el mirage: dry lake bed driving tonight!

[faded1004]

i am going to head to the dry lake bed with a few friends of mine who won't mind the drive. el mirage is around victorville, and it is only 80 miles from my place here near long beach. that is about an hour and half drive... which isn't too bad. to get to pasadena and la is about 40 minutes? so it isn't too bad. anyways, just wondering if anyone else has gone?

i am not sure what to expect, but the talk from friends is... flat-ish area, with alot of room to play. ohh yea, and alot of dust! yea, so what are your thoughts? i am thinking about going at around 9pm... stay until 5am... cause night weather is about 65 degrees... and i dont' wanna be there in the day time when it hits 100... hahahhaha... i will try to take some pics and post them when i get back...

[td5turbo]

What do you do there....just like illegally drive on the lake, or is it like "ok to drive your car" like some of the beaches in FL....Is it an event? Might be cool to go sometime once my car is done.

[!Zar!]

Sounds dumb imo.

Driving your car in the dirt.

Hope none of the dirt stick to your car, because chances are that some salt could be embedded in there. And then your car will be coated with rust and dirt.

That also doesn't sound legal... If it is, more power to you.

But if it was my car, I wouldn't do it.

But being as how my word mean .02 to you all I can do is suggest protecting your car by coating the parts that are most likely to rust with wd40 or something of that nature. Also clean/replace your air filter. The last thing you would want is your car sucking in dirt.

[faded1004]

yea it is legal, all street legal cars can drive on it... there is no speed limit, that is why they have the top speed stuff there... you can basically do anythign there... but the particular place i wanna go to restricts guns... my friends went last weekend and shot fully auto machine guns... and blew up propane tanks... hahahaha... but they are really crazy and i dont wanna go there for that ...

anyways, i am just going to do some donuts, and may be alittle drift action, i am thinking it will be a good place to just have alittle driving fun... it isn't an event, i am just jealous of my friends, they are all goin to events this weekend... and i wanted to do some driving.... anyways, if you wanna tag along i am cool with it...

right now it is me and my friend with s2000, i would suggest anyone who goes make sure you have lsd... cause we need to go on a dirt road for a bit, and it would be super easy to get through... i think you can still go with out one... like motor homes go there too... but i guess it would just be safe...

anyways, hoping to leave around 9pm, get there no later then 11pm, and drive all night long... wanna leave there no later then 8am... cause it will get hot! hahaha, well, if you wanna caravan there and stuff, just pm me your number? i can tell you a place we can meet up and just drive out there...

hahaha, yea dirt is a given... it will most likely be a fine dust... i saw my friends car, and he just vacuumed alittle and wiped down the dash... and it was good to go... i am sure if you aren't driving right through the dust clouds, it should be fine... hahaha...

[wickdmarz]

Sounds dumb imo.

Driving your car in the dirt.

Hope none of the dirt stick to your car, because chances are that some salt could be embedded in there. And then your car will be coated with rust and dirt.

That also doesn't sound legal... If it is, more power to you.

But if it was my car, I wouldn't do it.

But being as how my word mean .02 to you all I can do is suggest protecting your car by coating the parts that are most likely to rust with wd40 or something of that nature. Also clean/replace your air filter. The last thing you would want is your car sucking in dirt.

Nah no salt out there and yes you can just wash it off. it's gripier (sp?) than asphalt and you leave skid marks.

It's only illegal to those one type of dirt bikes that can light brush...so like if your car throws flames it'll be illegal too.

I've done it several times and the dirt never clogged up the filters either.

