Mel trying to figure out just where his 7 1/2 acres was.

Sign welcoming us to the Black Mountains. The little writing down in the left corner said "Video in use" !

Mel playing tag up the riverbed.

Arriving at the petroglyphs.

Petroglyphs

Sunset at the Slash-X.

First night's camping. A pack of coyotes came pretty close around 4 AM.

Dale has arrived, and we are ready for day-2.

Touring through Owl Canyon Campground and Rainbow Basin.

Continuing through the loop. There were dozens of Scouts, high school and college students studying the terrain, and even more families camping in the area.

We eventually made our way over to the Calico Ghost Town area.

So if the books says THIS, and the map says THAT, then where are we?

So if YOU don't know where we are,... and I don't know where we are... then let's just see where THIS road goes!

Our intrepid heros discussing the finer points of being lost.

Dale going in one natural arch...

And out another one.

Mike in the arch.

After leaving the arches, this trail was like a rollercoaster!

Once at the top, we had to go back down! The three dots you see on the trail on the other ridge were Rhino's. There were lots of other off-road vehicles in this area.

After taking a wrong turn, we decend down a steep enbankment into another wash. It was not long after this that we ran across an old Beetle with a dead battery. We were able to push start it backwards, even in the sand! (Boy was I tired after that!)

There were many trails to choose from (and get lost on!).

After climbing a hill in front of a bunch of Jeepers, Dale takes a moment to examint the large new dent to his skid pan. Notice all the different mines on the other side of the canyon. It was like swiss cheese!

We couldn't find a better lunch spot if we tried!

A different view of the same lunch spot.

After goind down a pole line road that was like a high speed rollercoaster (Talk about fun!), we ran across this deralict hulk just north of the agriculture station on the 15.

At one point, Dale noticed some clunking when he would try to turn. Seems that the arm off the steering box came loose. A quick turn of the wrench, and all was well again. We were en route to our camp spot for the night when the road ran across this fence. Seems that after 9-11, the Feds decided to tighten up security around it's military instillations. The map has the road going through this point for some distance, the barbed wire fence (and No Tresspassing signs) say otherwise.

So after reading the No Trespassing sign (with another note about 'Video In Use'...), it's back the way we came.

After deciding to take the trail less travelled, we ran across the remains of this miner's home. You can see the mine in the background.

Time for Plan 'B.' We decided to camp at the old Alvord Mine.

Took some convincing, but we finally convinced the old ghost to take a picture for us.

A view from the top. There are two vertical mine shafts up here, both covered with metal bars. One is about 20' deep, the other I could not see the bottom. The road use to come all the way up here, but has been so badly erroded, that it has been blocked where my buggy is parked. It's hard to even walk up here now (steep and loose).

Ahhhh, the famous RBC Potluck!

And our sleeping arangements.

My idea of an artistic shot.

Of course, I also talked Dale into posing.

And we couldn't leave Mel out.

Another building with a view.

Getting ready to head out on the last day.

Boy, what a motley crew.

We searched for a day before finally stumbling across this Coptic monastery.

Does this look vaguely familiar, yet other worldly?

You keep an eye out for the sand people, and I'll distract the Storm Troopers!

We found this fairly smooth wide dirt road to run on a bit. Best we could figure out was that the military used it to transport tanks and such from the a rail depot to Fort Irwin.

Here we are running high speed across a dry lakebed.

We then ran up to the Goldstone Tracking Station. We passed a sign going on to a newly acquired portion of Fort Irwin that has a sign saying something about restricted access. No note taking, sketching or photography, or the men in the black trucks will come and take you away.

If I knew what 18U.S.C.799 was, we would have kept going past the sign. Since I didn't, we just went home.

So does this look like a pre-planned pic or what?

All loaded up, and ready to hit the road home.

Dale, "Can't we stay another day?!"

Mel, "I can't wait to get home and get into the shower!"