Trip report: The Mojave Road

[bemerritt]

Planning on going east to west on the trail this weekend. Ranger had no info regarding soda lake. Anyone go out this last weekend? Anyways, for anyone that has gone around it, how does this look? Or is it better to go thru Zzyzx?

 

[bemerritt]

Also, what is the best way to go around the river crossing? Doubt we even try it, between the large amount of rain and all of the stuff I have mounted under my van, I'd rather avoid it.

 

[REDOVAL]

Also, what is the best way to go around the river crossing? Doubt we even try it, between the large amount of rain and all of the stuff I have mounted under my van, I'd rather avoid it.

I doubt Soda will be a problem...you will be able to tell in the first few feet.

Use Rasor for the bypass. Zzyzx is technically private property at some point and they usually aren't too happy with that.

The water crossing is the only way out unless you exit at Kelso before the lake or Rasor after. The water is deep, but keep moving and you will have no problems.

Scott

 

[bemerritt]

My worry about the crossing is having my aux battery on my passenger rail, compressor driver side rail and my door seals are almost 20 years old.

 

[TomsBeast]

Nice write up, Dave!

Agree that Caruthers Canyon is well worth exploring, I've been there twice.

The one time I was at Rock Spring maybe 7 years ago, I bumped into small group doing the entire Mojave Trail, they were stopping for lunch at the spring, we chatted for 10 minutes.

I've been intrigued and wanted to do the entire road ever since. I bought a spiral bound trail book over Christmas, now your report has got me 'feeling the call' that much more!

 

[MiniBirdKong]

My worry about the crossing is having my aux battery on my passenger rail, compressor driver side rail and my door seals are almost 20 years old.

cmon baby... live a little :a2:

 

[REDOVAL]

My worry about the crossing is having my aux battery on my passenger rail, compressor driver side rail and my door seals are almost 20 years old.

You will be fine.....mine has all the same features and didn't break a sweat! Just keep steady throttle and you will be good to go.

Scott

 

[phlite]

Hi,

We ran the mojave road this past weekend from just outside Avi casino to Baker. Rains have made some sections potentially harder than in the past. There was one section coming up into lanfair valley that was kinda dicey. My friend didn't think so, but in the SMB, I thought it was. Soda lake is passable. And the ending river is passable. I wrote up a quick blog. Not as detailed as Daves, but still good!

Mojave Road, Mar 10-12, 2017: Mojave Rd

Chris

 

[daveb-SMB]

Even though I put the van in 4x4, the stream bed was firm. Plus it knocks off some of that caustic soda you get when going through the dry lake. I did have to crawl under to pull off aquatic vegetation that wrapped up in my axles and brakes. Afton Canyon is really one of the nicer spots.

 

[daveb-SMB]

Hi,

We ran the mojave road this past weekend from just outside Avi casino to Baker. Rains have made some sections potentially harder than in the past. There was one section coming up into lanfair valley that was kinda dicey. My friend didn't think so, but in the SMB, I thought it was. Soda lake is passable. And the ending river is passable. I wrote up a quick blog. Not as detailed as Daves, but still good!

Mojave Road, Mar 10-12, 2017: Mojave Rd

Chris

Great report. Guess that tells the story. Still don't know why my trip report had the pictures juggled around. There is a link to my web site report in the first post.

I didn't have time to see the Cinder Cone and just figured it's worth a revisit while exploring another local trail in the future. Just running the trail was time consuming.

 

[bemerritt]

Hi,

We ran the mojave road this past weekend from just outside Avi casino to Baker. Rains have made some sections potentially harder than in the past. There was one section coming up into lanfair valley that was kinda dicey. My friend didn't think so, but in the SMB, I thought it was. Soda lake is passable. And the ending river is passable. I wrote up a quick blog. Not as detailed as Daves, but still good!

Mojave Road, Mar 10-12, 2017: Mojave Rd

Chris

Just what i needed, thanks! Looks like soda lake should be fine and we should try the water crossing as well.

Sounds like you didnt take the bypass maybe? Right when I tell my wife there are no cliffs, you post that picture of stacking rocks.

 

[phlite]

Oh shoot I think you are right. It was a road pretty close to the fort Piute spur. Didn't realize we went on the closed section! well it's doable but not recommended. Very scenic up there.

 

[bad luck-SMB]

Great trip report Dave,
We last ran the Mojave road about 24 years ago. And we wanted to run it again in the jeep in January, but there had been so much rain that we decided to wait till things dried out. Maybe next year.

 

[daveb-SMB]

Oh shoot I think you are right. It was a road pretty close to the fort Piute spur. Didn't realize we went on the closed section! well it's doable but not recommended. Very scenic up there.

They closed that section??? I know years back they closed the original section that headed west out of Fort Piute itself. The washout you came across wasn't there in 2013. I know you can follow the power lines further down to skip the climb up to Lanfair but that part of the trail was the fun part IMO. As long as you made it I'd hate to see it closed.

 

[phlite]

Hi Dave, the section I'm referring to as closed was piute hill rd. The map that bemerritt showed looked like the same rd at "road wash out pt".

Chris

 

[daveb-SMB]

Hi Dave, the section I'm referring to as closed was piute hill rd. The map that bemerritt showed looked like the same rd at "road wash out pt".

Chris

Yeah that's the same trail. It gets a little rough on part of it (circled) but it wasn't bad or washed out like that in 2013.

 

[LandVan]

Looking to do the Mohave Road sometime this winter. Has anyone been out there lately?

 

[arctictraveller]

I haven't been on the road since last winter, but I'm planning on doing it again at the end of the month if you want some company I'll be attending the Mecum motor cycle auction in Las Vegas until the 25th, then have a bit over a week to kill prior to the start of the King of the Hammers race. Following that, I'm open.