This year it seems the forecast of rain scared away most of the regulars that go out to Dumont for Presidents Weekend. Others were already dedicated and going out regardless.
All photos tagged or sent in to @dumontduneriders from the DDR community
Thursday afternoon the weather couldn't have been better. It was business as usual at Dumont with smooth sand and clear skies. There was hardly anyone out there that early.
Vendors rolled in and got set up on Vendor Row.
Come Friday morning, the cloudy skies indicated a storm was brewing. Some light rain came in and sprinkled the dunes for a few hours.
Duners grabbed their camping spots and filled in close to where the action was going to take place. There was a short break in the weather. As most people call it, "the calm before the storm".
There was no shortage of Presidents Day spirit with these guys!
And then....WHAM. The W came in with a vengeance. Gusts over 35 mph blew hard all afternoon and into the night.
On Saturday morning, Dumont resembled someplace out of a science fiction novel. Low lying clouds and fog hung over the dunes.
Although it rained for several hours, many still went out to play.
Duners showed up at the hill with their trucks, umbrellas and any other way they could stay dry to watch the Jeep hill climbs.
As the day went on, the rain finally subsided. The best part of a storm at Dumont is the riding afterwards. It turned out to be a nice afternoon in the dunes.
Sunday started off with great weather. The storms were over and the drags were underway.
Duners showed up to watch the races and have a good time.
Although the poor weather scared most of the duners away this year, the Jeep drags still attracted a decent crowd.
The wet sand worked in favor for some of the dragsters, others not so much. Check out the wheelie that this Blazer pulled during one of the races! Talk about a wild ride.
This year's President's Day t-shirts by California Casuals featured Trump driving a sandrail.
Another great sunset closed out the weekend.
We thank everyone who sent in all the great photos and video from the weekend!
Do you have pictures from Presidents Weekend you'd like to share? Post them on our forum in the link listed below....
The forecast of rain has raised some concerns for duners this year.
Is it going to rain? Yes.
Will the river crossing be ok to cross? Probably but we'll just have to wait and see. Usually it's fine unless it pours hard for a full day or more.
Are the Jeep races still on? Yes.
With a 90%-100% chance of rain on Friday and Saturday, there is no doubt that Dumont will see some rain. How much exactly? We just don't know until it starts to come down. They say 1/2 inch on Friday and 1/4 inch on Saturday, but the weather at Dumont sometimes has a mind of it's own. There have been many times when the forecast of rain has turned out to be sporadic sprinkles or passing showers. If you are on the fence about going this weekend, just go. Some of my best memories of Dumont have been in the rain or crappy weather. Have a little sense of adventure and go have some fun with your friends. You never know what you'll get into out there.
Weekend Race Schedule
Just because it's going to rain, its not stopping the LV Jeep Club from hosting their 45 Annual hill climbs and drag races. The LV Jeep Club has confirmed their races are a rain or shine event. So bring your umbrellas and EZ-UPs. Don't sit in the motorhome all day. Head over to the drag races and hill climbs on Saturday and Sunday.
Friday: Registration & Tech 2pm-7pm, no races
Saturday: Hill Climbs | Reg & Tech 7AM- 8:30am, racing starts at 9:30am
Sunday: Drag Races | Reg & Tech 7AM- 8:30am, racing starts at 9:30am
All times are subject to change
Tips for Duning in the Rain
Increase tire pressure. Wet sand means more traction. Don't be lugged down by wet sand. Increase your pressure to 15-25 psi for better performance and less load on your equipment.
Bring a rain jacket or wind breaker. Just because it's wet out, doesn't mean you have to be.
Careful in the corners! Those ruts can easily put you on your lid. Your machine won't slide as well when the sand is wet so act like you are driving on concrete.
Don't Forget!
tarps to cover your seats and firewood
an EZ UP or canopy. Just because it will be raining doesn't mean you have to be cooped up inside
card games or movies to watch
booze and snacks! if you are stuck in the RV all day, you will need more of both!
Weather Forecast and Conditions
Follow our Latest Conditions & Dune Reports for live updates on the dunes and road conditions.
Already out there? Submit one! Help us help you. This is a community driven site.
Detailed Forecast on weather.com
Camp Map
Lost & Found
Lose something? Find Something? Post it up and we'll share it on Facebook as well.
http://www.dumontduneriders.com/invision/forum/9-stolen-lost-or-found/
There's no doubt that this season has been a cold and wet winter. The dunes have been hammered over the last month because of the rain in December. The sand is usually quick to dry out because of the prevailing Dumont winds, but the cold temperatures have kept things damp below the surface. Although some areas are quick to return to virgin smooth sand, the tops of the dunes take more time to dry out. You'll notice how one side of a dune will be perfectly smooth and the other will look like the surface of the moon.
