yokrieger

Scout camping is cool, especially with archery! I did BSA snow camping with my kids last weekend at Hi-Sierra camp. So we had a chance to test our sleeping gear close to 10F. Now we should be ready for Bowman. Looks like it will not be warm.

Scout camp was fun! There used to be a jet-ski class at our local BSA Camp Cedars (Midwest council) - Unfortunately our troop may or may not have led to that class' closure due to "risk mitigation measures" 😕
To make up for it, years later I matured, and entered myself as an indentured servant teaching First Aid and Rifle Merit Badge.

All balconies dream of being this useful, I am sure! : )

Fitted the roof top tent with the help of a hand winch mounted to the upper balcony







Needed to modify some tent shell clamp mounts to avoid the driving lights (two of which are now wired)

Now I feel extra cool parking at work




All set for Bowman Lake this weekend.

I'll be there

I think I know that truck.

A couple D90’s hanging out in the parking lot by the auto shop near my work. Regularly see rovers over there. Allied Auto Works in Los Altos. Met the owner, nice guy but a Jeeper



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Spotted this ‘93 110 NAS on Monday in SF, near Marina district. 

 

LR3 with swing out on the way towards 17.

I'll be there

Hello Land Rover People!
We are thrilled to announce that the club will be hosting the First Annual Overland Event in 2022. 
The goal for the Overland Event will be to provide a once yearly, multi-day, club sponsored overland event. Think Rovicon, but with less rocks ; ). We will aim for a relaxed, exploratory pace. 
The location will change each year so that we have a chance to explore all that the West Coast and beyond has to offer!
That said, I am still working to form a committee to help plan this year's and next, if you are interested - let me know. Help us make this a successful event for years to come!
_____
2022 Overland Event Location:
For 2022, we plan on traversing Legs 1 & 2 of the Eastern Mojave Heritage Trail in Southern California. The route will start in Needles and conclude in Ludlow covering approximately 412 miles.
The trip highlights are many including petroglyphs, old wagon roads, railroad berms, local history, mines, sprawling Joshua tree forest, and of course, incredible desert camping opportunities galore!
Dates and Itinerary:  April 10th to April 16th
Itinerary outline is attached. As always our pace will depend on a variety of factors including road conditions, speed, interest in stops, etc.
Registration: 
Cost per driver is $40, $15 per Passenger Members will get a discount and get first grabs at the open slots before we open this to the public. The registration fees will go towards T-shirts, patches and other goodies - we aim to make this a break even event. Registration will go live on February 10th.    is LIVE! --> https://forum.norcalrovers.org/store/category/8-trips-events/ Registration will be limited to 15 vehicles in order to maintain a manageable event. Difficulty & Vehicle Requirements:
Stock vehicles are certainly welcome and will likely have no issues on the trail. While the trail is certainly not easy in all places, I expect we can get everyone through without major difficulty.
Things to expect:
Pinstripes are 100% going to happen. Divorce yourself from your paint now. There are many steep drops and rises in and out of washes, depending on what this year's winter brings, the roads could be fine, or a washed out disaster. Vehicles that have low profile front and rear bumpers may see scuffing/contact. Minimum Vehicle Requirements
Mechanically Sound Rover (as best as they are) Working E-Brake/Parking Brake 30" tires including full-size spare Recovery Points front and rear Center Differential Lock (CDL) (or other modern equivalent) Minimum Gear Requirements:
Enough water for each participant for multiple days Extra Fuel Spare parts and tools Fire Extinguisher First Aid kit Recommended Vehicle Requirements and gear:
Armor (rear bumpers, diff guards, sliders) Working winch Vehicle Jack and Tire patch kit Shovel Attendee Drivers:
Andrew Wood Bondomoto CRYA El Chapomint Gotrover jcb Mffoster motobrewer Mr. Bluesky PaulD SDS SLOHybrid Valentin yokreiger pilotgabe  
 
 
22.02.07_EMHT_SEG1-2_NCLR.pdf

Here's a pic of the Leiser-Ray Mine site from when I was last there (January 2021). The trail to and from the site is quite easy... But there's something about this area that keeps calling me back...!
--Paul

For those that want to do some research on the Mojave Heritage Trail, here is *the* resource. Well, this appears to correlate with Miles' reference info in post 1.
https://mdhca.org
- Set of 4 Guides ($100) Individual Sections can be purchased separately: https://mdhca.org/publications/east-mojave-heritage-trail
- Road Guide ($19.95): https://mdhca.org/publications/mojave-road-guide
There are a couple of Trip Reports listed, Trail supplements, GPX/KML 
I am planning on picking up copies of the books. The Section Guides look like they will have more about history, fauna, etc about the route. Might be something to keep passengers entertained. 
 
