dunefreak

The Friends of Dumont Dunes and the Barstow BLM present the 16th Annual Dumont Dunes Cleanup on Saturday, March 24th. Cleanup starts at 8AM.

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

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