Dove Springs Canyon / Northern Mojave Desert

Explore the Northern Mojave desert at the southern feet of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. We'll take a jaunt across this very scenic corner of the desert that resembles Joshua Tree but is far more remote. The route is mostly newbie friendly with one fun and rewarding challenge for both new and experienced drivers.

THE RIDE
Check in 9am. Drivers meeting 9:15am then we air down and go. The main ride covers around 25 miles and could exceed 5 hours when factoring in a lunch stop and getting everyone through the main challenge.

We'll encounter a few remnants from prior mining camps, and could also encounter herds of wild-grazing cows. The forecast is clear so the trails will be easy to navigate. Some pinstriping from soft shrubs encroaching on the trail is possible but likely will wash off.

The main challenge will be Pucker Hill, a short and steep decent on soft sand that requires you just trust your rig and drive down it (hence the name) but was easily handled by stock rigs during our scouting run. The run ends back in the bowl surrounded by fun optional climbs for us to play on.

Several members are sticking around Saturday night for primitive camping that includes a dusk ride out to the Indian Wells Brewing Company then rolls into this Sunday ride... http://bit.ly/2H9kSPO (Please note campsite is port-o-potty only, no running water or other services.)

WHERE WE WILL MEET:
Type "Dove Springs Staging Area" into Google/Waze or use coordinates 35.426393,-118.020490. (Google Map: https://bit.ly/2DNxpGc)

Getting to this location means heading about 2.5 miles down a dirt road off the 14. It's hard packed so you can wait until you get to the meetup spot before airing down.

There is a port-a-potty at the location and no other service. Make sure to stop in the town of Mojave on the way up as it your last chance for affordable gas and supplies before rolling off the grid.

PACKING LIST
Lunch, drinks, clothing layers (will likely be cold in the morning and warm in the afternoon), good shoes for walking on loose dirt, a foldable chair (for the lunch stop), sunglasses, a radio (see below), and an air pump that runs directly off the battery (preferred) or through the cigarette lighter (much slower) for airing down/up, garbage bags (Leave No Trace!), and a spare tire because AAA is not coming to get you.

If you are camping then bring the usual camping supplies including firewood, food, drinks, sleeping arrangements, etc.

RECOMMENDED SPECS
Trucks or SUVs with 4X4 capability, front and back tow points, and a spare tire. The quality of these trails shifts with every rainfall but we scouted it in early April and didn't run into anything too crazy besides Pucker Hill. The worst we will likely encounter will be rutted and/or rocky road, short shelves, and rocks to 9". Grades are moderate but the biggest ones are usually avoidable.

RADIOS
The lead rig will have a 50watt UHF/VHF radio (message Jonathan Z for frequency--> https://bit.ly/2GjhhSc) and a 4watt CB Radio (channel 23) to accommodate the split among our members these two between formats. You should have either a CB or a dual band UHF/VHF radio for the ride in order to hear/participate in the ride narration and chatter. You technically need a HAM radio license to transmit on UHF/VHF but not to listen on one. Should you choose to join the conversation, do so at your own risk.

DISCLAIMER
The organizers of this meetup are not responsible for any damage done to your person or vehicle at this event, getting to this event, or after this event. We are a group of adults meeting up for an activity that takes a high degree of personal responsibility. All participants must do so at their own risk.

If you act like an asshat, douche, idiot, jerk, or in any way behave or operate your vehicle in a manner that is a risk or annoyance to others, you will be asked to leave the ride and be possibly ejected from SCORCH