Ride 9: 3-Corners/Lytle Ranch Loop

This is a great ride over widely-varied and historic terrain and is both a destination and scenic type of trail.   [For a free Google Earth file of this route see: Ride 9: 3-Corners/Lytle Loop]

BJ and I trailered up to the

Mormon Wagon Road Trailhead , Utah USA

[37.010423, -113.912540]

  on Old Highway-91 in Utah. We got a bit later start than we usually do but…

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Ride 8: Nevada Mica Mine

This was a good days ride and the photo doesn't do it justice! Today Gordon and I RZR'd down to explore the "middle - lower Gold Butte" area [a.k.a. the "middle" of the Lower Gold Butte riding area – sort of between the Gold Butte townsite and the Nevada Mica Mine.]

Under the "Fiends of Gold Butte's" plan that whole area would be considered "wilderness" and automatically off-limits to motorized vehicles – but…

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Map Update: California Trails - Central Mountains

This was a fun update, largely due to the weird and varied trails which run through areas which I tangentially know. I just wish I would have had these maps when I was in the Navy in California. [For a free Google Earth file of this route see: California Trails

I was able to obtain the use of a copy of California Trails Central Mountains Region and spent several hours updating all the trailhead waypoints along with improving the descriptions of the trail. In some cases I needed to hand-draw trails that the book had omitted.

There are several trails running along old highway 1 on the coast. "Old number one" has a great view, I can only imagine what looking down at the ocean from the cliffs above the coast would be like.

Sometimes the road less traveled is less traveled for a reason.”
Jerry Seinfeld

There are great wooded campsites and trails but I do need to warn you that California has a lot of "protected" areas in one sense or the other with their own "rules" about who, when and how they are used. This translates in some cases to fees and permits so please check with the governing authority and/or local riding clubs when you are planning a visit.

Also, if you live in the area and find that some of these trails have either changed or closed please let me know so I can alter the maps accordingly.

Ride 7: Whitmore Mine Trail

On a Sunday afternoon out for a "little" drive we decided to take a look at where the Old Spanish Trail runs along the freeway for a ways. Going West on I-15 from Mesquite we exited at the first truck stop and we were there.   [For a free Google Earth file of this route see: Ride 07: Whitmore Mine Trail]

There is an exit out the fence onto a dirt road which has all the appropriate signs but it sure looks like an ordinary dirt road to me. It runs along the freeway as sort of a "frontage road" for awhile then takes off across the desert every which way.

The one heading toward Mormon Mountains looked so wide and inviting that we decided to see how far we could get...

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Ride 6: Northeast Mesquite Flats

This ride has almost become the "search for the Northwest Passage" for us. We have friends in Beaver Dam Arizona and keep thinking that "there just has to be a way to get there from here."   [For a free Google Earth file of this route see: Northeast Flats]

Unfortunately, there are a LOT of 2-wheel drive eating chasms between here and there and we have never made it despite three tries.

The Mesa Boulevard trailhead is convenient to ride the area (just at the top of Mesa Boulevard) and you are soon down in the flats next to the freeway. The sandy trail rides parallel

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Ride 5: Upper - Lower Gold Butte: "Nada" Mine

There are so many places to ride down on Gold Butte that it's a bit difficult to describe your ventures to people.   [For a free Google Earth file of this route see: Upper-Lower Gold Butte]

You see Gold Butte, the "fat thumb" of land projecting from Mesquite toward Lake Mead, is divided (for riding purposes) into "Upper," "Middle" and "Lower." UPPER, of course, is on top and contains what locals call the "petroglyph trail" as well as several camping areas.

MIDDLE, is the strip of land which runs on both sides of Mud Wash and contains places like the Grotto, Devil's Throat and Devil's Fire as well as some very scenic riding and hiking.

The LOWER, basically, is everything below the middle — as it should be in an organized world.

The division is more than arbitrary because

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Snowbirds Delight - (Neaner Neaner Neaner)

Looky what we got! It's in the mountains out our back door but stops 2/3 the way down.

However, there is a bit of a difference between Mesquite snow and Utah snow.

We still have dry streets, we still have shirt-sleeve weather and we can still go riding — neaner, neaner, neaner!

I think that Google may have heightened the color intensity of this photo a bit in the upload; but, we still have green trees with most of their leaves, the golf courses are still green, the desert dirt is an iron rich dusty reddish brown and now… the tops of the mountains are white and we can throw snowballs whenever we wan't to – which honestly isn't very often.

