March 7, 2013 - Martinez Lake Dual Sport Ride

Good news!! I got a new camera, finally!!!

After being alone for 2 weeks, our friends have come back to Quartzsite.  We were getting lonely, and we had run out of rides that we had GPS tracks for. We needed the experts to come to the rescue. And they did!!  Once Bill, Rainer and Maria, and Bob and Cindi all got settled in, Bill planned a ride that would have us loading up the trucks and heading south.

7 bikes/riders and 2 return drivers made the trip 

We drove about 70 miles south on SR 95 to Martinez Lake.

There we unloaded the bikes and said “Thanks” to our drivers Jerry and Sue

Bill prepping his stuff

We started through the Imperial Wildlife preserve and headed north through the Painted Desert.

Nice day for a ride

The hills were very colorful.

So much rain this year means the flowers are everywhere.

 

Our first stop was the Red Cloud Mine. This minewhich started as a silver mine has been here in the desert for a long time. The Red Cloud Mine is only one of several places in the world that produces gem quality Wulfenite.

Gem quality Wulfenite

 

 

 

This is really interesting! These holes along the wash banks (there is quite a few of them) were miner’s homes back when the mine was going gang busters. You can see the chimney pipe stuck up out of the ceiling of the tunnel for the stove.

 

The mine has a full time caretaker, who doesn’t let anyone onto the property just to look. He was an interesting fellow.  He told us many stories, many of which had our bulls**t meters pegged.  I like the one where he claimed that 2 fighter jets from the local military proving grounds ricocheted off the tower, leaving so quickly he didn’t get their license numbers!!! We told him we were glad we were wearing boots; the bull was so deep, so he told us that the tower had actually been dropped several times while being installed.  That one we believed!

Wayne at the mine

Rainer takes a small break, before he gave up to the flu and headed back to camp.

The pack

 

 

 

After leaving the mine we continued on, turning off the dirt road, and heading up this hill.  The jeepers we saw on the road said they didn’t like that route.  I can see why.

 

 

Yes, sometimes we get into places that take all of us working together to get us all up the hill.

After taking his bike up, Wayne comes back to get my bike.  He knows I suck at this kind of stuff

Cindi heads up through the rocks 

She passes Bills bike 

Bill gives her a hand 

Off she goes, just as Wayne is coming back to get Maria’s bike for her.  Maria rides a small Yamaha TTR 125, with little wheels and no power.  This is not a place that it works well.

Wayne takes Maria’s little bike upthrough a rough section.

The view from the top, worth the trip!

Wayne had brought Maria’s and my bike up through the worst of the rocks, but it was only part way up.  Then he headed down to help Rainer who was very sick with the flu.  Rainer decided to head back, so Wayne rode part way out with him.  Maria and I still had to get up to the very top.

Cindi is riding Maria’s little bike up the hill to the very top.

Wayne soon caught up with us and we grouped back up at top.

 

Then it was down the other side and into a wash to find shade for lunch.

Wayne, Cindi and Bob find good seats

Maria and Bob at lunch

Wayne and Bob

After lunch we headed down to the Clip Wash.  This is a corridor through the Trigo Mountains Wilderness Area.  It is also ten miles of deep soft hard to ride dry wash.

Yes, 10 miles of soft ruts.   

I had to stop once when my hands cramped up, right next to this arch.

Finally we get to the end of the wash and head out through the Cibola Wildlife Preserve along the Colorado River.  Then we get onto the Ehrenburg-Cibola Road and head out through the desert again.

One of the realities of following a GPS track somewhere you have never been is that you spend a lot of time figuring out where in the world are you, and is it where you are supposed to be?

Nope, we go that way

We’re turning around again?

Bob, Cindi and Maria

Patti and Wayne

Finally, a place I recognize.  This is the Power line road that you can see from I-10 as you head east from California toward Quartzsite.  It is much steeper than it looks in this shot.

Patti headed up the Power Line Rd

 

This is taken from the top, and shows a little better how long and straight this road is.  It starts at an elevation of about 900’ peaks at 1700’ and then goes back down to 1000’ all in about 6 miles.  From here we went around that hill on the left, caught the paved Pipe Line road into Quartzsite and home, after 100 miles.  It was a great ride.