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 Post subject: Rocky Gap Road
PostPosted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 2:26 pm 
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Hey, y'all!

Can anyone tell me anything about Rocky Gap Road. All I know is that it runs between Red Rock Conservation Area and Lovell Canyon. I'm looking for some easy, won't-freak-my-elderly-parents-out rides in the area. I can't seem to find any info on this trail anywhere.

Thanks!

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 Post subject: Re: Rocky Gap Road
PostPosted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 2:40 pm 
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if you don't want to scare everyone in the vehicle i'd stay away from rocky gap aka potato road. if i owned your vehicle i would not try to take it thru the rock garden which is the worse section of the trail. i'd suggest a vehicle with good offroad tires and skid plates and not quite as much rear overhang as your rig has. but that's just me and i tend to be on the safe side when it comes to other peoples rigs. for a nice trip i recommend taking 160 to lovell canyon road and drive to the end of the blacktop where you catch the trail up over lovell summit then to trout canyon road and return to 160. some nice spots to have lunch under the trees.

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 Post subject: Re: Rocky Gap Road
PostPosted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 2:57 pm 
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Whew! Thanks so much for that info. I sure don't want to get hung up with my folks in the truck. That's all I need, 1 torn up truck and two heart attack victims!

I've done that run between Lovell and Trout canyons once (during snowy winter); I think you're right, that will be a fun ride for them. They've never done any truck off-roading (though they were dirt bike enthusiasts when I was a kid), so I want to do something they'll enjoy and not freak out over. I think I'm going to do Titus Canyon with them too; they'll enjoy the views and the ghost town.

Speaking of ghost towns... would you happen to know where I can find a wooden-type, slightly in-tact "old western town", even an old western movie set or something? My dad has never been west and he wants to see "an old western town", but I don't reallly know of anything like what I know he has in mind, except maybe tombstone, AZ, but he won't go that close to the Mexican border because he's convinced the drug lords are gonna get him. :roll:

Thanks!

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Vickie Swindling
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 Post subject: Re: Rocky Gap Road
PostPosted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 3:23 pm 
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one of the best "wooden building" ghost towns left in the west is bodie in california. iirc it's a state park and has a set opening date due to winter weather aka lots of snow. it's on the eastern sierras off of highway 395 near bridgeport california. it's about 300 miles one way from pahrump. here's a link to the official bodie website: http://www.bodie.com/

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1994 jeep yj wrangler-"d.d." []lllllll[]
Retired Trail Boss and Website Director
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NVBROFC
Re-located from my beloved Mojave to Texas. Where did all the mountains go???


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 Post subject: Re: Rocky Gap Road
PostPosted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 3:28 pm 
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here's a great site for info on ghost towns. some really great people associated with it.

http://www.ghosttowns.com/

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1994 jeep yj wrangler-"d.d." []lllllll[]
Retired Trail Boss and Website Director
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Re-located from my beloved Mojave to Texas. Where did all the mountains go???


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 Post subject: Re: Rocky Gap Road
PostPosted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 3:29 pm 
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Cool! I want to get Dad over that way while he's here so that will be a great place to center the trip around! Thanks so much!!!!!!


Blessings!!!!

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Vickie Swindling
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 Post subject: Re: Rocky Gap Road
PostPosted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 9:59 pm 
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Location: Las Vegas
in good weather I've always had a good time going up Harris Springs road (okay, snow don't count), off of the road to MT Charleston.

it's a great mountain drive with some very nice views. dead ends at a hiking trailhead, but there's a good view up there.

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 Post subject: Re: Rocky Gap Road
PostPosted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 10:22 pm 
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Location: McDonald, Ohio
I don't know if anyone else has heard, but Potato is suppose to be all tore up from the rains and even harder than it use to be prior to the last rains that washed the trail out. A few of us may be heading out that way on the 11th of April to see if the rumor is true. It use to be a fairly stock friendly trail a while back, but mother nature has made it a lot more fun to play on since then. :mrgreen:

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 Post subject: Re: Rocky Gap Road
PostPosted: Fri Apr 03, 2009 4:58 am 
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Location: Las Vegas
i went up it 3 weeks ago it was ruff but we made it 2 guys had trouble

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 Post subject: Re: Rocky Gap Road
PostPosted: Fri Apr 03, 2009 7:14 am 
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I ran Potato on Mar. 8th but I stayed in the washes . :o So I really can't tell you how the actual trail was . I do know there was a bone stock Tj with a newbie behind the wheel that made it through after I replaced his tie rod . ( he was in the wash where he didn't belong ) :roll:

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 Post subject: Re: Rocky Gap Road
PostPosted: Fri Apr 03, 2009 12:09 pm 
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Location: Las Vegas, NV
JeepinJoe02 wrote:
I don't know if anyone else has heard, but Potato is suppose to be all tore up from the rains and even harder than it use to be prior to the last rains that washed the trail out. A few of us may be heading out that way on the 11th of April to see if the rumor is true.

