Mojave Desert: Husky Monument, Burro Schmidt Tunnel & Randsburg

[2on2off]

Took my nephew to the Mojave Desert to show him around. He had only been there a few times with his young kids and wanted to do a more extensive ride to see the sights.

We arrived at the staging area in the Spangler Hills about 2 p.m. and unloaded the bikes, my XR650L and his TTR250, and then headed for the Husky Monument which was about 40 miles away on single track trails.

It was about 45 degrees when we left with no wind. The skys were crystal clear and it seemed you could see forever.

[2on2off]

On our way to the Husky Monument, I wanted to check out the Old WWII Air Base that I had seen on past rides.

We first reached the Cuddeback Dry Lake bed and could see the old base off to the east. It looked like a barren spot in the distance so we headed toward it.

We reached a gated entrance and the gate was open. There were no signs and the fence was not well maintained. We decided to ride around the perimiter of fenced area and eventually did see a sign that said, "Keep Out". We also saw a sign that said, "Video in Use". I guess that means they are watching.........It is a little spooky to be miles from nowhere next to what appears to be an abandoned fenced area and see a sign like that.

[2on2off]

From the Gunnery Range we headed south to find the Husky Monument. The trail we were on soon became a single lane trail that went from sagebrush to sagebrush in about 8 inch deep soft sand. I hadn't been using my GPS because I am so familiar with this area I didn't need it.

But, after miles and miles of sand and no road in sight, I finally turned my GPS on only to find out we were about 50 yards from the road.

Once on the road, I knew were we were and headed for the Monument.

In case you have never been to the Husky Monument, it is about 13 miles north and 12 miles east of the intersection of highway 58 and 395. Just remember to turn south at the big Josuha Tree and follow the dirt road.

The Husky Monument is now 20 years old. It was established by some friends of a rider who died. They took his Husky and cemented it into the sand at this location. Over the years, others have added memorials of other fallen riders.

Each year, there are new memorials. It is worth making the trek to see it.

[2on2off]

We stayed a while at the Monument and visited with some other riders who were at the monument for the first time.

We headed back to the truck about 4 p.m. via Fremont Peak, Cuddeback Lake bed, Joannesburg, where we filled up on fuel, and then back to the truck.

It took longer than I expected and we wound up riding the last hour in the dark and the temps dropped to about 36 degrees. Needless to say, our hands were almost frozen by the time we got to the truck. Once back I started the engine and turned on the heater and after a few minutes, our hands were back to normal.

We headed to town and stayed at the Motel 6 and a hot shower and had a great meal at the Cattle Company Restraunt. Even though we got a late start, we had a great first day.

More to come on day two..........

[matthewp]

Nice ride. If you got to the edge of China Lake, you may as well head to my place. It's literally right around the corner! I should get the Jeep out and do some exploring.

[2on2off]

We rode about 80 miles the first day with only the stop at the Husky Monument for a break which turned out to be almost 3 1/2 hours of non stop riding.

The next morning we walked across the street from the motel to Kristi's for a great breakfast. On the way back, we noticed some other riders and started up a conversation and what do you know it was two other pashnit riders, Fenny and Rick. They were heading to Lake Isabella for a street bike ride.

[2on2off]

When we walked across the street at the motel, the water in the gutter was frozen so we knew it was going to be another cold day of riding.

We went back to the same staging area and this time headed west to Burro Schmidt Tunnel. This is about a 25 mile ride through some very scenic desert mountains. We were joined by two Polaris Razr's and two Rhino's for part of this ride.

[2on2off]

Along the trail, we came across Holland Camp, an old mining camp from years ago. There are numerous things like this to see on many of these roads.

[2on2off]

We finally made it to Burro Schmidt Tunnel. If you ride there, don't stop at the tunnel entrance. Ride to the top of the mountain above the tunnel where you are treated to one of the best views in all the Mojave Desert. I would say it rivals any view in Death Valley.

From on top of this mountain, you have a 360 degree view of everything within 50 miles. To the south you can see Honda's test track oval and the small town of Cantil. To the west you can see the Piutes, Jawbone, Dove Springs, Robbers Roost and highway 178. To the north you can see last chance canyon and the dutch cleanser mines and to the east you can see Randsburg and Red Mountain. Truely an amazing view.

There were more people at the tunnel than I had ever seen before so the word must be getting out.

[2on2off]

From Burro Schmidt Tunnel, we headed east and then south to Randsburg. If you have never been to Randsburg, it is a must see as it is one of the only "Alive Ghost Towns" in the desert.

This is an active open pit gold mine and the town is a great place to stop and get something to eat. On a busy weekend, you will see an amazing variety of vehicles. You don't have to be on a dual sport bike to get there as there are two paved roads into Randsburg from Goler Road and highway 395.