Just got the notice that we might have problems at Superior.

If there is anyone in the local area that can go out there and find out if they've blocked our access yet, please let us know here ASAP and call or write me off channel with any information you might find.

I'm still pouring through the news feeds to see what the skinny is, but for sure the Military is gearing up to grab the land, something about needing additional space to pretend they are in Iraq or Afghanistan!

Please help us out here! I'll report more as i learn it today.

keepingfingerscrossedforaoxo~!

Man, keep us updated because that could drastically change our travel plans! Right now we're planning on going to Superior for 3 or 4 days prior to Ivanpah, not sure what we'll do if Superior is closed!

-Chip

I have a question. Is Superior under the control of the blm? If so you should be able to get up to date info on the lake being avaliable to the public.


Susan (npw goddess)

Quote:

Originally posted by kitemaker4 I have a question. Is Superior under the control of the blm? If so you should be able to get up to date info on the lake being avaliable to the public. Susan (npw goddess)

It was the BLM's Newsletter last week that mentioned this article saying how it would probably be this fall before the Fort Irwin Expansion took over the area that includes Superior.

But this morning I did a Google news search and found additional articles stating that they were to start moving the Desert Tortoises out of the area next week!

The tortoises are the only thing keeping the Fort at bay and allowing us to continue using the lakebed. Fortunately this article says the environmentalists are going to sue to stop the movement of tortoises, and even then we don't know if the area would be closed off to us while they're moving them. So maybe all will be well!

Below is a map of the planned Fort Irwin Expansion area.

http://www.irwin.army.mil/NR/rdonlyres/2E83ACB1-8CDC-4B03-B5...

Superior is in Superior Valley in the lower left area of the map and the western most part of the expansion.

Note: There are 3 lakes that comprise the Superior chain of lakes in Superior Valley. Superior #1 is the easternmost lake and the one we use. Superior #1 and possibly #2, depending of which map you look at, are supposed to be swallowed up by the Ft Irwin expansion.

There is always Superior #3 to the west that we could use, and it's just as big as #1, BUT, all the maps I've found swallow up the access roads that head west to the other two lakes just before you get to #1's lakebed. See the roads leading to the lakebeds on the Google Earth map below...

http://buggytexas.com/images/superior321.jpg

Now if/when the access roads are cut off, we can possibly take a road out of Barstow that approaches Superior #3 from the west, BUT, it looks like a longer way and it looks like it winds though some rough terrain. It would be a good thing if whoever goes to check out the lakebeds also takes this road back to Barstow to see what kind of shape it's in.

Don't panic yet people!

Oh my God we are going to have a riot starting online!! This is not funny. I hope everything works out.:puzzled:

Quote:

Originally posted by Sthrasher38 Oh my God we are going to have a riot starting online!! This is not funny. I hope everything works out.:puzzled:

I said don't panic!!!!

To sum it all up.
* This only affects the pre-event at Superior.
* If the environmentalists sue to stop the movement of the tortoises, we're OK.
* Even if they are moving tortoises while we're there and they don't block access, we're OK.
* Even if they block access from the regular eastern road to Superior #1, we may be able to use a different road to get to Superior #3.
* Even if all the above fails, there are other lakebeds within an hours drive that we can use.
* Or maybe nobody but us will show up and we will wonder what all the fuss was about.

Again, don't panic!

OK.:saint:

I just did a search on google maps and found that they have a road that you can enter the third lake bed on the north side. It does not look to complicated to get to unless they have the road blocked close to Superior. I will do some further checking on different ways of getting there on goggle maps.

Susan

Quote:

Originally posted by kitemaker4 I just did a search on google maps and found that they have a road that you can enter the third lake bed on the north side. It does not look to complicated to get to unless they have the road blocked close to Superior. I will do some further checking on different ways of getting there on goggle maps. Susan

I don't think so. Just north of #3 is China Lake Naval Weapons Center. The road we would take would come from the southwest (hush hush as to the name, right?)

Steve

Has anyone ever gone to Coyote dry lake north of Calico? It is bigger than Superior.

Susan (npw goddess)

my question is Superior open for the public? is there a permit required to use it like Ivanpah?how many kiters use this area other than the pre-event?

sounds like the army and airports want to take over all our dry lakes. that sux.

we should all have a second hobby raising tortoises and releasing them yearly at superior. :D

This is interesting. This map shows the expansion doesn't include Superior Valley at all!

http://theguzzler.blogspot.com/2008/03/enviros-to-sue-over-f...

It also explains why the civilian ambulance chopper didn't want to land on Superior's lakebed that time we needed it a few years back. :o

Bottom line? As long as Ft Irwin Road's new fence doesn't block us from going north, we shouldn't have a problem. Someone really needs to take a drive out there.

So far it sounds like it's going to work out for this year.

We will have someone out there days before we are to meet.

You can always call me weds, thurs, fri before we get there, i'll know then for sure, and of course will post here before leaving.

I stop posting the morning of the 27th.

Thanks to Dave for helping out on the info!

aoxoeveryoneoxoa

Thanks Dean see ya next week.

Susan (npw goddess)

watch out for the turtles he he !

Update: I found an Offroader forum and posted a question about access. The road leading to Superior is still open and unchanged in at least the past 10 years!

As long as the Army didn't fence off the #1 lakebed and aren't running their high speed tanks out there yet, we're good to go!

From what I hear ,theres no changes for at least a year before they start work on that huge pipe there moving,and the turtles r removed first. I'd dig hearing some story's about the pre event . Stay safe and get to Ivanpah in one peice.

SUPRERIOR IS OPEN!!!!!

Speedy just went there, it is windy, and awesome!]]]!!!!!


see you soon!!!!

aoxomoxoa

Have fun everyone don't suck up all the wind I'll see ya at the main event on tue.

Great news Dean. I hear the road calling me already. Brad and I will be leaving on Friday morning at 2 am and will be driving straight to Superior and plan of arriving in the morning on Sat. Looking forward to buggying with everyone.

Susan (npw goddess)

Have a safe trip! See ya there!;-)

Very good news, since we're almost halfway there, only 19 more hours to go! We're going strait to superior and should be there at first light on Friday.

See you all soon!

Chip & George

5 days, 6hrs,45min.:singing:

Update: And the race is on. Looks like we're going to win it this year, but it's likely our last at Superior #1...

http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_D_t...

See y'all tomorrow!

That looks like a nice pothole to hit doing 30mph! Are these on the playa? Our only hope is to find out where they locate the turtles and round them up and take them back! Got turtles? I say a truck load otta give us another year!