Culver City Rock and Mineral Club Members,

Opal Mountain Field Trip:  May 1 (Thu) – May 4 (Sun)

** Thursday we will be meeting at Lola’s Kitchen in Barstow at 10:30am. 1244 E Main St Barstow CA 92311. Excellent food for the road including breakfast burritos and California burritos. Ask for the habanero salsa if that’s your style.

** From there we will head out to Opal Mountain to find a place to dispersal camp. Plan is to stay close to the following coordinates but find some shelter from the windy conditions expected Saturday: 35.1272493, -117.1565599 (these can be copy-pasted directly into the Google Maps search bar for directions). The final location will be shared with those who signed up.

** Friday we will roll out to Scout’s Cove and the larger area. Saturday will be Opal Mountain itself. Please note: we cannot guarantee road conditions at this time. We recommend all-wheel/4×4, or at minimum, higher clearance vehicles. If you don’t have access to this or feel uncomfortable driving in desert conditions, we recommend carpooling with a buddy. 

** Sunday is pack-up and go. It’s recommended people leave early to avoid Vegas traffic, however for those who are interested in continuing there are several places around the area to explore. Feel free to coordinate amongst one another. There is also the Mojave River Valley Museum in Barstow that has good info on the general area, including the possibility of being manned by a Barstow gem and mineral club member (for some insider knowledge of the area). 

** NOTE: Access to Owl Canyon Campground is not as restricted re: clearance. There is no collecting at the campground as it is an area of critical concern. Use mindat.org to find where the boundary is further down the wash and where you can rockhound. 

Meals: BYO food! breakfast/lunch/snacks/dinner, or coordinate in mini-groups. Sat will most likely be too windy for anything extravagant. There is a Stater Bros in town for decent-priced groceries. PACK LOTS OF WATER!! While the campground has a spigot, it’s entirely dependent on water deliveries. Dispersal camping has no resources besides rocks, sand, and sun. Weather is looking to be Thu-83/Fri-85/Sat-75(windy)/Sun-60(windy). Lows range from 56-43 with the possibility of no campfire Sat. 

This trip is open to anyone: members and their guests. Sign up by sending an email to fieldtrips@culvercityrocks.org. Provide your name, a contact phone number, and the number of guests as well as your expected date and time and where you will be camping (dispersal, campground.) The only requirement is that each participant sign the AFMS Field Trip Waiver. Use the below link for the form.

Electronic form:  HERE