In early 2011, Sportsmobile Forum member Mac McIntire went out on a limb and planned to set up a group meet in Nevada. As far as I knew this was a first forum gathering to take place in the Silver State<\/em>. There had been a few other group meets over the past years at various locations other than Nevada, but most were on the smaller size and limited to around 10 vehicles or so. To tell the truth, most forum rallies start out with great interest but dwindle down towards the end. It?s just difficult to get members from all over the US to find a common date to meet up. Mac posted dates and did a little fishing to see if anyone was interested in attending a late September or early October rendezvous. I had my doubts but in the end would be surprised.<\/font><\/p>\n This post is long and has several picture that might require long download times. Please be aware that some of the images in this article were taken by some of the group members.<\/font><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Valley Of Fire is a small State Park located outside Las Vegas about an hour and a half north-east of the city. <\/p>\n The park is not only scenic, it has a combination of good camping with standard facilities for those members needing restrooms, as well as showers. <\/p>\n Another plus to this state park I found was that the location offered nearby off road trails to suit the needs of members like myself who wished to explore the backcountry. I scoured through all the info I could find on line about this desert location and it looked OK. Apparently there weren?t any wooded areas around Mac?s choice, rather it looked to be all rock and quite scenic from what the internet showed. <\/p>\n My issue was that this place can be hot during summer and although the warmer months had passed, I was somewhat skeptical. I mean Valley of Fire? It doesn?t sound like a balmy resort of any kind. But my guess why it?s called what it is probably describes the red rock formations and not the desert temperatures. Nevertheless I generally visit the desert during the winter months and that was a ways off yet.<\/p>\n Should I go?<\/font><\/strong> <\/p>\n As mentioned I?m not a warm weather person and found it hard to believe that the first part of October would be cool around Las Vegas. At this time of the year around my neck of the woods the high Sierra camps in places like Yosemite begin to buckle down for the winter season and the park closes the higher altitude campgrounds close to October 15th each year. On the other hand this desert meet was set for around the first week of October and my hometown temperatures were still hovering around the upper 80?s or even the low to mid 90?s. Vegas temps are fairly close if not slightly hotter than California?s Central Valley in late September. Yet Mac kept us all updated on the Las Vegas heat and he was correct, the weather did take a turn for the best. A couple of personal friends from the Forum claimed they had planned to attend so I got ahold of my local buddy Don Dunbar to see if he could get away from family life to attend. Several members that attended the 2009 Central California High Sierra SMB group meet<\/a> were planning to show up and it was going to be nice to see some familiar faces and finally meet others from the Forum. <\/p>\n The trip was set.<\/p>\n October 2nd & 3rd, 2011<\/font><\/strong> <\/p>\n Tioga Pass through the heart of upper Yosemite was a good choice in route to the rally. It was dusk when we pulled in to Porcupine Creek CG that night, and considering how packed it was, finding an isolated camp was sheer luck. Still there is no such thing as a private site<\/em> in a Yosemite Park campground. No big deal, it was a pit stop and I was just happy to get off the road and break out the adult beverages. In the morning we took on the usual cup of espresso to help bring back our vision. <\/p>\n (Feel free to click on smaller images to enlarge)<\/em><\/font><\/p>\n Tioga Pass is a beautiful road to take. Even though it?s a tourist trap, I highly recommend the drive for those who have never seen it and actually considered it to be one of the most scenic routes in California. <\/p>\n As a kid Tioga Pass kept me wide eyed when traveling it with my parents. Back in the 60?s it was only about a lane and a half wide in spots. The sheer drop off kept us kids at the windows peering down into the canyon below while my mom yelled at my dad and my dad yelled at the oncoming traffic. We knew to keep our mouths shut! The Gas Station outside of Lee Vining Ca. has all types of fuel but also has some really good food as well. It?s definitely a stop that does a great job in satisfying a growling stomach. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The fish tacos are fantastic but the place puts out great sandwiches as well and breakfast is awesome too.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Over the 4th we ran a couple of off road trails around Mono Lake on the east side of the Sierra Nevada Range. I?ll post about that area in a separate article.