Patton Valley Weekend

[wildwood 11]

Just a couple shots of a good weekend in the dunes with some friends from AZ. If you go out to Gordon's Well, and haven't been there since the re-designated open and closed areas have been set, your in for a terrible surprise. They opened up the area around Glamis, but totally screwed up Patton Valley and Gordon's Well. The only area to cross the dunes is about a half mile off the Canal, then it's a continuous closure for a 9 mile stretch down towards Glamis, and only about a quarter mile wide, no corridor to Patton Valley, and they closed most of the good hills and bowls that people use at GW. Just sickening, I felt like I'd just been kicked in the groin, AGAIN!

Anyway we made the most of it. Didn't make it over to Picacho, saving that for later.

Patton Valley, from the top.

Saturday Sunset

Moonrise over Picacho

Really fun sand ride over to Duner's Diner. The food is really good here now, and so's the beer.

What every desert needs, a well stocked bar.

[haywood 0]

That's too bad about the new closures. Let me guess, it's the milkvetch plant. Or did they find another weed that is considered to be endangered?

[HotRod82 2]

Whoever drew the new closure map was out to get the duners, IMO pissed off about Glamis being re-opened. As soon as I heard of the new closures I took my buggy down to have a look, the signs are so confusing it's nearly impossible to stay out of the closed areas. You would think they would draw a straight line and sign it off but the signs are everywhere pointing in different directions. To top it off, the big hills and bowls are closed while the valleys (where the vegetation grows) are wide open. I honestly believe the boundaries were drawn this way intentionally so riders would "violate" them triggering more closures.

[wildwood 11]

Whoever drew the new closure map was out to get the duners, IMO pissed off about Glamis being re-opened. As soon as I heard of the new closures I took my buggy down to have a look, the signs are so confusing it's nearly impossible to stay out of the closed areas. You would think they would draw a straight line and sign it off but the signs are everywhere pointing in different directions. To top it off, the big hills and bowls are closed while the valleys (where the vegetation grows) are wide open. I honestly believe the boundaries were drawn this way intentionally so riders would "violate" them triggering more closures.

It's pretty obvious it was a well planned boundary to screw up the off roaders, but I thought that there was no way everyone would comply on the last closure, and they did. And YES, it's still the milkvetch. I don't think they're going to get us on that one, but maybe they're trying that ploy again. They should have just left it alone if nothing else, what a waste. We did skirt the east side dunes to make it down to Glamis. Not many have been through there yet. Found a large group of deer (15+) in a marshy area about half way though. They won't last when the season get's going. But like the rest of us, they'll adapt to the new environment.

[haywood 0]

http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/medialib/blm/ca/pdf/elcentro/isdra.Par.78681.File.dat/RAMPFacts&FAQs.pdf

[Beta450 0]

I volunteered to remove the stacks and it's sad to see the tree huggers are at it again.