The good old days of Glamis

[sintax]

Any of you guys go over to the Mammoth Wash side to see if it’s stupid over there too?
Only rode there once years ago, it was pretty calm. Hardly anyone there.
The only noise we heard at night was coyotes and the train on occasion.

its been a few years since i was out there, but it was kinda cool.

i like that you can ride the hard pack if you want, or hit the dunes. Its way more chill over there.

 

[SKIDMARC]

Never been to Glamis, no desire for Glamis. I hate sand for a number of reasons.

 

[KenJoeBob]

Loved it back in the 90's

 

[HBCraig]

I remember the old days well
Had an OG CR 500 and a VW sandrail with an 1835.

 

[rickym20]

Once you go, it gets in your blood

And wallet after the addiction

 

[Your ad here]

We moved to Havasu 24 years ago and didn't even know Glamis so we bought a snowmobile trailer and 4 Polaris ATVs and went there in april 23 years ago.
Nobody was there obviously. Too hot but we had a blast
RZR wasn't even a word.
Still small town Havasu and everyone knew us for all the ATVs.
AZ West was on Industrial. We ended up with 4 more ATVs from them
Jeff Hart was a VW guru and tuned all the sand rails out there and he had a 10 second VW bug that he ran at the airport during an air show.
My girls are going to hate me for posting this pic lol
Glamis 2001 001 by 185 EZ, on Flickr

The American flags really stand out the pictures and remind me of the people at Glamis that would fly the flag of their country but not have a matching American flag in the same size and at the same height as the flag they're flying. That shit really pissed me off and still goes on. I do not have any problem with people flying the flag of their country at all but they better have a matching flag of the same size and flown at the same height as the country they're in. Its a big enough deal for me that if they don't have a matching flag and they need help, be it a simple pull or they're on fire, I'm not helping. They can wait for their people.

 

[Boatymcboatface]

Someone always throws out the old it’s the 909rs that ruin it. Makes me laugh since these areas are typically the 909rs playgrounds.

It also always seems to be some dude from Costa Mesa or Santa Ana that throws it out. Then you find out they were originally from the 909 themselves.


Next up is the sign and drive comments then you find out dude that says that took out a second to “pay cash” for his $250,000 sand car, truck, and toyhauler set up.

I’ve been lucky to live all over SoCal and still liked the coast the best but the pull of the 909 lifestyle is just too strong! 909 (actually 951 with a OC area code for my cell phone) for life!


Any way you look at it it’s just people looking to get out and have a good time.

 

[brianwhiteboy]

Someone always throws out the old it’s the 909rs that ruin it. Makes me laugh since these areas are typically the 909rs playgrounds.

It also always seems to be some dude from Costa Mesa or Santa Ana that throws it out. Then you find out they were originally from the 909 themselves.


Next up is the sign and drive comments then you find out dude that says that took out a second to “pay cash” for his $250,000 sand car, truck, and toyhauler set up.

I’ve been lucky to live all over SoCal and still liked the coast the best but the pull of the 909 lifestyle is just too strong! 909 (actually 951 with a OC area code for my cell phone) for life!


Any way you look at it it’s just people looking to get out and have a good time.

It’s not officially a 909 callout until @PRIMO says so….

 

[Mototrig]

Been going since 07, ever since I hate riding anywhere else. I've only camped at the pads a few times, not my cup of tea. We like the washes all the way back up against the dunes. Any wash past 10. Over the years we've had many pushers make it back there just fine. I'm 45, I'll keep riding my yfz450 until I can't. I still chase the kids on my 250r too.

SxS's are OK, there's nothing like a rail though.
I drove a Pro R last time, it's was cool but I like my handlebars.

 

[Wizard29]

If it weren't for the Latino Community getting into and increasing participation in the sport with sand cars and SXS's we would have never had the over whelming support to back up and crush the Center for Biological Diversity's and Public Employees near successful efforts to shut Glamis down.

Yeah,,, I said it.

Back in 2012-2014 when the closures were reversed and before side by sides were even a thing? And the fight against those closures started well before then also.

I really don't think the Latino community increasing their participation in the sport with side by sides made the difference because side by sides didn't really exist then. Nor were Latinos a significant demographic driving other vehicles out there either at that time. I'm not saying there were none that contributed, but saying their support was so immense that what was achieved couldn't have been done without them seems like a stretch.

In any case, even if their support did tip the scales, that doesn't mean blaring mariachi music and overall asshole behavior exhibited by some of them is part of the price of their support. The shit music some white people blast and asshole behavior exhibited by them should not be the price of their support either.

