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Dumont News

16th Annual Dumont Dunes Cleanup

The Friends of Dumont Dunes and the Barstow BLM are hosting the 16th Annual Dumont Dunes Cleanup on Saturday, March 24th. Cleanup starts at 8:00 AM. Come out and give back to the place we all love so much. Volunteers get free admission to Dumont for the weekend and lunch will be served. Trash bags and gloves are provided by the BLM. 
 

 
 
Last Year's Cleanup
 
Businesses Who Are Interested in Helping Sponsor the Cleanup
 
 

President's Day Weekend 2018

President's Day Weekend is coming at Dumont Dunes! Since the early 1970's, the Las Vegas Jeep Club has been hosting their annual Jeep Jamboree at Dumont. This event, consisting of hill climbs and drag races, has been one of the reasons so many duners have made President's weekend a 46-year tradition. Come watch some of the baddest Jeeps, trucks, and dragsters compete at Dumont.
 

 
President's Weekend is always a busy one so don't forget to keep your head on a swivel and watch out for each other. Vendor Row should is usually full and Comp Hill is always lit at night. Be sure to stay legal because the Rangers will be out in full force keeping everyone in check. If you need a refresher, here is a list of the rules and things to look out for. Holiday passes are required from Feb 13 thru Feb 19, 2018. If you don't have a holiday season pass, you can purchase a $40 weekly holiday permit at the entrance from the machine or you can grab one from a participating off-site vendor. See a full list here. If your OHV isn't registered in your home state, don't forget to grab a CA non-resident use permit sticker too. Dune Mart on vendor row and the Dumont visitor center sometimes have them on hand. 
 
Everyone have a fun, safe weekend out there. As always, send us your dune reports and use the hashtag #dumontduneriders on Instagram. We'll do our best to feature your photos!

46th Annual LV Jeep Jamboree Drags and Hill Climbs

The 2018 Las Vegas Jeep Club Jamboree will take place on President's Day Weekend February 17-18 at the Dumont Dunes in California. Plans are in place to run the normal format with the Hill Climbs featured on Saturday followed by the traditional 300' Sand Drag event on Sunday.
 

photo courtesy of http://www.nationalsanddragnews.com
 

MLK Weekend 2018: Jan 13-15

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is an American federal holiday marking the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. It is observed on the third Monday of January each year. This year it is on the 15th. MLK Weekend is never very busy. It is actually quite peaceful and most look at it as a "duners weekend". It's a chance to escape the crowds and get some quality duning in without the added stress of dune traffic. Head over to Banshee Hill and catch the Banshee Wars and Four Stroke Wars. 
 
Holiday Pass required
MLK Weekend is designated a holiday weekend by the BLM meaning a holiday pass is required.
The holiday pass dates for MLK are as follows: Jan 9 thru Jan 15, 2018 (MLK)
 
Weather Forecast: http://www.dumontduneriders.com/weather/

4 Stroke Wars & Banshee Wars return to Dumont

4 Stroke Wars and Banshee Wars return to Dumont Dunes over MLK weekend. It's the 17 year anniversary of Four Stroke Wars. The races will take place at Banshee Hill on Saturday, January 13th at 10AM. Test & tune usually happens on Friday. 
 
Race Sponsors
Racers Edge Az - Lane sponsor Monster Exhaust - Lane sponsor Dynomite Performance - Class sponsor Sandtoyz Unlimited - Lane sponsor K&T Performance - Class sponsor MMAD - Class sponsor  

For more race information, contact the Four Stroke Association group
 
 
 
 

New Year's Weekend: Ringing in 2018 at Dumont

It's time to say goodbye to 2017. Grab a bunch of firewood and bundle up for New Year's weekend at Dumont Dunes, because it's the coldest holiday weekend of the season. Duners will be toasting to 2018 on Sunday evening this year. New Years Day is Monday, Jan 1st. Vendor row should have a few vendors, but it's never been very full for this holiday. Don't forget you'll need a holiday pass. They are required from Dec 25, 2017 thru Jan 2, 2018. 
 
Another thing to keep in mind is there will be plenty of fireworks going off. Although they are illegal at Dumont, they are very popular on New Years weekend and cause dogs to get scared and run away from camp. The best thing you can do is leave your pets at home with a sitter, but if that's not possible and you bring them out, keep them on a leash and don't let them get away. We can't stress this enough. Every holiday weekend we help duners find their dogs. Also make sure your pets are tagged and also put some sort of light up collar or harness on them.
 
Have a safe and fun weekend!
 