Ride 4: Lime Kiln Loop with Cabin Canyon "Kicker"

The ride was one we had taken enough times for it to become a comfortable tradition; but, this time we rode with some "fresh eyes," which were fun to watch while they did their "discovery," and with just enough difference to keep it from becoming stale.   [For a free Google Earth file of this route see: Lime Kiln Loop with "Kicker"]

Riding up Lime Kiln Canyon into Parashant Grand Canyon is grand any time you take it. And if you've been there enough times to remember specific plants and/or animals you've seen (or hope to see again) the search for growth or other change generates great

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Ride 3 - Petroglyph Trail

Charley, Gordon and I took our first trip down to "the Butte" to reconnoiter what the BLM might be up to this year. Well… it was a singularly "unique experience" to say the least   [For a free Google Earth file of this route see: Gold Butte Petroglyph Trail]

We really weren't planning on actually hunting down the glyphs, just to check the trail for future rides. The first thing we noticed (on the Thanksgiving weekend) was the increased number of riders (even for a Saturday). We had a chance to chat with a few of them and found that

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Ride 2 - North Valley-Cabin Canyon Loop

Riders of the East Bunkerville Flats trails realize that there are several issues which must be taken into account.   [For a free Google Earth file of this route see: North Valley-Cabin Canyon Trail]

One is that there is an "area of environmental concern" on the East side of the flats. Another is that there are many trails which have been "designated" and some which have been "un-designated" - some on the map and some not - and many times the only way to get there is to "go around."

We decided to explore some of the trails which we have ignored to date and at the same time go up to see how "our valley" is doing.

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Gastronomy: "Virgin River" Prime Rib

Every once in awhile I need to keep reminding everyone that this blog actually started out as a blog about snowbirding between Mesquite and Salt Lake City. This year, whether it's the economy or what, Mesquite has been a "colder" place than we've experienced before.

However Charley's wife told me that the prime-rib over at the Virgin River Casino was a real good deal and we had never tried it. "You're kidding," I said "That's really real?"

You see, for years we've all seen the huge billboards all the way

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Map Update: Arizona Trails - South

Finally, I've been able to put the finishing touches on this summers' "Update Arizona Trails Map" project. [For a free Google Earth file of this route see: Arizona Trails Map]

I was able to obtain the loan of the book: Arizona Trails South Region by Peter Massey and and his friends from Adler Publishing.

The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.”
Saint Augustine

All of the descriptions are complete now for thirty-three trails in the South Region which is along the Mexico border and around Tuscon. That makes over a hundred trails in Arizona all mapped out with downloadable tracks, and descriptions of directions to trailheads, mileage, map availability and major things to see on the ride.

For those interested in a "winter" ride - this could be the place. There are mines, mountains, lakes, trees and deserts. From short day trips to one long 2 day adventure.

Learn A Little More

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The book Arizona Trails South Region is an excellent resource to plan an offroad trip in Arizona. Each route is accompanied by turn-by-turn navigational aids going in both directions and photos of sites along the way. If you are going to purchase it, please consider doing so using the links on this page. There will be no extra cost to you, but a portion will go to keeping this site going and the trails coming.

Snowbird Season Begins: Ride 1 - Lime Kiln Canyon

It's a whole new Snowbird season in more ways than one - a lot more! The 2009-20 rides begin with our annual "season opener" up Lime Kiln Canyon and into the Parashant Grand Canyon.   [For a free Google Earth file of this route see: Ride 01 - Lime Kiln/Red Pockets]

Three years ago, when we began the tradition, nearly every time we went up the Canyon we had it pretty much to ourselves.

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Map Update: Arizona Trails - Central

This should make Arizona readers happy! All the trails in the most populated area of the state have been newly updated with complete descriptions. [ For a free Google Earth file of this route see: Arizona Trails ]

I've had the tracks in the master Arizona map file complete for over a year and have been trying to get around to all the typing necessary to complete the descriptions with distances, times, things to see etc. etc. etc..

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Mesquite Eats Snowbirds - "Reliance Connects" Top Abuser

I wish I could say it was the time zones or "Daylight Savings" sleep shifting which was the cause of my lack of "Oomph" the past couple of weeks. I mean, what small amount of wind there ever was under my sails seems to have taken a sabbatical!

We already knew that there was really no comparison between the welcoming Snowbird experience in St. George and that of the "here comes fresh meat" one in Mesquite; but, where last year it was tolerable, this year it seems to have sucked the soul right out of me.

Our reasons for choosing Mesquite over the much more snowbird friendly St. George? Very close and unique offroad experiences and less traffic on the streets. Two reasons which hold less and less meaning for us each day.

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