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Several times a year Desert Rat and his pals head out to enjoy some wholesome off road activity, good companionship, and tall tales around the campfire. Desert Rat is not a formally organized motorcycle club. We're just a group of folks who like to get together to ride and have fun. There are no dues or meetings and no sponsored events. We don't put on rallies or races. You can usually find us somewhere in the Mojave Desert most holiday weekends. Our biggest event each year is the famous Turkey In The Dirt potluck held on Thanksgiving Weekend. Our riders range from under 4 years old to seasoned riders in their 60's and 70's and still going strong. Pretty much anyone is welcome as long as they behave responsibly. Here are some behavior guidelines from CORVA's N2DIRT.ORG web site. We are not a wild party group, we are mostly families who have found off-roading to be a good, wholesome, unifying family activity. What else can you do that appeals equally well to dad and mom (yes, a lot of moms ride!) and boys and girls ranging from 4 to 18? Most of our participants ride motorcycles but many have quads, dune buggies or 4x4s. We are an equal opportunity group! Want to keep our riding areas open? Check out N2Dirt.Org. This is an educational program of CORVA. Their mission statement is "To promote and teach safe and responsible outdoor recreation for all who use our public lands." Desert Rat urges you to support the N2Dirt program. We always strive to leave an area better than we found it. Hate those CLOSED signs? Learn more about them and what YOU can do about them! A word of advice: Don't Ride AloneEven good riders can have accidents. A mature and excellent rider we know went down on easy desert road while riding alone. Getting back was hell with a broken collar bone, fractured ribs, and a sprained wrist, and a broken ankle when he lost it unexpectedly. Just try picking up 300 lbs of motorcycle with those injuries! Always make sure someone knows where you are going and when you should be back -- and use the "buddy system". Never ride all alone! If one of you gets hurt or breaks down, the other can go for help. Better yet, ride in small groups so someone can stay with an injured rider while someone else goes for help. Here is another cautionary tale from one of our Desert Rats: Don't Ride Alone. Pack it in, Pack it out! Not to hit on a nerve, but this motto from our sometimes not-so-friendly environmentalist foes applies to off-roaders as well. The Desert Rat group always leaves a camp site cleaner than we found it. Please do your part to help us preserve our riding areas! We even been known to drag the site with a magnet and haul away as much as 10 lbs of nails from a single site! We conducted a desert cleanup day at Searles Stations on March 4, 2006. Thanks to all those who came out and supported the group and the interests of off-roading. We nearly filled a large dumpster with the trash we collected, cleaned and reconditioned more than a dozen fire pits, and filled major rain ruts and potholes in more than a mile of access road. We plan to do it again next year, so plan to be there! Another Service Opportunity (in Utah!) Desert Rat has moved to Utah and is now a President of the Utah Trail Machine Association. The UTMA is sponsoring a desert clean-up similar to the Desert Rat Clean Sweep on Memorial Day Weekend. Click here for more info. We'd love to have you join us if you're in the area! Here ia a photo Scott McVey took of our HQ/sign-up area. As you can see, the weather was gorgeous. Note the nice banner donated by C B & G Sign Solutions of Oxnard (Desert Rats Chris and Brenda Compton). Here are some more photos Langdon Southworth took of Clean Sweep Please support our Clean Sweep sponsors! Potential Clean Sweep sponsors for next year click here for our sponsor guidelines Every contribution is appreciated! Desert Rat greatly appreciates the support and cooperation we received for this event from the BLM, CORVA, other off-road clubs, and, of course, our Clean Sweep sponsors!
Desert Rat Activities Be sure to bring clean firewood (no nails, please) for the campfire and lots of water! The nights can be cold and the days hot and dry. We often have a spontaneous potluck dinner one night -- nothing fancy. Everyone just contributes what they have on hand. It is a lot of fun. NOTE: All Desert Rat events are unsanctioned, purely voluntary, unofficial gatherings. Everyone is on his own. Neither Desert Rat nor any other participant assumes any liability for anything except themselves and their own stuff! You and you alone are responsible for yourself and anyone or anything you bring! Desert Rat Advice Don't forget to drink plenty of water or even better, sports drinks -- like Gatorade or Powerade. Did you know you could get dehydrated even when drinking lots of water? If your electrolyte levels fall too low your body can't use the water and just pees it away. This is called hyponatremia or water intoxication. It isn't intuitive but, hydration is just as important in cold weather as it is in hot. Even when it is cold out you still lose a surprising amount of water through perspiration and respiration. Just look at the little clouds you breathe out in cold weather! Avoid caffeine and alcohol if you can. They contribute to dehydration. Believe me, you don't want to get dehydrated and experience a heat related illness. Desert Rat has been there, done that , never wants to do it again!!!! Here are the symptoms and treatment of heat related illnesses so, hopefully, you can avoid problems.Here are some cool Hot Weather Riding Tips. And here are some hot Cold Weather Riding Tips. Spare parts and tools are a good idea too -- unless you a) never fall down, b) never break down, or c) just want an excuse not to ride. Folks in the Desert Rat group are really good about helping each other, but we can't be expected to have every part for every bike or every special tool you might need! Here is a useful CHECKLIST of things to think about to get you started.
Emergency Information Everyone should have their own first aid kit and know how to use it. Make sure you keep it up to date. Replenish things you use and check expiration dates. Things like adhesive tape as well as medications have a fairly short shelf life, especially in desert heat. A simple thing like splinting a suspected broken bone with sticks can provide a lot of comfort to an injured rider and prevent additional injuries during transport to medical facilities. Desert Rat Lemont Southworth carries a big first aid kit and is trained in first aid and Advanced Wilderness Life Support and will be glad to help if needed. Look for the Desert Rat flag or Lemont's trailer and motorhome. The nearest hospital is Ridgecrest Regional Hospital, 1081 North China Lake Boulevard, Ridgecrest, CA 93555 (760) 446-3551. They are accustomed to handling off road injuries. In and around California City, use your cell phone to call (760) 373-8606. The number is the California City police dispatch number and is the fastest way to get help (police, ambulance, fire, serach and rescue,etc) anywhere near Cal City: C-Park, Galleleo Hill, Cadillac Blvd). Cal City has placed signs with the emergency number near many commonly used camp sites in the Cal City area. Cal City Police sponsors the Desert Incident Response Team(D.I.R.T)", a group of volunteers specially trained and equipped to respond to off-road incidents. They are also being trained as reserve police officers and will soon be authorized and obligated to write tickets. Calling 911 just about anywhere we ride will get you the Barstow CHP and they're quite a ways away. |
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Desert Incident Response Team (D.I.R.T) Online magazine devoted to trailriding, harescrambles, and enduro competitions. Camp Chef Really cool camping stoves and accessories. Our Very Own Desert Racer Kristen Southworth Powell No 1 AMA Southern California Womens Motocross 2001! Send your suggestions for more links to desertrat@desertrat.org |
