Mojave Road

[ntsqd]

My now 85 y.o. father has wanted to see the Mojave Road for some time. We discussed how to make it work with the vehicles available at the time and couldn't find a good method. Then his health started to go downhill and he decided it wasn't going to happen.

When he got past chemo & radiation he said that he'd like to talk about doing the trip again. By now we had a vehicle capable of the trail that would offer him some sleeping comfort, our CTD/Phoenix pop-top camper combo. The whole family talked about it and the consensus was that we should do it now while his health would allow it. Figuring that we shouldn't do it alone I put out a call to some friends to see if they wanted to go. We ended up being 4 vehicles, each with a Father & Son in them. Two with their sons, and two with their fathers. It didn't seem like all that big of a deal at the time, but each day seems to make this trip more special than most.


https://youtu.be/uWi5Un2IyUc

 

[ntsqd]

Before anyone asks, yes that is a Diamond-back rattler. After catching it (his friends said he's been known to cook and eat them) the guy in the hat gave the boys a stern lecture about how dangerous it could be if they weren't properly trained in catching venomous snakes. He then wandered off into the bushes well away from where people were and turned it loose. I was impressed as hell with those guys and I suspect that those boys will remember that snake for a very long time.

 

[Old Crow]

Wow-- love it!..... The photos are great and that drone footage really adds something special for us.

Thanks!

 

[Tuff Guy 62]

An epic trip for the ages. Thank you for sharing with us.

 

[craig333]

Aye, thanks for sharing, enjoyed tagging along.

 

[Ted]

Great trip and a very cool trip report. My Dad passed seven years ago. This trip will become even more special to you in the future. Good for you for making it happen.

 

[ntsqd]

Thank you, everyone. In discussing the trip we all had that feeling, that it would become an important memory.
It may have been wishful thinking, but it seemed like as the trip went on that he got in and out of the truck more easily. He wants to spend more time in Afton Cyn once it cools off again, so I expect we'll be making some trips out there in the Fall.

I've not been a fan of drones. I've been at some events whose ambiance was ruined or altered in a bad way by one or more of them. This drone was still noisy, but a lot less so than previous ones encountered. (Why can't they use ducted fans instead?) From a purely tech perspective it is an amazing unit. Camera is gimbled and has accelerometers in it's circuitry. It is quite stable. Enough so that I doubt that much digital image stabilization occurred in the footage linked above. Can be set to track a vehicle, person or stationary place on the ground and will hold it's reference to the limit of it's considerable abilities while never upsetting the relayed image. It's control unit uses a smart phone to Bluetooth the camera images to, and has arms that hold the phone so that the display can be seen while directing the drone.

 

[slickrock steve]

Thanks for sharing this!!

I have done the "Road", several times, and every time it is different views that i see. Glad the water crossig is not deeper! I see you guys also went up the rope at the "Spooky Canyon"! Fun crawl up that!

 

[ski3pin]

Wonderful memories for your family!

 

[Backroad Joe]

Nice you were able to do that with your father. Good video.

I'm somewhat surprised you were not mired in Soda Lake with all the rain the desert got this year. As far as that guy you helped get unstuck, it appears he was off trail, destroying the beauty that is Afton Canyon. I think I'd be inclined to leave him there.

 

[ntsqd]

He didn't make those tracks, rather those tracks made him think it could be done. He got a stern lecture from me, recommendation for a off pavement driving school, and I'm pretty sure his wife/GF/SO has cut him off, so to speak, for quite a while. Lystratta I think it's spelled......

I was thinking about Afton Cyn at work today. In years past there has been surface water in places further down the canyon form the crossings. Not so now. The invasive species Tamarisk/"Salt Cedar" invasion has taken care of that. Once it has cooled off out there I could be convinced to help with an eradication effort.

 

[CALIcamperdad]

Just read about the cedar salt. Dang... Very hard to eradicate due to the root system. Came from Texas brought into the states in the 1800'