soaztim: 2/1/14

So there I was, eating 7 layer dip, waiting for the prime rib dinner yet to come and opening presents. The only problem was that I wished I was in the middle of no where, campfire going, looking at a view that very few had ever seen. It's strange. I was having a blast and loving the family and extended family time, but somehow I always long for the freedom of a dirt road and my own mode of transportation. No crowds in sight. I was so close to the next trip it was hard to concentrate on the moment. Then, finally, after reassuring every family member that I was not depressed or crazy I headed into the adventure. Well, not so fast. At 10:30PM on Christmas Eve I was sitting in bumper to bumper traffic in Los Angeles. Ahhhhh, California, where the folks move like the Salmon of Capistrano. GET ME OUTTA HERE!!! "head for dirt, head for dirt, head for dirt" I clicked my heals and did my best to get to it ASAP! Soon enough I was moving and the cruiser (Goose) was at full speed headed to dirt. I was able to find a nice view looking down on Palm Springs and the craziness down there. Any time I find an escape from normalcy I feel peace. Here is my little tiny piece of peace for night #1. Merry Christmas to me!

Plan of attack for the day was to kill time in the best way possible, adventure!

So, off to Joshua Tree I went. I was meeting "the crew" at the beautiful Ski Inn bar of Salton Sea later in the day. Ah yes, Joshua Tree was good for Subaru's and the big BMW GS bikes, but it was basically a beautiful place that was packed with tourists and good roads. That doesn't make it any less pretty, but it makes it dead boring to me when I'm trying to get away and feel adventure. I need places that tick that special "Where the heck am I" box. So, off to Salton Sea I went out a back way in the park that was actually fairly fun and remote. Ah, the Salton Sea. A sidebar, I once lived in a house on the Salton Sea while mapping via Dirt Bike the most remote trails/cultural sites and sites nearby. Welcome to the Sea.

A little Rustoleum should fix it?

And then there were three.

Let's go find the Bradshaw Trail.

And there is Ruff. Then there were four.

A home overlooking the sea. So much water and not a drop to fish or water ski. Well, drink too, that's an important factor.

I need to come back here and ride the rails on a homemade train cart. Check out Youtube if you've never seen them. This is camp.

Good morning! Let's head out!

Let's do this.

Don't jump!!

Yah, don't take gifts home from here.

The US Bombs.

Home sweet home. Visiting a friend of a friends bug out palace.

Neat place. Lots of secret locked or just hidden water cache's etc.

Then BAM we were at the Colorado River. Wait, what? Where are the details of the Bradshaw Trail? It's a overly maintaned dirt road through some pretty, but albeit boring terrain. No additional pics needed until I find the interesting stuff off the main trail one day. (Sorta like Death Valley, if you didn't take some unplanned roads, you didn't see it all)