COYOTE TRAIL ADVENTURES
Off-Road Fun in the Mojave Desert
RANDSBURG, CA- July 25, 2023 My two sons and I had always talked about riding in the Mojave Desert and how different it would be from our Pennsylvania terrain. I grew up watching race scenes in On Any Sunday with those wide-open desert spaces and knew I needed to see it! We started Googling one weekend and found Coyote Trail Adventures (CTA). We poured over their website; they painted a very clear picture of what to expect on their dirt bike rides with the terrain and amenities, but I have to say our tour ended up being well beyond expectations. That weekend we called the number on the website, fully expecting to leave a message, but Steve Walker answered. He addressed all our questions on the spot about logistics and riding information. We signed up for an all-inclusive 3-day, 3-night Mojave Dirt Bike tour.
Next thing you know we were headed for California, flying into LAX (a crazy place), but with Steve’s help our logistics were greatly simplified. We showed up on a Thursday afternoon and met Steve and his wife Jen. We had some gear, but Jen hooked us up with everything else we needed. Who wants to pay extra airline baggage fees! Their gear selection was awesome and we could tell they were really focused on our safety. Once we were geared up, we hopped in their van and embarked on our dirt bike adventure.
Steve arranged for a great dinner along the way and we eventually ended up in Randsburg, CA. It is a historic gold mining town that was founded in 1895 and is about 25 minutes from Ridgecrest in the heart of the Mojave Desert and off=road racing. We stayed at the most amazing 100-year-old-plus historic hotel, called the Randsburg Cottage Hotel. Our room was called the Honda room – very motocentric! That night we met John and Rick, our experienced and energetic trail sweep rider and chase truck driver respectively. We also got a chance to chat it up with the other three riders that would be on the dirt bike tour.
Friday morning, we got up after an excellent night’s sleep! They had coffee ready and our blood started pumping seeing all the KTM 350s lined up and ready to go. It was obvious that they take meticulous care of their equipment. We also found out they only use Michelin Mousse tubes which was completely new to us – but we are sold with no flats! We ended up having no mechanical issues either the entire weekend which I think is a testament to their dedication to giving that five-star experience!
After a hearty breakfast and a safety briefing, we hit the dirt! We started with a quick warm-up down some dirt roads and then we were following Steve through the Mojave desert; learning the terrain, dodging rocks, cholla cactus and Joshua trees, and popping in and out of canyons. I kept thinking, this is On Any Sunday at its finest!!! Every time I stopped with my boys, they had ear to ear grins!
We arrived at the Husky Memorial site where there are over one hundred memorials dedicated to fallen riders, it was very moving. We rode another hour into Kramer Junction for lunch, a historic railway junction town that operated during the gold rush. After lunch, we rode some epic trails back to Randsburg with opportunities for big power slides and roosting fun. We even got to see the most unusual Koi pond in the middle of the desert, you have to see it to believe it. We ended our first day tired but elated with the ride and couldn’t wait for the second day to begin. That night, the ladies at the hotel cooked us the best Italian lasagna meal. I think this is the only tour where you could burn thousands of calories and still gain weight! We ended the night around a campfire and enjoyed some energetic bench racing along. CTA made sure we had our favorite beverages.
Day two we had another tasty breakfast and by 9am we were back on the bikes. Steve made the decision to split up the group with the other three riders wanting more expert terrain. The upside of CTA is that they can accommodate different riding capabilities. John took the three expert riders and Steve took myself and my two sons on a more intermediate level ride. He took us over to a moto Disneyland, a roller coaster area with huge hill climbs and down hills, perfectly groomed with no rocks, you could fly as fast as you wanted! We then headed out for a couple more hours of fun and eventually met up with the others at the trailer for lunch. We were in for a treat with CTA grilling big juicy hamburgers in the middle of the desert. We marveled at how settlers overcame the odds in this challenging environment.
We ended the day back in Randsburg at The Joint. It is the one and only bar in town, the beer never tasted so good! So much history in this town and you can see it in the pictures throughout the town. After a while, Steve disappeared to get dinner ready and we were treated to ribeye steaks and chicken. Talk about a grand meal to cap off a fantastic day!
The knowledge, expertise and hospitality that the CTA team executes creates an overall experience that we are pretty sure is unmatched! They are professional, considerate, and involved with you morning till night, ensuring you are having the time of your life.
Day three started with a scenic tour and then an exhilarating game of follow the leader which then turned into chasing jack rabbits and climbing impressive hills with amazing views. We knew our time together was coming to an end and we wanted more! We arrived back in Randsburg for lunch at the General Store and after that we were able to take a shower and pack up our stuff for the trip back to Palmdale where we shared tall tales in the van with our new friends.
Given all the choices you have for riding all over the world, we can’t recommend Coyote Trail Adventures more strongly. They personalize the rides and have all the details dialed in. If you forgot something, they have it. They continually assess each rider throughout the journey; noting too much, too little, or just right. Then they can seamlessly adapt their ride as needed. We will be back, maybe for another 3 day tour, or maybe one of their other tours like their rides in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. CTA’s knowledge of the Mojave Desert and their customer service is top notch, they gave my sons and I the most epic dirt bike adventure we could imagine! Are you ready? Head on over to www.coyotetrailadventures.com now and sign up for an amazing Mojave Desert adventure.
