I made my way through Parker stopping for fuel and water then pressing on. The truck and RV traffic along the highway was intense before turning east on Hwy 72. I forgot about the shitty shoulders in AZ, their only reprieve being the miles of passing zones and straight flat stretches. With much BLM land along the roadside, I never struggled to make camp. Riding about 150 miles a day seems like a comfortable pace with the length of day.

The yip of coyotes gives way to the birdsong of the desert in predawn. Through the flyscreen of my tent I watch the glow on the horizon and the gradual painting of the clouds to pinks and orange.

Down the highway I pass a van pulled over and half unloaded. I stop to offer any help bit he has a blown engine and was on the phone with a tow truck. Good luck buddy.

It takes most of the afternoon to get around Scottsdale and Phoenix but I soon set my sights on the towering Superstition Mtns. Needles and peak soar over 5000ft and are illiminated in a warm panel by the afternoon sun.

Riding up the twisty but bumpy Apache Trail led me to a jeep trail up to an overlook campsite in the Tonto National Forest. The view was impressive and the scenic landscape a welcomed break from the suburbia of mid-day.

It took a solid morning of riding to escape the pull of Los Angeles. I decided to attempt crossing El Cajon Pass on a dirt road instead of I-10. The GPS didn't show the road continuing over the Santa Fe rail lines but Satellite view showed otherwise. The northern winds buffeted the scooter and whipped sand. A freight train rumbled past up the grade in a clacking processional.

I drove through a sandy wash and up behind a road grader. Using Maps.me and google satellite view I meandered north along the rail line. The trail was rugged but avoided the bustling freeway to my right. I was soon clear of the mountains and dropped into Hesperia and on into the Mojave. Crossing through Lucerne Valley and Johnson Valley remind me of previous times I've crossed these grounds. They grow more familar and comfortable with each passage.


Northwest of Landers I make camp beneath the cleaved section of the Giant Rock. This was a Hopi spiritual location and has rich history in the 20th century worth a Wiki.

In the morning I meet up with Matt in 49 Palms Oasis Trailhead for a 3 mi hike. It was a nice way to spend the morning exercising. It still felt necessary to get some miles down so I left off into the eastern expanses of the Mojave on Hwy 62. The odd ghost town and remnant ranch of another era stood weathered but in a stasis due to the dry air.

We camped out in the former Tank training grounds used by Patton in WWII. Miles of tracks snake through the expansive desert of creosote bush. I got the twig stove roasting and made up some sausage and peppers with cous cous. A delicious meal washed down by a Stone IPA as the sun set in the western ranges. Still owe you a few bucks for that meal so don't let me forget.

The last month was a great break from daily riding, as much as I love it. Many new roads and hidden places were revealed in the recent trip to Baja with Matt. The cost of travel was cheap and the weather couldn't have been nicer. Leaving La Tortuga back in LA turned out to be the right thing to do. Dan stored our bikes and surprised me with a custom kickstand. I can't tell you how many inadvertant tipovers there have been due to the narrow centerstand. I'm excited to load up my gear and hit the road again tomorrow from LA. I couldn"t ask for a better friend in regards to the support and hospitality Scott has shown Matt and myself. It is necessary to hit "reset" from time to time and my recent stay here in LA was just that.
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My intended route will be mostly backroads and state highways through remote BLM land crossing through the lower Mojave and over the Colorado River then on toward Phoenix on the old roads. It will be a welcome change to transition back to a few months of travel by Ruckus. I will try to stop and visit if heading through your town. Should be back in VA sometime in March :)

Howdy folks. This blog will be on vacation for the month of January. Matt and I are driving the length of the Baja peninsula in his 4x4 Tacoma. As much as I will miss La Tortuga and the slow pace of travel, the 4x4 will open up new roads and routes into more remote baja terrain than possible on the 50. Hopefully everything works out and the memories don't involve breakdowns and parts unavailability like other past trips. Catch you all in February ready to get some miles in heading back to the east coast.
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