We’ve meant to have this travel log ready a while back, but prioritized the Carrizo Plains log due to the time-sensitive superbloom. We got many appreciative messages on that one, glad we could be of help! We've been coming to the Trona Pinnacles for many years, I'm not sure I even remember the first time anymore! Known for their otherworldly appearance, the Trona Pinnacles are a unique geological formation featured in numerous movies, TV shows, and photoshoots. The Pinnacles are composed of more than 500 tufa spires, some as high as 140’, that rise from the dry lake bed. Made of ancient calcium carbonate, these formations are the remnants of water bodies that once spanned the entire valley. At one...
It’s been a few months since our last travel log to Horsebird, but I promise we didn’t forget about you guys! We’ve been getting battered with seemingly endless winter storms with record rain and snowfall, and while we’ve still been taking trips for product research and development, the conditions have made for very difficult content creation. Now that spring has rolled in, we’ve been taking more trips to take advantage of the nicer weather. We have a number of other travel logs in the pipeline, but seeing as this one is more time-sensitive, we’ve bumped this log on the Carrizo Plain National Monument up to the top. As of the writing of this post, peak wildflower blooms are projected to...
Sometimes during our adventures, we stumble upon places that appear unnamed on any maps. In these situations, I tend to find the closest named sites and mash up a new name for recording purposes. This particular adventure took us near Horse Canyon and Bird Spring Canyon in the Mojave Desert, so I’ve coined this little region as Horsebird. Situated at the southern base of the Eastern Sierra, Horsebird is one of many clearings accessible by the miles of dirt trails stemming from Dove Springs. Dove Springs, directly accessible from Highway 395, is a named BLM OHV site with Red Rock Canyon State Park directly to its south, and open BLM public land to the north. The Dove Springs entrance is...
Roughly 37 miles northeast of Edwards Air Force Base, Cuddeback Dry Lake is situated in an infrequently traveled region of the Mojave Desert. When we first found and explored Cuddeback Lake, we thought there was an ‘L’ in the name, and kept calling it Cuddleback. Since Cuddleback sounds cuter than the real name, we still jokingly use the name (and named our Cuddleback Camping Chair accordingly). Coming from the LA Basin, you’ll likely be traveling up CA-395 from the I-15, or up the CA-395 from the CA-58 and CA-14. From the rough center of LA Metro, it’ll take about 2 to 2.5 hours to reach the turnout, depending on traffic. We typically like to enter from Fremont Peak Road, but...
The Mojave Desert – birthplace of DOS and proving grounds for DOS product testing, lies a relatively short distance out of the Los Angeles basin. Those unfamiliar with the Mojave Desert may think it’s just an endless void of barren nothingness (partly true). With brutal weather seemingly year-round, the Mojave is host to a surprisingly varied number of natural and historical wonders. While it’s initially difficult to fathom the sheer expanse of the desert, you’ll find the Mojave has its own way of rewarding the curiosity of brave adventurers. We’ve been venturing the Mojave for many years, and new discoveries still await us every time we explore. Before we get to our feature destination, I must remind readers that the...
