Carrizo Plain Meet-up Mar-Apr

[EricaR]

I believe that if you look at the link closely you will see a field of yellow and a field of purple from the same day. Not mixed, though. Anyway, we are heading out there for an overnight car camp on Thursday or Friday night this week, taking a camera for sure!

Ummm, for next week... you can't copy and paste photos into this conversation, how do you share photos?

[maverick]

you can't copy and paste photos into this conversation, how do you share photos?

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[SSSdave]

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=15634

I should be down there by tomorrow Thursday late afternoon, the start of a long road trip. I returned from the first very successful trip down to Sonora Desert March 17 but had brought home a most unpleasant case of influenza I was suffering with until last weekend.

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=15634

My AT&T shows 3G coverage over much of that area though note there are some holes. So if I briefly turn on my data roaming setting on my moto g, I can likely send back out a text report by sometime later Friday. Per the above thread after Saturday, I may continue down for a few days at Joshua Tree NP if I think CPNM will be better a few days later. Will send maverick a PM with my cell phone number he can phone me at when any of you actually get in that area.

https://www.blm.gov/nlcs_web/sites/styl ... ss_map.pdf

Note unless something changed recently there are NO gas stations, markets, or stores in the vast valley so one needs to be very careful about bringing in everything as this is really just like remote desert camping. Although there has sometimes been water at the visitor center the official site says "There is no drinking water available" because their supply at the tiny center is too limited especially to support an extraordinary influx of visitors. Thus bring in your own water. I will have 7 gallons just like I did on my above trip and use it wisely. Expect there will be numbers of visitors without a place to camp, little water, little food, driving around clueless about the situation there. Half of them will be parked along the little visitor center road walking down the road to get into the tiny center so they can look at other people milling around like them and ask a few questions they should have done their homework on before going there.

Be sure to print out or put a copy of the map on your cell phone as it shows the legal dispersed camping areas. During coming weekends the 3 campgrounds may well be full if they already aren't and that could continue through some of the week days. Just like at some other parks, numbers of them will be camp bodies that except for one person in their group hardly ever drives off anywhere and are content to look at others like them doing the same all day while squatting on a site. So be prepared to disperse camp. The Padrones Canyon Road area is excellent though Soda Lake Road on the topo maps for that area is totally wrong so check the recent hybrid satellite views.

David

[maverick]

Sorry folks, but I have to bail out on this Meet-up.
Was just informed about 30 minutes ago, that an employee and long time friend of mine may have another round with the "C" word, so all my travel plans are being put on hold.

[scipio]

Maverick, best wishes to your friend - that's a hard fight.

[maverick]

Thanks Scipio!
She is one of the most high energy/spunky woman, in her early 70's, that I have met.

[maverick]

Those who are considering going, go this coming weekend thru next weekend to get the best of the bloom, reports place it close to the 2005's spectacular showing, in some sections.

[Rockyroad]

We're heading from the Bay Area to LA this weekend so will take a detour through Carrizo tomorrow.

[maverick]

Cool, looking forward to the pictures! Fill up with gas, food, and water before Maricopa , the last stop for gas (50 miles away from CP).

[Jimr]

I think everyone should dog pile on Dave's camp spot