Mojave Road
- Thread starter 5outta6
- Start date
K6ON
Old & Soft
craig333 said:K60N has a snorkel, we'll send him through first
5outta6 said:
You guys are funny
slash2
Senior Member
The "Mojave Road Guide" has the beginning at Fort Mojave on the Colorado River. The book suggests the Avi Resort & Casino on the Fort Mojave Indian Reservation as a convenient staring point with gas available.
"Alternate staring point. To start your trip at mile 3.5, the intersection of the Mojave Road and the Needle Highway. To avoid complications resulting from agriculture and construction in the river bottom, some people prefer to access the Mohave Road from Needles Highway"
"Alternate staring point. To start your trip at mile 3.5, the intersection of the Mojave Road and the Needle Highway. To avoid complications resulting from agriculture and construction in the river bottom, some people prefer to access the Mohave Road from Needles Highway"
slash2
Senior Member
Work wise, I won't know for sure until about a week before.5outta6 said:
slash2 said:The "Mojave Road Guide" has the beginning at Fort Mojave on the Colorado River. The book suggests the Avi Resort & Casino on the Fort Mojave Indian Reservation as a convenient staring point with gas available.
"Alternate staring point. To start your trip at mile 3.5, the intersection of the Mojave Road and the Needle Highway. To avoid comcations resulting from agriculture and construction in the river bottom, some people prefer to access the Mohave Road from Needles Highway"
Yes, Avi Casino is pretty close to the start. Near Fort Mohave, I think.
Best to start near AZ or NV so we can avoid CA gas taxes!
Dirt Rider
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Mighty Dodge Ram
Senior Member
Snow this weekend. at MNP
And rain at lower elevations, such as Soda Lake, which will quickly becomes impassable. This will require an early bailout. Fortunately, there are several, making The Road a perfect candidate for driving sections. Great for those of us who are just several hours away, but not so for those having a long drive.
And rain at lower elevations, such as Soda Lake, which will quickly becomes impassable. This will require an early bailout. Fortunately, there are several, making The Road a perfect candidate for driving sections. Great for those of us who are just several hours away, but not so for those having a long drive.
ntsqd
Custom User Title
X eleventeen! Might even invest in Mr. Casebeir's companion history book. And you can usually purchase those at the General Store in Nipton on your way out to the eastern starting point. If you can find copies I'll also suggest Bill "Shortfuse" Mann's "50 mysterious places in the Mojave" vols II & II as one or both of them list some interesting things about Afton Cyn in particular.K6ON said:
And yes, the depth of the water crossing has been getting deeper. There is no legal or viable by-pass. We had to pull the guy in the dark gray Pathfinder (not in our group) out of the muck with tracks in it on the right. To get there he had to go around the cable fencing intended to keep you out of there.
The Avi Casino has always been a good rallying point for us. Fuel pricing is both reasonable and is the closest to the eastern terminus. There's even some dirt parking lot camping to the north side of the main building.
Worst stretch for me is between Kelso-Cima Rd. and the mailbox. That portion is cross-grain to the normal desert floor erosion, so lots of nose up/down pitching.
If Soda Lake is not so dry DO NOT attempt to cross it. If it is even damp I'd go around. I grew up around debris basins that are similar to desert dry lakes and they have no bottom when they are wet. Attempting such a crossing will turn a fun trip into an expensive one rather suddenly and severely!
Having never done a deep water crossing like this, I wonder... how much water gets into the cab by leaking past the door seals? And imagine your trans and diff vents have to be up high to avoid sucking water into them?
ntsqd
Custom User Title
There's technique to crossings like that. You go just fast enough to push up a "bow wake." Doing so lowers the effective water level behind it. I might have been going a bit too slow, the last Tundy (bed shell) entered a bit too fast. Have to be careful with that, you can push the radiator into the fan with too much speed.
An important thing to know is where exactly the engine's air filter breathes at, both how high and where. We popped the top of the filter enclosure on both Tundy's which raised the air intake location to just under the bottom of the hood. Watching that video we should have done so on my CTD as well. It no doubt got close.
An addendum to my warning about Soda 'Dry' Lake; it can be dry enough on top to support you walking out on it, and a vehicle will break thru. Going around means missing a feature, but I suggest if no one in the group has experience in judging this sort of thing, and it has been wet not too long ago, that you go around. Who knows, maybe you'll stumble onto the Desert Megaphone while going around....
An important thing to know is where exactly the engine's air filter breathes at, both how high and where. We popped the top of the filter enclosure on both Tundy's which raised the air intake location to just under the bottom of the hood. Watching that video we should have done so on my CTD as well. It no doubt got close.
An addendum to my warning about Soda 'Dry' Lake; it can be dry enough on top to support you walking out on it, and a vehicle will break thru. Going around means missing a feature, but I suggest if no one in the group has experience in judging this sort of thing, and it has been wet not too long ago, that you go around. Who knows, maybe you'll stumble onto the Desert Megaphone while going around....
Adventurer
Gone Traveling
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+1 ntsqd said. The water isn't nearly as deep as it looks when you're watching a video like that. The bow wave makes it look much deeper as it is pushed up and forward. The bow wave actually creates a pocket of lower level water near the radiator/fan/intake if you're doing it right. It's a fine line because you can also create a situation where you're pushing water into the radiator/fan and cause the fan to stall or spray water all over the engine compartment which will foul (short) the engine.
The door seals will do a great job of keeping water out. Not perfect, but for a water crossing like that you usually don't have to worry much about water intrusion. Standing water makes for a pretty easy crossing, as long as the bottom is firm. When you're crossing moving water (creek) it's more sketchy because it doesn't take much to move the vehicle sideways and you're constantly losing traction as you "crab walk" across.
The door seals will do a great job of keeping water out. Not perfect, but for a water crossing like that you usually don't have to worry much about water intrusion. Standing water makes for a pretty easy crossing, as long as the bottom is firm. When you're crossing moving water (creek) it's more sketchy because it doesn't take much to move the vehicle sideways and you're constantly losing traction as you "crab walk" across.
Adventurer
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I used to live in Tehachapi, raised there. I miss it.
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