Hey Joe, I'd love to get in on that run if I'm free that day.
Keep us posted please. :D

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 Post subject: Re: Rocky Gap Road
PostPosted: Fri Apr 03, 2009 4:19 pm 
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Location: McDonald, Ohio
whtwolfden wrote:
JeepinJoe02 wrote:
I don't know if anyone else has heard, but Potato is suppose to be all tore up from the rains and even harder than it use to be prior to the last rains that washed the trail out. A few of us may be heading out that way on the 11th of April to see if the rumor is true.

Hey Joe, I'd love to get in on that run if I'm free that day.
Keep us posted please. :D

I'll certainly post it. I wish I could wheel all week, but I have too much stuff to do. It will be a nice trail to do before having to go back to work on the following Monday after Easter.

Keep your eyes peeled for the post. I put it up when I get the time nailed down. :wink:

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 Post subject: Re: Rocky Gap Road
PostPosted: Fri Apr 10, 2009 1:11 pm 
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JJ wrote:
in good weather I've always had a good time going up Harris Springs road (okay, snow don't count), off of the road to MT Charleston.

it's a great mountain drive with some very nice views. dead ends at a hiking trailhead, but there's a good view up there.


Thanks so much for this info, JJ. This is on the Vegas side, right? I've ordered some map books to be able to look up some of the local trails, and can't wait until they get here.

I've played around a lot on the Pahrump side (which is where I am), but not much on the Vegas side. I hear there are snow advisories in the Spring Mountains tonight, but when it clears out for the season I want to get over to that side and play around a bit.

Again, thanks so much for the info! Happy Easter!

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 Post subject: Re: Rocky Gap Road
PostPosted: Fri Apr 10, 2009 1:29 pm 
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Bill wrote:
I ran Potato on Mar. 8th but I stayed in the washes . :o So I really can't tell you how the actual trail was . I do know there was a bone stock Tj with a newbie behind the wheel that made it through after I replaced his tie rod . ( he was in the wash where he didn't belong ) :roll:


This is where I make my trade off with my truck. Sometimes, because of the way my back end is extented on my Tahoe, I have trouble where stock jeeps go. This is why I am so fortunate to have this group, because Brad was able to advise me knowing what I drive. It makes me wish I had a jeep, until I want to go camping, and I can load that big old back end down with my gear. :-)

Ricky and I went down and ran a couple of trails in Joshua Tree recently, and one of the Jeep trails like to caused me some trouble because the turns were so tight and narrow that I had to rock my way through one "Z" turn and still had to half climb a rock to get out. It was a little scary knowing I could get stuck, but I had at least been smart enough to check in with the back country office and let them know we were running alone. And it was good experience. It took me a little time, but I managed to work it out and get out with out any damage (to me or the big rock--lol).

By the way, I'm sure you guys have all been down there, but in case someone hasn't, Joshua Tree National Park is a FANTASTIC place to go! The camping sites are great, the rock climbing is fun for the kids, and we did two of the 6 or 8 trails down there and had a lot of fun. Stock capable (even with my big-butt truck), but we met up with a little challenge on the first trail (and the running boards said "scraaaape") and the turn I was talking about above on the second trail. Enough challenge for me to have fun!

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Vickie Swindling
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 Post subject: Re: Rocky Gap Road
PostPosted: Wed Apr 15, 2009 7:34 pm 
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vswindling wrote:
Speaking of ghost towns... would you happen to know where I can find a wooden-type, slightly in-tact "old western town", even an old western movie set or something? My dad has never been west and he wants to see "an old western town", but I don't reallly know of anything like what I know he has in mind, except maybe tombstone, AZ, but he won't go that close to the Mexican border because he's convinced the drug lords are gonna get him.


You might want to consider Goodsprings. http://goodsprings.org/

Goodsprings, Nevada
Link: <http://maps.google.com/maps?q=goodsprings,+nv&sourceid=navclient-ff&ie=UTF8&split=0&gl=us&ei=N5jmSY_ZOdmJtgfz3OGUBg&ll=35.831384,-115.428286&spn=0.031175,0.055275&z=14&iwloc=A>

Close to Las Vegas and not nearly as touristy as Bonnie Springs.

I believe the Pioneer Saloon is still open for business.

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