For the first time in five years, the "annual" TacomaWorld trip has morphed into two trips. I suppose, technically, I should call it a trip-and-a-half, given the debacle that became Half a Trip in Montana, but I prefer to see the glass always full (there's always something in there) so we're just going to call it two.
The timing of the second trip - in December - clearly ruled out anything up north, so returning to Montana for redemption would just have to wait until next year. Plus, given the unexpectedly good time that we had in Death Valley a couple years ago, it only made sense to return to the desert. While the default would have normally been exploring more of the park, Hurricane Hillary - in August - left the road system in shambles and most of the place was still closed to the public.
And so, we're headed even further south in the Mojave Desert - to the East Mojave Heritage Trail (EMHT).
Created in the late 1980s by Mojave Desert explorer and historian Dennis Casebier, rather than following an established historical route like the Mojave Road, the EMHT is a comprehensive tour through some of the most remote portions of the East Mojave Desert.
Segment 1: Needles to Ivanpah - 173 miles
Segment 2: Ivanpah to Rocky Ridge -199 miles
Segment 3: Rocky Ridge to Fenner - 211 miles
Segment 4: Fenner to Needles - 155 miles
Split into four segments and more than 700 miles long - even without the nearby side-adventures that I added for our enjoyment - that would be a lot of ground to cover in two weeks, so we're going to try to complete it in one!
Spoiler: we only got through the first half of the route on this particular visit in late November 2023. The perfect excuse to head back for more!
Segment 1 and 2
Segment 3 | see A Bit More EMHT (Dec 2023)
Segment 4 | see Wrapping up the EMHT (Jan 2024)
Looking for other segments of the EMHT? Check out
East Mojave Heritage Trail
for other trips where the other parts of this epic route were enjoyed.
I hope you purchased the wonderful set of 4 books on the East Mojave Heritage Trail sold by the Mojave Desert Heritage & Cultural Association. You can find the MDHCA at themojaveroad.org... Current info is that Sections 2, 3, and 4 are passable with technical sections. Section 1 on the Mojave Road is impassible through the Paiute Range but there are directions on the MDHCA Site for a bypass. I always love your write-ups on your wonderful adventures... I can't wait to read this one. I plan on doing these routes after I retire...
Thanks Russ. I know of the books, but I've not purchased them as I know the Mojave pretty well and have travelled most of the EMHT route over the course of previous adventures (without knowing it!). We just (today) wrapped up sections 1 and 2 over a 5-day period (short winter days make doing the whole thing in a week... impossible I'd say). Both were easily passable for rigs like mine. The "bypass" of the Mojave Road in section 1 is the same bypass that's existed for more than a decade (AFAIK) - heading up over Paiute Pass, since the Mojave Road is closed at Fort Paiute.
Pretty fun trip, can't wait to get the photos processed and the story written. Glad to hear that you're looking forward to seeing it! 👍
Hey Turbo! Long time reader, first time commenter..
Just went out and did the EMHT over the week of Thanksgiving with my gf and a buddy that drove down from Oregon. We got through 3 sections and while my buddy had to make the trek north for work on Monday, we decided it best to not run section 4 as fast as we could... Plus we wanted to go back and revisit a couple of things on section 3, namely having time to hike the dunes! Hoping to get back to do section 4 before it warms up again!
Very much looking forward to this one and your descriptions of the wash in section 3 😉
Nice! On this trip, we only got through sections 1 and 2, but I'm headed back for section 3 shortly. (Most of which I've done previously, but never as the EMHT.) I'll be curious to experience the section 3 wash that you're alluding to... And if you mentioned that, how about the "wash" in Valjean Valley, next to the old Tonopah and Tidewater rail grade? That was actually a route across and alluvial fan which is what made it a disaster. Sort of like the "shortcut" that @mrs.turbodb and I took when we hiked to Military Canyon in the Owlshead Mountains of Death Valley. Cut a mile off the hike, but shortcut my a$$. 🤣
You very well may have been the next two people to sign books at the mailboxes then! I certainly thought what would turbo do a couple of times on the trail haha. It took us the same time to get through sections 1 & 2.
That's exactly the section I was talking about. My friend joined the emht fb group which is pretty active for a bit of a report (a stock looking Sequoia was stuck the other day, for example). Our biggest challenge in the area was probably losing light, because it was near impossible to see tire tracks, and needing to find camp (I've got a few points for you to camp in section 3, if you drop me an email). There was one spot where my 3rd gen got stuck, but a rear locker and some rocks made easy work of that. My friend took a wider line in his stock Bronco and had no issues.
The road does at times follow the map and sometimes does not probably from the hurricane rains given the area. There was one fun spot with deep silty sand leading to an off kilter ramp up to the main road that I got a nice video of the Bronco romping and getting a bit of air under the front tires haha.
Other than the alluvial fan road, Vulture mine road was a bit bumpy with one steep loose rocky section. It won't be a problem at all for your rig! We also had minor issues with the railroad leaving cars blocking a path and had to go around as it would have meant trying to cross 4 tracks. The railroad construction is very apparent, though the trail entrance they keep grating over is not.
Over all, section 3 was pretty tame. The slowest roads are likely behind you.
Hey hey, there you are in the book! Super cool! One person (who signed it anyway) between us.
Mailbox #1
And mailbox #2 is a lot harder to find, so I don't think people write in it nearly as often. I wasn't going to miss it, even as we had a fun time racing down the wash!
Mailbox #2
Definitely comment as I post the trip - I'd love to hear your experiences - similar or different - or bits of the route that you thought were fun that I don't mention in the story
Forgot to add - I think I know the section of road at the Vulcan Mine that you're referring to. We visited back in 2019, and with about six inches of snow, we couldn't make it up that section!