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Halloween Weekend 2021 Dumont Dunes

Get those toys prepped and ready because Halloween is the official kickoff to the 20-21 dune season and it's right around the corner! Halloween (official) lands on lands on a Sunday, but the Dumont festivities will take place, as usual, on Saturday night of Halloween weekend. Be sure you decorate your camp and have plenty of candy to hand out as trick-or-treaters will show up in their best-dressed costumes. Friends of Dumont Dunes will also be hosting their annual truck or treat at vendor row Saturday night from 6-8 PM. 
 

 
 
 
 
As far as the rest of the weekend, get geared up to shred dune rides, shoot Comp or Banshee Hill, or swing by the North Pole to see everyone else out and about enjoying the start of dune season. Just keep in mind those razorbacks will be sharp. So do a couple of slow runs before hammering down and going big! 
 

 
 
Being a holiday weekend, vendor row will have a little of everything such as Dumont Halloween apparel, flags, food, ice, and firewood. You will need your holiday weekend pass so be sure to grab one at a participating vendor before you get there, otherwise it'll be $40 for a 7-day pass at the entrance pay machine (credit card only).
 

 

 
 
The most important thing to remember is to stay safe and watch out for each other. Keep your head on a swivel as there are thousands of others out there doing the same thing as you. Brush up on your ways to stay alive. Don't become a statistic. We're not trying to scare you, but the main reasons fatalities or major accidents happen out there are 1) lack of experience, 2) drinking or using drugs while driving or riding, 3) not using safety equipment (belts, harnesses, or wearing a helmet) or 4) making a poor judgment call such as staying on the gas when you can't read the dunes (either midday & super bright when there are no shadows or at night).
 

 

 
Most importantly: have fun, make some epic memories, and share them with the rest of the DDR community on our forum or social media.  
 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 

See you next season!

The 20/21 dune season has finally come to a close. It was an interesting season for sure with the COVID and all. More so this season than ever were the dunes the perfect escape to normal for many people. It was one of the only outlets for recreation or getting out of the house and not feeling the pressures from the pandemic. No matter what is going on in the world, pandemic or not, Dumont always offers solitude and the perfect setting to turn your brain off. If that's not what your after, it's also the perfect place to party and go nuts with limited impact on others. Regardless of the type of dune trip you are after, I think we can all admit Dumont is great "reset" that all of our brains need from time to time. I hope everyone found that reset on every trip you managed to squeeze in this season. Although the season is over, we all still manage to get out and enjoy some part of the outdoors. So don't be a stranger. Pop in on the forum and let us know what you are up to. We don't shut the site down during the off-season, so please utilize it to keep it alive and fresh. Many people have turned to social media these days and we get it. It's easy and convenient, but please keep in mind we do this for the community and love you guys. Show us some support and we'll see you in the sand in October! 
 

Easter Weekend 2021

The 20/21 season is slowly coming to a close. Easter Weekend is the last official holiday of the season. It's never a super busy one, but it's a tradition for duners that haven't hung it up yet. Usually the temperatures are tipping into the 90's by this weekend, but the weather has been unseasonably cool this year. It's looking like we'll see low 80's for a daytime high. Daylight savings time has already kicked in so that means an extra hour of daylight to rip around those dunes! 
 
Easter Weekend
no holiday pass is required, but you need at least a non-holiday season or weekly pass there usually aren't many vendors who show up this late in the season, but keep an eye on the forum. Drags at 3PM each day on the back stretch

Dumont Cleanup Weekend 2021

The Barstow BLM, in cooperation with Friends of Dumont Dunes, is hosting the 19th annual Dumont Dunes cleanup on March 13th, 2021. 
 
The cleanup signup starts at 8AM and usually goes until about noon/ 2PM. Get your friends together and bring a hat, gloves, sunscreen, sunglasses and either your OHV or pickup to haul trash to the dumpster that BLM will be providing. Friends of Dumont Dunes will be providing a BBQ lunch for volunteers as well as quickdraw prizes. All volunteers will also get free admission to Dumont Dunes for the weekend (March 12-15) by showing your wristband on the way out.  
 