When it rains, water collects and cuts deep ruts as it runs down from the razorbacks. The end result? Some ugly dunes!
At the beginning of last weekend, the dunes were pretty wet with those funky ripples of "dune cellulite" as I call it. But as each day went by, there was already a noticeable difference in the condition of the sand. Each day it dried out a little bit more. On the south end of the dunes, they were in great shape and were already drying out.
So don't worry. Dumont will be full of that fluffy, dry sand that we all crave before we know it. Mother nature has been hard at work. Between the strong winds and warm sunny days, the dunes should be dried out well before President's Weekend. Highs have been in the 60's lately and believe it or not, Dumont will already see temperatures as high as 80 degrees over the next week or two! That's right. Because of the low elevation, it doesn't take very long for the temperature to climb back up at Dumont Dunes.
Jan 26-29, 2017 Weekend Report
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10 Day Forecast
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Recent Dune Reports and Conditions
President's Weekend
Over MLK Weekend, little Keven was spooked by fireworks and ended up running off and getting lost. Her owners looked all over for her with no luck. Word quickly spread on social media and the forums, but she was still nowhere to be found. The following weekend, DDR members who were headed out kept an eye out for her hoping she would show up. There was no sign of her though.
Two weeks later, a couple duners were pulling into Dumont and spotted a little white dog on the side of the road. It was her! She was frightened and wouldn't even come towards them when they tossed treats to her. She began running towards the highway but they managed to steer her towards the camps. She ran up to one of the first camps at the top of the hill and hid under their trailer. When everyone found out it was the little white Poodle/ Maltese mix dog that went missing two weeks earlier, they were all shocked. She was skin and bones and had to be starving. It's a miracle she was able to endure the freezing temperatures and predatory coyotes. They called the owner and took good care of little Keven until she was able to drive out and pick her up.
It's always good to hear outcomes like this. It's proof you should never give up! Congrats to Yessica on finding her little fur baby.
One of the largest and most popular holiday weekends is coming to Dumont Dunes, President's Day Weekend. Since the early 70's, the Las Vegas Jeep Club has been hosting their annual Jeep Jamboree at Dumont. This event, consisting of hill climbs and drag races, has possibly been the sole reason so many duners have made it a weekend tradition for the last 45 years. Come out and watch some of the coolest Jeeps, trucks, dragsters and side x sides race at Dumont. More info here.
President's Weekend is always hopping so don't forget to keep your head on a swivel and watch out for each other. Vendor Row should be full and Comp Hill is always lit at night. Be sure to stay legal because the rangers will be out in full force keeping everyone in check. If you need a refresher, here is a list of the rules. Holiday Passes are required from Feb 14 thru Feb 20, 2017. If you don't have a holiday season pass, you can purchase a $40 weekly holiday permit on site from the machine or you can grab one from a participating off-site vendor. See a full list here. If your OHV isn't registered in your home state, don't forget to grab a CA non-resident use permit sticker. Dune Mart on vendor row has them and the Dumont visitor center sometimes has them on hand.
Everyone have a fun, safe weekend out there. As always, send us your dune reports and use the hasgtag #dumontduneriders on Instagram. We'll do our best to feature your photos!
With the recent rain at Dumont, many were excited to get back out and enjoy some great sand. Unfortunately MLK Weekend started out a little wet on Friday with some light, but steady, rain. Without any warm temperatures in the forecast, there was no chance of those epic conditions with smooth, dry sand. As the saying goes though, any day at Dumont is better than a day at work.
Saturday morning duners were treated to sunshine and beautiful weather. The few lingering clouds in the sky were no threat to the day. A little breakfast was made and the day was underway. Racers gathered at Banshee Hill for the 16th Annual Four Stroke Wars event. The sand was pretty wet but not tracked out as of yet. Our friends at GTP Offroad took advantage of that and got an early start carving out some of their own lines in the sand. Wet sand meant it was time to make some air pressure adjustments. Throughout the day, the dunes became rutted out but the duning was still fun and the weather was great! The camp area was fairly empty all weekend, but there was a bit of traffic in the dunes.
No major accidents were reported all weekend and the BLM/ Ranger presence was low. Not too low though as a ranger spotted a SXS driver with no helmet. He was just taking the new Can-Am X3 for a quick test drive spin and knew better so the ranger let him off with a warning.
