Mojave Trip
December 18 - 19, 2006
By DChenster (1/16/2006)
It is a crazy year. I got my new truck without going anywhere because of my job, and I just waiting to take it out and play with it. So my friend and I decide to go somewhere fun to do some stuff for a couple of days. we planed and planed and planed without getting anywhere fast, so I just decide to go to the place I used to go just for the heck.
Okay, here is the the route that I decided, which is not too bad for a two days of distance. I took 5 North (from Orange County), 57 North, 10 East, 15 North, and then 40 East. Take camp at Granite Mountain off at Kelbaker road. Next day take off camp from Granite Mountain to Kelso Dune, get back at Kelbaker road, 40 East to Essex road to Hole in the Wall and lastly to Mitchell Cavern before going back.
12/18/2005 Sunday 2:00 P.M. Sunny
Pickup my friend at the home, gas up the Chenster Mobile, ready go to party, get on the freeway, and guess what? Sunday light traffic all the way. 5 North has light traffic, so does 57 North, which I pointed to my friend where is the Angel's stadium, Ducks stadium, CSUF, and Nixon Museum. 10 East is better, a least I can get maximum speed. Hint: never ever speeding while you are traveling long distance, you will feel suck for entire trip.
On 15 North to get to Bakersfield which it has world's largest thermometer to gas the Chenster Mobile up. Then my friend decide to get some food supply, which we went to a market to get some food, then go 40 East. It is freaking dark out there, so I started to be careful.
Hint to myself: get some spot light for the tundra.
I got off at Kelbaker, get into Mojave preserve, which according to my notes, I suppose to see a power company wood building so I can turn off to campsite, and it's so dark, that I don't see the for long time. Mmmm, am I lost?
Hint to myself #2: get better GPS.
After about 6 miles on the Kelbaker, I saw the power company fence, which I presume they upgraded their structure. so I turned off the road, into the off-road mode (4WD - On), and start to drive carefully to the campsite, it's so dark out there that my headlight doesn't do anything, so I take out my $24.99 Costco spotlight to shine on everywhere to get location, then I drive a little more to turn left and find one of the campsite.
We unpack the truck, started the camp fire, and ready for the chew. I wasn't planning for hot meal because I really hate to clean up, but my friend prefer something hot, so we setup the stuff and got something warm. there are a lot of desert wind, and when it stop for few seconds, everything became very quite.
He wa setting up the cooking stuff, while I was chapping some wood, setting up sleeping area, and taking some pictures. If you notice that he was cooking on the top of the tailgate, which it might be dangerous to the truck, but I got the LineX coating, and I want to see if cooking on it will damage the coating. It doesn't and everything clean up super fast. so next time I do know I do can cook on the tailgate, and won't be that much hassle to clean up.
The camp fire is on, but it doesn't feel so warm due to strong wind, but for the camping stuff, I do have nice fire. If you notice there are three chairs, but only have two people present because I got to different chair, so I want to test it out.
After dinner, we both got tired, but we just want to lay back and relax. During that time there is a desert rat running around, so I close everything before I got to sleep. There aren't too much to see in the sky because of the clouds, but it's full moon out there, it's bight enough so I don't have to use the lamp. I sleep in the the truck bed and my friend decide to sleep in the cab. It very windy throughout the night but I still got great sleep, not my friend, because cab is too short for him.
12/18/2005 Sunday 2:00 P.M. Sunny
It was sunny when I get up. so before my friend wake up, I went to the bathroom, walk around and took some pictures of surrounding area.
That's the reason people called it granite mountain, and it's pretty huge. I just love the morning when sun just started shine on everything, because it' s beautiful when the mountain reflect different color before the sun completely come up.
Nice little red, before a little bright red, and shine bright. Too bad my camera can't capture the scene because the light issue. But I hope I can get something better in the future.
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My friend finally wake up, so he started Breakfast, & I clean up the track bed ready for move out.
Oh, that's me and the truck.
That my friend who just waked up from hell....
Packing up...
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