There was always a segment of the Glamis attendee population that were inconsiderate shitbags. The advent of side by sides and their ability to make Glamis more accessible has enabled more inconsiderate shitbags to go out there. That's a fact.

Used to be you had to put more up front in terms of cash to get the toys and get out there. You also had to have some skill set to operate them. Generally speaking, those who had the cash also had more maturity and consideration for others, which made them better campers. In gaining the skill set to operate their toys, they also picked up the good desert culture.

Now, one with little to no up front investment and no skillset can hop in a side by side and take off to Glamis. While I know that has enabled good people to get into or stay in the sport, it has also facilitated an explosion of the shitbag population that has no clue or care as to what being a responsible and courteous Glamis attendee is.

 

[HTTP404]

The first time I went to Glamis was with the Pont family. This was back when there was a legit drag strip with a xmas tree. I remember the dad, I think his name was Virgil had this crazy 3 wheeler that was all extended with a big ass wheelie bar and ran NOS. He was racing against sand dragsters with the duel paddles and winning those races.

I remember their fleet of 3 wheelers was super sick and they took me for some rides in the dunes (double on a 3 wheeler) that was something I'll never forget.

 

[FROGMAN524]

Loved it back in the 90's

Back when everybody had polished wheels on their toys and their trucks.

 

[brgrcru]

Back when everybody had polished wheels on their toys and their trucks.

Hey now!
Some of us still do.
Ha ha

 

[Backlash]

Back when everybody had polished wheels on their toys and their trucks.

I'm bringing that back one polished wheel at a time!

 

[riverroyal]

Been going to Glamis/Gordan's since the late 70's. The vibe has changed but the fun is the same. There is just nothing else like it. As I have gotten older, I definitely have adapted. I don't do big weekends anymore and really only go there to drive. I started on an XR75 when I was about 6 or 7 years old. I use to love camping, but now, I love my own bed. I pretty much only do day runs now. I can usually hook up with friends on a Saturday or Sunday. I get up early, make the 3 hour drive and am in the dunes by 9 to 10 am. I dune till dark. Usually 5 to 6 pm, then load up and head home. If The Town Pump is open (Westmorland) I will stop for a nice steak dinner, then head home and be in bed between 10 and 11 PM. It is a long day, but a very fulfilling one. I can do 3 to 6 of these day runs per season, and maybe a Superstition or Ocotillo run in between if I am really ambitious. It scratches the itch!! I just love the desert and have to get my fix. I do prefer off weekends with less traffic. Busy weekends are for Idiot watching, not for riding/driving.

Only thing I do is day trips now. Pool guy gary goes all the time. Next time I will let you know. Bringing can am home from havasu tomorrow for some day trips next month.
I think the last time we all rode together you ended up in the hospital

 

[manxman]

Only thing I do is day trips now. Pool guy gary goes all the time. Next time I will let you know. Bringing can am home from havasu tomorrow for some day trips next month.
I think the last time we all rode together you ended up in the hospital

sounds about right!!

 

[rivermobster]

sounds about right!!

Dammmm!

Brawley hospital is the worst!!! I sat there for HOURS one night, waiting for my friend to get his busted up chin stitched shut.

I can't even imagine the drama they must see these days, with all the wanna be duners out there!

 

[manxman]

Dammmm!

Brawley hospital is the worst!!! I sat there for HOURS one night, waiting for my friend to get his busted up chin stitched shut.

I can't even imagine the drama they must see these days, with all the wanna be duners out there!

Pioneer Memorial in Brawley sucks as well. Sat there for 4 hours thinking I had a broken back, all I got was some Ibuprofen.

 

[FCT]

I wish they never made sxs! The desert was so much better without them.

Last year we went to Gordon’s well for my buddies bachelor party and his brother-in-law found out I was just bringing my stock OBS bronco and my buddy that was getting married Was bringing his jeep with a small block in it and he told us I don’t know why you guys don’t just rent a side-by-side. You’re just going to get stuck all the time in the dunes in that. what do you think everybody used to take to the dunes before sxs! After I went absolutely everywhere all the way over to the Glamis store Big dunning my stock bronco with a worn out 302 and all terrain tires. He admitted he couldn’t believe that i could go everywhere in a vehicle like that. I respectfully told him he could not have gone everywhere in my bronco in the dunes because you have to know how to actually drive.

 

[riverroyal]

Dammmm!

Brawley hospital is the worst!!! I sat there for HOURS one night, waiting for my friend to get his busted up chin stitched shut.

I can't even imagine the drama they must see these days, with all the wanna be duners out there!

