TR - AZ and Mojave exploring

[evdog]

A couple months back I headed over to Phoenix to do the resurrected Curmudgeon 100 ride. It has traditionally been 100 miles, but in true curmudgeonly fashion no one wanted to do 100 miles this year, so it became 100km. Normally we start in the dark and I have always ended in the dark.
100km and mid afternoon finish would be plenty to get my desert fix!


The reasonable start time was still a bit early for me given the 1hr time difference, so I was up a while before sunrise to get going to the meeting spot.




We didn't spend much time in the McDowell Preserve, mostly headed straight north to the Gooseneck trail and over to Brown's Ranch where we'd spend much of the day




Brown's is pretty cool. You can lay down a ton of miles on mostly buff trails but there is also plenty of opportunity to play on and among the rocks




And the saguaros






Nice view of snow capped Four Peaks




I'd been on my own off the back for a while but caught up to a group of singlespeeders in one of the technical areas. I'd leapfrog them a bunch the rest of the afternoon, right til the end. Fun gathering and campfire at the day use area to finish things off. Fun to hang out with everyone again!

[evdog]

Going back to the day before I stopped off in Yuma to do some moto exploring.


Parked just north of town on the CA side and headed up towards Picacho State Rec Area.




Cool geography on the road north




Road passed some historic mines which were all fenced off




Did a quick stop at the state park but it requires a day use fee so didn't stick around. The road beyond it is pretty cool too with some nicely colored badlands.




It goes in and out of washes a few times as well




And had some nice views of the Colorado River




With boat in / drive in campsites




Came across a couple locals along the way




The main goal was to check out a wilderness corridor the jeep trail passes through and see if it would be any good on MTB. The verdict was - probably ok but not great. The washes were all filled with loose gravel. Sometimes thick, sometimes packed better.




Over by Picacho Peak the mountains were taller and more rugged




Road was rated high clearance 4x4 only but the only hard part was the few hundred yards below this pic, with some deep ruts and off camber with ledges.




Getting through the wilderness corridor put me on the wrong side of the range on Ogilby Rd, with some unknown jeep trails and freeway to get back on in the dark. Fun day out though. There are a lot more jeep trails on both sides of the mountains to explore.

[MarcusBrody]

Nice evdog! That's really cool.

I was about to pull my Mojave local card and contest desert names when I saw the saguaros in the first pick, but then I actually read/scrolled further and saw the landscapes I know and mostly love.

I'm really considering getting a motorcycle for basically what you used it for here. None of our vehicles are off roaders (and I don't really want to get a dedicated vehicle for that just because we don't have tons of room to park that many vehicles and I don't want to use it as one of our two main vehicles for fuel economy reasons). I sometimes take out my mountain bike just to see where roads go/access hikes, but Mojave dirt roads are often really soft and I've ended up just pushing my bike a lot of times rather than ride through sand. I have my motorcycle license (and an old Yamaha XS 650 sitting in a barn at my parents) and grew up riding trail bikes. I'm a decent rider, but not a great one and have no MX background, so I'm not worried about high speed performance or a bike's ability to land jumps. I just want to be able to explore where I can't now. I'm also not worried about road performance as I promised my wife I wouldn't ride on the road while we have a small child, but the bike needs to be road legal as I live beside Lake Mead NRA and bikes need to be licensed/street legal to ride any of the roads there, even the small dirt ones. I'd also like it to be streetable so my father than ride around on it when he visits.

How do you like the CRF 300? I always read that people think the suspension is too soft (especially as I'm ~200lbs), but as I mentioned, I'm not really looking for max performance. Another option is a Royal Enfield Himalayan, as I have a soft spot for Royal Enfields, having once explored Ladakh on one, and there is currently one on sale for 4k in my area. I had been waiting for our Ford Maverick order to come in so I could toss the bike in the back, but I'm tempted to jump on the RE now. I can drive one mile down the local street and access a pretty huge area of desert.

[evdog]

Haha, the Yuma stuff is technically Colorado Desert (part of larger Sonoran desert) not Mojave, although terrain looks similar. No Joshua trees that far south! But I definitely got into them later on this trip.


