down with me and my son Jonathan.



Please let me know if you think you will be going on this trip. I don’t need a definite commitment but I would like to get some general idea of the number of folks that may make this journey. I guarantee that you will not be disappointed if you make this trip! Also this trip is not limited to CFMC members. My buddy Allan from Chico and his brother-in-law will be joining us.



As a side note, Mike Rudolph and Will joined us last year. You can find his write-up on the CFMC forum under Race/Ride reports, dated February 25, 2007.



Gene

[Loosenut]

While I have only ridden in SoCal twice, I had a good time. I posted video of the ride after it rained down there. NICE! I wish I had the time and money to join you guys.

[REVERUP]

I plan bringing my helmet cam and a couple of cameras and will take many photos and post em on this site when I get back.

Roscoe