2018 Progressive Mojave Trail Ride
April 22 – 27, 2018

The Mojave Trail Ride is having its 32nd trail ride in April. We invite you to join us in riding in the beautiful Mojave National Preserve. We have new routes and new camping spots. All will take place in the area of the Old Mojave Trail that the pioneers traveled coming to California from the Colorado River. The Ride will provide food for you and hay/grain for your horse, and water for both. We can accommodate 20 rigs. You must provide your own driver. You can have as many riders as your rig can hold. Riders that cannot take rigs will have their camping gear transported. We can accommodate as many riders as are interested. We are limited at some camps as space is tight. Fill your coolers with ice in for the days you arrive prior to the crew arriving. The ride will not provide soft drinks or liqueur.

April 22, 23 – Sunday/Monday
Baker Camp
The Ride will start on Tuesday, April 24 but the crew will be in the Baker Camp on Sunday mid-day. You can arrive earlier but you may have to move your camp so that the crew can set up the central group area. There is lots of history in the area, i.e. Cow Hole and Little Cow Hole, mines, Zzyzx (a religious “spa” run by Dr. Springer, a radio host, but now operated by the Mojave National Preserve and the California State University as a nature study conservancy) and other interesting sites around the area. No food/hay will be provided until Sunday night but Baker has various restaurants and fast food facilities, plus diesel and fuel. There are other services in the town. We suggest you pick up enough ice for yourself if you arrive early and until the crew arrives and begins serving you.

April 24 – Tuesday
Baker Camp to Corral Camp
The ride starts in the flats and travels up a rocky canyon past an old miner’s rock cabin and up past old mines to the top of the ridge. What a view from the top! The ride from the top will take you down into the valley paralleling the Mojave Road to the Corral Camp. This is a corral that was built by the OX Ranch and was operated until the Mojave National Preserve was established in 1994. You will also see cinder cones from old volcanoes.

April 25 – Thursday
Corral Camp to Thomas’ Place (new)
From Corral Camp the ride travels up the Mojave Road to Marl Springs. This was a stop on the wagon route and a water hole for cattle grazing in this area as well as big horn sheep and various “critters” in the Mojave. As the route continues down from Marl Springs, you can look to the right (south) and see Kelso Dunes. These are “booming” dunes and make quite a bit of noise when the temperature and dew point reaches specific points. The route continues down the Mojave Road and crosses Cima Road to Thomas’ Place. This is a fantastic stop at an old corral made of railroad ties side by side. If the wind is blowing it provides great shelter for the group fire and eating. There are springs in the mountains to the east….more than you would think.

April 25 – Thursday
Thomas’ Place (new)
We will have several rides today of various length or you can just stay in camp! There are several springs (Cottonwood, Live Oak, etc.) around Thomas’ Place (short rides) and a great old mine, Death Valley Mine, that still has a lot of old mining equipment, a house, etc. still intact. You are able to walk around and see all the interesting artifacts. The Death Valley Gold Milling and Mining Company first opening in 1906 and operated off and on through the 1950s. You will be provided additional information on this mine in the information provided after your application is received.

April 27 – Friday
Thomas’ Place to Lanfair Camp (new)
From Thomas’s Place the ride travel along the Mojave Road to Rock Springs. This was an old army camp and you can still see the rock corrals. From here, the ride will travel past some petroglyphs and veer off from the Mojave Road to the south of Lanfair Valley. In the 1940s, there were many homesteads established in the valley. Many are in ruins but there are many new ones. Traveling down old washed out roads and thru high desert habitat, the ride will finally arrive at Lanfair Camp on Lanfair Road and the end of the riding.

April 28 – Saturday
Lanfair Camp
This is “going home” day!! Breakfast will be provided and left-over hay will be for sale. We hope you have had a good time riding with us and will return in the future. Drive carefully.

Keep looking for updates on this year’s ride and plans for 2020!
norcomojavetrailride.com
mojavetrailride@gmail.com or
wmouse980@sbcglobal.net

For more information, and an application, please contact:
Bob and Josie Wright
980 Winners Circle
Norco, CA 92860
951.273.0603
wmouse980@sbcglobal.net