Coming for first time

A M

A M

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Hey new here and coming for first time from Atlanta GA. Is Yuma okay if I have a problem with my enclosure and cant sleep in it? Are there bath houses at glamis? 

I guess I can buy sand paddles on here too? 

Any recommendations? We are targeting late september  

Thanks!

 
try to keep it short....

halloween is the season kick off weekend. late septemeber can still be a bit hot out there. even halloween can still be warm. i think yuma is still 30-40min drive away, kinda far for leaving your stuff unattended in an open desert.

by some of the camping areas there are bathrooms but no showers, and im not sure if the bathrooms will be open before season starts.

as for paddles people sell them on here, gilmores off road in glamis sells them as well but i dont think they will be set up in september. if making the drive, there are plenty of places in AZ that you can get a set. 

if coming for your first time i think it would be best to push your trip back so you are out there during season. vendors will be set up if you need anything and more people around to offer help if needed. 

 
I agree push it back to a later date. People die out there from exposure in the summer. Just takes a fouled plug. 
Brawley and yuma are probably equal distance away. Yuma has more and is less expensive since its not in california. East side of yuma is a little safer and better priced, but its a retirement town, stores are all closed by 11 restaurants close at 8 (except for applebees). 

canals can provide relief from heat and i’ve gotten in with a bar of soap before. I crap in the sand canal or bushes before i’ll use a blm toilet.

you would be wise to wait until halloween or after. The desert is unforgiving and not to be taken lightly. If you do go in the summer at least plan it for a full moon weekend (people do summer night trips fill moon weekends) check in with the local blm office and let them know where you will be. They dont patrol summertime

 
being its your first time i would push it off till october at least there might be some other people out there. also if your not familiar with transfering from bowl to bowl its nice to follow someone else line even people that go all the time don't lead after a wind reset or in the summer when the sand is super soft. also  don't be surprised if you have a 115 degree day in sept and there is nowhere to get in the shade you air conditioner better work. if your trailer is not insulated with air conditioner dont even try   also the beach store will be the only place open in sept in the dunes i don't think any of the venders get there until the second week of october. yuma and brawley are within 45 minutes drive yuma is a bigger town but brawley is closer especially if your camping off gecko rd and the gecko side is close to the canal.   

What are you planning on riding ???

 
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What these guys are saying is, it will hit 115° degrees out there late September. Unbearable for sure. 

 
Enclosed Trailer should be fine, it will still be pretty warm / hot so bring shade and be ready for windy conditions.

No showers unless you drive into town and go to a Truck Stop Gas Station, better off just bringing extra water and towel/soap/bucket it for the weekend.

What are you going to bring to ride out there?

 
I agree with everyone else. Wait a month or so if you can. 
However, Glamis is a “dry heat” so since you’re from Georgia, 115* may only feel like 90* to you. 

 
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If you aren't sure about being out there in your trailer, you can stay at Gordons Well RV park, which has hookups and bathrooms, and is just off the South Dunes. 

The only benefit of going in September is that you don't need a permit until October 1st... Which should tell someone that its too damn hot to be in the dunes in September, unless you are a die hard who likes nite rides... Not something for first timers. 

And just cause someone said it above... I wouldn't risk going into the canals... While the chances of you getting caught are low, and only slightly higher for something bad happening because of the flow, the real reason is that if you go into the Coachella Canal, they but a chemical in it to keep the algae growth down, and it can mess up your skin. I'd rather stink for a week.

 
I went one Labor Day, we took a trailer without AC............We lasted one night, it was way too hot to sleep.

 
My first several trips to glamis were in my enclosed trailer with some cots to sleep on. We'd take a large piece of carpet and roll it out after we unloaded the toys and made up our sleeping area. Also, had a shower tent that we bought at sportsman's warehouse that came with about a 2 gallon black waterbag that you put out in the sun to warm up the water. Also bought some extra water bags for it. That shower tent was a lifesaver. We also used a bucket toilet in there too for some privacy. It was 4'x4' and we used some construction nail stakes to really secure it cuz the wind can get pretty bad

 
Rethink your planned time to arrive.  I would suggest leaving the east coast the weekend before Thanksgiving and arriving that Tuesday or Wednesday latest. Stay until the Monday after the holiday and sticking to the I-10 to make the crossing to avoid any potential issues with snow or ice.

