Don't you just hate it when you stumble upon someone else's discarded junk in the middle of an off-pavement adventure? More than just an eyesore, discarded rubbish on public lands typically leads to trail closures--a really bad thing. This is why we teamed up with Randy's Ring & Pinion to host our annual Southern California desert cleanup event. This year, the effort was focused on Stoddard Valley, a popular OHV area just south of Barstow. More than 500 volunteers showed up to help clear out refuse while hanging out with editorial staffers from Jp, Off Road, 4 Wheel Drive and Sport Utility, Petersen's 4-Wheel & Off-Road, and of course Four Wheeler. The Inland Empire Four Wheelers provided a great barbecue lunch for all, and the hard-core enthusiasts from Gale Banks Engineering brought out their bad-to-the-bone Trophy Truck for an action-packed test session. By the end of the day, volunteers had overfilled six large dumpsters with more than 36 tons of trash, including everything from abandoned automotive carcasses to leftover construction debris. For more info on Stoddard Valley, visit www.ca.blm.gov/barstow/stoddard.html.
The Stoddard Valley Cleanup kicked off with an early-morning drivers' meeting. Here, Four Wheeler Publisher Steve VonSeggern introduces one of several BLM rangers on hand to help organize volunteer efforts. | 
The Gale Banks-sponsored Lugo Trophy Truck wowed spectators with death-defying jumps in nearby washes. A few lucky magazine editors even got to take an adrenaline-pumping ride at the end of the day. |
Sergeant First Class Jeffrey Button and wife Rhonda, of Fort Irwin, California, demonstrated how simple it was for their two boys (Jeffrey, 6, and Morgan, 11) to help keep California's remaining trails open for future generations to enjoy. Jeffrey and his family made several trips in their '97 Dodge Ram 1500. With each full load, the team then headed back to the dumpsters to exchange their findings for raffle tickets. A 5-inch Superlift suspension system and 37-inch Super Swamper SSRs helped Jeffrey's Ram handle the loads. | 
Our very own Tech Editor Puff-Daddy Holman was present with his project RangeRunner to help drag debris from distant washes. |
Even Four Wheeler TV could be found covering the event for an upcoming TV episode. Here, newly appointed host Bob Bower explains on camera just how susceptible Southern California's OHV areas are to illegal dumping. | 
The off-road racing industry's most talented rising star, Andy McMillin, showed up to lend a helping hand with the cleanup effort. |
The Inland Empire Four Wheelers provided complimentary hamburgers, hot dogs, and soft drinks to all volunteers. We owe a special thanks to the members of the club for taking care of our empty stomachs during the event. | 
By early afternoon, all six of the 40-yard bins were over-flowing with collected litter |