Making Plans for the Desert

I finally had the time last night to sit down with a map and a book
on the Mojave desert to start some serious research for our next
small expedition to the desert. This time it will be on the "old
mojave road" in eastern California. We will be driving from the
Colorado river west to Barstow on a dirt road. It is just under 140
miles of dirt road and supposedly some long soft sand sections plus
several passes to cross, it will be fun. This is scheduled for a few
days during the week after Christmas when we and Gerald and Quincy
from San Dimas will do the run together.

The old Mojave Road is an old supply route used by traders and
military trains in the late 1800's. This was not a well used route
for migrants due to the high summer temperatures and long stretches
between water. The route does lead across the desert from spring to
spring with dry stretches averaging about 18 to 30 miles. Turns out
one of these springs was the site of the last "shoot out" in the west
over water in 1925. Along the way we will pass the "penny can"
hanging from a joshua tree where superstitious wayfarers must drop a
penny in the can (who cleans out the pennies?). We will also pass the
Mojave Road mail box where the visitors log is located and we will
also pass the "government rock pile" on Soda Lake where each visitor
is encouraged to bring a rock to the middle of the lake to add to the
pile and to read the plaque. (the words on the plaque are secret and
known only to those who go out to the rock pile, OR to Guigni's
Grocery and Deli in St. Helena)

Eleven years ago we started this adventure. Gerald or I had learned
of the trail and we got together to drive about half of the road. We
promised each other that we would return soon and finish the
adventure. Eleven years is not soon but it is an indicator of how
caught up in life we can get. Mark was 2 last time we were on this
road. He turned 13 last Friday. Time is flying.