Join us to Explore the Soda Mountains!

Carcamp and Dayhike: (Moderate)

Dates: October 17-18, 2009, Saturday-Sunday

The 110,000 acre Soda Mountains Wilderness Study Area (WSA) is a prime example of Mojave wilderness awaiting protection. Located just off Interstate 15, the Soda Mountains are a scenic, horseshoe-shaped range that varies from gentle slopes to rugged, highly eroded, jagged ridges. Hikers enjoy ready access to multicolored canyons with steep, rocky walls grading from brown at the base, to red in the middle, to gold at the top.

Toward the southwest of the WSA are the two Cronese lakebeds, normally dry, but in wet years these provide a shallow home for migrating wildfowl. This area also includes salt and hunting camp localities once used by Chemehuevi Indians. A formally designated Area of Critical Environmental Concern protects some of these resources. The more mountainous part of the WSA is to the northeast and presents a maze of canyons, hills, ridges, and small open valleys. Desert bighorn are sometimes seen here.

OUR PLAN:

We will meet at 3:00 PM on Saturday afternoon at the Razor off-ramp along Interstate 15, about a 45 minute drive northeast from Barstow, CA. Directions for reaching this location are given below. After a brief greeting we will drive the only permitted road northwest across the Cronese Lake area. Four-wheel drive will not be needed at all on the weekend, although reasonable ground clearance is advised. The intent on Saturday is to see and explore the flat, dry lake area of the Wilderness Study Area. We will camp along the road and have a potluck meal and campfire in the evening.

Sunday morning we will rise fairly early, drive back to the Razor off-ramp and then a mile or two farther north to begin our hike for the day. This will be at most moderate in difficulty and will explore the more mountainous part of the study area - the deep canyons and ridges. We should be back at the cars by 5:00 PM that afternoon.

HOW TO GET THERE

We will meet at 3:00 PM Saturday afternoon immediately north of Interstate 15 at the Razor off-ramp. This is about 44 miles northeast of Barstow and is a well signed exit. It is the one immediately following the Basin Road off-ramp (as you drive north). A California highway map is sufficient to find the location. While it is possible to buy gasoline at this off-ramp, it is expensive, so those needing fuel would be advised to buy this in Barstow.

WATER

We will need to provide all our water for the weekend. The minimum is one gallon per person per day to drink. Washing and cleaning will require more.

GEAR

In at these elevations in later autumn the weather should be accommodating. Rain is not expected but is possible. It would be wise to bring some shelter and some rain gear. Sleeping might be as cold as 40 Fahrenheit, and daytime temperatures could reach the 75. The gear that will be essential for everyone is:

sleeping bag, ground cloth, boots (probably better than running shoes in this country), extra clothing as you wish, HAT, SUNBLOCK, SUNGLASSES, daypack, food, and stove as appropriate for the cooking arrangements that you make. Saturday evening we will have a potluck meal. Bring some dish or item that might be shared with five persons. I will bring firewood. If you have an easy supply you might bring a bit more - but this is not essential. Other personal items for comfort are up to you. Some sort of camp chair makes it easier to sit around in the evening.

DIFFICULTY

Except for the first and last mile on Sunday, the hike is entirely cross-country but is not especially difficult. The total distance would be no more than 8 miles. The route is up-and-back, so if you become tired it will be possible to stop and wait for others to return and meet you. The elevation gain should not exceed 500 feet. Washes are sandy in some places. The hike is suitable for most anyone who enjoys walking.

The drive from our evening camp to the start of Sunday’s hike may be difficult for some vehicles, but there should be no difficulty in consolidating into the cars having greater ground clearance for the final mile to the beginning of our hike.

MAPS

If you’d like to see where we’re going on a map, the entire trip appears on the USGS topo map called Soda Mountains in the 1:100 000 scale. More detail appears in the USGS 7.5 minutes series: “West of Soda Lake Quadrangle,” and "Cronese Lakes Quadrangle.”

IF YOU PLAN TO JOIN US, PLEASE RESPOND IN ADVANCE TO:

Craig Deutsche

craig.deutsche@gmail.com

310-477-6670

See you on the trail!

About Us
CWC protects our wild landscapes through public education, legislation and advocacy. We believe that a well educated and activist citizenry is essential to the preservation of wild California. Please support our efforts and join our community as a CWC member.

CWC
1212 Broadway, Suite 1700
Oakland, CA 94612
(510) 451-1450
info@calwild.org

Desert Office
167 North Third Ave, St.
Upland, CA 91786
(909) 946-1855

http://calwild.org