This will be an adventure to remember because we will be venturing many miles through a very desolate area.

I have split the Mojave Road into two parts. The eastern segment runs from "Seventeen Mile Point" (south of Baker) to the Colorado River near Laughlin. This time we’ll be traveling 48 miles along the western segment that stretches from Seventeen Mile Point to Manix Wash (just east of Barstow).

Mojave Road is the most important desert route in California. It played a significant historical role in the years 1860-1880. Mojave Road is an old covered wagon route that the most of the pioneer settlers used to reach the west coast.

Since May of 1981, a rugged group named the "Friends of the Mojave Road" has been laboring to mark and document this now recreational trail. As we traverse the expanse it covers, and we see the tremendous number of cairns (rock pile trail markers) and posts that have been planted to keep us on course, you’ll grow to appreciate the awesome efforts by these rugged individuals.

I highly recommend obtaining the Mojave Road Guide by Dennis Casebier. It is available at Allied Services in the city of Orange (714)532-4337. Allied Services is famous for stocking minimal quantities of a great many publications and topo maps, so… first come, first served. (I’ll have my copy of the book in the Eastside Four Wheel Drive Club booth, inside the Pavilion (donutorium), so stop by to have a gander and see what we’re doing!)

By reading this classic publication, particularly the introduction and pages 150-213, you will gain insight into not only the trail itself, but also into the historical events that shaped California's past. The Mojave Road Guide may make your journey even more enjoyable and uplifting.

The journey will begin after a brief drivers meeting at 9:00 in the parking lot at Bun Boy Restaurant in Baker. Just look for the world’s largest thermometer reaching into the sky. You really can’t miss it. Please fill your gas tank in Baker BEFORE arriving at Bun Boy, so the group will be ready to roll after the meeting. We are scheduled to leave the parking lot at 9:30 for the long day of adventure, so please don’t be late. Some of us will arrive early enough for a great breakfast at Bun Boy before a long day of fun.

Our Trail Adventure begins just south of Baker, as we find the thin Mojave Road and begin our journey. We’ll be motoring westward through a vast desolate expanse, crossing Soda Dry Lake, Rasor OHV area, and the Mojave River Floodplain, with all its smooth sand. We’ll take a break in the shade of Cave Mountain for some acoustic guitar worship and - depending on our progress - enjoy a brief side trip into Cady Mountains. (Cady Mountains is one of the many areas being targeted for closure by environmental extremists, so this may be our last chance to see this area.)

Somewhere along the line we’ll pause for lunch, so bring sandwiches, drinks and snacks. There will be no food or gas until Barstow. Incidentally, there are no established places for "pit stops" (there are no toilets out there), so be prepared with a little paper, soap and water.

Mojave Road ends as we travel up Manix wash, back to the pavement. Lower tire pressures are needed in the sand, but not to worry. I’ll have an unlimited supply of compressed air as we hit the asphalt. I highly recommend that you equip your vehicle with a CB radio, or at least a CB walkie talkie, so you don't miss out on all the conversations and chatter along the way. We’ll be on channel 3.

Despite the area we will be traveling in, no special equipment should be required for this stretch of the Road. Most stock FOUR WHEEL DRIVE SUVs should have no difficulty. Selected side trips may provide moderate challenges for thrill seekers and entertainment for spectators. No Adventure Pass or other special permits are required for this area.

I invite you to join us in a most memorable trek through this isolated, poorly charted and seemingly limitless stretch of the California desert. Mojave Road should never be traveled alone. You won't want to miss this event! Please sign up in the Pavilion as soon as possible.

Trip Specs At-A-Glance

• DATE: Saturday, October 19, 2002

• MEETING TIME: 9:00 a.m.

• DESTINATION: Mojave Desert, between Barstow and Baker.

• DESCRIPTION: Historic and picturesque old stage route.

• MEETING LOCATION: Bun Boy Restaurant, city of Baker.

• ESTIMATED TRAVEL TIME TO MEETING LOCATION: 2½-3 hours.

• RATING: Easy to moderate for Stock SUVs. If the stages made it, so can you. (I have a tow strap and winch, just in case.)

• MOTEL: Bun Boy has a motel, if you'd like to spend the night there before the event.

• MILES: Approximately 48

• MAPS: DeLorme p65 (7B), AAA Kern County (D19).

• DIRECTIONS: Take Freeway 91 east to Hwy. 15 north toward Barstow. Continue on Hwy. 15 through Barstow to Baker. Take Baker exit toward the giant thermometer. Gas up before arriving at Bun Boy Restaurant. Meeting in the parking lot of the restaurant.

• ROUTE TO TRAILHEAD: As close as I can tell you, we'll drive south on Kelbaker Road from Baker to Willow Wash at Seventeen Mile Point. We'll stop there to air down. If you're late and miss the drivers meeting at Bun Boy, make sure your CB is on channel 3 and you might still be able to catch us there.

THIS EVENT HAS ALREADY TAKEN PLACE. To see the Trip Report, click here.