Sounds like the moto would be perfect for exploring your area. Desert roads that aren't great by MTB can be really fun on a dirt-capable moto. Although deep, soft sand sucks no matter what you're riding. Can't speak to the Himalayan but a smaller dual sport like the honda is perfect...street legal and can go on the freeway if needed, but is lightweight with wider and grippier tires to handle sand and rock and enough suspension to get by. The 300L suspension isn't great, but it's comfortable for general dirt road riding. Not sure I'd call it soft, even heavier riders seem to say it's fine as long as you're not on rough trails. Where it gets in over its head is steep sections of road with things like rocky ledges, repeated humps churned up by SxS's or deep ruts to cross with loose chundery rock. You get bucked around a bit on those types of things for sure. I'd imagine the Himilayan would have even more trouble, and you'll encounter sections like those often enough that not being able to take them on would limit ride options. Personally I'd go dual sport for a bit more off road capability. I may still get the suspension done on mine. Part to improve performance, and part because I want to lower the bike's height a bit more. Seat height on the 300L is still a bit tall for me at 34.5".

[evdog]

I had planned to stick around Phoenix for a few days and mountain bike but the forecast for the following days had enough rain that I opted to head back to CA and explore the Mojave Preserve.


Left camp in the morning and headed north up Hwy 60 and 93 to Kingman, then over to Bullhead City. I didn't get an early start so this took up much of the day, leaving just enough time for a short ride. A big goal for the trip was to check out parts of the Mojave Rd and water sources for a possible bikepacking route.


Turns out my truck with a moto carrier on it isn't really cut out for Mojave Rd. Some dips had the carrier dragging pretty hard.




Found a cool campsite not far off the Mojave Rd though




I saddled up and headed over to the old Fort Piute and Piute Spring




The Mojave Rd started as a foot path the Mojave people used to travel from their home along the Colorado River to the coast, passing a number of springs along the way. Later it was used by explorers and travelers before becoming a wagon route and mail route between Southern California and Arizona. Conflict with the Mojave people led the army to set up forts along the road to provide security for wagons before the route was abandoned.




Foundations of the fort are still in place




The original road went right up the canyon but it is only a foot path now. A stream flows above ground year round for over a mile through the canyon here, the most reliable natural water source in the Preserve




I kept hiking wanting to find the spring itself




There were some basins higher up holding water, but above this the water was underground.




The spring is located up a side canyon. Not seeing any water flowing above ground, nor evidence of a trail for that matter, I didn't climb up to look around for it.




There was plenty of stuff wanting to hurt you even on the trail.




Looking back down the valley to the desert floor




Losing light, time to go. I took an alternate road out which I regretted as the sand was miserable.

[MarcusBrody]

The Himalayan gets surprisingly good suspension reviews, but there's no real way of getting around its extra weight and less travel. Outside of the price, the other advantage of the Himalayan is the really decent stock range. I can hit the desert a mile down the road from my house and (I believe) go 50 miles as the crow flies while crossing only two paved roads. So there is a lot of space to explore with fairly inconvenient refueling options so I want something with decent range, even if I can't imagine doing too many 250+ mile days. The Rally version of the CRF300 has a much bigger tank, so that makes it closer, but again, at a higher cost.

I started looking for a used DRZ400, DR/XR650, WR250r when I moved to where I live now, but used prices went crazy so I kind of backed off for a while. Seat height isn't a big deal for me as I'm pretty tall, but I don't want it too high as I really do partially want to use the bike to lure my 70 year old dad out for more visits (or get him to go halfsies on the bike...). He's an experienced rider, but much more a cruiser guy at this stage of life and not as tall as I am.

Great second set of pics. It's inspiring, as its exactly the type of landscape I spend a lot of time in on a bike, foot, or in an inappropriately driven Transit Connect.

[evdog]

Less travel isn't a big deal if the suspension functions well. A lower seat height on the himalayan will help but that extra weight.... let me just say when you come to a stop and put your foot down and the sand is a lot deeper/softer than it looks and puts you a bit off balance, that extra 150 or so pounds can really add up. And picking it up won't be fun at all.

