March 3, 2011 day trip report

[sandawg]

In other words face the main dumont Dunes from the Little Dunes entrance and look towards Baker at the mountains and head there. It's as far as you can go to the south east and you will find the signs. Or, as you go from the big dunes stay at the base of the mountains heading towards 127 and the Little Dunes and you will have to stop at the signs. don't go into the Litttle Dunes just stay to the left!

Edited March 6, 2012 by sandawg

[andydew]

My Video, didn't take any video specific shots so mostly general riding clips here.

Where is the "Old Guys Rule" for Terry and his music... lol I'm surprised you didnt suggest Greatfully Dead or something, lol

Great video. Looks like a good spot looking back, and not too shaky either. good job

It's over by Little Dumont.

Here ya go. I made a Google map with some markers on it. Zoom in or out to see exactly where it is in relation to the dunes.

<iframe width="640" height="480" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=216857937271360156497.0004ba8916f2aa8959590&ie=UTF8&t=h&ll=35.636267,-116.275821&spn=0.004177,0.006866&z=17&output=embed"></iframe><br /><small>View <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=216857937271360156497.0004ba8916f2aa8959590&ie=UTF8&t=h&ll=35.636267,-116.275821&spn=0.004177,0.006866&z=17&source=embed" style="color:#0000FF;text-align:left">Dumont Dunes</a> in a larger map</small>

That's a great reason to get in another trip this season. I'm gonna make sure and see the mines next time up there. Thanks for the map

[dunefreak]

I just went through the 3 go pro videos I took. All 3 are completely worthless because I didn't have the camera pointed up high enough. So you see right in front of my bike the entire time. lol Oh well. I know now for next time.

I did manage to get a few decent snap shots on the Little Dumont ride.

Stopping off to grab aceisback at his camp

Looking back as we head over to Little D

Judging by my shadow I THINK I was in the air in this shot.

I remember saying, "where the hell is Mike? I don't want to land on him!" LOL

There he is! hahahaa

OK, much better. I can see him now.

[Just Mike]

HAHA. You did come a little close to me a few times but the shots were worth it. Adam put a great video together. I have not even opened my gear bag to get my camera and gopro out yet. Maybe tomorrow. I am still having a hard time just walking around..

[Adam @ GTP Off Road]

thanks for the compliments on the video. i tried to get everyone when i could, but when i have it on my head it's hard to get everyone. Chad did get some good video time (i'm pretty sure it was chad at least, so bad with names)

The still shots were pretty cool Pete. Gopros are cool. The first video i did with my new helmet was facing down too far as well. i actually used my LCD screen to set the level before we left on the first trip.

[dunefreak]

I used the screen too but didn't have someone check it when I had the helmet on.

[Adam @ GTP Off Road]

I set it up so you could just see the tip of the Visor, then you can reach up and check the camera angle when its on your head. I used to set mine up so the camera was standing straight up on my head, but that was too far back. Now it has to tip just a little forward. It sits in a different spot on this helmet so it has to tip back on the helmet to look up enough. It's weird how the helmet VS camera sit on your head when you are riding.

[Just Mike]

Here are some pics I managed to get.

[dunefreak]

Couple more Go Pro shots...

Sidehilling and riding the ridge of the face and back of comp

And the virgin sand over at LIttle Dumont

[Adam @ GTP Off Road]

dang it, why do all the jumps i did look so low.

Those are nice images Mike especially for a basic camera.

[Jakster884]

Sidehilling and riding the ridge of the face and back of comp

This pic is bad azz. I can feel the side hill from this pic. No Traction I am sure. I am feeling sand deprivation about now!

[cruddymutt]

I saw you guys out there. I havent been to Dumont since 2008 and havent rode much since that time either. Wrist injuries and cut nerves and tendons make it where I cant pull the clutch on my Banshee without pain so I gave up on riding. Just picked up a RZR XP last week as a last attempt to "Obey The Sand" and went to Dumont to break it in. Felt good to be home.

