Mojave trails?

[KBr00ks]

Hello SoCal folks,

Karen, new editor of Dirt Rag here... I'm working on a story and hope one of you can help me. Need someone to write a small piece on a trail or trails within an hour's drive of I-40 in California (this hwy. goes from Barstow, CA to Flagstaff).

This is for the second edition of our Interstate Ride Guide – last year we featured places along I-80.

I found a trail called the Cinder Cones Loop in the Mojave National Preserve that sounds really cool, but anything close to I-40 will do.

You can message me or email for more details...

Thanks!

[OTHRIDER]

Karen,

I've four-wheeled the Old Mojave Road twice and I can't think of any less-likely area ride a mountain bike. You're either on a dead flat utility road or a super loose twisty. VERY fun in my classic '73 Bronco but no way on my Heckler. The Cinder Cone route we took (maybe there's more than one?) was a great hike. It'd be hard to haul the bike up the steel rungs set into the stone. Lots of short sweet downhill areas but that's a long drive for a short ride. We've done Morman Rocks and Hole-in-the-Wall campground and neither seems like a biking hotspot. I've also done a lot of exploring in the Kelso, Provedence and Old Women ranges. Same story - lots of rough and maybe a few short runs.

This is a little far, but there is an easy, relatively scenic ride out near Dumont Dunes. You take a very flat road out to an oasis teeming with life. Again, a long drive for a short ride.

It's a huge desert - I wish you luck.

[KBr00ks]

Thanks Othrider - that sounds different from this description:
http://www.trails.com/view_complete....lID=BGS048-327

No mention of steel rungs there... But that's why I'm asking!

Unfortunately Dumont Dunes is farther away from I-40 than what I hoped to include...

I was interested in rides Mojave partly for the scenery, lava tubes and such - might make for an interesting trip for some of us Easterners, even if it's technically a road.

[bjammin]

OT: as a native east coast boy, I grew up reading DR.
I remember when it was in news-print!

[Pain Freak]

Karen I have some property out there along with other family members. We have spent many, many days out in the desert on our ATV's and motorcycles and I've yet to find anything close to the 40 I'd consider riding. I have rode along the sides of the freeway on some of the short trails, but they almost all deadend into canyons and the ground turns to sand or becomes so lose it's almost impossible to ride. The Mojave Trail is a great 4WD route, and I tried to bike portions of it, but it just isn't suited for biking. Good luck and I'll keep an eye out for the article.

[ericfoltz]

Karen, I-40 is tough for trails until you get to Flagstaff. If you did I-10 (LA to Phoenix) you would have better luck. Two of the best trails in Southern California (Santa Ana River Trail, Palm Canyon Trail) are pretty close.

[KBr00ks]

Yeah, doesn't sound so good....

How far away is Big Bear Lake from I-40? Anyone know? Might have to just go with that.

And thanks, everybody, for the good advice. I wouldn't want to send unsuspecting readers on a horrible slog through sand!