 

The links are correct : ).
The books are a great read for a history in the area we will be traveling through and I highly recommend. As we drive the trail I plan on pointing out as much of interest points/history as I can for entertainment value.
If you are ordering the books, don't forget to print out the supplemental guides (PDFs) as they contain the required re-route information to navigate the designated wilderness areas that cut up the original published guide book route.
A short typed up summary of the EMHT and a trip log of Segment 1 scouting trip can be found here for those wanting additional background: 
 
I haven't had a chance yet, but when I can get time to clean-up the GPX tracks from the November trip I will post them here as there are a few changes to our route that will differ from those on the MDHCA site.
I will say, running the trail without GPX tracks and navigating only by the books and map provided a good challenge and was incredibly enjoyable on the scouting run. Of course, it was not without a few wrong turns! 

Ha! Thanks man. It was great running with the group and my 7 yo had a ton of fun. Dad duty kept me from the campfire but another time. Sad to say I'm out of town for Bowman otherwise I'd be there charging hard out of those holes! Cheers.

So I can’t really do a real write up on the trip because I only experienced the trail with my “first group” of 5 including myself. That run was fun though. We made it to the top! No carnage or anything but we did have to endure the “shitshow” on the way back down. It was fun to have Noob Chris in the group. He and his LR4 performed really well and I always enjoy seeing the new guys stress out a bit 😂.  I think he is well on his way to just being Chris and ditching the “noob” moniker.
Unfortunately we had a Toyota group between us and the rest of the rovers, so we didn’t get to much trail time with everybody else, but we did get to enjoy a raucous campfire Saturday night with the rest of the crew. It was one of the loudest I can remember. Many drinks were drank and we somehow avoided having the camp host tell us to keep it down. Already looking forward to Bowman in a couple weeks!

Photos from last year's run to get you excited:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/ia8RU1zmFm23BK4R6

Howdy folks! It's time to start talking March MORG! (Monthly-Off-road-Gathering)
For those that missed out on the Shaver Snow Run you have a chance for some pow hunting in a couple weeks as we are headed up to Bowman lake. ; ).
Of course, we will have to see what the weather has in store for us - the current forecast looks like there will be quite a few melt days coming up.
When: March 5th and 6th
What: Bowman Lake Snow Run (MORG)  - overnight camping for folks that wish.
Where: Bowman Lake 
Meetup Location: Staples, 411 Grass Valley Hwy, Auburn, CA 95603 Plan on meeting at at 9:45 with a 10:15 departure on Saturday morning. There is a Coffee Shop and a 76 gas station in the same area. Things to know:
 Roads are unpaved fire roads mostly - be prepared for snow coverage. Winter Camping - It may be cold!! Come prepared. Even if you are not planning on spending the night make sure cold weather gear is packed just in case... This is a MORG - all Rover owners and all vehicle models are welcome to join! If you have a friend that is a rover-head and wants to get a taste for the NCLR club life this would be a good trip.  Please feel free to reach out with any questions. Lastly - I've attached MVUM maps for Yuba Ranger District South and a rough GPX track. 
For anyone that wants to do even more reading a few applicable 7.5 minute maps:
Washington Graniteville Alleghany English Mountain  
Looking forward to the trip!
nevada-city-to-bowman-lake.gpx Yuba ranger district MVUM south, back.pdf Yuba ranger district MVUM, front (bowman Lake area).pdf

The take-home with HAM for off-roading is the ability to communicate over long distances... In the old days with CB you could be stuck in a creek bed somewhere and not be able to reach another CB to due the relatively weak wave propagation. With a HAM set, and the skills to program it, you can (in most cases using repeaters) reach hundreds if not thousands of miles to communicate. I took a one-day "HAM-Cram" course at a local sheriff office. With my experience in marine radio (I had a FCC license) it was a breeze.
--Paul

I am volunteering to be on the committee. Reasons: 1) I dig the desert, 2) I am more of an "overlander" (we used to just call it "camping" than a crawler, 3) I love Land-Rovers. Logistics will be challenged by the whole Spring Break issue, but since I don't have kids, not an issue for me.
Kudos to the Board for launching this concept...!
--Paul
 

I've added an attendees list in the first post. As of now we have 6 open slots for members. Registration for non-members will open up on March 28th.

I’m in. May need to add 2 passengers but the in-laws are coming. 
 
Paul
LR4, aka Lager Rover

The stock trucks can really do amazing things! I took my bone stock 2006 RRS on 20” rim and street tires up to bowman lake and kept up with more built truck with ease. 

Leaving Fremont around noon on Friday heading for Camp Edison, see ya there.

Day 3: Nipton to Ivanpah
We parked in front of the restaurant, and began walking around the seemingly deserted town.
Nipton, looks at first glance, to owe its beginnings to the U.P.R.R. (which is still quite active and several trains run through here daily). In reality the railroad came much later in 1905. Rather, Nippeno Camp as it was know then, was established in the mid to late 1800s as camp and corral point at the intersection of two wagon roads. One road ran north-south through the Ivanpah valley and the other east-west. Back in the wagon days, it was a long way from everywhere to Nipton which made it a attractive location to law fugitives and those trying to cross California-Nevada borders to avoid the law.
By 1942, the new rail line positioned Nipton as a cattle -loading station for the YKL ranch that we had passed in the New York Mountains. A school, hotel, post office, and bungalows for travelers were present. As time went on, the population declined and the entire town was bought by Gerald Freeman and Roxanne Lang to maintain as a tourist destination. Many of the inhabitants were temporary workers for the nearby mining and cattle operations.

