Cathedral Valley, Mojave Road, and Calico CA

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SAS

Seeking higher vistas
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trailsoffroad.com held its inaugural Epic Adventure, 4-6 November, in Calico, California. There were attendees from six states, plus Alberta, Canada!


I traveled with a small group from Utah, Colorado, and Alberta; two Jeeps, and two Land Cruisers. Mine is a relatively stock FJ60, and the 45 is a well modified Canadian model--H-Series turbo diesel with H55, ARB lockers front/rear, etc.

We linked-up at Green River, then drove to Goblin Valley State Park, then off-road through Wild Horse Canyon, Cathedral Valley, and Factory Butte.


Here's a lineup photo at the beginning of Wild Horse Canyon.

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On the approach to Factory Butte.

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Cathedral Valley was extraordinary. We camped near this ridge in the campground (no dispersed camping allowed).

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The next morning we exited through Capitol Reef and drove west to Interstate 15 somewhere south of Beaver, Utah. We then drove south and camped in the Valley of Fire, about 30 miles north of Las Vegas, NV.

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We tinkered around on the backroads, and then got on the interstate traveling south to Laughlin, NV, where started the Mojave Road.

Camp at the end of day one on Mojave Road.

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We made good time on day two, arriving at the dunes east of Soda Lake, where we established camp for the evening.

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Day three, the final day on Mojave Road, we stopped at more iconic sites like the Mailbox and the Frog Shrine. We continued west across the Soda Lake, and through many miles of more dry wash. In this photo, TJ is setting up his UAV/drone for some spectacular aerial footage crossing the lake.

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We arrived at the end of Mojave Road, near Yermo, California. We stopped at the Burger Den for some shakes, fajitas, and burgers, and then a short drive to Calico where we set up base camp at Kramer Arch for the next three days. With the larger group of Trails Offroad contributors, we explored Doran Canyon, Odessa Canyon, Phillips East/West, and Afton Canyon.

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Awesome write-up T!
This excursion must'a been right up your alley, with all the Trails Off-road contributors... Must be a well documented event.
 
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@SAS Are you guys planning on making it an annual thing? I'd be up for that if open to new faces!!!
 
@Get outside

Yes, but the location will change each year--next year might be in Washington, or Arizona, or even New Brunswick, Canada!

There are a couple dozen trailsoffroad.com contributors in California, and they often have "local" activities. Check out the Calico area trails on the site, and use the page feature "ask a question" to see when's the next outing.
 
This excursion must'a been right up your alley, with all the Trails Off-road contributors... Must be a well documented event.

Yes, indeed! I have video segments to edit that I've not even viewed yet, not to mention everyone else's photos and videos!
 
I noticed one that I botched, but, oh well. Getting one prepared for Valley of Fire near Las Vegas.
 
This is a nice video, produced by Todd. Maybe it's the music....so mellow. But the scenery is splendid!

Cathedral Valley Loop
 
And finally, the Mojave Road!

Took a while for Todd to edit all the video footage and get the 70+/- waypoints written up, proofread, photos matched, and peer reviewed. But I think you'll like the product!

see the trail guide at: Mojave Road | Trails Offroad

 

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