LOL But I think the bottom of my car is still coated from doing it and it's been well over a year from the last time I did it...but I also don't care that much about dirt.

yea it is legal, all street legal cars can drive on it... there is no speed limit, that is why they have the top speed stuff there... you can basically do anythign there... but the particular place i wanna go to restricts guns... my friends went last weekend and shot fully auto machine guns... and blew up propane tanks... hahahaha... but they are really crazy and i dont wanna go there for that ...

anyways, i am just going to do some donuts, and may be alittle drift action, i am thinking it will be a good place to just have alittle driving fun... it isn't an event, i am just jealous of my friends, they are all goin to events this weekend... and i wanted to do some driving.... anyways, if you wanna tag along i am cool with it...

right now it is me and my friend with s2000, i would suggest anyone who goes make sure you have lsd... cause we need to go on a dirt road for a bit, and it would be super easy to get through... i think you can still go with out one... like motor homes go there too... but i guess it would just be safe...

anyways, hoping to leave around 9pm, get there no later then 11pm, and drive all night long... wanna leave there no later then 8am... cause it will get hot! hahaha, well, if you wanna caravan there and stuff, just pm me your number? i can tell you a place we can meet up and just drive out there...

hahaha, yea dirt is a given... it will most likely be a fine dust... i saw my friends car, and he just vacuumed alittle and wiped down the dash... and it was good to go... i am sure if you aren't driving right through the dust clouds, it should be fine... hahaha...

It's legal to a point. You can't mess up the lake there you'll get ticketed and kicked out. I did that a few years back.

Just don't up the lake or you'll mess it up for everyone...even though the bike riders do most of the damage anyways.

A park ranger gave us crap even though we were in an already bad part of the lake and no where near where they do the land speed trials.

[Helghast]

It's cool, ran there a couple months back.

Took me 2 weeks to get the sand out of my car.

Top Speed drift is INSANE.

[S13SilviaGirl]

my old neighbor in cali used to take his top speed cars up there to practice for bonneville. Pretty cool place, but I have never been there to drive personally, just to watch.

[i8yourfwd]

Wahaha sounds fun, cept for trying to clean your car off after..

[faded1004]

hahahaha, i just woke up!!! dude, the dirt inside is okay... a light dust on the dash cause i kept on opening my window and sliding wiht my head out the window! hahaha... but it was so fun!

left my house at 10-11pm(full tank)... got there around 12ish midnight(75% gas left)... played until 4:30am(40% gas)... came home at almost 6am ish(25% left)... even though i didn't use alot of gas, i was so tired from counter steeering, running around... and hanging out... i need a good night sleep to run a few tanks there... takes alot of work...

the outside doesn't look that bad... just like parking outside for a few weeks, and raining a few times... i have pictures, i will post them as soon as i get my lazy butt back to the car...

i really wanna go again on sunday, this time in the day time!


my experience:

the ground is pretty smooth, but slightly dusty...
the tires still do screech(semi loud)...
understeer is a major problem(thinking it's 'cause dust, even with 225 in front for me)...
temp was about 65 degrees, was in light sweats and tank top....
tires got hot, 130 fonts and 160 rears...
no full moon, so it was kinda dark...
no lsd needed to get to lake bed, was easy to get there, just dont' get lost!
everything is paved on way in, except quarter mile of last part? dirt, with small rocks, nothing bad...

[ALTRNTV]

Damn... sounds fun. I'll go one of these days with some friends.

Oh yea, is there any rocks we have to worry about? I don't want that chipping my paint.

[Jdotsturn]

Theres not that many rocks in the center of the bed but once you get around the edges thats where the rocks are. And also watch out for nails but those are also mostly along the edge of the lake bed. I never knew people go mess around up there I usually just take my dirt bike out there and ride never thought about bringing my car. Ill have to try it out one day.

[faded1004]

hahaha, yea, there aren't that many rocks... atleast any that do damage... and on top of that, you don't really tailgate people, unless you wanna eat alot of dirt! hahahah... i wanted to go back today! but i am too tired!

