Mesquite Canyon Road in Randsburg, CA

[JasonDroninAround]

Here is me having a little fun in my new truck near Randsburg, CA. The roads I took were EP100, EP15, and EP103. This was one of the earlier trips with my new truck. I was alone and I wanted to be cautious. The destination was Burro Schmidt Tunnel. I make a walk through video of that but I recorded it in portrait like a goober. After visiting the tunnel, I continued west on EP103 where the trail definitely got more difficult. I was not bottoming out. It was just very steep with a bunch of small rocks. There was a cool peak with a cool view just past the tunnel where I got some good drone footage. I played around with some editing on one of the shots and simulate a dolly zoom After that, I continued west on EP103. OnX Offroad showed it was going to turn back south towards Randsburg Redrock Road but that southerly section was closed. I decided to just turn around, go back to the tunnel, and go back out the way I came in. I started recording another video from inside that cab of the truck on the way back down. This one I did not cut it up but sped up most of the video to 800% with some fun parts slowed back down to 100%. I tried to upload the video straight to the forum but it said the file is too large to be uploaded

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[Oscarcat]

Great writeup and video for us So Cal folk who are familiar with the area. I only know Randsburg from passing through on the I-395. It is a fascinating former silver mining area. Looks like your Tremor was a perfect match to the off-road conditions.

When you are looking for another similar adventure, go to Bodie CA, this was a gold mining town and now CA ghost town and historical park, and take the old Wells Fargo stage road east from Bodie to Aurora Nevada. Look out for the old adobe station house on the left.

I took that road in my two wheel drive 2006 GMC Canyon 4 cyl extended cab. My wife walked the streams and steered me around the rocks. California takes a scrapper once each spring up to the state line. Nevada doesn't.

 

[JasonDroninAround]

Great writeup and video for us So Cal folk who are familiar with the area. I only know Randsburg from passing through on the I-395. It is a fascinating former silver mining area. Looks like your Tremor was a perfect match to the off-road conditions.

When you are looking for another similar adventure, go to Bodie CA, this was a gold mining town and now CA ghost town and historical park, and take the old Wells Fargo stage road east from Bodie to Aurora Nevada. Look out for the old adobe station house on the left.

I took that road in my two wheel drive 2006 GMC Canyon 4 cyl extended cab. My wife walked the streams and steered me around the rocks. California takes a scrapper once each spring up to the state line. Nevada doesn't.

Since this trip, I have gone through Springville and Johnsondale in an attempt to go over Sherman pass but it was too early in the year. It was still snowed in and I ended up camping near Kernville. On the next trip, I had a 5-day weekend due to a work truck breakdown and my big plan was to start there in the Lake Isabella area and take several days on 395 all the way to Tahoe. I only made it as far as Lone Pine. That was the weekend that Tahoe got a late 3-day snow storm. I ended up detouring towards Death Valley instead. Death Valley was awesome. What's funny is I did drive by Bodie and I do remember somebody telling me about that ghost town but for whatever dumb reason I didn't go up there :-(

 

[Oscarcat]

Sounds like you are footloose and free. I am not surprised you were unable to make it through the some areas of the eastern Sierras as the snow remains at the higher elevations into late June.

I know Sherwin Pass as Sherwin Summit on the I-395. The entire area is so fascinating. Endless side roads to explore and your Tremor is perfect for most of them. Enjoy.

 

[JasonDroninAround]

Here is that Sherman Pass video. The gate was open but not quite all of the snow was melted yet. You can tell some people ventured further than I but I was alone and without cell service and this is the furthest I was going to go. There were so many side gates closed for the winter and there was not much off-roading to do while I was there on this trip

Sounds like you are footloose and free. I am not surprised you were unable to make it through the some areas of the eastern Sierras as the snow remains at the higher elevations into late June.

I know Sherwin Pass as Sherwin Summit on the I-395. The entire area is so fascinating. Endless side roads to explore and your Tremor is perfect for most of them. Enjoy.

 

[JasonDroninAround]

I have both a set of snow chains and snow cables in my recovery box. I may have been able to push through but it would have been my luck that the gate was locked on the east side and I would have had to double all the way back over the pass.

I know we're not supposed to use snow chains on the truck. I have used neither yet. They are from an older vehicle that happens to be a similar tire size. All of my tools and and recovery and camping stuff fit in two totes under the tonneau cover. When I finally run out of room, the tire chains will probably be the first thing to go. They are pretty heavy.

When I'm fully loaded for camping, under the tonneau cover is the two totes with all the small stuff, a camping chair, the big tent, porta potty, and a little table. Inside the cab in the backseat is my Anker c1000 and my BougeRV refrigerator cooler.

 

[Oscarcat]

Here is that Sherman Pass video. The gate was open but not quite all of the snow was melted yet. You can tell some people ventured further than I but I was alone and without cell service and this is the furthest I was going to go. There were so many side gates closed for the winter and there was not much off-roading to do while I was there on this trip

Oops - I misread Sherman Pass as SHERWIN Pass, which I am familiar with.

 

[JasonDroninAround]

Oops - I misread Sherman Pass as SHERWIN Pass, which I am familiar with.

I just assumed it was a mistype There is both a Sherman and Sherwin Pass? hehe

 

[Oscarcat]

I just assumed it was a mistype There is both a Sherman and Sherwin Pass? hehe

I only know the Sherwin Summit on the 395 just north of the town of Bishop, CA. It is a 6% climb from Bishop/Owens River Valley up to Crowley Lake. As I wrote, this and the entire Eastern Sierra is a fascinating area with an interesting history based on mining.

The 1974 film "Chinatown" starring a young Jack Nicholson was loosly based on the deceit surrounding water rights in the Owens River Valley. If you drove north on two-lane 395 from Randsburg, you were in the Owens River Valley which is now desert but was rich farmland before the water wars that diverted the Owens river to supply Los Angeles. Again, lots of history.

But I think if you get back that way, you will love the ghost town, Bodie. It is really worth going off the beaten path to see. It is easily 4-5 hours north of Randsburg.

Fun fact: When electricity was brought into Bodie, they kept all the poles in as straight a line as possible with gentle turns because engineers were afraid if they made a 90 degree turn, the electricity would fly off the wires.

 

[JasonDroninAround]

Sherwin Summit https://maps.app.goo.gl/RHhW1x8u7QyUgVtq7
Sherman Pass https://maps.app.goo.gl/K5K3LVPbDSJodVGh9

Both look beautiful

 

[Oscarcat]

Sherwin Summit https://maps.app.goo.gl/RHhW1x8u7QyUgVtq7
Sherman Pass https://maps.app.goo.gl/K5K3LVPbDSJodVGh9

Both look beautiful

So much to see, so little time. Yes, both look beautiful.

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