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.
2/18/2005 Sunday 12:00 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 my photo skill sucks. But I hope I can get better in the future.
My friend finally wake up, so he started Breakfast, & I clean up the track bed ready for move out.
Oh, that’s my friend, I, and the truck.
The Undercover Lid sort restrict amount of items that I can put in the truck bed, so I had to put all the food items and water in side the access cab. So I might need additional space to able to utilize the full Truck Bed.
Continue on is the Kelso Dune, it’s just right up on the road, so we go there and testing out the suspension of the truck. The Kelso dune is great, it’s sand, blowing from different locations, and Nature build sand dune.
There are the explanations, which it explain why things formed.
I am too lazy to get on the dune, been there, sitting on the dune, and look at the sunset, plus its cloudy day, so I just look from afar this time.
Desert Animals
Then I hit back to the 40East to get to the Hole in the wall.
Too Bad The shed is closed, it only open on weekend, and We Arrive on Monday
In the parking lot, you can see how far and how many years been through here. Just in case you don’t know, each sedimentary layer are several years in the settlement of soil, and that’s thousands of years.
Here are some signs explain how the area are formed:
We Decide to take a drive and walk on the Hole in the Wall, because while we wait, there are Boy Scott coming and ranger will open up the Mitchell Cavern (INFO) at 1:30 PM.
The Drive to Hole in the Wall:
The Hole in the Wall:
Thare are Holes in the wall… caused by the wind and small particles start to make the holes bigger in the wall during the area under the water, and many years later the holes are showed after water recessed.
Mitchell Cavern:
Arrived 2 hours early because I drove too fast so I park on the parking lot of the Mitchell Cavern to take a break against the advise of my friend.
Mitchall Cavern info: INFO
The tour is great, there are natural formations only few in the world, that took thousands of years to grow. Someone destroyed 3000 years worth of history by breaking off the tube. Going down more, feel more moist, and smells funny. After the cavern, we take 5 hours drive home, and had excellent time.
Please check Mitchell Cavern Info for detail: INFO
If you are interested in Travel or want to know more about Desert or Mojave, please check http://www.desertusa.com .