[faded1004]

i will post up directions as soon as i can... alot of people have been asking about it...

here is a pic of the cone i brought, looks like an open flat abysse... you can see my donut marks... nothing deep...

http://img107.imageshack.us/img107/8972/img88382cc.th.jpg (http://img107.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img88382cc.jpg)

both my friends and my car after a few donuts, high speed runs, and braking contests!

http://img107.imageshack.us/img107/4817/img88418iv.th.jpg (http://img107.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img88418iv.jpg)

a pic of my car car from the rear, love this shot!

http://img282.imageshack.us/img282/5711/img88400qh.th.jpg (http://img282.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img88400qh.jpg)

side shot... i know i need to lower the car! i have springs, but didn't install them!

http://img249.imageshack.us/img249/5139/img88396za.th.jpg (http://img249.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img88396za.jpg)

here is a pic of my rear, i think the dirt made my tire unbalanced, imma bring canned air to blow out the dirt next time!

http://img439.imageshack.us/img439/2221/img88427ta.th.jpg (http://img439.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img88427ta.jpg)

[ALTRNTV]

Oh damn, the ground wasn't as bad as I thought it would be!

[SiI40sx]

hmm I wish I had a beater I could take, sounds like a lot of work cleaning your car afterwords, but that place looks clean as fuck

my stang has lsd too haha its so tempting but I dont feel like cleaning it after

[i20ar]

damn sounds fun whens the next time anyone planning to go down there... we should have a lil meet up takes sum cones n stuff

[faded1004]

okay here are the instruction on how to get there... basically from my house... total distance is about 80 miles from my house...

starting from the 91 fwy and 605 fwy location, head north on 605 fwy (20.6 miles) and get onto I-210 east for 8 miles, this turns in to CA-210 east and go on this for 18.8 miles, take I-15 north for 24.6 miles, merge onto US-395 for 14 miles, and make a left on chamberline way(this is also called crippen avenue, both names will be on sign, and it will be a signal), take this road to Koala road and make a right(don't know distance, a few stop signs), at el mirage road, you make a left( BE CAREFUL!!! this is not really an intersection... it is a full on broken paved road that turns 90 degrees at 15 MPH, if it is dark, you won't see the turn coming, there is only 1 sign that warns you!!!!), after you make the turn, head down el mirage road for a bit until you hit mountain view road. here you make a right, and go until the road ends. well not really end, it stops being paved. right at that point there will be a stop sign, here you need to make left. this will take you directly to the lake bed.

a good place before the dry lake bed is the arco gas station at the 210 and 15 freeways, it was 3.30 cents for the 87 gas... pretty cheap in my opinion... the exit was right before the interchange, if you were heading east. it is huge and clean... so should be a good stop...

if you go foward, there will be the camping locations, and if you go really far, like i did... it will get really narrow(turns in to atv and motor bike road) and you won't be able to get out unless you have LSD, cause it gets sandy!!!

remember, they close the place up when it rains... and don't forget to bring flash lights... if you go in the day, you need water! there are only port-a-potties at entrance and north side of lake. if you go in dark you won't be able to find exit on lake... so you must look for the weird 3 lights(1 blueish and 2 yellowish amber - they are street light lamps, you can see them from most of the lake)... and head in that direction. the exit is alittle to the left of that... trust me, when you do alto of donuts in the dark, you will loosk your directions, there are no points of reference there... all you see is flat land...

i am planning on going soon again, so if you wanna tag along that would be fine... if you go there for the first time... try to go with someone, if you get stuck, it is hard to get help, and it takes a while to get help... so it will be good to have a friend with another opperational car. CELL PHONES WILL WORK THERE!!! hahaha... i guess that is it... if you have any other questions, pm me...

it is a public recreation area... so grneral rules do apply... don't destroy the place, take everything you brought in out wiht you(trash, and debris), also don't be stupid, the ranger will call police if you have drugs... hahaha...i think they just dont' care what you do, just don't endanger other people and yourself... that is when they get pissed...

it will be good to have rangers number in your cell phone... i think it was this (760)252-6000, it was the information line i called to get info on the lake bed... they are very nice...

they didn't bother me the 5 hours i was there...

things i want to bring the next time:
more cones!!! food, more friends, and also more flash lights...

i really wanna go again, but i am thinking they won't be open for a week or so until the lake bed dries... cause i know it will rain tonight... i will let you know when i plan to go out again... it was fun for me, and i would love to go in the day time...