In September you will find empty dunes that are empty for a reason and in November you will find the dunes when they are at their best. Full of people who are willing to let you tag along on rides  and who are doing the same thing you are doing. Camping 100% off the grid. We have a handful of pit toilets and that is all. Making it at that time of the year in a enclosed trailer is easy for 4-5 days. 

Brawley is 20- 30 minutes away from the sand and like they have said it is a small town,  Yuma is a bigger town but from Glamis is the better part of an hour or more and you get to drive on one of the worst roads you would ever want to drive on ( Olgilby) So staying in a hotel in either city is possible, it just makes your day pretty long and one of the great things about Glamis is the nightlife. Something that should not be missed. Now don't be looking for bars or clubs but there are locations where people go to watch the sunset and hang out and watch the craziness go off.  

Let me just try and explain how dangerous the desert is... Four young marines with desert survival training got a wild hair up their butts one day and left the coast( Camp Pendleton) on a average day figuring how bad could it be they were in Iraq after all and were well trained. To ride dirt bikes for a few hours.

A thrown chain and a fouled plug later and three of the four were dead from exposure.  The last one was found pushing his bike. Why he was pushing it was not clear that bike was fine.

 
MWB said:
Rethink your planned time to arrive.  I would suggest leaving the east coast the weekend before Thanksgiving and arriving that Tuesday or Wednesday latest. Stay until the Monday after the holiday and sticking to the I-10 to make the crossing to avoid any potential issues with snow or ice.

In September you will find empty dunes that are empty for a reason and in November you will find the dunes when they are at their best. Full of people who are willing to let you tag along on rides  and who are doing the same thing you are doing. Camping 100% off the grid. We have a handful of pit toilets and that is all. Making it at that time of the year in a enclosed trailer is easy for 4-5 days. 

Brawley is 20- 30 minutes away from the sand and like they have said it is a small town,  Yuma is a bigger town but from Glamis is the better part of an hour or more and you get to drive on one of the worst roads you would ever want to drive on ( Olgilby) So staying in a hotel in either city is possible, it just makes your day pretty long and one of the great things about Glamis is the nightlife. Something that should not be missed. Now don't be looking for bars or clubs but there are locations where people go to watch the sunset and hang out and watch the craziness go off.  

Let me just try and explain how dangerous the desert is... Four young marines with desert survival training got a wild hair up their butts one day and left the coast( Camp Pendleton) on a average day figuring how bad could it be they were in Iraq after all and were well trained. To ride dirt bikes for a few hours.

A thrown chain and a fouled plug later and three of the four were dead from exposure.  The last one was found pushing his bike. Why he was pushing it was not clear that bike was fine.
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Survival for some can be difficult if there's no one there to tell them what to do.

Just sayin

 
Shower...  some warm water and a cloth for the body, these beauties for the privates....

Well... assuming it's not 110* out... 

image.png

 
Not sure where my wife got these synthetic drapes you soak and throw around your neck, but they saved my bacon once or twice out there. Just don't tell anyone I was dipping them in the drinks cooler 😂

 
FOG said:
I agree with everyone else. Wait a month or so if you can. 
However, Glamis is a “dry heat” so since you’re from Georgia, 115* may only feel like 90* to you. 
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im from the east coast plenty of 95 plus days here with 90 plus humidity not really that bad. 115 out there still feel like i'm standing in front of a hair dryer my skin need the humidity. i would rather sweat and know im hot then dry out like a lizard   

 
  • Haha
Reactions: FOG
Jersey_Jeff73 said:
im from the east coast plenty of 95 plus days here with 90 plus humidity not really that bad. 115 out there still feel like i'm standing in front of a hair dryer my skin need the humidity. i would rather sweat and know im hot then dry out like a lizard   
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I think I may have become a lizard 🦎. I’ve also lived on the East Coast and other places with higher temperatures and more humidity. But still prefer the dry heat of the desert. 

 
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