Sunday things started drying out but by then the dunes were pretty tracked out. Large ruts and jagged dune peaks were ready to be cleaned up by Mother Nature.
Sunday night a little wind storm came through and blew all the dry sand off the tops of the dunes making for some funky sand dunes! It's going to take a few days, but the sand should be back to good soon!
Many thanks to everyone who submitted their pics and dune reports.
Community submitted photos
Lot Dog Friday Night of MLK Weekend
There are a few quiet weekends of duning between now and the next big holiday weekend.
2017 kicks off with the first holiday weekend of the year, MLK weekend. More commonly referred to as a "duner's weekend" rather than a party weekend, it's never very busy. Although holiday passes are still required (Jan 10 thru Jan 16, 2017), don't expect it to be difficult to find a good camp spot.
On Saturday you can catch the 16th Annual Four Stroke Wars at Banshee Hill. See some of the world's fastest Banshee's and four strokes battle it out. More info: http://www.dumontduneriders.com/invision/calendar/event/191-16th-annual-four-stroke-wars/
The Dumont Visitor Center will not be open for MLK and the BLM/Ranger station will be manned with a small staff the the weekend. Hopefully those dunes will dry out over the next week and conditions will be great. Have a fun & safe weekend if you're heading out. Don't forget to send us your dune reports via our Dumont Conditions page and pics via Instagram @dumontduneriders or #dumontduneriders!
Although New Years didn't draw a huge crowd like other holidays (just over 5000 visitors), the duners that showed up this weekend came to party and hit the sand! The dunes were very busy on Saturday making for some choppy, damp sand. This might have been why so many vehicles were seen being towed back to camp. Wet sand is never easy on equipment and always breaks stuff when we least expect it. Only a couple minor injuries were reported at the ranger station, 2 walk-in and 2 were transported.
New Years Eve celebrations started Saturday. Some started early while others kicked off the festivities with an annual tradition of burning their Christmas Trees. Fire always gets the party started! As the countdown to midnight began, fireworks filled the sky to celebrate the new year.
Sunday was quiet and brought some nice weather. It didn't last long though. Heavy winds came in with a vengeance and blew throughout the night. Hopefully it will be enough to clean things up for MLK weekend. That sand needs it.
Happy New Year, everyone!
2017
Thanks to everyone who submitted the great photos and dune reports.
Trip Reports
Dumont New Years Photo Gallery
submitted via social media
Feel like taking a little adventure during your trip to Dumont? Take a cruise over to the mines near Little Dumont and discover a piece of gold mining history that dates back to the 1800's!
Overview & History
The Salt Creek Mining District is just minutes from the camp area at the big dunes. Old stamp mills, mines and ruins still remain from a mining operation that lasted from 1849 to 1920. In 1849, Jefferson Hunt led seven Mormon wagons along the Old Spanish Trail and camped at Salt Creek. Hunt's party discovered gold nuggets in the wash and in quartz ledges along the canyon. In it's heyday, miners produced a large amount of gold from small, rich pockets; however due the isolated nature of the site, the poor quality of water, a lack of readily available wood, and predatory Indians, mining in this area came to a halt.
Salt Creek Massacres
There have been two reports of massacres that occurred here.
1. In the mid 1860's, there was an attack on miners by Paiute Indians. The tribe was camped nearby at Sheep Creek Springs. Eight miners, who were working here spotted the Indians. One of the miners traveled 45 miles to Camp Marl Springs to seek military assistance. The army sent a relief party for the miners. The seven remaining miners were unaware that help was on the way. One early morning they attempted to escape the area and scattered through the desert. The help from the military was unable to arrive in time. The miners were spotted by the Paiute Indians and all seven were killed.
2. Back in 1864, three miners were attacked by a wandering pack of Chemehuevi Indians. Their mill and houses were burned to the ground and one miner was killed. The two remaining miners escaped to the desert, but committed suicide about 20 miles away.
Getting There
Take a short ride from the southwest area of the main camp area at Dumont. You'll see the cable and post border as you get close to the mountains. There is a sandy trail that follows the base of the mountains over to Little Dumont. It gets a little rocky in some areas, but you don't need dirt tires. Your paddles will do just fine as long as you take it easy on the throttle. There are a couple different trails that run next to each other, but they all end up at Little Dumont. Just follow the trails and tracks. Once you get to Little Dumont, continue a little farther south past the dunes. The Salt Creek Mines are located in a canyon not far from there. Just follow the trail and look for the trail head signage. The mines are nestled in the hills just south of the Little Dunes.
