Even before getting the Winnebago Revel, I've watched many videos and blog posts of people overlanding on the Mojave Road. The road condition didn't look that bad, except maybe a few spots, and I've always wondered if the Revel can make it through. Well, wonder no more. This definitely checked off a box on the bucket list. We finally got a group of like-minded folks with capable vehicles and decided to take on the Mojave Road in March as it should be a good time for the desert before it gets too hot.
It turns out, mother nature had a different plan for us. As you see above, we started from mile-zero on a gorgeous sunny day in Arizona. However, after we passed Fort Piute and climbed up to Lanfair, it started to snow. We were planning to camp up in the New York Mountains for the first night, but since some of us were not prepared for the cold weather, we came back down to Rock Springs to huddle around the camp fire.
Next day, the desert proved its resiliency and gave us back the sunshine that we sorely missed. As we trek our ways through the Mojave National Preserve, we find the trail was not a technical run, but an endurance run. A seemingly straight dirt road cutting across the desert, but we couldn't drive faster than 10 mph due to the constant bumps and dips that'll really shake your car from side to side if you weren't paying attention. Finally, we reached our second camp site in the Aiken Mines, so we can visit the Lava Tubes next morning.
The best has yet to come. On the third day, after getting our "spotlight" in the Lava Tubes, we headed west again for the Traveler's Monument. We were concerned about the road across the Soda Lake since it was raining a few days before, but it was dry enough for us to pass, and we dropped off our rocks and looked at the famous plaque atop the monument. You'll have to visit it yourself to see what it says. Then, it's off to dash across the sand dunes, which was surprisingly fun. Afton Canyons provided many small stream crossings, leaving the biggest stream crossing for last. I heard due to railroad maintenance, they had filled in the famous deep water crossing with rocks so it was only 1-2 feet deep, which is not the next photo.
So, we've done it. I get the feeling that I'll be doing it again in the not so distant future. The desolation, the challenges, the comradery, the thoughts of "I can't believe people use to ride across in horse wagons", they all have a way of drawing you to come back again. For the full set of photos, [CLICK HERE].
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