How about a Spring Time WTW Rally - Carrizo Plain ?

enelson said:
If the timing was better for me I would have been able to help out. My family homesteaded a ranch just south of the KCL campground. We still have the property and it would be great, have to talk to pops, to host a WTW rally. The place is 300+ acres so there would be enough room. The property has a road that would give plenty of access to camping without having to go tear up the place just getting in to camp. There is a trail to the top of Caliente from the property which I've never hiked or biked. I have only been there a couple of times, but heard the stories from my grandmother who lived on the property in a sod house when she was a little girl.

Eric Nelson
Click to expand...
This is a generous offer and solution to the problem of group camping on the Carrizo.
I would love to hear more stories from your family on the plain.
 
I wish I could offer the place without being there, but dad would not go for that. I'll call him and see his level of interest in a camping weekend.
 
RandyP and I went out this weekend to get a feel for camping options and general road conditions.

For a group our size, the best option for a designated "all weather" camp site is Selby Camp. 12 or 13 camp sites with room to double up at most of them. Also a large grassy area adjacent to the corrals that could easily accommodate 8 rigs. RandyP. is going to make a phone inquiry with BLM staff to get additional information.

Weather was cold & windy on Saturday as we headed as far south on Soda Lake Road (paved & improved dirt) as daylight would permit. Stops included Soda Lake overlook, Goodwin Center, Painted Rock tour and Selby & KCL Camps. Continued south on Soda Lake Road then west on Padrone Road (partialy graded dirt) towards the east flank of the Caliente Range to check the area out for dispersed camping. It's passable for high clearance 2WD if it's dry. Unfortunately we were in the clouds and visibility was down to 200 feet so we could not fully access camp site potential, but our general impression was that it's not suitable for our purposes .

We then headed back to the north and set up at KCL for a great night's camp dinner with good conversation around a blazing campfire. Scattered showers began on Sunday after midnight and we were greeted with a cold scaly rain upon daybreak. We began to head north on Soda Lake Road at about 10:00AM in a downpour, squishing and squashing our way for about 8 miles till we hit pavement.

I would not recommend venturing forth upon any of the unimproved dirt roads/tracks even w/4WD during or shortly after its rained.

RandyP and I are planning another recon maybe sometime later this month to work out the route and itinerary for the geotour. This time we'll take his jeep :).

We'll keep you posted.

Brian
 
Brian, thanks for reporting our weekend adventure on the Carrizo in the rain. Beautiful place with dark clouds and sun beaking thru to light up the temblor range in places. Looking forward to some more pre runs later this month or next when it's not raining. I'll try and make contact with the BLM re:camping.
 
Except when the earth opens up or pushes up you may not want to be under it. Don't go with actor Kevin Bacon the giant tube worms may get you ;) (wrong desert but they could travel.....). But still a neat place to watch the earth go up and down.
 
Maybe ...................................................... Total in party
Lighthawk


Count us out. :sneaky: We're going back to VA to visit with sister and Mom the same weekend.
Family changes are happening, and that's a priority.

Looking forward to many photos and TR's. I'm certainly envious of the photo ops with spring blooms and geology tour.
Have fun!
 
enelson said:
Mag 3.5. Don't cancel the trip yet! ;) Carizzo plains area is close to the big fault of course.
Click to expand...
One can literally stand on top of the surface trace of the San Andreas Fault along the west-facing slope of the Temblor Range, which is the eastward wall of the valley. So perhaps one might say it's not "close", it's dead on top of it.
 
I'm moving from 'maybe' to 'going!'. Party of 2. Looking forward to meeting the WTW crew. I know from long experience that Tuff Guy runs great field trips!
 
Vingage 62 have moved you to going. Up to 18 rigs, I am sure we will have to double up on some camp spots. If the park service asks we might have to tell them it is an like a flash mod :) Just saw it on the web and sounded like a good idea.
 
Hey Biil-give my old outfit some credit here-the place is managed by the BLM-not the park service :p! This dang National Monument thing again :eek: ! I'm still in the "not sure" on this; it all depends on how my back responds to rehab; that's a long way to drive from Suziville-this being a gizer gets harder each year!

Smoke
 
ICE Smoke. I tweeted my back last week working on my rental. Have had ice on it the last few days, getting better. I did order a speaker stand to raise the camper top the day my back went out.
 
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