 

Buggies Take Over Dumont Dunes for Buggy Roundup 5

I've been going to Dumont since about 1998 and have owned buggies since 2003. In that time, I have seen a TON of buggies come and go at Dumont. Most of the duners I have met by now, but I occasionally see a buggy out there that I've seen many times before but have no idea who it is. We usually just do the friendly "duner wave" as we pass by each other. It's almost become similar to the motorcycle wave you see on the street when two riders pass each other going opposite directions. Since the Polaris RZR came out, I have noticed a significant drop in the number of buggies out at Dumont. I often joke that we are an endangered species of the dunes, slowly being taken over by the side x side boom. Five years ago I thought it would be a great idea to get all of the buggy guys and girls together for a weekend. Here is where the Buggy Roundup was born!
 
 
This year was our 5th Annual Buggy Roundup. Like all past roundups, we kept the same format...simple. There is no schedule of events. The biggest reason for that is because it's Dumont. Nobody keeps track of time out there. It's a dune trip. The only set time we had for anything was taco night, provided by DDR, free of charge for everyone who came out. 
 
Thursday morning there were only a couple of us out there. It was so peaceful and quiet. There wasn't the normal buzz of sand toys coming from the dunes.  The silence was deafening! 

 
 
Before everyone showed up, we had to check out that sand. The W had blown strong all week up until Wednesday, clearing away those Thanksgiving weekend ruts and chop. It's like the dune gods knew we were coming and prepped the place for us. The sand dunes resembled what we have seen in the middle of July. The sand was fluff and it was stacked as steep as sand could stack in some spots. It made for some difficult navigating, but in areas where you could see well, it was heaven! 
 

 
 
Friday morning as the buggy roundup crew rolled in, camp grew larger and larger. We formed a football field-sized camp with our RVs and it started to take shape. Everyone was eager to get out and carve those smooth dunes up. Paddles were being installed, tire pressure was checked, and the final touches were being put on the sandcars before a morning shakedown run.
 
  
 

 
 
When everyone arrived, the group consisted of 10-25 buggies on every dune run. With very few breakdowns, it was a damn miracle that many buggies could be in one place at the same time without any problems! We all know how those buggy gremlins can be. There ended up being two broken transmissions and two broken wheels out of the whole group. Not too bad considering!
 
 
 
Saturday afternoon, Ben brought out his scales again. We did a buggy weigh in to see what all of ours cars weighed. It's always interesting to find out that exact number. Everyone lined up and it was a fun way to bring everyone together and get everyone chatting. 
  
 
 
With this many cars in one spot, we had to grab a group photo! After "herding cats", Neal Rideout got up on the dune and grabbed a photo of the crew. There were still a few buggies back at camp, either day dreaming or broken, but the final count of cars was about 35. That may be a record! 

 
 
After the photo, a group run was well in order. We covered a good portion of dune real estate without losing too many people. It's so awesome to look back and see that many buggies running together. 

 

 
 
 
We stopped for a break near Talladega and then headed over to the "huckfest" hill. 
  
 
 
Like most late afternoons at Dumont, we closed it out on the sunset hill. Afterwards we treated everyone to a taco dinner with pollo and carne asada. Steve piled the logs on the fire and we all enjoyed some nighttime drinks and laughter. Another successful Buggy Roundup was in the books! Some duners showed up as complete strangers and left as friends. See you guys next year! If you could not make it this year, mark it on the calendar. It always been two weeks after Thanksgiving weekend. 

 

 

 
 
More photos in the trip report thread...
 
Photos by Neal Rideout: http://www.nealrideoutphotography.com/ddrbuggy5
 
 

"Dune Season Temperatures" Finally Arriving at Dumont

This dune season started out just like every year with warm temperatures in the 80's and sometimes 90's. Seeing 80+ degrees through October is nothing out of the ordinary and Halloween is usually the last weekend for shorts and t-shirts. Then as November arrives, so do the cold fronts. If you look back at the last couple Thanksgiving weekends, the wind blew hard and it was chilly all weekend.
 

Thanksgiving 2016 weekend "W" storm
 
2017 proved to be a bit different this year. Over Thanksgiving weekend at Dumont, duners were still soaking up the sun wondering when it was going to feel like "dune season".
 
 
As of Monday, November 27th, mother nature finally woke up and did her clean sweep of the dunes and the cool temperatures arrived literally the day after Thanksgiving weekend. The big ruts were cleaned up and the cool temperatures came rushing in. Dune season weather has arrived.
 
 
 
If you look at the weather forecast, the December weather is coming in quick with highs dropping from 80+ degrees to mid-60's. Overnight lows will be toying with the idea of low 40's! December is usually a rather dormant month out at Dumont, so it's a great opportunity for some solitude, campfires, and empty dunes. 
 