<\/p>\n So just a brief idea of where the trip ended up from Yosemite. While driving highway 120 outside of Mono Lake, there are a few really nice areas I?ve found over the years that have intrigued me and felt were worth exploring. One camp in particular would be the perfect spot to explore the area and then cut the long drive to Vegas in half rather than attempt to make it in one day.<\/p>\n This camp is a fantastic spot and from now on I think it will be a stopping point I?ll use when traveling out of California towards Nevada. Being time wasn?t a factor, it seemed a good idea to explore the local area around the lower end of the south eastern end of the Mono Lake backcountry<\/a>. <\/p>\n Off to Nevada:<\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n The plan was to pick up highway 95 and camp at Mount Charleston outside Las Vegas but it wasn?t to be. As I dropped into Indian Wells I figured it was time for some fuel before the steep grade up to the Charleston area. The drop into Indian Wells is kind of a steep grade so when pulling into one of the few service stations I was surprised to just fly right through it with no brakes! Opening the hood and looking at a mass of ?engine??? didn?t help. These things are so packed I couldn?t even easily see the belt. Nothing looked out of the ordinary, so I just closed the hood and planned for a tow. It was getting dark and the nearest dealership was in Las Vegas so we looked for somewhere to stay. Nice sunset at least.<\/p>\n Don decided to stay in the dumpy motel across the street but to avoid the bed bugs I decided to stay in the parking lot with the SMB. Besides, I had a lot of equipment in the van and this place didn?t look like a spot I wanted to leave my vehicle unattended. I think Don probably got better rest than I did. No bed bugs and at least he wasn?t subjected to Jake brakes rattling the windows. The highway was an annoyance until the sun came up the next morning.<\/p>\n The Dealership:<\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n I was happy to find internet service and help quickly came from several forum members shortly after I posted I had an engine problem. At least I had some kind of a clue about the good and bad places to take the van for repair even though my tow service didn?t give me much of a choice on what dealership it was going to. I had a couple to choose from and I took the better of the two on Mac?s advice. One thing for certain, I stayed clear of the Casino before the tow arrived. Luck didn?t seem to be on my side.<\/p>\n The tow arrived fairly early but it was still a long drive to the shop.<\/p>\n Pulling into Las Vegas:<\/font><\/strong> <\/p>\n Things at the dealership didn?t exactly go the way I wanted it to. It was going to be a full day so we hung around the shop which didn?t please Don at all. Then toward the end of the day I got the bad news????we have to order a part???. It looked like it was time for a rental car. How could it get worse? Let the griping begin?a Jeep Patriot and it was more like a 2-wheel drive car dammit. Not my choice of vehicles at all and who ever used it before I picked it up smoked like a chain smoker. On top of that, because we had planned to be at the meet early to do some off roading before the rest of the group arrived, that plan appeared to be squashed. Adding insult to injury, heavy rains came in and flooded Vegas. It was strange seeing such heavy rain is a desert location but thankfully the high temps were kept at bay so at least something went right. On the way out of town I hit a Wally-World to pick up a cheap blanket and sleeping bag. The Jeep didn?t just smell bad, there was what looked like dog hair all over the back and I wasn?t about to use my vans bedding in that thing. And to think I was worried about bed bugs back at that crummy motel. In retrospect I should have just bought a cheap tent? I guess I was just rattled. <\/p>\n Off to V of F in a Jeep Patriot:<\/font> A feeling of relief came to me pulling into the Valley Of Fire camp?yes, even in the smelly Patriot. Anything is better than a hotel IMO and at least the little Jeep had room. We pulled into camp and set up for the night but the rain was in a state of constant downpour, so we held off for it to break. Reuniting with a few old friends was nice. Ford_6L_E350 (Mike), Yahkir?s (Henry and Kathy), Bettyford (Ron) and Mac were there. I had previously met with everybody except Mac, so it was a mix of old and new. I had to thank Mac for the help he provided getting my van to the shop. The rain never let up and setting up Don?s tent was a bit of a challenge. Less than a minute outside and we were soaked. Don?s tent was actually floating at one point in time and we had to move it to higher ground. <\/p>\n By now I was tired and ready to relax. The heavy rain finally turned to showers and let up for a while as the sun set. Funny how fast the ground sucked up the water. <\/p>\n We ended the