Hummer H1 - The Mojave Road - Staff Ride Four Wheeler Adventure

According to the Mojave Road Guide, Government Holes is where, on November 8, 1925, one of the last classical gunfights of the Old West took place between Matt Burts and J.W. "Bill" Robinson, who ended each other's careers by emptying their .45s into one another. First drilled for water in 1859 by Phineas Banning (the namesake of Banning, California, and the man credited with creating the modern Port of Los Angeles) and enlarged by U.S. soldiers in 1860, Government Holes was an early camp spot for travelers and used as an operations point for the local cattle industry, and is still used for such things.

With the sun long since clocked out for the day, we had found our little piece of paradise for the night. As soon as we threw our rigs in to park and set up camp, storytelling ensued in front of a small campfire as the chili was warmed on the stove. It was all of the things I had been thinking of while stuck in the traffic, so many miles earlier in the day. The first half of this trip was about camaraderie, good times and old fashioned adventure-just how it should be when you take a break from it all and unwind in the beautifully slow-paced world that is the backcountry. (Ed. note-You can follow the second half of this staff adventure in next month's issue.)