Dumont Weather Forecast

meteoblue

The Waterpumpers: A 49 Year Dumont Tradition in the Making

Catch the waterpumpers in action this Thanksgiving weekend at Dumont Dunes as the Dune Masters and Sandpipers club host their 49th Annual hill climbs and drags. The hill climbs are at Comp Hill on Friday and Saturday the drag races take place on the back stretch of the sand highway.
 
 
 
 
Hill Climbs and Drags Schedule
Friday, November 24th, 10am: Hill climbs at Comp Hill 
Saturday the 26th, 10am: Drags on the back stretch of the dunes
Sorry, Club members only in competition but spectators are welcome at both events.
 

 
 
definition
waterpumper
noun: a water cooled, V8 powered buggy, typically front engine design and with massive or multiple paddle tires
 

 
 
Waterpumper History
Back in the 60's and 70's, the only buggies you would see at the dunes were cars that were powered by air cooled engines, typically Volkswagens and Corvairs. When the Dune Masters formed in 1968, they were putting together V8 powered buggies originally built from cut-down car frames. Back then, water cooled engines were new to the scene. They soon took on the name, "waterpumpers".
 

The late Milt Clements completing at the Dune Masters’ 1970 Thanksgiving Hill Climbs at Dumont Dunes.  Photo courtesy of Bill LeFever
 
As the waterpumper trend grew, the club would host gatherings and competitions in Pismo, Glamis and Dumont. These machines would be best known for their hill climbing capabilities. With their dual paddle setup and hand brakes that help the driver steer the buggy while it's front wheels are off the ground, they would be able to crawl up the steepest hills with their high torque V8 engines. The challenge of the hill climb competition is to be the last one to reach the top without stopping. It's a "snail race" or "slow drags" type of race...very difficult to do on a steep dune. When you see 3 or 4 of these buggies line up on the steep side of Comp Hill, it's quite a sight to see when they battle it out. 
 
 
As the years passed and technology advanced. so did the buggies. Huge displacement engines were built as well as stronger rear ends and transmissions. One thing remained though, the styling of the waterpumper buggies and their dual paddle tire setup. These buggies have always been known for power and traction.
 
This buggy, owned by Jeff Cook, cranks out 736 horsepower from it's 434 cubic inch motor.

photo courtesy of Old School Dune Buggies and Sand Rails, Facebook

Buggy Roundup 5: Dec 9-10, 2017

Have you ever wanted to get together with all the buggies of Dumont? That's what the Buggy Roundup is all about. This is DDR's 5th annual Dumont trip for all the guys and girls who have buggies. We camp together as a group across from bathroom 10 on the hard pack. This way nobody gets lost or stuck. The Buggy Roundup gives everyone a chance to meet up, hang out, and run the dunes together without the madness of a holiday weekend. New to the Roundup? No problem. Just RSVP blow and you're in. The circle is big and there's always room for more. We'll make a second ring if we have to. Many of us know each other, but many don't. One thing's for sure...at the end of the weekend, total strangers end up leaving as friends. 
 
Last year's camp

 
 
Schedule of Events
There isn't one! This is Dumont. We don't look at our watches or have schedules. Sometimes we sleep in, sometimes we get up early to shred the dunes. It all depends on how much fun we had the night before. We usually hit the dunes runs whenever someone in camp yells, let's roll!
 

 
Buggy Weigh In
If Ben is able to bring his scales this year like he has in the past, you'll get a chance to weigh your car. Get a full digit readout of the weight at all four corners. Place bets and talk crap about how each others car needs to go on a diet! 
 

 
 
Taco night
Saturday night we'll be grilling up carne & pollo asada for everyone again this year. If you have something you'd like to bring as a side dish, you are more than welcome to, but it's not necessary. The tacos are on DDR so don't feel the need to kick in either. 

 
RSVP
Click GOING in the event link below if you are in.
 
Camp Location
As you come up the hill past the ranger station, stay on the road until you see bathroom 10. Camp will be just off the road on the side right. When you pull up to camp and aren't sure where to park, don't sweat it. It's first come, first served. There are no parking assignments. If you are new and don't know many people, just ask for Pete. Keep in mind the circle will have to stay fairly big to accommodate everyone and an outer circle may even be necessary, but we'll all be camping together so keep it tight.   
 

 
Side x Sides and Bikes
We don't discriminate, however this is the BUGGY roundup. Everyone is welcome to come camp with the group, but we ask that all bikes and side x sides do their own dune runs or stay back behind the buggies. Big cars don't mix well with bikes and side x sides.  It's for your own safety and we don't want them to take away from what this trip is about in the first place...a buggy gathering. 
 

 
Last years trip report
 

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