I keep an eye on CL and have seen prices have come down the last few months with bikes not seeming to move. If you're still considering used market I'd keep an eye out within a decent radius of home. You can add a desert tank if mileage is a concern. I'll probably do that at some point. Not a fan of the 120mi range since it's easy to put down that sort of mileage if the roads are fast. For now I have a fuel bladder I can bring but it's definitely nice to have a larger tank.

[evdog]

As cool as the campsite was I'd found I decided to head further into the Mojave Preserve to do more exploring the next day.

Drove up 95 and across 164 past Nipton to I-15. Started seeing snowflakes as I crested the pass and dropped down toward Cima Rd. Interesting.

I'd stopped to look at satellite imagery for campsites and had a few places in mind. But before I got far the snow became so thick that visibility was a problem. And it was sticking, the road was covered. I turned off onto a narrow jeep trail with fingers crossed the nearest campsites I'd seen would be free. The first one was not...the second one was.


Situations like this are why the camper is so nice. Flip two levers, give the wedge a push to open it and climb right in. Sleeping bag and pillows are in the canopy right below so I pop a panel out for a minute and pull those up. Ready to sleep in minutes....




Given the scene when I went to bed this wasn't a surprise, but still....what a sight to wake up to! Spectacular.




I just walked around for a couple hours taking it all in. Low clouds kept blowing over the nearby mountain and things kept alternating between sun and shade, blue and grey, bright then dark.










Mojave Cross next to the main road




I was starting to get cold so headed back to the truck




Even the cholla looked all soft and cuddly




Back to sunlight. Had breakfast and headed out.




Only had to drop down a little in elevation before all snow disappeared.


Mojave Road monument. Look closely and you can see the road weaving way off into the distance




Headed the opposite direction to check out Mid Hills campground. There is still some private property and historic structures in the preserve




It was a little cold back up in elevation at Mid Hills CG. Not a soul there. Dead quiet, and eerie.




A break in the cloud appeared on the way out. The road turns left and then back north though. Back into the cold cloud




Rock House was a bit lower down again so things were a bit clearer.




Went for a hike to find Rock spring. There was a pool of water at the base of this rocky canyon just out of sight that is reportedly fouled by wild burros. Higher up I found water running right out of the rocks and down the wash.




Every place there is a spring along this road, there was an army fort. Not much left of this one though.




This is actually a decent approximation of the bikepacking route I'm putting together. Take the La Paz Road (aka Bradshaw Trail) east and Mojave Road west. Rather than go to Prescott, which has mostly been replaced by paved highway, take the Arizona Peace Trail (ohv route) north from Camp La Paz (now Blythe/Ehrenberg) to Bullhead City (Fort Mojave). And at the west end drop down through Johnson Valley and Joshua Tree NP to finish the loop. Should have some really cool desert riding. 635 miles so far.




Checking out a bit more original Mojave Rd. In places there is less primitive road nearby that handles most traffic. Got turned around here by a short, burly climb that I don't have the clearance for.




Made my way back to the main road and then south. Stopped in at the Kelso Depot, an old train station that hosted a restaurant, library and housing for railway workers that is now a visitor center. Got there after hours so I could only poke around outside.




Nice view of the mountains, also reminded me it wasn't long until sunset.




No time to do much more exploring but I would have time to check out Kelso dunes nearby. Got a pretty good view of them right near Kelso depot





Walked a ways out, but the dunes are further from the TH than they look. Awesome light.




Walked out just far enough to have a good view in all directions. Killer sunset.

[MarcusBrody]

Yeah I don't know where the extra 100 lbs comes from between the the Royal Enfield and the 300L Rally (which has a listed weight with closer to as much fuel as the RE), but like any motorcyclist I'd prefer not to have it. I'm keeping my eye on the local used market, but so far nothing has really popped up. Lots of dirtbikes. Some bigger adventure bikes close to retail (which to be fair is better than above retail form the past two years), but nothing ideal yet.

[cat in january]

Thanks for the share. I love the desert, so different from where I live.

