Our first real trip in the ATC Puma. Dedicated to Jay.

[winks]

We went up north a while back to pick up a jeep, but we just spent one night in a campground.
This time we went for real.
The first night was in Johnson Valley, easy-peasy, I've been there in a car.

On the road to our next place.
That signpost up ahead...

Morning at Desert Training Center where Patton trained for WWII.

Saw about a dozen of these.

For some reason there were thousands of bees going after any moisture source. I have never seen them like that in the desert before.

So we decide to move a bit farther up an unnamed canyon I found 30 years ago where the remnants of Patton's camp was dumped when it was dismantled in 1944. It is up a nasty soft sandy wash with large boulders guarding it. It may have been a road 70 years ago, but nature has reclaimed it. High clearance 4x4, low tire pressure and luck is needed to get there.

I just turned around for this shot. It goes on for acres.

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This stuff is everywhere. There used to be a lot more. It is being scavenged for firewood. I remember 10x10 beams laying around. They are gone now.

There is wildlife everywhere here still. We encountered all kinds of birds, butterflys, dragonflys, coyotes, lizards, tarantulas, a grey desert fox, bats, bees... many bees,

 

[Dughlas Stiubhart]

Where is Johnson Valley, Winks?

 

[ski3pin]

Thanks for the trip report! These campers are happiest when they are used.

 

[winks]

Where is Johnson Valley, Winks?

Wikipedia-
"Johnson Valley OHV (Off Highway Vehicle) Area is a tract of BLM managed land set aside for recreational use by residents and off-highway enthusiasts. The OHV Area is bordered by Interstate 40 at its northernmost point, at Highway 247's northern leg to Barstow at its western border, and at Emerson Dry Lake/US Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center at its easternmost border. Off-Road Enthusiasts participate in a course known as "The Hammers", a triangular off-road track at Bessemer Mine Road at the southern point of Soggy Lake. King of the Hammers, an off-road desert race, utilizes trails found in "The Hammers". Expansion plans of the US Marine Corps AGCC Base plan to annex parts of the Off-Highway Area that threaten to permanently close access to the track."

 

[Dughlas Stiubhart]

Wikipedia-
"Johnson Valley OHV (Off Highway Vehicle) Area is a tract of BLM managed land set aside for recreational use by residents and off-highway enthusiasts. The OHV Area is bordered by Interstate 40 at its northernmost point, at Highway 247's northern leg to Barstow at its western border, and at Emerson Dry Lake/US Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center at its easternmost border. Off-Road Enthusiasts participate in a course known as "The Hammers", a triangular off-road track at Bessemer Mine Road at the southern point of Soggy Lake. King of the Hammers, an off-road desert race, utilizes trails found in "The Hammers". Expansion plans of the US Marine Corps AGCC Base plan to annex parts of the Off-Highway Area that threaten to permanently close access to the track."

Ah, that Johnson Valley. I've been to Barstow a number of times but have been travelling on 15 not 40. The land looks a lot like the Mojave Preserve where I have spent some time.

 

[chnlisle]

Camper looks great on the truck. I'm glad you're having fun with it.
J

 

[winks]

Camper looks great on the truck. I'm glad you're having fun with it.
J

After driving for miles on and off-road, setting up camp and fighting off the local fauna, it looks a lot better from the inside! Thanks, Jay!

 

[winks]

Thanks for the trip report! These campers are happiest when they are used.

These campers and this camper.

 

[ski3pin]

These campers and this camper.

Good one!

 

[winks]

My wife's ex-boss heard all about our trip. He begged to go along on our next one, so we are going to repeat our adventure with a guest, probably on Wed. through Sat.
I'll try to take better photos and make better descriptions.
This last trip was a great shakedown cruise. The camper was absolutely FULL of stuff. A real PITA. This time we will take a small trailer for bikes, firewood and coolers, etc.
I've never used a trailer off-road before. When you air down the truck tires, do you air down the trailer also?

 

[winks]

Well, through trial and error, I think airing down the trailer helps for deep soft sand.
I never got around to taking pictures on the last trip.
We went to the Virginia Dale mine near 29 Palms, and my stock F-250 long bed 4x4 truck had no chance of getting up to it, at least not with my driving skills. The road looked so nice on Google Earth. We camped for a night down below and boy was it a mess. Trashy beyond description.
We rode our bikes around and found a vertical shaft mine. My wife leaned over the edge looking down and shouted "It rubs the lotion on its skin!". I was creeped out for the rest of the trip.

 

[pvstoy]

Yes it does help lowering the air pressure in the trailer tires also to help spread the surface area the tire sees with the ground. Helps the tow vehicle to not have such a anchor behind it. Depending on the sand and the depth and dryness of the sand, air pressure can vary all the way down to scary I could "peel the bead off the rim" air pressure (that is extreme).

 

[craig333]

Be careful. It sure does help but make sure you can air back . Have I ever told the story when I got stuck towing my Jeep on the Jeep trail?

 

[pvstoy]

If the story helps others to know towing trailers is different on four wheel drive roads, and it is humorous (being more important part) yes please share.

 

[craig333]

Its much more humorous now than it was at the time. Flat towing my Jeep to the Molina Ghost run with a 1976 Dodge 4wd PU. Never been there before and me and a buddy were looking over the maps. Hmmm, looks like theres a shortcut, would save a lot of miles over the recommended route. Starts raining hard on the way down. Sheets of water are running off the road after I made the turn off I5. About halfway there the pavement ends. Big sign warning the road may be impassable in inclement weather.

The road also begins to climb. Made it a couple miles and I lose traction in the mud. Still raining hard. The road had a decent base, just slick on top. If I could disconnect the Jeep either vehicle would make it on its own. Its on a hill though, no way to disconnect the Jeep without help. Well I can try airing down the tires. So in the rain I began airing down. One tire then back in the truck to warm up. While I'm warming up I'm listening to the CB. I can hear the night run going on. I know I'm close. Oh yeah, its about midnight now. Finally get all the tires aired down and get back in the truck. Ease the throttle and yay, it starts moving.

Ford a few creeks swollen with runoff and finally make it into camp. Next day we do the Jeep run. After a ways we make a turn and hey, this road looks familiar. I'd gotten stuck on the Jeep trail. Whoops. So I don't let my buddy choose routes for my anymore

 

[Ted]

The road looked so nice on Google Earth.

That is so true. More than once I have planned a route or place to go by looking at roads on Google Earth, only to hear about as we go look for another route or campsite. Sigh.