Sunday Crawler Training / Sightseeing

[Mitch]

Well,

Today was crawler training. Max rode along and spotted as I played on the rocks. He had my leaf springs groaning and creeking like an old man. I diffinately learned some new tricks today!

After the rock gulley, I cruised to Lucerne and re-visited the "Victorville Precision Bomb Range #7". There are a dozen of these scattered around Victorville, Apple Valley, and Lucerne. They had asphalt targeting circles that were, concentric at 50 yards, 100 yards, and 150 yards from the bullseye (center). Even though the Daily Press has ads from the military to warn people about possible contamination, all these were was targets for smoke bombs to be dropped on. These P.B.R.'s were in use from 1943 - 1947. No craters or holes, just old scraps of metal and fuse tops from 70 years ago.

Next I checked out a spring on the north side of Hwy 18 and just N/W of Rabbit Dry Lake. This is a quite peaceful place about a mile off the Hwy.

Thanks Max for the spotting and the help!

Mitch


Wow a tire off the ground / It's a starting point


I used to think that I would tip over! HA HA



A little flexing!


A nice trail?


Precision Bombing Range#7 @ 34 32 43.84n 116 52 31.12w


Old Smoke Bomb fuses and caps


Old trail to the springs


The springs



Rabbit Dry Lake in the distance

[Dezertdog]

Wow, Mitch,
That looks like a cool days trip. I just met Max the other day.
He seems like a good guy to wheel with.
I would've loved to tag along. I need some rock lessons myself. Although I don't know if my Jeep is up to it yet.
Unfortunately momma wants me to install the wood flooring that has been sitting in my garage for quite a while now. I tore out all my old flooring so now it's all just cement. And I keep wheelin' on weekends instead of doing my chores.
After I get that done I can sneek away on some Sunday with you guys.

Scott

[flatpoint]

Cool,Mitch! I KNOW I need to get back out there, but, uh, duty calls.....

[Mike]

Hey Mitch! Great stuff and an excellent start. You couldn't have picked a better guy to work with. The bombing sites are cool too. Great pics. Looks like an excellent day of wheelin'.

[Mitch]

Mike,

These Precision Bombing sites are cool to see on Google Earth! Here is a few locations. Also the area that they dropped large cement filled "Bombs" (just dead weight) is where the dips are on Means Dry Lake near the camping spot for the Hammers.

P.B.R. #2 34 32 13.57n 117 08 47.84w
P.B.R. #4 34 27 26.69n 117 07 15.19w
P.B.R. #7 34 32 43.87n 116 52 31.08w
P.B.R. #8 34 25 19.31n 116 52 31.08w
P.B.R. #? 34 34 04.47n 117 04 59.34w
P.B.R. #? 34 30 08.27n 116 58 18.05w (Lucerne Dry Lake)

Cement Bomb Craters 34 24 44.00n 116 30 34.27w (Means Dry Lake)

There is always something to explore and check out!

[avjeepfreek]

Hey Mitch, Looks like alot of fun! I wish I could have made it, but I sure hope to make the next one!

Scott

[miguelitojeep97]

is that dry lake bed the one on the way to JV? Looks like it! Cool pics!

[Mitch]

Mike,

That's the dry lake just before Lucerne (west of) and Hwy 18 runs right across it.

[Max7]

Craters

Mike,Also the area that they dropped large cement filled "Bombs" (just dead weight) is where the dips are on Means Dry Lake near the camping spot for the Hammers.
Cement Bomb Craters 34 24 44.00n 116 30 34.27w (Means Dry Lake)

Mitch,
I had wondered about those for years! Now they make sense.
Best, Max7

[Unclesmirf]

Victorville Precision Bombing Range (PBR#)

Cement practice 100lb bombs dropped on these sites.

34.592670, -117.198121 PBR#1
34.537150, -117.146681 PBR#2 (hard to see this Target, housing development)
34.567877, -117.083182 PBR#3
34.457389, -117.120910 PBR#4
34.636646, -116.988941 PBR#5
34.502326, -116.971694 PBR#6 (The Tar rings has been cleaned up)
34.545517, -116.875362 PBR#7
34.422001, -116.875810 PBR#8 (hard to see this Target, housing development)
34.559713, -116.757068 PBR#9 (hard to see this Target, Weathered)
34.453636, -116.713558 PBR#10
34.566978, -116.627818 PBR#11 (hard to see this Target, weathered)
34.470426, -116.585547 PBR#12 (hard to see this Target, weathered)
34.376895, -116.604869 PBR#13 (hard to see this Target, weathered)
34.586591, -116.496983 PBR#14 (hard to see this Target, weathered)
34.397515, -116.494735 PBR#15
34.469493, -116.503602 PBR#16 (hard to see this Target, really weathered) best seen on Bing Maps
34.403661, -116.377384 PBR#17 (can not get to this Target, on 29 Palms Marine Base)
34.324171, -116.298451 PBR#18 (can not get to this Target, on 29 Palms Marine Base)
34.229585, -116.334140 PBR#19
34.299529, -116.440439 PBR#20 (hard to see this Target, housing development)

Night Time Bombing Targets (PBR#N-#) North of Barstow

34.986781, -117.087519 PBR#N-1 (hard to see this Target, area has been cleaned up)
35.062342, -117.165352 PBR#N-2 (hard to see this Target, area has been cleaned up)
34.968762, -117.219701 PBR#N-3 (hard to see this Target, area has been cleaned up)

Live Bombing Target Area

34.5439910, -116.4788160 PBR#Z (area has been cleaned up)
34.4122222, -116.5095194 PBR#Y (area has been cleaned up)

The Craters are made from explosive Bombs. there are no Craters at Targets 1-20.

[Mike]

Cool stuff! Thanks for posting.

BTW, Welcome to MJR! You should post up and say 'Hi' on the My Rockin' Jeep forum.