Desert Dessert

Last weekend we joined friends for an annual winter buggy trek across the Mojave desert. 14 buggies attended. We ran about 400 miles in three days, approximately half of that distance off-highway. The weather was the best we have encountered for this run, cool but not cold. We had a lot of rain early in the season and it showed. Lots of fresh erosion and the dry lakes were no longer dry. I was leading a group up a canyon when suddenly the sand got soupy. We had literally crossed onto where an underground river was making the surface unstable like quicksand. I grabbed the radio mic and advised everyone to keep clear. Most were able to take evasive action. But my location was too saturated. All but three buggies made it to higher ground. The rest of us were a photo shoot for the group. I was only inches from making riverbank when the rear tires buried. If you double click the middle photo you can see all the tracks plowed through the quicksand and another stuck buggy. This was the most memorable day of the trip because of the degree of difficulty.