J-Tree - Northern Black Rock Desert, and back

[LowTech]

LowTech,

I enjoy seeing the pictures of your travels but I have a question. The dirt roads around here are all on private property, is this Gov property that you are traveling on? What is the SOP for using these roads?

Thanks

We have loads of dirt tracks out here. Some are Fed land, open to all the people, in the form of National Forest, or BLM. BLM has gate policies that "if you find a gate open, leave it that way. . . If closed, close it behind you" We went through two gates on that dirt loop.
Some are just county roads. If it's a big county w/ almost nothing for towns, maybe one good size one, the county will not have the funds / equipment / desire / need to pave every road that exists. So the road connecting the town to some other town will be paved, not so much the rest of the roads. Some will be "improved", graded and/or graveled, and are often the worst . . . loads of washboard from people driving them at high speed.
We try to drive ones that are one step down from "improved"

This trip was almost all on pavement but that's NOT our norm

 

[LowTech]

Thanks for sharing. do you ever feel like you are driving the truck in the movie grapes of wrath sometimes with all the stuff you carry with you? i know i do.

W/ the people that we hang out w/, and the places we go, . . . it feels more like the Mad Max series.

 

[LowTech]

Two days after that dirt track exploring I was packed and ready to start my run south.


I had been watching the winter storm that was moving in from the far north, but got delayed by a day harvesting fuel.
As I left, just after dawn, the whole western sky was black w/ heavy clouds. This was deff riding the edge of a storm.
Crossing over the first low pass about 20 miles into the trip I started getting snow flurries. This is when I noticed that the windshield wiper on the drivers side cleaned an area too low to see through . . . I could see the hood well!
So now I'm driving like a hunchback . . . bumping my chin on the steering wheel.

About 200 miles south there was a place that I knew I could harvest some fuel from. First stop NAPA, I would need to get some parts to make the transfer pump independent from the trailer that I pulled it from when Elise left. Wire, batt clips, a high amp on/off switch, I also tried to get some big washers to space the pulley on my new alt . . . not here, I'll have to keep working on that.

As I neared Walker lake (Captain Walker?) I started to feel like I was almost ahead of the storm, but the snow was still chasing me.


After topping my tank and filling every container that I had, six 5gal units, I had enough fuel to make it back to the J-Tree base camp (fingers crossed). During this harvest I tapped into a drum off ATF. I had been wanting to burn some ATF and this was the first time I'd scored some. It was the cleanest looking fluid I'd seen in the last 2 years. I was guessing that it was un-used and had somehow been deemed unfit for use. As I pushed the pickup tube farther down every time it started sucking air I finely hit it . . . water. This is why I've developed the habit of pumping into a 5gal first, every time I change drums, or change depth, no harm done.
Now I just had to put on miles, lots of them, I was on a deadline. Elise was sched'd to do a show that weekend and set-up was Fri morning . . . it was Wens.


As darkness approached I crossed a 6,600' pass. There was a pull-off away from the road that would work for the night. Tomorrow . . . drive all day!

 

[Welder Sam]

Wish i could convoy with ya brother.

 

[quickfarms]

you miss a lot when you travel the freeways

 

[LowTech]

Wish i could convoy with ya brother.

You just have to get your azz out of those tick infested woods and back to the snake & cactus infested desert I'll be happy to do some desert runs w/ ya.

 

[LowTech]

That night the wind blew in gusts all night long, making the aluminum buckle and sound. Nothing like being in a thin metal box when the wind is blowing.
The next morning I woke pre-dawn to a grey/white world. "is that just the color of the earth & scubby sage?" . . . Nope, it's snow!

As the sun climbed about the mountain ridge the world around me lit up.


Now it was time to drop in elevation, I had until dark to reach J-Tree.
A mile down the road it was snowless.

Sometime around mid-day I cut through the southern end of Death Valley and rolled into the Mojave.


I only had 3 high passes, 4 major valleys, 2 low ridges, and 1 long grade to make base camp . . . our Oasis.
As I crossed the last pass the sun was low in the sky . . . and I knew the rest of the way was heading west


It was just getting too dark to be running w/ just my running lights when I pulled into the Oasis . . . YES!!! Dawn to Dusk.

 

[bigmike]

Very cool run. You make it sound so easy...I'm always nervous when taking my truck on long drives. I think somethings going to happen. Your trip and adventures give me courage to take more "risks" with my truck.

 

[LowTech]

That was a Thurs night that I rolled into camp, I threw my pack into the She Beast and Fri morning we headed to the music fest. The next three nights were spent camping and vending.


Then I had to get ready for the Dirtbag Gathering. It was two weekends off . . . and of course I was going to get there on thurs

Thank you all for riding along

 

[Welder Sam]

One day.... i hope to be able to do this