Trailhead
The mines are in an area designated by BLM as "Area of Critical Environmental Concern" to help protect it's historical value, therefore you'll have to take a short hike from the parking area. The trail is well-maintained and clearly marked, therefore it's easy for all age groups. After you walk through the trail head entrance, it's less than a 1/4 mile to the mines and mills.
Stamp Mills & Mines
After walking up the hill, you'll notice a big stamp mill. These stamp mills, built in the 1880's, were used to extract precious metals such as gold or silver from ore. The stamps were heavy metal weights that were lifted and dropped on the ore by a crankshaft.
A little further down the trail you'll come up on multiple mineshafts in the side of the mountain. They are closed off with metal grates to protect people from falling in.
Although they are closed off, you can still go exploring into some further than others.
After checking out the mines, don't turn back quite yet. The best is part is just ahead. If you look up on the hill to the south, you'll notice an old stone building. You can follow the upper trail along the mountainside or you can go down to the left through the wash to get there.
If you take the wash route, you'll be able to see many pieces of old mining artifacts and equipment.
The Amargosa House
Up on the hill you'll find the oldest standing structure in San Bernardino County, the Amargosa House. Built back in the 1850's out of rock and concrete, it's walls still stand today and cast shadows in the Salt Creek Hills. Stand in the middle of the structure and let your imagination paint a picture of how life was back then.
Map
GPS File
Download the above map as a GPX file and plug it into your GPS device.
Dumont Mines.gpx
Another epic weekend of buggy action is in the books. Over 30 buggies showed up to this year's 4th Annual Buggy Roundup, once again, forming a huge circle. Many showed up as early as Thursday to make the most of the weekend. By Friday morning, we already had a full camp with sandrails ranging from home builds to Tatum prerunners. Day trippers filled in on Saturday and it was one of the largest Buggy Roundup camps we've had yet.
The reason for picking an off-weekend in the middle of December to get together is simple. The dunes are empty. Other than our camp, there were only 4-5 other groups in the whole camp area. The dunes were ours and they couldn't have been in better shape. Starting out on Thursday, the sand was untouched with an abundance of razorbacks and witch eyes. You wouldn't think thousands of Thanksgiving weekend duners had just been there 2 weeks prior. @vegas style and @Mike @ GTP OFF ROAD were the first ones to lay some tracks on Thursday.
Friday morning, the rest of the group had their first run and were able to shred some untouched sand. The weather cooperated very well for our trip. Although there was 0% chance of rain all weekend, winter clouds covered the sky. They made for some stunning sunsets though. By Friday afternoon the clouds had broken up and some occasional sunshine came through. The temperatures were perfect during the day and dropped to the low 40's at night requiring a nice fire to stay warm. Sunday was the warmest day with temperatures rising close to 70 degrees. It was t-shirt weather in December!
The idea behind the Buggy Roundup is the meet and run with other buggy owners. We all share the same dunes but rarely ever get the chance to get to know each other. Occasionally you might chat it up with another buggy guy at the north pole or give a wave as you pass each other in the dunes, but what other weekend can you hop in line together to shred some sand without the stress of holiday dune traffic?
In addition to the great group rides on Saturday, we had a buggy weigh off. One by one, everyone lined up with their cars for the chance to see what their buggies weighed. The numbers ranged ranged from 1350 to as much as 3600 lbs. Some were surprised to finally see how heavy their cars were. Most of them were more than expected.
The Saturday afternoon group dune run was huge! The line of buggies stretched over several dunes. We started on the south end, like most of our dune runs, and ended up out at Talladega for a group photo.
Buggy Roundup wouldn't be complete without someone going big! After the group ride, we headed over to the jump south of Comp for a little DDR "huckfest". Everyone hit the jump at least once. Some didn't get any air at all in hopes of not breaking their car while others went big. It's usually the bigger cars that have the suspension to huck it. It's never really a competition, but in the end there is usually 2-3 guys left jumping and everyone else watches and cheers them on. This year Rob, aka @jetjock15, took the win for biggest air and bragging rights.
Saturday night DDR hosted tacos and UFC. It was our way of saying thanks to everyone who came out. We had carne and pollo asada tacos, homemade chili and some ceviche. Everyone grabbed some grub at the taco line and warmed up next to the fire for the fight. UFC was projected on the side of a trailer and lasted most of the night with some good entertainment.
Thanks to everyone who came out this year. We're looking forward to seeing everybody again at Buggy Roundup 5.
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