Desert Deluge II - Kelso Dunes, Hole in the Wall, Midnight Mesas, Wine Tasting

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UPDATE: MITCHELL CAVERNS WILL BE CLOSED FOR AN INDEFINITE AMOUNT OF TIME. DUE TO THE STATE'S BUDGET CRISES, MITCHELL CAVERNS WILL REMAIN CLOSED PERMANENTLY UNLESS A PRIVATE ORGANIZATION TAKES OVER OR LEGISTLATURE MAKES CHANGES IN 2013.

NOTE: I'M LIMITING THIS YEARS GROUP, SO YOU MUST SIGN ONTO THE WAITING LIST AND I WILL SEND YOU PAYPAL INFO. THERE WILL BE PLENTY OF PEOPLE IN ORDER TO ORGANIZE CARPOOLING (ESPECIALLY FROM LA). I WILL GIVE FURTHER INFORMATION FOR CARPOOLING IN AUGUST.

I WILL EMAIL DIRECTIONS TO CAMPGROUND, SUGGESTED ITEMS TO BRING, BASIC ITINERARY, EVENTS TO BE HAD, ETC AS DATE DRAWS NEAR.

COST WILL BE $10/PERSON AND WILL INCLUDE CAMP FEES, EXTRA BEVERAGES/WINE, DESERTS, FIRE WOOD, ETC

This is a weekend car camp extravaganza crammed with a miriad of activities under a sky of bright stars in a little corner of the Mojave National Preserve (MNP). MNP is nearly 1.6 million acres of beauty including singing sand dunes, volcanic cinder cones, Joshua tree forests, carpets of wildflowers, ghostly canyons, majestic mountains and mesas that can reveal long-abandoned mines, homesteads, and rock-walled military outposts.

The weekend of O http://photos4.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/b/0/5/6/event_23205142.jpeg ctober 22-23 will be a quarter moon, affording a unique photo oppurtunity of desert landscape, cactus and joshua trees. Some of the activities for the weekend will include a short (yet very steep) midnight hike to a table top mountain right next to camp. This hike is 1.1 miles long (one way) with 960 feet elevation gain. We will do this hike somewhere between midnight and 2 am on Friday night. Other activities will include visiting one of the few "living" sand dunes in the world (these sand dunes actually sing). And this year, we'll be sure to bring our snow boards, cardboards, sleds, anything we might be able to use to race back down the dunes. Right next to camp is a volcanic phemnomena known as hole in the wall. Nearly 18 million years ago, a volcanic eruption blasted outward from the nearby mountains. Propelled by the force of rapidly rising and expanding gasses, a ground-hugging cloud of ash and rock fragments spread out at near super-sonic speeds across the countryside. Hot, suffocating ash buried every living thing in the path of the blast. The toasted and fossilized remains of birds, mammals, and plants are now entombed beneath the volcanic tuff forming the colorful cliffs of Hole-in-the-Wall. I will guide the group thru a deep v http://photos2.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/b/0/6/3/event_23205155.jpeg olcanic canyon with deeply pocketed volcanic formations, gain high desert volcanic plugs, see great desert vistas to cinder cones and lava mounds.. This also, is right next to camp. And if time permits, for those with a little more energry, I will lead one more hike from Mid Hills, cross country back Hole in the Wall via car shuttle.

All this will be based out of a nice camp ground with flush toilets and running water.

Also nearby is Mitchell Caverns. Unfortunately, Mitchel Caverns is currently closed until October 2011. It may or may not be open by the time we arrive in camp. If its open, we can visit the caverns and walk through the two main caves, which Mitchell named El Pakiva (The Devil’s House) and Tecopa (after a Shoshonean chieftain). We'll get close-up views of stalactites and stalagmites, cave ribbon, cave spaghetti and flow stone.

HIGHLIGHTS:

Clean Campground: Runnng water, flush toilets, large fires, great BBQ
Quarter Moon: Surreal landscape by light of the moon
Kelso Dunes: 3 miles RT, 500 ft high, excellent chances to see foxes, kangaroo rats, scorpions and the Jeruselim Cricket to be found no where else.

Hole-in-the-Wall: 1.1 mi loop hike, featuring petroglyphs, slot canyons, ring bolts
Hole-in-the-Wall to Mid Hills: 8.5 mi hike one way, easy car shuttle req'd, slot canyon, volcanic geology, desert vistas, wildflowers, wildlife
Difficulty: Easy/Medium - for Kelso Dunes and Hole-in-the-Wall to Mid Hills.
Crowd Factor: Low
Scenery Factor: High

Essentials: There are no stores nearby. You must be completely self contained. Bring plenty of water, food, wine/beer, firewood, sunscreen, sun glasses, hat, warm layer system.

Photo's from last year's trip can been seen here:

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*WAIVER OF LIABILITY: This group, its organizer, assistant organizers, will not be held responsible for any injuries or accidents that may occur during group hikes or any other type of outings. If you sign up and come on this hike/outing you are acknowledging that you freely and voluntarily assume all risks of injuries and damages and agree to participate in the hike/outing.