[aceisback]

Jeezus! Where to start??? All I can say is that in all the years that I've been going to Dumont I have never experienced the sand like it was when I arrived Thursday morning. We put on 40 miles on Thursday alone. Friday came and we went through fuel like never before. It was still buttery smooth and the few rails out there couldn't even have messed it up. Still pretty deserted too. Saturday came and we hooked up with Pete and the rest of the day ride crew for some hair raising riding to be sure. I think a couple of young studs were quite surprised that two old fat a$$ dudes on sand pigs could hang with them but hang we did! And man was it a blast. Thanks Pete. You lead some amazing rides bro.

I guess in all of the excitement to get out and play casual introductions were skipped over. My buddy was BigRay800. I think he lurks here on ocassion but he is well known on all of the DS forums. He's good people and loves helping out as you all observed. He'd do anything for anybody to get them back in the game and out of some effed up situations.

By the time we got ready to roll out on Sunday afternoon we had logged 215 miles on the GPS. Was pretty much out of fuel at that point anyway.

Being ready to roll out is when the real fun began! I had parked way up on the cul de sac and when I got ready to pull forward it felt like I just broke through and sank. We pulled and dug, pulled and dug, and pulled and dug. Moved the truck and trailer about 30 feet in 2 1/2 hours and we were exhausted and out of water to soak the sand with. Went in search of help, the place was almost cleared out and those who were still there were hooked up. Finally scored and found a Chevy 2500 unhitched. The gentleman came up to help out and in very short order was buried hisself. Stopped before he got in too deep so we hooked up Ray's Ranger and proceeded to have three trucks buried nice and neat all in a line! On the hunt I went again. Found a F-350 who was out riding the first time I visited his camp and he came on up and in very short orded had the three of us out of the ruts and heading down onto the flats. Thanks so much to both of you gentlemen who lended a hand.

So long story short: I stop a Baker to dump and a Charter bus is pulled up to the site. Comes up to me after I observe him scratching his head in wonder for a few minutes, ask if I have a hose. I give him my sewer hose, my flush hose, my wand, and some latex gloves. He heads back to the back of his bus, scratches his head some more, comes back over and says he has never done this before and ask if I can come help him. Get him hooked up and pull his T-handle and nothing! The shaft is broken from the slide! Big bouncer dude from the Charter company tells the driver he has to get the tank dumped as the toilet is backed up and almost overflowing into the bus. I'll leave out all of the gory details but the driver gets out of the toilet one ladies shrt, one pair of panties, one pair of socks, two Coke cans, a Pepsi can, and two water bottles. Now he does all of this from the bottom of the tank. Let's just say it was quite interesting and quite messy. I help him clean up his mess and get the wedding party back on their way from Vegas to San Diego. About an hour and change in all. Knocked out my dump and flush in about 10 minutes and head off to 29 Palms.

Smooth sailing now and the dunes were so great that even being stuck for three hours and then the ordeal at Valero couldn't put a damper on the weekend. But wait, what the hell was that noise? Heading up the grade from Kelso I look in the mirror and see white smoke and chunks of Goodyear Marathon being wildly tossed about! Get out of harms way and onto one of the softest shoulders I've ever seen in the desert. Give AAA a call and an hour and 15 minutes later help arrives, gets my spare on in ten minutes and I'm back underway. Got to watch a beautiful sunset on Kelso Dunes while I waited and daydreamed about what it would be like to be able to ride the third largest dunes in North America.

Got home just in time to clean up and get in bed as I had a class to be in all week long. It was nice to just be able to chill and let the old body recover from 215 miles of the best dune riding I've ever had.

Yo Pete, where's my plug kit!?!?! LOL

Edited March 12, 2012 by aceisback

[White Rhino]

Hmm ok I'm curious how did the driver get those things out lol great trip report Ace