[faded1004]

ohh, BTW... on the dirtiness of my car...

my car was really dusty on the outside... but i guess you guys are wondering how it was on the inside... it was okay i guess... nothing super bad... being a convertible, i usually have a really dusty car cause i love to drive with the top down! so it isnt' a big deal. i still haven't cleaned the outside, hehehe, i am waiting for it to rain so i don' really have to! hahaha... it is 11pm, and it should rain around midnight tonight... i keep checking the weather.com reports... when it rains, i will go out for a few donuts, and get my car rinsed... so easy! as for the interior, imma just wipe it down with a damp cloth like i usually do with the dustiness or daily driving....

[nrg]

is it that dark at night? why not go in the day time?

[faded1004]

hahaha, i was too excited to go, so i left the ngith my friends told me about it... it isn't like they close, so i just went! hahaha... one thing i didn't do was a major top speed run, i think it is only safe during the day time.... it kinda gets hot there... i think the day before i went it was 100? but it is cooling down right now... today was like 80? so... i guess you just have to pic a day and go... day or night... night was pretty fun, stayed until my arms couldn't countersteer any more...

my friends s2000 had hid headlights, and he couldn't see the ends of the lake... or my cone when he drove off, had to try to find my cone twice! hahaha... but i still have it... it is only alittle scary, cause you can't see anything but floor for a long time! i hear the lake is a few miles long, and a mile or two wide... that is longer then any high beams can go! hahaha...

[SiI40sx]

is this edwards lake?? I think theres an air force base there

[faded1004]

i don't think it is... it is called elmirage recreation area...

lake bed entrance coordinates for those of you with gps!!!

http://www.jeeep.com/details/coord/translate.cgi?datum=83&lat=34.6236166&lon=-117.54815

[nrg]

yea, i know how large and where it's at. Squidd went there a few years ago for a bmw meet. Maybe a zilvia meet out there? =O

[SiI40sx]

yea, i know how large and where it's at. Squidd went there a few years ago for a bmw meet. Maybe a zilvia meet out there? =O

ohhh thats it..... it has begun....

[S13 Charlie]

Hey man,

after seeing how fun this could be, I feel like an idiot, cause I used to live pretty close to there.. Anyway, if possible, I'd like to go the next time you go out there. I'll subscribe to this thread..

cheers,

C

[IAM_SO_sLOw]

haha me and my friends were going to go last night but you said they might close when it rains so we didnt go...lol next time you go make a post ill probably go too..

[faded1004]

yea, imma write when i go next, right now, i am working on lowering the car(tein lowering springs just for now), new tires(235 40 17 F, 255 40 17 R), and intake(don't knwo what kind...) header(blitz) and exhaust(apexi).... trying to get all the stuff together before i head out again...

ohh yea, i still need a new radio, cause mine was stolen from me... a while back and i haven't found a new one yet... so still no music...

[SiI40sx]

lets go this weekend!! whose down??? my bday is on friday! yay 4 me..... xmen 3 is coming out!! wtf!?!? SO MUCH GOING ONNNNN

[faded1004]

dude, sil40!!!! my friend works with your girlfriend!!! hahahaha, this is so funny... ask her about danny the comp tech? she should know him...

i am goign to try to put all the stuff on tomorrow an firday, but if not imma put it on this weekend... i can go only after all that stuff... if i don't put it on now, it won't be put on until after summer school...

[faded1004]

just a few tips if you guys go:

watch your rear tire temps, it can get very hot...
make sure to bring water, at least alittle...
spare tire that works...
cell phone that is actually charged...
use the buddy system (where is your buddy?)...
make sure EVERYONE has a copy of the map and directions...
and always be aware of your suroundings, no matter how far they seem...
tools if your car is prone to break down...

[SiI40sx]

and a gun just in case some wolf creek shit goes down