Mojave Road

Description

So, I have never done this trail and I really want to do this over 3 days.  This itinerary is a best-guess estimate of what we can get done each day and is completely flexible.  I want this to be a fun, enjoyable trip for anyone who wants to come.

Our plan is to leave the evening of Thursday, April 19th and stop at the KOA campground in Calico to drop our tow vehicles (I called and confirmed that this was OK).  We will take Ghost Town Road back to Hwy 40 and drive to Needles for the night.  We will be staying at the Americas Best Value Inn (dog-friendly).

Friday morning we will meet at the Avi Casino Gas Station around 8:30 am to gas up and pick up any last minute supplies and be ready to hit the trail by 9:00 am.  Remember - this is that last gas stop so make sure you have enough fuel for approximately 200 miles (134 miles of Mojave Road plus side trips and back to the next fuel stop).

Day 1 we are planning to make stops at Balance Rock, the Petroglyphs, Fort Piute and take a short hike up Piute Gorge to the spring.  We will stop for lunch at some point and will then go on to the old school bus, the penny can, Rock Springs and Bert Smith's cabin.  Camp for the night will be at Caruthers Canyon via Caruthers Wash if weather permits.  If it is too cold for Caruthers Canyon (elev. 5800') we will go on to East of Rock Springs or maybe Hole In The Wall.  By then we will be ready for a nice fire (we wil be bring several bundles of wood but if you have room please bring some with you too) with some good food and drink!

Day 2 we will plan on hitting the trail by 9:00 am and head to Government Holes and then a short side trip to Bright Outlook Mine for some exploring.  From there we will head to Marl Springs, visit the Mail Box and then another side trip to Aiken Cinder Mine.  The next stop will be the Lava Tubes (make sure you bring a flashlight for the tubes).  Camp for night 2 will be either Seventeenmile Point or Little Cowhole Mountain area depending on the time and distance traveled.

Day 3 we are planning on hitting Soda Lake, dropping off a rock at Traveler's Monument, and if time permits we will play around on the Sand Dunes.  We will then take Afton Canyon thru the water crossings (sometimes pretty deep!) and on to Manix Wash to end the day back at Yermo Rd / I-15 and back to Calico to pick up the tow vehicles.

As I said, the itinerary is flexible based on time and distance travelled each day.  We hope this will be a fun trip for everyone.  Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated.