With dune season 17/18 underway at Dumont, Thanksgiving Weekend is almost here. Many duners make it one of their longest weekends of the season and prepare their feasts out at the dunes with family and friends.
Thanksgiving weekend is Nov 23-26, 2017. Be sure you have a season pass or weekly pass with holidays if you plan to be there anytime from Nov 21 thru Nov 27, 2017.
Dune Masters and Sand Pipers
The Dune Masters and Sandpipers Club will be hosting their 49th Annual hill climbs and drags over Thanksgiviong weekend. The club was founded back in 1968 and they have returned to Dumont every year since then with their V8 powered buggies, also known as the "waterpumpers". They make up a big part of the history of Dumont Dunes so be sure to check them out. They will be set up on the steep, left side of Comp Hill for the hill climbs on Friday and then on Saturday the drags will take place along the back stretch of sand highway, where you would drive out to the north pole.
Schedule
Friday, November 24th, 10am Hill Climbs at Comp Hill
Saturday the 25th, 10am Drags on the back stretch
Sorry, Club members only in competition but spectators are welcome at both events.
Dune season started off strong this year with Halloween weekend drawing a crowd of over 16,000 duners at Dumont Dunes. The camp area looked very similar to how it did back in 2008 before the economy tanked. The normally empty camp area was transformed into a small city for a few days as visitors snatched up their own piece of sandy real estate for the weekend.
Temperatures were warm the whole weekend with highs around 90 degrees during the middle of the day. Everyone was searching for the ice cream trucks. Between the high amount of traffic and the lack of rain at Dumont, the dust level was much higher than normal. Without hardly any wind, there was a thick cloud that lingered each day, mostly noticed around sun-down.
This year a new tradition was introduced, the Trunk or Treat at the Rock Pile. As a join effort between the Friends of Dumont Dunes and the Basrtow BLM, their main focus was to create a safe and exciting trick-or-treat experience for the kids (and adults). Jason Ardenski, president of FoDD, awarded five commemorative plaques to those who went above and beyond with the best decorations, best candy, and best costumes.
The winner of the "Best Kids Costume" went to this little Frappuccino as voted by the crowd!
The winner of the "Best Decorated UTV" went to the builders/owners of the Land Speeder!
They also brought out the Hampster Kia UTV and the Flintstone- mobile!
Unfortunately not one single sandcar was decorated during the event so...the winner of the "Best Decorated Sandcar" went to this entire group! This group showed up with a 40' gooseneck trailer decorated to the max and passed out candy from about every 5 feet of it from different people!
The winner of the "Best Adult Costume" went to this alien guy as voted by the crowd!
The couple that was chosen for the winner of the "Best Candy" at the Truck or Treat disappeared before they could even announce them as the winner!
The overall turnout and reaction from the 1st Annual Trunk or Treat was awesome! Over 4800 people participated in the event and everyone loved it. There was only one or two negative comments, which is to be expected at a 1st annual event. The complaints were about parking and also it taking away from the general tradition of camp to camp trick or treating. Many duners managed to do both though. After the Truck or Treat was over, families still had a chance to go camp hopping. New traditions after many years of everyone doing the same thing can be difficult to achieve, but these guys seemed to pull it off great and it seems like it will be an annual thing from now on at Dumont on Halloween weekend.
Speaking of Halloween traditions and costumes...the Romo Motorsports crew put together another great group costume idea this year. You might remember them dressed as the dinosaurs last year. This time their entire camp was a group of lit up Dumont stick men.
Halloween is probably the most festive weekend at Dumont and also one of the biggest parties at Comp Hill. Many agreed they had never seen so many people over there. The place was packed with rows and rows LED-lit vehicles and people partying it up!
photo by Stephanie Bown Hill
With all this much excitement, accidents are unfortunately bound to happen. There were only 2 medivac calls and 16 incidents the whole weekend. Most duners were being very careful this year and there were zero fatalities. This sandcar had an accident at the top of Comp Hill and rolled 11+ times down the hill. Luckily both the driver and passenger were ok.
photo by Davis Karey
More photos and video here-> http://www.dumontduneriders.com/invision/topic/21360-sandcar-accident-on-comp-hill/
Dirtbikes seem to really be taking off these days at Dumont, figuratively and literally. The two wheeler trend is strong and they were seen wherever there was a good jump. Riders nowadays seem to be getting better and better as well as more responsible. Every group that was jumping had several spotters to play it safe.
Although the crowds were big, Vendor Row was much smaller this year. Despite the economy doing well, vendors are suffering at Dumont. Strict permit requirements and the lack of business at the dunes has forced many vendors to hang it up for good. Hopefully something changes because vendors make our lives much easier on the big weekends, not to mention more fun.
^ photo by Bill Bâby
In addition to the partying, trick-or-treating, fireworks, costumes, and more, Halloween Weekend still revolves around the main reason we go to Dumont, DUNING! The dunes were fairly smooth up until late Friday. After that they became extremely tracked out and busy. The North Pole was a popular destination and hangout as usual during the day.
photo by Steph Kemple
photo by Krystal N Anthony
Not only was there tons of action in the sand but up above these guys were having a blast as well. Pilots, Bill Bâby and Ryan Thomas, managed to get a bird's eye view of the dunes. They had the best seats in the house from up there as they buzzed the dunes and camp area! The early and late parts of the season offer warm enough weather for these guys to fly here.
photos by Bill Bâby
It was quite a fun and exciting weekend at the dunes.
Next up is Thanksgiving Weekend so get ready!
Join the Halloween Weekend discussion and post your pics & trip reports
DDR Community Submitted Halloween Weekend Photo album
#dumontduneriders via IG and Facebook
Are you ready for Saturday nights Treasure Trunk or Treat???
Are you going to have what it takes to walk away with one of these commemorative plaques???
Come out and join us Saturday night and make this event one for the record books!
I want to see the entire rock pile surrounded, several rows deep, with all of YOUR rides lit up and hopefully dressed to impress! Remember with The Friends of Dumont Dunes it's all about building the community with safety and education! Help us to make this event a success by participating so we can continue to host additional events all season long!
Don't forget to bring plenty of candy to pass out to all of the kids who will be trick or treating during this event!
When: Oct 28, Saturday, 6-8PM
Where: At the "rock pile" (between the visitor center and restroom 4)
The Friends of Dumont Dunes in conjunction with the BLM Barstow Field Office are pleased to announce our 1st Annual Treasure Trunk or Treat! This is a huge effort to provide a safe and exciting trick or treat experience for all of the kids (and us big kids too!) during this Halloween season opener!
Don't be shy! Get your costumes on, your OHVs decorated for display and don't forget to bring your own candy to pass out to the kiddos enjoying this event! You may end up winning one of the 5 different awards!
Please help Friends of Dumont Dunes spread the word. Hope to see you all and make this a great turnout Saturday night of Halloween Weekend!
Let the dune season commence! Halloween marks the beginning of the 2017/2018 dune season. With the cooler fall weather arriving, packs of duners will be heading out to Dumont to celebrate the first holiday weekend on October 27-29, 2017.
Although Halloween is on Oct 31st (Tuesday), trick or treating has always been a Saturday night tradition at Dumont. So be prepared with a bucket of candy to hand out to the little duners and get into the Halloween spirit with your costumes and decorations. It's probably one of the most festive weekends of the season. Last year was one of the biggest turnouts in years. With all the extra excitement it's easy to get carried away out there so don't forget about the 15mph camp speed limit and general rules of Dumont. Look out for each other, keep your head on a swivel, and practice safe duning! We want everyone to have a fun weekend out there without anyone getting hurt.
Season and Weekly Halloween passes
If you plan on visiting Dumont any time between Oct 24-Oct 30th, you will need a holiday pass.
1. You can purchase a season pass with holidays ($120) or a weekly holiday pass ($40) good for the Halloween weekend dates from a participating off-site vendor. See a full list of vendors on our passes page.
2. -or- Purchase a weekly pass from the self-serve machine at the entrance
Hey duners! How has your summer been treating you? Have you been spending your days at the lake or river or have you been seeking higher elevation to dune or shred some trails? Whatever it may be, many duners always have one thing on their mind and that is DUMONT. "When is the first trip of the season???" Even though it's the middle of summer, people like to start planning out the next couple months and we have already been getting emails about Halloween weekend. Can you believe it's only about 100 days away? Well, I'm here to tell you we've added all the big holiday weekends to our events page and calendar so you can plan out your season well in advance.
Halloween Weekend
Halloween falls on a Tuesday this year and as per tradition, Halloween weekend will be the last weekend in October (28-29th).
Don't Wait Until the Last Minute!
