- The trip began with a wonderful little hike before I even got on the road.

1:30pm Friday, March 8, 2012
I’m a member of Jeep Expeditions. The group had scheduled a trip across the Mojave National Preserve for March 9-11. I was excited to go since it would be my first trip with the group. Over the past week I prepped the Jeep by taking it to the mechanic for service then busting out the camping gear and loading it up into the Jeep.
On Friday I packed up my food, but I needed to get some stuff for the cooler (snacks and fruit). I parked at the Safeway and immediately became preoccupied with some of the electronics in the Jeep. I picked up my items: 4 organic bananas, 3 Fuji apples, and a six-pack of Boost Protein drink. Then I couldn’t find my keys. They were, of course, in the ignition. I called Brent (my friend who was coming down to watch the dogs and house–Kerry was in El Paso with her family for Hammy’s 90th birthday–HAPPY BIRTHDAY HAMMY!!), but he was still on I-40E heading to I-17S. I had to walk home. Thank goodness I had on the perfect shoes for any job.
After my post-shopping hike, I went to a neighbor who has a key to the house. I got inside, grabbed Kerry’s set of Jeep keys and asked the same neighbor to drive me back to the store. Thank God for good neighbors!!
I got back into the Jeep, and then filled up my tank and two jerry cans with gas. I drove back to the house, and finished loading up. The ETD of 12:30pm was now 3:00pm.
After hooking up my old iPod to the Jeep’s radio I selected my tunes for the weekend–a compilation of:
- Johnny Cash
- Old Crow Medicine Show
- Don Williams
- Hank Williams
- The Dixie Chicks
- Lyle Lovett
- Alison Kraus and Robert Plant
Barstow, here I come!
(stopped and filled up with gas at Chiriaco Summit–home of the General Patton Museum–at $4.55 a gallon)
Barstow, here I am!
How much for a room at the Holiday Inn Express? Proud of your motels aren’t ya??? (Well, I actually had booked a slightly cheaper one via Travelocity, but I made the mistake of not checking how far Palmdale is from Barstow. I called Travelocity and asked to change the reservation, but they refused and told me if I did I would forfeit the pre-paid hotel charge for the Palmdale hotel. Anyway, I missed my exit and the next one was 40 miles away. I was already so close to Barstow that I just decided to go on into town.)
6:00am Saturday, March 9, 2012
After a semi-restful sleep, I got up, cleaned up and got back into the Jeep to drive to the Afton Canyon Campground to meet up with the rest of the group.

Afton Canyon Campground
I stopped to get gas at an ARCO just off the freeway. Our trip leader happened to be filling up there as well. I took off for the campground while he went to Jack in the Box to secure some breakfast. I dined on one of the wonderful Boost Protein Drinks. At the campsite I met the other Jeep Expeditions members going across the Mojave Desert. Most were traveling alone in their Jeeps like me, while a few brought along family members… human and canine. The canine comrades were: a one-eyed Miniature Pinscher named Ziggy, a 6 year old Pug named Gypsy Rose, and a 14month old I can only describe as a mix of greyhound, lab and Weinaramer named Dash. Dash is an appropriate name! After a briefing of the team where everyone (except me) aired down their tires for better traction on the soft sand and a smoother ride across the washboards, we set off. A line of majestic Jeeps rolled out into the Mojave Desert. We drove out of Afton Campground and followed the railroad tracks to the Mojave Road. Not more than five minutes into the trip, a train roared past us in the opposite direction. I’ve never traveled parallel to a train in the opposite direction a car length away from the tracks. It’s an interesting experience. Not long after getting on the Mojave Road, we parked under a railroad bridge for a photo opportunity.
After the brief photo op, we climbed back into our Jeeps and drove toward the Limestone Mine and Soda Dry Lake.

The soft sand of the Mojave Road.

Trail into the Limestone Mine.

Ziggy

Trail into the Limestone Mine.

The group exploring the Limestone Mine

man-made wall at the limestone mine

Limestone Mine
Here comes Soda Dry Lake:
Back on the trail and away we go to Soda Dry Lake. Near the north part of the lake is the Desert Studies Center. It is an interesting story how the Desert Studies Center began as a Health Spa, and before that it was originally a “mining claim”. The route across the lake is very focused and you aren’t allowed to stray off the path. If you do, chances are you will get stuck…

Off to Soda Dry Lake

Following the trail.

A happy Jeep Owner

Heading across Soda Dry Lake

Soda Dry Lake

Ziggy at the Soda Dry Lake Traveler's Monument

The Jeeps

The 2004 Rubicon

The Traveler's Monument in the middle of Soda Dry Lake. The tradition is to leave a rock at the monument each time you pass the monument. There's a plaque there as well, but it's a secret--you have to go to find out what it says.
Next Stop: The Cinder Cones and Lava TubeAfter we left our tribute at the traveler’s monument at Soda Dry Lake, we made our way across some rough roads and washboard trails towards the Cinder Cones and Lava Tube where we stopped for lunch. At Kelbaker Road two members took off north to Baker to fill up with gas. The rest of us went off to the Cinder Cones and Lava Tubes.

Cinder Cones in Mojave National Preserve

It's like the lava flow hit a barrier and stopped.

An sediment layer between eruptions


The notch at the top is a lava mine.

Trail up to Lava Tubes





Inside Lava Tube

Inside Lava Tube

Inside Lava Tube

To be continued…