night in the Jeep drinking as the rain returned drenching the camp once again. It didn?t take long before I was ready to call it a night. But I didn?t get too much sleep. Talk about a sardine can?my 300 pound six foot body just didn?t fit very well plus I couldn?t leave any windows down far enough to get a good air flow without the rain soaking me. Sleeping in an ashtray made the vehicle difficult to breathe in, and it was actually nice to get out for the call of nature for some relief from the stale cigarette leftovers. Hopefully I would only have to endure one night in this thing. Sorry to be sound negative but it was funny to lay there and think of Pink Floyd?s Breathe. I enjoy a good cigar but I?d never smoke in a rental vehicle. It?s not mine.<\/p>\n During the night the skies cleared a bit and the rain finally ended.<\/p>\n Back to the meet in a real vehicle:<\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n Oct-6-2011<\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n Getting up early wasn?t an issue at all. All I could think about was getting my van back. We made some espresso but kind of figured there wasn?t much of a hurry to get to the dealership. The parts were coming in that morning and the van was scheduled to be done by noon. The sun was doing its best to burn through the cloud cover, but the temperature was fantastic. We had a good talk with the members after the campground sprang to life. <\/p>\n (An early morning shot of Mac?s & Mike?s camp) <\/strong><\/p>\n (Ron?s camp) (Ron?s bike hauler)<\/strong><\/p>\n (Mike showed up) (A little bull session)<\/strong><\/p>\n (The sun finally came out)<\/strong><\/p>\n (Mike biking to the showers)<\/strong><\/p>\n The showers were down the road a ways at a campground that was more suited for the big RV?s. Why the state put outside showers at the camp that allows big RV?s which usually have built-in showers was beyond me. But Mac made a good choice placing us in more scenic surroundings and I felt happy to be away from all the noisy generators.<\/p>\n Mac reserved the lower loop but the larger upper loop was by far the most scenic and a few members like Jeffery had a great spot. The point was to keep the group together and Mac made it work. <\/p>\n I want my van back:<\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n Heading into town I was told by the dealership it was going to be a wait. Lovely! I didn?t need to get the Jeep back until about 4PM so we hit a Mexican restaurant down the road that surprised us with really good food. After lunch we went back to Ford and waited for the van. Not that I wanted to rush them but the thought of another night in that Jeep wouldn?t be good for my pocketbook or sleep. I thought Dunbar was going to go nuts waiting for the shop to make repairs. I had my PC to keep me entertained but Don isn?t a surfer and being the magazine rack at the dealership was lame there wasn?t much to do. Stuck in Las Vegas with nothing to do is almost a oxymoron. It makes for a long day when you don?t have a thing to do but hang out and for once I wished there was a casino nearby. As I looked around, all the other folks waiting for their vehicles to be repaired had their heads stuck in their smart phones. It?s kind of a weird change in the characteristic of modern man that seems to be growing more and more. Smart phone. Seems like it wasn?t too long ago that phone booths were a common site but they are quickly disappearing. People are gonna start having neck problems cause looking around in that room all I saw was everybody hunched over looking down at their little hand held phones. It has been strange watching this develop over the last few years. After a few hours even I thought the internet was getting old and I got tired of hearing it would be just one more hour before the van was fixed. What a long day. Finally a mechanic took the van out past me for a test drive. The vacuum booster had failed and boy did the dealership nail me for the repairs. Stick it to the Out Of Towner<\/em> I guess. At that point I didn?t care. I was thrilled to get rid of that Jeep and was stoked driving the van into V of F. Let the good times roll. <\/p>\n It was nice pulling back into the State Park in my 4×4. I set up my van and later made the rounds that night as several more members had come in while we were in Vegas. We all had a good time that night as the drinks flowed and many members gathered around a fire. After getting my fill of adult beverages and laughter I headed to the van for what I would hope to be the first real night of sleep. The previous days had taken a toll and it didn?t take long to slip into a dream state. It sure felt like I was back home. That night I was awaken by an owl who gave out a traditional hoot that made me almost jump out of my skin. I don?t know if it was the rock formations funneling the sound or if he was sitting on top of my van, but it was LOUD! As I dozed back off I recalled how nice it was to have the van back and I looked forward to the next few days. <\/p>\n Oct-7-2011<\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n I got up well before the sun rose for a few pictures.