Those to-do lists always start to creep up on us and nobody likes working out in the heat, but if you start little by little and practice some preventive maintenance, the lists don't bombard you a couple weeks before the first big trip. Although it this is a post from last year, it is a good reminder of the things we should keep in mind as the sand season arrives.
Every June there seems to be a break in the triple digit temperatures allowing Dumont peeps to squeeze in a nice, cool morning dune run. It's been a couple years since our last group "Dune in June" run. Although it's not looking like most of us on the forums are ready to head back out to the sandbox this June, history is repeating itself with that huge drop in temperature. By late May, Dumont is already 100+ degrees. Come June, the highs are 115 or more. There's always that one weekend though where the wind blows right before a heat wave and the highs are typical of what we see in March! Take a look at a screenshot of the Weather.com forecast for Tecopa. This Monday is only going to reach 83°! I sense some people might be "sick" that day.
Looking for others to go duning with?
Post on our Dumont Happenings forum and you might just get some takers.
It was a quiet Easter weekend out at Dumont Dunes. Most people have already wrapped up the season and called it quits. The warm April temperatures tend to keep most people from going out, but for those who made the trip, they had some great weather and some awesome sand. The daytime temperatures were mostly in the 80's, still plenty cool enough to dune. With no crowds, the sand was typical of what you would expect in the middle of summer. There were hardly any tracks and the dunes were full of razorbacks. It's always sad to see the season come to an end, but there's always breaks in the weather that allow for a quick fix. You just have to have the sand toys ready to load up and go!
This year's cleanup went better than expected by a long shot. Over 150 people showed up to help pick up trash throughout the camp area and dunes. Some people might not think that sounds like the ideal dune trip, but the cleanup is much more than that. It is an annual event where the duners get together as a small, tight-knit community and give back to the place they love. With the efforts of Barstow BLM and the Friends of Dumont Dunes organization, it has become a tradition that has been 15 years in the making. Several friends and families gathered on Saturday March 18th to do just that and it was a hit!
Registration
Registration began at 8:00 AM. Duners trickled in and signed up with the BLM to volunteer for the morning. Gloves, trash bags, and even grabby sticks were supplied to assist those who were picking up trash. Every volunteer got a wrist band, which gave them a free pass for the weekend as well as a free lunch provided by Friends of Dumont Dunes. In addition, each bag of trash collected would give them a quick draw ticket for the chance to win some great prizes.
Cleaning up the Dunes
Many duners scattered out throughout the camp area since the trash seems always be near the fire pits, but some people even went out to Comp Hill and combed the outskirts of the dunes to fill their bags. The most common trash seemed to be empty ice bags, plastic bottles, debris from fireworks and sky lanterns, and tissue/ toilet paper stuck in bushes. So keep this in mind next time you are out at the dunes. Much of that trash gets left behind or blown out of camp.
This may be a disappointment to some, but sky lanterns don't make it to heaven. They go up and then they come down and litter our desert.
Making Dumont a cleaner place, one piece of trash at a time. It was gorgeous weather and I was just happy to be out there helping out.
While out on the north end of camp, this little guy came up and said hello. I thought for sure he'd run away before I pulled my camera out, but he didn't even flinch.
Small bushes were a popular trash trap.
The large dumpster was provided via Barstow BLM. Bags upon bags of trash were collected and tossed in. You'd be surprised at some of junk that is left behind out there by litterbugs; a roll of carpet, a car fender, clothing, a tire, a coloring book, CO2 cartridges, and much more. There was a plaque given for most unique item found and that went to the person that found a fishing pole! Who brings a fishing pole to Dumont?
This was my contribution for the day. A full bag of trash plus a few strange items like the coloring book, a little girl's Christmas dress, a timing belt and an ugly thermal.
Everyone had their vehicle of choice. I used my buggy. Some used their vehicle so they could run their A/C. Lou used his ATC70!
By 11:30 AM all the trash was collected in the dumpster and everyone gathered at the BLM Ranger Station for lunch, a public meeting and quick draw. The shade structure helped out tremendously this year. In year's past, we would have to stand out in the sun or haul our EZ UPs over to the event area. The BLM has put together quite a nice compound with our user fees; money well spent my my eyes.
Food! Lunch is Served!
