Valley Dirt Riders Meetup

Afton Canyon Camp-n-Ride

Fri, Feb 13 · 8:00 AM PST

Afton Canyon Group Campground, Afton Road, Baker, CA, US

I will be hosting a Camp-n-Ride at Afton Canyon. Known as "The Grand Canyon of the Mojave" this is the only place where the Mojave River flows above ground year-round.

We will be camping at the Afton Canyon Group Campground which is 3 miles down Afton Road.

The group camping area does not have pre-determined spots. It has two restrooms, 4 large tables under a shade cover, and a large group fire pit. When entering the group campground, please take into consideration that we will have many big rigs parked in this area. Try to setup allowing for other rigs to enter, exit, and park.

Smaller rigs might want to consider camping in the main Afton Canyon Campground which is an additional 1/2-mile down Afton Road.

I have placed additional information regarding camping fees and photos on my website: Afton Canyon Information

I will be camping Wednesday - Sunday but only leading rides on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Friday Ride
We will leave camp and head over the mountain towards Basin Road. The trail will then parallel the railroad tracks East then cross the tracks stopping at the Mojave Megaphone. Then its across Broadwell Dry Lake and on to the Dairy Queen in Ludlow. Gas is also available here. We will head back taking a different route, cross the dry lake and follow the trail on the South side of the tracks back into Afton Canyon. We will stop at Spooky Cave (if you plan on exploring it, a flashlight would be a good idea). Finally, we will cross the Mojave River (assuming its crossable) and back to camp. 93 miles.

Saturday Ride
We will head North turning left under the tracks then dropping into the Mojave River dry wash. We will climb up to the top of the Triangles and take a short break. Then its North towards the 15 freeway and West for several miles. We will cross the freeway and take Alvord Mountain Road and climb up to visit the Alvord Mine. After checking it out its down the mountain and over to A&W Root Beer for a cold one. Gas is also available here.

Next, we will ride around the Cady Mountains and explore some of the many trails before heading back to camp. 90 miles

Sunday Ride
This will be a short ride of only 49 miles. We will head back up Afton Road, cross the 15 Freeway and head East around Cave Mountain. We will cross back over the freeway at Basin Road and head South towards the Rasor OHV Area. We will turn East and ride along the Northern edge of the dunes on our way to Zzyzx Spring. Assuming we are allowed to explore this area we will spend some time checking it out.

We will head back towards camp stopping to allow anyone who wants to play in the dunes. Then it's back West towards Afton Canyon and camp.

GPX File for this Meetup

These organizers are not professional guides or trained leaders and are not medically trained to handle emergencies. Please carry a personal medical emergency kit and any medications you need.

Motorized off-road driving/riding is an inherently dangerous activity that can lead to serious injuries including but not limited to slip and fall injuries, fractures, rattlesnake bites, heat exhaustion, poison oak, ticks and frostbite.

By participating in this event/ride, you agree to not hold these organizers liable for any harm that may come to you, your guests, or your property. Always remember to let the event organizer know if you are leaving the group. Stay on the trail, never drive/ride alone and use your own common sense.

Keyesville Camp-n-Ride

Fri, Apr 17 · 8:00 PM PDT

Keyesville SRMA, Lake Isabella, CA, US

We will be camping at the Keysville Special Recreation Management Area (SRMA). A map of the Keysville area can be downloaded by clicking this link.

There are north and south entrances for the Keysville Special Recreation Management Area. We will be camping at the north entrance which has space for OHV staging. This entrance also offers access to the area’s trails.

I will post more details as we get closer to the date.

These organizers are not professional guides or trained leaders and are not medically trained to handle emergencies. Please carry a personal medical emergency kit and any medications you need. If you require emergency rescue services, the cost of such services are your responsibility. If you want to purchase GEOS SARS 100 $39.95 / year. You must have your own Garmin InReach device or I can add you to my plan. If added to my plan it will only be valid when riding with me. I need 48 hours advance notice to add you to my plan.
(https://files.delorme.com/support/inreachwebdocs/GEOS_Search_and_Rescue.pdf).
Motorized off-road driving/riding is an inherently dangerous activity that can lead to serious injuries including but not limited to slip and fall injuries, fractures, rattlesnake bites, heat exhaustion, poison oak, ticks and frostbite.
By participating in this event/ride, you agree to not hold these organizers liable for any harm that may come to you, your guests, or your property. Always remember to let the event organizer know if you are leaving the group.

