Mojave Redemption - 8 Days in the Preserve

This trip is going to be EPIC. In fact, once we complete our 8 days in the Mojave National Preserve, we'll probably be done exploring the area - we'll hit all the important bits, and will have no reason to go back - except to show of the coolest areas to our friends.

Famous last words! [smile id="rofl"] Spoiler: I need to go back.

To see and read about the first part of this crazy adventure, check out
Mojave Redemption #1 - Off to an Ominous Start​

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If you're interested in following along as soon as new parts to the story are posted, you can always sign up by entering your email over at the blog.

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Now, as I previously mentioned, our first destination was the Colosseum Mine - high in the Clark Mountains - where we'd have lunch before dropping down the other side into Alaska Hills. However, as we neared the mountains, we were pretty sure that those plans were about to change.

Read all about it in Mojave Redemption - #2 - Should We Turn Around and Go Home?

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...We had three stops planned here, but our first stop along this route was not for a cinder cone at all - rather, it was for a lava tube that's been made accessible for exploration with the installation of a metal ladder that ushers curious hikers down into the depths of the earth...

Read the whole story, and see all the photos in Mojave Redemption #3 - Cinder Cones and Sand Dunes





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...While on the Ring Loop hike, we'd spotted an ideal spot for camping just to the south of Hole in the Wall, and we made our way that direction so we could get setup and start dinner before the sun set completely. It was perfect timing as it turned out, a break in the clouds along the horizon providing an amazing show for us as the sun lit the sky from below. Combined with the snow-capped mountains, and tasty grilled hot dogs, it was a great way to...

Well, you'll see... in Mojave Redemption #4 - Hidden Mines and Highway Robbery

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...As you might expect, turning off the main drag onto New York Mountain Road resulted in the snow level got significantly deeper. Traffic had gone before us, but it had been light - two, or perhaps three vehicles over the last several days. We pressed on...

We'd encounter the deepest snow so far, and you can read all about it in
Mojave Redemption #5 - Into the New York Mountains

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...The sun now below the horizon, it was time to find camp. We considered for a moment the possibility of camping here at the Evening Star Mine, but the snow on the ground, and the mountains to the east - which would result in a shady morning - quickly had us searching for lower ground as the orange horizon gleamed before us...

Oh, and there was a bit of an issue with our rear bumper that we dealt with, and an RV that we winched out of a wash. Fun day!

The full story and tons of photos are in: Mojave Redemption #6 - Blue Rocks and a Dozen Cabins





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Awesome pictures. The desert with snow is an amazing sight!

 

...Back at the truck, we now had a decision to make - we could either head back out the way we'd come - over the washboard-power-line-road-of-death, or continue south on Yates Well Road. I knew the Yates Well road would eventually - if it were passable - connect to the Colosseum Mine, and we both felt that we needed a bit of redemption in that department, so we decided to give it a shot - after all, the worst that could happen is that we'd have to turn around.
Well, the worst that could happen is that we'd get stuck in the middle of nowhere and die from the cold, but that was unlikely. AmIRight?

Read the whole story in Mojave Redemption #7 - Redemption in the Clark Mountains









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Great pictures and write up. Makes me want to get truck ready and go!

 

Morning brought another nice day and a cloudless sky meant I got a few extra minutes of sleep - only jumping out of the tent as the sun crested Cowhole Mountain to our east.

It was our last morning in the reserve, check it out in
Mojave Redemption #8 - Zzyzx, The Last Word - By Design​

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If you missed any of the story, check it out here:

[part 1] [part 2] [part 3] [part 4] [part 5] [part 6] [part 7] [part 8] [rig review]

and of course, you can always sign up for notifications here:




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Another year of wheeling and camping is in the books. I find myself here writing a rig review as one of 2020's first posts, for the last couple of trips that we took in 2019. By and large, the truck performed well on those trips - In Search of Overlooks in Death Valley and though an unexpectedly snowy trip to the Mojave Preserve. There were - as always - a couple things worth calling out - so without further ado, let's get to it!

Rig Review: Death Valley & Mojave 2019 - What worked and what didn't?

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If you missed any of the story, check it out here:

[part 1] [part 2] [part 3] [part 4] [part 5] [part 6] [part 7] [part 8] [rig review]

and of course, you can always sign up for notifications here:




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The next trip has started - Read Death Valley Connections Part 1 - Look Who is Behind Me for the full story.