Everyone lined up for lunch. The new president of Friends of Dumont Dunes, Jason Ardenski, and his family donated their time to serving up a great backyard style BBQ lunch. Tri-Tip sliders, ballpark-style dogs, corn, beans, chips and cookies were provided. Jason went above and beyond into making this happen. He forked out money from his own pocket into making sure this was more than just a cheap hotdog and a water type lunch. He brought out the good stuff with very little time to prepare. The whole family was very professional and you would think they owned a restaurant the way they made sure each and every duner was handled. Jason's BBQ setup and catering equipment was impressive. We can't thank him and the whole family enough for what they did.
The lunch crew (left to right):
Jason's sister and her boyfriend, Brooke and Danny with their son Greyston
Jason's father Tom, Jason's son Gavin, daughter Libby, Jason Ardenski, and his mother Kay.
Everyone was grubbin and more than pleased with the food! Sandcrab's crew approved!
BLM/ Sub-Group/ Public Meeting
After lunch, the BLM held their open-to-the-public Dumont meeting. Members of the DAC (Desert Advisory Committee) were in attendance with the BLM to discuss items such as the budget, safety concerns, Dumont user issues, and more. They keep the users informed with the management of the area that they frequently use. Some concerns in the crowd were camp speeders, off weekend law enforcement and the possibility of providing dumpsters on holiday weekends. These things will be discussed in more detail at the next meeting.
New Friends of Dumont Dunes president, Jason Ardenski, had a refreshing sense of enthusiasm as he discussed his new position and plans for future events and volunteer efforts to keep Dumont a fun and safe community. Speaking of new FoDD members, a brand new vice-president and secretary also stepped up to the plate, Heather Siders! We can't thank them enough for their dedication to keeping the FoDD organization alive and active.
Jason said it best with the photo below so I am just going to paste his own words.
Quick Draw
Once the meeting was over, a table of goodies was brought out by FoDD. Jason rounded these items up himself at the last minute from some great companies that were willing to donate to the cause. Kartek Off Road was generous enough to provide a ton of shirts, hats, koozies and 5 gift certificates! Rugged Radios stepped up and donated two radios, a gift card, duffel bag, hats, stickers, koozies and a banner! Even Jason's parents (also Friends of Dumont Dunes members), Tom and Kay, donated pop up trash cans, chairs, a tow strap, some tie downs, booster cables, and a fire extinguisher. Last but certainly not least, Jason personally donated several items such as a 52" LED light bar, LED flashlights and LED rock lights. His company, Impact Signs in Victorville, CA, in conjunction with Lynn Construction in El Mirage, CA even donated a 2017/2018 Dumont season pass. Impact Signs also donated some awesome RITC tumblers.
Awards
Plaques were given to those who collected the most bags as an individual and also as a group. In addition, there were winners for most unique item and largest item found.
Sponsors and Special Thanks
Jason Ardenski (president of FoDD) for EVERYTHING he did.
Barstow BLM staff- helping with the entire event, dumpsters, supplies and use of the ranger station
Rugged Radios- donations
Kartek Off Road- donations
Impact Signs in Victorville, CA- donations
Awards of Recognition in Apple Valley, CA- plaque donations
Lynn Construction in El Mirage, CA- donations
Rose Beardshear (BLM)- for all her friendly help
Friends of Dumont Dunes organization- for keeping the cleanup alive and fun
Friends of El Mirage- for initially stepping up when there might not have been any FoDD board members to help
Tom and Kay Ardenski and family- donations and cooking
Terry Allen (former president of FoDD)- for his help, guidance, and several years of hard work making the cleanup fun
Cleanup volunteers- for spending your morning picking up trash for a good cause
As we dive into March, we start to see quite a change in temperature and weather out at Dumont. The seasons change quickly out there and the cool days of duning are all of sudden numbered. The dune season seems to come to screeching halt quicker than we would like it to. We're already seeing 80+ degree days and an abundance of sunshine. There's no doubt this has been a funky season for weather. Since we've seen plenty of days with cold rain and wind this winter, the longer warm days actually seem very inviting. As of our last trip out (March 3-5), the flowers are already starting to bloom. I would guess that by cleanup weekend, we'll see fields of yellow and purple flowers. So keep an eye out. Dumont is going to be full of color over the next month or so. It's time to seize the weekends of spring and make the most out of this dune season before it's over! Don't forget to set your clocks forward an hour on Sunday, March 12th.
Daylight Savings Time 2017
Begins at 2:00 AM on Sunday, March 12th.
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