Then in the early 2000s the town was sold to a marijuana grow operation that aimed to build the dopest attraction in the desert (cue desert art). However, it seems that this dream has not been as popular as had hoped partly due to the lack of marijuana tourism, and COVID-19. The town is yet again up for sale here.
https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/08/04/541630307/no-pipe-dream-cannabis-company-buys-california-town
(If someone in the club buys it, I will buy you a case of East Brothers!!)  ; )
Current listing: https://www.landsofamerica.com/property/80-acres-in-San-Bernardino-County-California/9068565/
Just before we were heading out, a local happened out of one of the huts. We chatted with him for a while about our route, and he mentioned that the trading post and possibly the restaurant would re-open in January 2022. COVID had shut down all of the businesses but now that travelers are starting to come through again, they expected to be opening back up.
We left Nipton headed for Primm, NV about 20 miles away as an alternative location for gas as Nipton no longer provided. A few miles from Nipton we were able to turn off the two lane blacktop and onto dirt. This dirt road parallel dry Ivanpah lake to the west and just off to the east side of the road was Francis Marion "Borax" Smith's traction road. Not much is left, but a very distinct berm.

Borax Smith, as he was known was struggling in the 1900 to find a way to transport Borax from the Death Valley Lila C. Mine to a convenient railroad. Previously he had been using the 20-Mule team to transport his borax, but with the construction of the California Eastern through the New York Mountains and into the Ivanpah Valley (only 100 miles from the Lila C.), Smith sought to find an alternative faster mode of transportation to the railhead. 
Smith's first choice was a narrow gauge railroad, but alas, the finances didn't allow for it. So instead, in 1903, a hard packed traction road for the cost in excess of $100,000 was built to connect the Lila C mine with Ivanpah (the second Ivanpah). The new mode of transportation Smith had hoped to employ was a new type of tractor known as "Gibb's Engine" - the idea being that a gasoline motor would generate electrical power which in turn drove motors to drive the rear wheels of the borax wagons.
Almost as soon as the road had been completed, the Gibbs engine was tested and deemed a failure. Not willing to give up, Smith employed a Daniel Best steam tractor (known by name to the miners as Old Dinah) in attempt to salvage the endeavor. The tractor was setup to haul the ore wagons in Ivanpah and set out. 14 miles later at State Line Pass, the tractor blew a boiler flue, and that was the end of that. Smith would go on to later build and run the Tonopah and Tidewater railroad.

The long story of Old Dinah continued as many others attempted to make use of Old Dinah (and blowing the boiler flue again) until it ended up where it sits today on display  Furnace Creek Ranch in Death Valley.
Old Dinah’s Key Statistics:
- Manufactured by Best Mfg. Co. of San Leandro, California
- Built for farming, logging, mining, and long distance hauling
- Top speed of 3-4 miles per hour.
- 110 horsepower steam engine burning crude oil.
- 28 feet long, 9 feet 7 inches wide, 17 feet 4 inches to top of the smokestack
- Weighed more than 18 tons
- 940-gallon water tank, consuming 340 gallons per hour
- Three wheel tricycle design with the front wheel being 5 feet in diameter
- Rear wheels were 8 feet in diameter and 26 inches wide
-Steered by a chain and pulley system
- Three man crew, engineer, brakeman and stoker
- Vertical boiler easier on uneven terrain with a boiler pressure of 160 psi.
- Piston-type or spool steam admission valve alternating high pressure and exhaust
- An engine capable of both forward and reverse
- Purchases price est. at $6,000-$7,000
Once we neared the Northern end of the Ivanpah Dry lake we had to jump on I-15 briefly for a 5 mile jog to Primm, NV for fuel. A lot of amenities are present at Primm including very expensive fuel! As we headed out of Primm, NV I stopped to check on a "clicking" noise only to find our I had lost two lug nuts on the driver side front!
Johann also checked his and found that some of his lug nuts had loosened from the the washboards as well. 
We re-torqued the remainders and headed out of Primm, though with some further examination of the 15 minute maps we found an all dirt route back towards the original EMHT route.

On the way back from Primm headed towards Clark Mountain.
As we made our way towards Clark Mountain we had to detour around the Ivanpah 1,2 & 3 solar generation stations as these had not been present when the original route was planned. There was a short section where we had to drive on the facility maintenance highway.


The installation uses roughly 173,500 heliostats (sitting on over 3,500 acres) to reflect and concentrate the Sun's rays to the top of the tower where a boiler absorbs the heat.  The heat converts the working fluid to steam which then head down to run a turbine generator. When completed in 2014, the Ivanpah facility was the largest concentrated solar facility in the world.
Controversy does surround the project due to not only th $2.2Bn price tag but also for the impact to local bird-life and the concern for the desert tortoise habitat.
If you look closely at the photos you can see the concentrated rays striking the towers.
Just past the solar facility we began the climb up Clark Mountain, just off to the left of the climb was the short road down to the original Ivanpah townsite. 
We had just completed Segment 1 of the EMHT!