Together we can keep Dumont clean and a place we are proud to call our 2nd home. 
 
Donations
Jason at Friends of Dumont Dunes is seeking donations to make sure everyone has a great time. Donations can be made one of three ways:
Monetarily- via Paypal, Venmo, Zelle or checks can be mailed to my office as well (contact Jason). These funds will be used to support the costs involved with the BBQ lunch and quickdraw prizes.
https://www.paypal.me/impactsignsonline
https://venmo.com/code?user_id=3012174037385216996
jason@impactsignsonline.com (760)792-0821
 
Prizes- These can be of anything off-road or camping related! If you own or work for a business and are looking for a way to get some great advertising (and a tax write off!) this is it! I am willing to travel to the Vegas Area to pick up donations should you not be able to make the event but want to help support it.
Plaque sponsor- We have four categories that you can sponsor the winning plaque for $125 each. This gets you extra advertising and your business name engraved on the plaque for all to admire!
Thank you so much for your continued support and I can't wait to see you all on March 13th!!!
- Jason Ardenski, Friends of Dumont Dunes

President's Day Weekend 2021

It's the last big holiday of the season! Although President's Day weekend has long been known for the Jeep Jamboree drags and hill climbs, they will not be holding the races this year. It's unsure at this time if they will even continue due to lack of participants. Many duners look forward to the races every year, but that won't change the Dumont tradition of playing in the sandbox that weekend. You'll still see the crowds of duners, some of your favorite vendors, and action on Comp Hill. Don't forget to swing by the sand highway (between comp and North Pole) at 3PM for the daily drags. It's nothing more than duners lining up and racing, but it's a new trend at Dumont that everyone seems to love. Stay safe and pack out what you pack in. There is no trash collection at Dumont so we must keep our playground clean if we want to enjoy it for years to come. 
 
Don't forget to show your patriotism! 
 
  

Dumont Drags Trend Just Might Stick

Over the last two decades, there has been talk of getting some daily drags going at Dumont similar to what Glamis does. For those of you that aren't familiar with the Glamis drags, every day (usually Friday or Saturday late afternoon or just before sunset) hundreds of duners line up to mostly watch, but also participate in a rolling start style drag race near Gecko Road. It's completely informal but the turnout hasn't skipped a beat for decades. There's no flyer. There's no schedule. There's no post on the internet. It's just what happens.

Glamis Drags near Gecko Road
 
So as of New Years weekend, Dumont has attempted to revive a tradition that has never quite stuck. It's small, but it's a start... or another beginning we might say. Duners who have an itch to line up and give it their all are starting to line up on the back stretch of the sand highway between Comp and the North Pole. So far it's a small turnout, but it has happened more than once and it's been successful. The fastest sandcars, side x sides, bikes, or whatever it is, might be back there ready to claim some bragging rights. The next time you are at Dumont, especially on a holiday weekend, cruise back there to see if it's going on. Line up and hang out. That's what most people do at Dumont lately right? It's has started around 3PM and goes until sun down. Just don't forget to play it safe and be aware of those around you in the dunes. This is a new thing to most duners at Dumont so keep that in mind when reaching fast speeds in an area where there's usually nothing happening. Have fun and be safe. 
 
 
   

article feature image/ capture from Lindsay Stewart/ Facebook- Dumont Dune Riders Group
 
 
 
 

MLK Weekend 2021

The first holiday weekend of the new year is right around the corner, Martin Luther King Weekend. What better way to start the new year than to get out to the sandbox and enjoy some good ole outdoors? MLK weekend is one of the 5 official holiday weekends when you need a holiday season pass (or buy a $40 holiday weekly pass at the entrance). Even though it is a holiday weekend, it is never super busy and many of us consider this a "duners holiday".  Don't expect huge comp hill parties or rookies leaving their trash everywhere, just duners who like to dune! 
 
If you've been keeping an eye on the weather, it looks as though Dumont will already see highs in the 70's for MLK. Get out, be safe, and have some fun!
 
👉 10 day Dumont weather forecast ☀️

Dumont Dunes Cell Tower Updates

UPDATE: Dec 13, 2020
AT&T is finally operational. Both Verizon and AT&T work, but no other carriers unless they operate on the AT&T or Verizon networks. 
 