The "Salt Tramway" and Cerro Gordo Ghost Town via the Swansea Grade

Fri, May 8 · 8:00 AM PDT

Lone Pine California, Stages from Boulder Creek RV Park, Lone Pine, al, US

We are planning a camp-n-ride in Lone Pine in early May. Hoping the snow will be passable on the Swansea trail.

We will be camping at Diaz Lake and we will be reserving 2 group camp sites. The cost for the group sites is only $35/night and can hold 15 rigs. If you decide to stay in the group sites, I will post a link in this meetup that will take you to my website where you can select the number of nights and pay me directly on the site. You can also book your own site via Reserve America.

These are dry camping sites (water may be available). Many of their sites are in the trees, and some are lake front (check Google Earth or Google Maps Sat View). If you want full hookup's, you can book a site at Boulder Creek RV Resort, or stay in a motel in town. Boulder Creek also has cabins, and we will be starting our rides on the dirt road next to the resort. It is about a 10 minute ride from Diaz Lake.

Cerro Gordo Ride
This is an historical 4x4 trail to Saline-Owens-Valley Tram and Cerro Gordo Ghost Town via the Swansea Grade. It starts at 3500 feet and climbs up into the Inyo mountains to over 9000 feet.

The Saline Valley cable tramway was constructed between 1910 and 1913 by the Saline Valley Salt Works to transport salt deposits from the Salt Lake in Saline Valley over the Inyo Mountains to Owens Valley. Gondola cars carrying 800 pounds of salt, traversed the tramway at a rate of 20 tons per hour. A total of 30,000 tons of high-grade salt was carried over the tramway on and off through the early 1930’s.

Cerro Gordo was the first major silver strike in Owens Valley. By 1869, the mine was the largest producer of silver and lead in California, yielding ores that assayed at least as high as $300 per ton. Gross production of the Cerro Gordo mine from its early profitable years up until 1938 was about $17 million. About 70 miles round-trip

Reward Mine Ride
On Saturday we will hit the Reward Mine (which you can drive into. We will then make a stop at the Manzanar National Historic Site then on to the Alabama Hills. About 90 miles round-trip.

Alabama Hills Ride
On Sunday we will explore the Alabama Hills. We will navigate through the rocks and view some of the many sites. About 45 miles round-trip.

RIDE OPEN TO
Side by Sides

MINIMUM SKILL LEVEL
Intermediate

ROUTE SUMMARY

• Leave Diaz Lake Campground
• Stage at the Boulder Creek RV Park
• Ride across Owens Dry Lake on a dirt road
• The actual trail starts at Swansea
• Back via Cerro Gordo Rd down to Keeler
• From Keeler, backtrack across Owens Dry Lake

TRAIL CONDITIONS
I will check as we get closer to the ride date. The last time I was hope there, the trail into Cerro Gordo was unpassable so we went back down and took Cerro Gordo Road to the ghost town.

WHERE
The staging area for this ride is next to Boulder Creek but you can get to the staging area from Lake Diaz on a dirt trail; distance is about 2 miles.

Cerro Gordo & Reward Mine staging area coordinates (next to Boulder Creek RV Park):

• Latitude: 36°32'34.14"N
• Longitude: 118° 2'38.31"W

PREREQUISITES:
These rides are approximately 80 miles long. Bring extra fuel if you even think you might need it.

All participants should:

• Have experience doing long trail rides
• Be comfortable on rocky, sandy, off camber trails
• Be comfortable climbing and descending loose rocky trails
• Bring food, water and a coat (temp drops as we climb)

These organizers are not professional guides or trained leaders and are not medically trained to handle emergencies. Please carry a personal medical emergency kit and any medications you need.

Motorized off-road driving/riding is an inherently dangerous activity that can lead to serious injuries including but not limited to slip and fall injuries, fractures, rattlesnake bites, heat exhaustion, poison oak, ticks and frostbite.

By participating in this event/ride, you agree to not hold these organizers liable for any harm that may come to you, your guests, or your property. Always remember to let the event organizer know if you are leaving the group. Stay on the trail, never drive/ride alone and use your own common sense.