[evdog]

I ended up finishing a driving loop through Mojave Preserve and camping at the rock outcrop I'd been at a couple days earlier.


Plan for the day was to do a big figure 8 loop and check out some other areas. Quick hop back onto Mojave Rd from camp. The road was originally marked by rock cairns which are always on the right (north) side of the road as you head west. There are now carsonite posts in places too.




Headed downhill this time toward Fort Mojave / Bullhead City. I expected sand, and got lots of it. Recent rains kept it somewhat packed.




After riding it all the way to its terminus I looped around on paved road and headed over to Lake Mean NRA outside town. There were a couple beaches with dispersed camping I wanted to check out.




First beach is the larger one. Sat imagery showed a ton of campers, but not many people around. Maybe it was mid-week timing, or maybe the recent rain pushed people away.




If it wasn't chilly and windy I would have gone for a swim.




Headed back and turned down another side road.




This one dropped steeply into a narrow canyon that was pretty cool.




Nicer spot. Interestingly this one had a 14 day camping limit while the larger one was 7 days. Was very surprised it wasn't occupied.




Headed back to the highway and up to Christmas Tree Pass Rd.




As the name suggests it climbs up over its namesake pass. Killer views higher up.




This view reminded me of Moab with desert rock in the foreground and snow capped Hualapai Mtns in the distance. Got over the top of Christmas Tree pass and of course found a bunch of trees decorated with Christmas ornaments.




Got gas back down on Hwy 95 and then headed back south to Mojave Rd. Creepy abandoned buildings just off the hwy




And...go! Headed back toward Fort Piute which is up the canyon on the left




I would go around it this time on the official Mojave Road route. Piute Gorge beyond Fort Piute is now Wilderness which the OHV route bypasses to the south. The official Mojave Rd is currently closed due to a washout with a temp pass further south of that. I took the washed out road since I'd heard it was still passable.




No problem on a moto. Maybe a bit sketchy on 4 wheels.




Up top I rode across the plateau to the top of Piute Gorge. Nice views of badlands down below




Top of Piute Gorge. Could make out the original Mojave Rd route in places down below




Thought this shot was a throwaway until I noticed the ribbon of dirt reaching into the distance. Patches of white in the center are the abandoned buildings. Bullhead City is out of sight in the valley below. On the left you can see the southern tip of the mountains I rode over earlier in the day.




Road heads north from the lookout for a ways. Lots to explore out here!





I wanted to connect west to the Rock House from day before but was running out of daylight and still wanted to take the temp Mojave Rd re-route on the way back out to see what it was like.




Back at camp just at dusk. Shot of Balanced Rock. I was camped just on the other side of this outcrop.




Nothing to do but have a campfire and dinner.

[LeeLau]

The cuddly chollas caption gets a 5* rating. Well done on all

[evdog]

One of the main reasons to head over to this area was to ride the new White Cliffs trail network RaisingArizona has been building. Didn't want to ride it when it was too wet though, so I gave it a couple full days beyond when I was told it should be good.


Picked out a route that seemed to give a pretty full tour. Promising start with some contour climbing that had some nice rock to keep it interesting




Spicy Pickle was fun, I tried a couple different lines on the main technical section




Headed over to Skyline loop. Rode a few patches that looked fine but turned out to be very soft. Carried my bike over quite a few spots after that. Once on the rocks though it was solid.




Fun loop with lots of alternate lines.




Nice backdrop of snow capped peaks that you probably don't see too often




Crossed over the Ledges loop to Golf Course trail and soon scared up this buck hanging around trail side. Just saw a head poking up at first and it took a second to register WTF it was...




He headed just down into the draw below and hung out in the bushes. Seems like this is his little area.




Cool rock sections on the north end of the loop, seems to be lots of ways to ride it. Came across some ice even where a stream was flowing.




Headed back via Ledges Loop to Wash Trail and 19th Hole to Upper Loop.




Fun little system for sure and more stuff has been added since I was there. Think I only did 7-8 miles but it was high value miles. Add this to the other systems in town and you've got a few solid days of riding here now. Nice work RA!