<\/p>\n It was nice to wake up in the camp as the skies came to life. Fresh air and a beautiful sunrise started the day off giving me an uplifting feeling. We made a make shift breakfast with the usual triple shot of espresso that jolted me into reality as we prepared for a day of off road travel. Exploration? it?s the best part of a trip IMO.<\/p>\n (Angel?s ?bat mobile??? in the foreground and Woodbee?s van behind)<\/strong><\/p>\n Later on Angel stopped by with some of her special coffee mix. How could I turn down another shot of the good stuff. <\/p>\n (Viejo?s camp-Bill & Sherri)<\/strong><\/p>\n (Unique rock formations)<\/strong><\/p>\n (Mac signing up Angel)<\/strong><\/p>\n (Ford_6L_E350-Mike?s camp)<\/strong><\/p>\n Bill on the front left, Janna and Jeff (jlsenge) with their dogs and Paul & Tina (Oldbonesclimber) at the right rear and Kathy & Henry on the left in the background.<\/p>\n (W<\/strong>oodbee-Woody and Cheryl walking down to join the group)<\/strong><\/p>\n Henry & Kathy left out early so Paul & Tina took their spot across from us.<\/strong><\/p>\n (A unique Tear-Drop of some non-SMB campers)<\/strong><\/p>\n Hitting the trail:<\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n (The Muddy Mountains)<\/strong><\/p>\n I really didn?t know if anybody wanted to do a group run so we just took off and explored on ourselves. What a beautiful place. The trail leading into the Buffington Pockets area was supposed to be rated as scenic and I was told it was fairly easy as far as off roading goes. Luckily the Buffington Pockets\/Bitter Springs trailhead is very close to camp. <\/p>\n I really didn?t know what to expect and the start of the run just traveled through the flat uninspiring desert. But the hills were approaching quickly and what was to come would be much more than I what I thought would be. <\/p>\n Crossing a few washes it was obvious nobody had been in there after the rain storm.<\/p>\n The trail isn?t marked by very many signposts but the first half of the route is easy to follow.<\/p>\n As soon as we reached the base of the hills the trail changed as far as the rating. <\/p>\n It became more and more rocky. It was also pleasing to see some greenery around.<\/p>\n It wasn?t tough by any means but slightly challenging. I would say that this route requires what any standard SUV has as a standard 4×4 package although there are areas of sand that can pose problems with vehicles equipped with street tires. <\/p>\n Most Sportsmobiles that have a limited slip differential should be able to do the route in 2WD and there are spots where high clearance is appreciated on the longer extended bed vans. Of course weather can change the trail?s condition at any time. I wondered what the heavy rains had done the day before, and in the back of my head I figured it was possible to find the trail washed out somewhere along the route.<\/p>\n The first section is a slight climb but nothing too steep. <\/p>\n This was one spot where a lifted vehicle and having the correct tires paid off. But it was short lived. There was water standing in spots from the storm the night before but no mud, just sand.<\/p>\n There were some nice rock formations but I thought this was somewhat interesting.<\/p>\n This man made structure is called the Dam. It was built to form a small reservoir that was used in conjunction with mining the area. Buffington Pockets has a lot to offer if you take the time to walk around. We just didn?t have enough daylight to do any exploring on foot.<\/p>\n This is what would be considered ?the pass??? before dropping into the Hidden Valley area.<\/p>\n Here is where the colors popped out.<\/p>\n Now I don?t know if camping is allowed or not, but we dropped into a great area to boon dock at.<\/p>\n This was an awesome spot and could hold several vans.<\/p>\n This looked like some kind of sea monster.<\/p>\n The colors were awesome.<\/p>\n Snow? Unreal.<\/p>\n The sandstone of this area was fabulous.<\/p>\n The trail dropped into a valley that was void of the red sandstone.<\/p>\n This little wash was flowing the day before.<\/p>\n A splash of desert color.<\/p>\n The path meandered up and down before coming to one of the most difficult spots.<\/p>\n It doesn?t look like it but this section was a little steep.<\/p>\n And off camber.<\/p>\n Climbing out of the wash was a bit loose.<\/p>\n The trail was slightly less than inspiring here but allowed us to make up some time.<\/p>\n The trail became narrow but remained a well established route.<\/p>\n We entered the Hidden Valley area and Echo Wash.<\/p>\n Following the wash was very cool and probably my favorite part of the trip. <\/p>\n![\"SONY](\"http:\/\/autoramblings.com\/sportsmobile\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/DSC06473PH.jpg\" "\\"SONY")
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