Since the announcement of the new cell tower being built at Dumont Dunes, we have all been very excited to see 5 bars and 4G service out at there. Expected completion days kept getting pushed farther and farther back, but the tower is 100% built. At this point we've just waiting for the carriers to have their services "on air". That time might have finally come (with Verizon). 
 
12/23/19 Update: Verizon might be up!
We have been getting a few reports of full Verizon service in many places that are usually dead. Granted it is a slow weekend, service in these areas is usually non-existent or very spotty. We'll report back as we hear even more feedback. 

 
11/22/19 Update
Verizon has everything installed at the tower.  We are just waiting for the service to become active at this point. It can be any day now. Over thanksgiving we'll have to see if we have 5 bars or just 2 on top of a few dunes from them. 
AT&T is still finalizing their solar design for this site. So it will easily 5 months from "5 bars" from them.
IF Verizon gets turned on, Sprint will have 5 bars of roaming service, but not lightning fast streaming.  Same with T-Mobile when AT&T eventually turns on.
 
 
Construction Timeline & Updates
In the beginning of the season, users of Dumont Dunes were very excited to hear about a new cell tower going in at Dumont Dunes. Shortly after the announcement, we were told it was going to be finished by November 19th, 2018! In early November, we received some selfies from a well-dressed project manager in a cowboy hat. 😆  The photo showed the completion of the access gate and the road that was graded to the top of a mountain just south of the big dunes.
 
 
Nov 2018: Service Access Road
 
 
 
When November 19th rolled around and there was still no cell tower, we weren't very surprised. That sounded way too good to be true. We did, however, get an updated from the BLM stating the tower would be installed and functioning by April/May of 2019. That sounded much more realistic. Throughout the season, however, we saw no work being done and we wondered if there was some sort of holdup. Would this cell tower actually be done this season...or ever? Duners were very eager to get out to the dunes and stream movies I guess. I was getting multiple messages before every holiday weekend asking if it was done. I would send everyone the following photo of the last update of their "tower". It's a photo of the top of the barren mountain where the cell tower site will be.
 
Feb 2019: The Cell Tower Site & Construction

 
It is now March and I can finally share some good news of some progress at the cell tower site. Over cleanup weekend, truckloads of cement were being hauled into Dumont. The trucks were driving out to Dumont from Las Vegas. It was taking them 3 hours to get there at which time the cement was quickly poured into front end loaders and hauled up the steep access road to the cell tower construction site. From the looks of it, the forms are in the ground and the foundation will be ready for the tower very soon. According to the BLM, the cell tower will be helicoptered in and set on top of that mountain. So it looks like that April/ May completion date may be a reality after all! We will keep you posted on the progress.
 
The cell tower will be a great addition for Dumont users not only for selfies and live stream dune videos, but for emergencies and better communication in the dunes during breakdowns and recoveries.
 
Here are the photos from the progress on March 16th, 2019. 
 
March 2019: Pouring Foundation Concrete 
 
 
 
  
 
 
May 2019- Tower is Up!

 
 
September 2019: Verizon and AT&T Install Equipment
Latest update: As we already know, the tower is fully constructed and ready for the carriers to install their equipment. Both Verizon and AT&T have signed leases and are deploying their services. The cell tower project manager cannot predict "on air" dates, but he is very optimistic for service to be up and running by Thanksgiving. Let's hope it all gets done earlier than that so we can see it functional for Halloween weekend. Fingers crossed. 
 
October: Waiting For Service 
As dune season approaches, everyone is very excited for the new tower to be done. While we would love to see five bars and 4G over Halloween weekend, we'll likely have to wait until sometime in November for the tower service to be fully functional. We are guessing that by Thanksgiving it should be working. That is when the project manager and BLM estimate the tower to be 100% operative. 
 

