Winter in the Mojave

I spent an enjoyable couple of weeks out in the Mojave Desert over the holidays, doing research for a potential next book.  The weather was fairly overcast for most of the trip, but clouds did clear for a beautiful view from my campsite near the Marble Mountains on New Year’s Eve.  Here’s a view of the night sky from that campsite, with the constellation Orion at the upper left.  Orion’s belt is aligned vertically and his dagger is pointing off to the right.  The fuzzy star in his dagger is actually the Orion nebula.  Although I was camped out in a remote spot, in the Mojave you’re never far from some sort of human presence.  The orange glow along the horizon is from the headlight of a distant BNSF freight train headed west toward Barstow.

 

Celebrating New Year's Eve in the desert:

 

 

Here are a couple of other shots from the trip.  Roy’s Motel & Café is a classic stop along US Route 66 in the town of Amboy.  Although most traffic since the 1970s has bypassed Route 66 to follow Interstate 40, Roy’s has managed to stay open all those years.  It’s a popular attraction for afficionados of the Mother Road.  You used to be able to get great burgers there.  The new owners have scaled back for now, but still have snacks and a well-stocked gift shop (be sure to get one of the Roy’s logo beanie caps).  I talked to the lady manager, and she said they are working on getting the motel open again by 2025.  The restaurant may reopen after that.  There is a landing field for small aircraft right next to Roy’s, and I’ve sometimes seen a Cessna or Bonanza parked right next to Roy’s.  Apparently the landing field is on BLM land, and Roy’s is prohibited from mentioning it in any of their promotions.  But private pilots who know about it are welcome to land.

 

About an hour’s drive from Amboy is another notable spot, the Iron Mountain Camp.  In World War II, this was one of the camps in the Mojave Desert the Army used to train troops in desert warfare before they were sent to North Africa to battle Rommel’s Afrika Korps.  Although commonly associated with General George Patton, who created it in early 1942, he was there for only a couple of months before heading off to Washington to plan the US invasion of Morocco.  The camp remained open until early 1944.  If you are familiar with the Humphrey Bogart movie, “Casablanca” you should know the movie got its name because after Patton’s army landed in Morocco at Casablanca, the town’s name was all over the news.

The Iron Mountain Camp still retains the layout of its rock-lined dirt roads, although all the structures have long since been removed except for the stone chapel.  It only consisted of a single wall, with troops seated outside for services.  The Bureau of Land Management has fenced off the entire camp to prevent access by off-road vehicles, but turnstiles in several locations allow foot traffic to enter.  The camp is a relic of a different time, and it’s remote location virtually assures you will be the only one there.