Backcountry Pilot • CA desert

CA desert

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CA desert

Flying east out of Palm Springs a number of years ago, you could still see the old strips. I've heard these were built by Patton during desert training.

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Re: CA desert

Patton's Camp Horn was just s few miles east of us. It was a desert training facility and yes there are the remains of several airstrips all around.
The camp itself is still visible by air if you know what you're looking at. All the tents, and infrastructure had rock paths which for the most part still exist today. This area in general is remarkably rich with history that seems to have almost completely vanished in the desert wind and heat.

When ever the winds get up big, or the monsoons produce large floods, the boss and myself enjoy saddling up or jumping in the cub to visit the camp and 'beach comb' the surface for newly unearthed treasures. We do the same a few miles south on the opposite side of the Gila River, where the Butterfield Overland Mail stagecoach trail ran. which runs right through the site of the Oatman Massacre. Excited about a new to me petroglyph find, I once took our middle son there in the cub. He could not for the life of himself understand what was so exciting about a bunch of 'Indian Graffiti' :lol: :lol: :lol:

Best part of the desert? It is pretty void of people 8) certainly so when you can jump just a shade off the beaten vehicle trails.

Take care, Rob
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Re: CA desert

My uncle was training there and got busted from Sgt. to Pvt. for giving his guys water when he was supposed to ration it. That was when the Army thought saving it was the smarter deal. His outfit was detached from 3rd Army and sent up to the Hurtgen Forest next to the Brits before the Bulge.
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Re: CA desert

Got some family roots out there, lots of fun stuff to explore

These days this is still a good spot

https://pappyandharriets.com/

As is Joshua tree
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Re: CA desert

NineThreeKilo wrote:Got some family roots out there, lots of fun stuff to explore

These days this is still a good spot

https://pappyandharriets.com/

As is Joshua tree


Pappy and Harriet’s looks cool, but I don’t see a place to land.

I think there is a fire in the Joshua Tree area
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Re: CA desert

Utah-Jay wrote:
NineThreeKilo wrote:Got some family roots out there, lots of fun stuff to explore

These days this is still a good spot

https://pappyandharriets.com/

As is Joshua tree


Pappy and Harriet’s looks cool, but I don’t see a place to land.

I think there is a fire in the Joshua Tree area


No strip at Pappy & Harriet’s. Yucca Valley Airport is close by. Valley Vista Airport C6A5 is over the mountain. We ride to Pappy & Harriet’s from our property on C6A5 in the RZRs. Beautiful ride.

BLM dry lake beds to land on all around the area.
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