 
November: Still Waiting For Service 
 
Verizon has everything installed at the tower.  We are just waiting for the service to become active at this point. It can be any day now. Over thanksgiving we'll have to see if we have 5 bars or just 2 on top of a few dunes from them.
AT&T is still finalizing their solar design for this site. So it will easily 5 months from "5 bars" from them.
IF Verizon gets turned on, Sprint will have 5 bars of roaming service, but not lightning fast streaming.  Same with T-Mobile when AT&T eventually turns on.

 
March 2020: Tower is Functional for Verizon
As of President's Day, the tower seems to be functioning great for Verizon customers with the exception of a couple dead zones (Comp Hill and the Swingset). Everywhere else has great signal and service seems fast! 
 
Sept 2020: AT&T Installing
AT&T has finally made it out and is currently installing their equipment at the tower. Expect service within the next month (Oct 2020). 
 
 
Oct 27, 2020
Still no AT&T. Only Verizon is working. We hear no other carriers are up yet. Any updates and we'll post em here! 
 
Dec 13, 2020
AT&T is finally operational. Both Verizon and AT&T work, but no other carriers unless they operate on the AT&T or Verizon networks. 
 
 
Forum Discussion
 
 

New Years Weekend | Goodbye 2020

The new year is almost here and it's probably safe to say everyone is happy to say goodbye to 2020! The first thing most people are wondering is whether or not Dumont will close due to the California "stay at home orders". We have confirmed with the Barstow BLM and that does not apply to Dumont at this time because outdoor recreation with household members is not prohibited by the order. This post will update if anything changes.
 
Be sure to practice social distancing with households other than your own and take the regular precautions listed on the COVID-19 guidelines post...https://www.dumontduneriders.com/invision/news/covid-19-guidelines-for-dumont-20202021-season-r177/ 
 
 
Here are a couple of the usual FAQs we get asked that apply to New Years Weekend
Is Dumont open? Yes  Will there be vendors? Yes Will there be food vendors? Only prepackaged food vendors What vendors will be there? We don't ever know that information unless we ask. Post up on the forum asking the community. Vendors usually chime in.  Do I need a holiday pass for New Years weekend? Yes, it's $40 if you don't have a season holiday pass. Purchase a weekly pass at the entrance at the kiosk.  
 
This information is current and up to date. If anything changes, this post will update. 
 
 
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Buggy Roundup 8! Dec 12-13, 2020

December 12-13 weekend is Buggy Roundup 8! This year will be a little different due to the flu that is going around and CDC guidelines, but we are still a go!
 
Calling all sandcars! Come join us at Dumont Dunes for our 8th Annual Buggy Roundup. The Buggy Roundup is an annual Dumont trip when all the sandcar people are invited to come out and camp together as a group. We'll be camped together across from bathroom 10, just off the right side of the entrance road. This trip gives the buggy guys and girls of Dumont a chance to meet each other and run the dunes together for a full weekend without the crowds. So don't be a stranger. Every year we have new people join the camp and end up leaving as friends. 
 
There is no set schedule of events, but Saturday will likely go something like this...
 
8:00 AM -~10 AM: Sandcars and Coffee: Pull your car into the center of camp. (Or park it there the night before) Grab some coffee, say good morning to everyone, and check out all the buggies. 
 
Saturday Afternoon: The rest of the day will involve duning, maybe another buggy weigh-off, dune trivia, and more group dune runs!
 
There will be no taco night this year due to the social distancing restrictions in place. 
 
 
Want in? Here's what you need to do.
 
1) On the event page, click GOING...
 
2) Bring your buggy to Dumont and join in on the fun. Don't be a stranger. Park with the group. If you don't know anyone, just ask for PETE. 
 
 
COVID-19 Guidelines we must follow this year
Stay home if you are sick
Wash your hands frequently and use hand sanitizer
Cover your nose & mouth when coughing or sneezing
Regularly clean common touched items
Wear a face mask when in high risk areas such as indoors (RVs) with members of other households or outdoors when 6 feet of distancing is not possible or within close proximity of each other.
Please limit gatherings of people in close proximity within camp. Social distancing of 6 feet or more
There will be no central campfire and each RV will have their own fire.
Should anyone get sick during the event, they should leave Dumont Dunes so as to reduce the exposure potential to others at the event.  
 
Forum discussion thread...
 
 
 
 

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