[evdog]

There wasn't enough time left in the day to do much else so I headed west a bit to another area I wanted to check out along the Mojave Road. Afton Canyon is west of Mojave Preserve near the end of the Mojave Road where there are two notorious water crossings at railway bridges.


Made it to the area not long before sunset and found camp for the night. This is off one of the random I-15 exits you've driven past a million times but never given a second thought. One exit west of Zzyxx Rd I believe.




Opted to pedal in since it wasn't far. There was one rail bridge not far away. Mojave Rd pretty much following the Mojave River through here.




The mighty Mojave River




A point of interest to check out is Spooky Canyon. Looks a bit nondescript from here.




Wasn't sure how far up it went, but I rode the bike in far as I could.




Finally ditched it just around this corner.




The trail went from flat, up a narrow wash to vertical and using a rope to climb up walls of conglomerate and cobble.




Finally got to a point where I didn't want to go further solo, with no one knowing where I was




Mojave River almost getting respectable here!




Caught a train coming through. Would have been cool to get the shot just as the lead engine crossed the bridge, but whatever




First crossing. Since a trail just passed I went over the bridge. You can also bushwack next to the water and pilings




Looking back




The bigger, longer crossing. Was hoping someone would come along so I could see how deep it was but no dice




The only way across was the bridge but that still required crossing a muddy looking channel to get back on the road, so I didn't bother. Spotted this on the way back, looked like it could be another slot canyon.




It sorta was, but not a very deep one : )




Next train with a nice mountain backdrop




The train spooked up a pair of bighorn sheep which bolted across right in front of me (shot with 30x zoom)




Watched them for a while as they made their way up the slope. They went out of sight into a gully. Would have been cool to see them climb the near vertical ridges




Ride back to the truck went pretty quick. I still had a bit of exploring to do though. I got off the freeway at Yermo and headed south toward Johnson Valley bisecting a couple BLM Wilderness areas. Pretty vast area




Getting down into Johnson Valley OHV area (hosts King of the Hammers nearby) it was a bit of a junkshow. Basically an open ohv area where vehicles can and do go wherever, and everywhere. Did about 12 miles of "road" that looked like this, it was over 100ft wide at points as everyone seems to take a different line. Endless SxS whoops. Not fun in the truck! This was more scouting for the bikepacking route. Unfortunately the route is a bit hemmed in here between Wilderness, sandy desert and Twentynine Palms marine base. Might be stuck with this section.




That's it! Got down to Joshua tree around dark but opted to head home rather than stay an extra day.

[MakersTeleMark]

Great trip. Would love to see the rest of the pics.

As for the RE, I think fortnine summed it up quite well. No reason to buy that POS given the modern alternatives.

[raisingarizona13]

Nice photos and report evdog. Thanks for stopping in to check out our work in Kingman. There's actually quite a bit that's been added since then, some of the most fun stuff imho so come on back!

I saw that last big snow in Kingman that dumped almost a foot. It was extremely cool to see. The next day we rode down in Needles. That place is worth a minute imo. I hear the trails are on Strava. there's great camping right there too.

[evdog]

Yeah I'll be back at some point! Heading to the desert to escape rain this week but I don't think I'll make it that far north this time.

Are you guys seeing pics in the last two posts? I'm not. TRG will barely load for me the last few days. Pics in post #12 didn't show up for me until 2 days after I made the post.

Pics are posted if you're not seeing them. Just keep checking back lol.

[evdog]

Pics visible now. Is there a mandatory 2 day wait period now??

[MarcusBrody]

I can see the pics now. I couldn't yesterday. I really think that Lake Mead and the Mojave preserve are wildly underrate areas. I think they get compared to Joshua Tree/Grand Canyon/Zion/etc and aren't quite as spectacular on a mile by mile basis and so they don't attract nearly as many tourists and so don't offer nearly as much of a pre-packaged experience. But that's why they are so awesome. There is so much cool stuff spread out over so much area that you could spend a lifetime exploring and always be turning up new stuff.

[dft]

Epic stuff Evan!!