Wasnt that...
I was a broke ankle or leg riding jet skis at camp pendleton. He got a ride with the MPs if I remember right.


Fock were old

 

[Melloyellovector]

Just got back from glamis this evening
went to havasu Thursday after Xmas, quartzite Friday, havasu Saturday, home Sunday, loaded up trailer and to glamis Sunday night.
Jaime ( green hallett vector) has the gray pro r, super charger shit the bed, my joking and shit talk bit me in the ass. He removed belt and hot lapped to gecko for a tow back as sun was setting. I started up my car with a look around hey we ready, let roll. To HEY YOUR CARS ON FIRE! Oh shit, who’s car, wait fuck my car!!!
Sure as shit, coil pack somehow shorted and took out 2 packs on relocation stack and cook wire harness, luckily got out before fuel rail decided to join the party.
Towed back to gecko and met up w jamie and his flat bed that had room for me too.
‘oh we’ll part of the program, lol
even with the break down and early trip home before the shit show tonight in the washes. Still great trip and great times with the glamis family

 

[Melloyellovector]

Some of the night shenanigan, camp next to us. I don’t recall who they were east coast, x games nitro circus soemthing or other guys.
young dudes that knew how to have fun, lol
They got entire cord of wood dropped off, dumped gas on entire pile, and lit it off.
pic does not do it justice, those flames are higher then rvs 15ft plus
followed up with lets jump thru on the 50’s. And y’all think glamis isnt what it used to be

 

[Angler]

There needs to be a throwback weekend in Glamis.
Only ATVs/quads, motorcycles and VW powered dune buggies.
I'd come out retirement for that.

 

[Backlash]

There needs to be a throwback weekend in Glamis.
Only ATVs/quads, motorcycles and VW powered dune buggies.
I'd come out retirement for that.

There is, I believe it's in March.

@EmpirE231 might know for sure.

 

[81Sprint]

Not Glamis, but we used to frequent Dumont and Sand Hollow during sand season, stopped going around 2009 when the economy took a shit.

Me and my buddy launching his new to him rail at the super bowl, just happened to be someone there taking pics

My old 450, really liked that quad!

Made a trip out there in 2019 with our old jeep, off weekend but just wasn't the same

Had a coworker go out there this past Halloween, said it was nothing but SXS and Mariachi music. I'll pass on it from now on

 

[530RL]

There needs to be a throwback weekend in Glamis.
Only ATVs/quads, motorcycles and VW powered dune buggies.
I'd come out retirement for that.

Quads are for the girls. Men ride three wheelers.

 

[Backlash]

Quads are for the girls. Men ride three wheelers.

How many quads do you have now?

 

[Gelcoater]

Quads are for the girls. Men ride three wheelers.

Show us your three wheeler!

 

[Meaney77]

There needs to be a throwback weekend in Glamis.
Only ATVs/quads, motorcycles and VW powered dune buggies.
I'd come out retirement for that.

 

[OCMerrill]

Mother G!

So many good times. I definitely miss it. Need another toyhauler not sure I would go the banshee route. A new Funco would be a lot more comfortable at my age.

We were part of a large group for 15 years or so. Everyone was graduating to Buggys and the Banshee part of the group, and BTW everyone in the group had either a Banshee, Honda 250, or a Quadzilla, was dying quickly for Tatum's, Funco, and the like. None of that was on my financial Menu.

Like you... I still think about the place, Boardmanville (80's, 90's BMV watching Jeanie loose her cigs because she forgot she had been puffing one down the whole time) but my favorite were all day rides to the dunes end. Plastic water bottles filled with race gas, Pair-A-Dice, over the 8, Gordons, over to Ted Kiff and race up that road hauling ass, over to China W, and then fall asleep at BMV on a table. Wake up go to olds and then back to Gecko Pad whatever. There were usually 15-20 of us.

Good times and I will admit much simpler.

 

[Socalx09]

We usually camp at wash 23 on a holiday weekend.

Thanksgiving- we never ran into another group in the dunes. It wasn’t as busy as we thought.

This past trip, it was pretty full on wash 23. But, the dunes were mostly empty except for the main spots. Avoid sand highway/vendors and get into the bigger dunes and it’ll be a good time. Same thing like in havasu- avoid the crowds and you’ll be ok.

 

[sprintcvx]

Quads are for the girls. Men ride three wheelers.

Here you go!! Still for sale down in the classifieds, I'll make you a hell-of-a-deal..

 

[MOUZER]

We were always Gordon’s Well and Buttercup people.

I remember the good old days when we could ride deep into Mexico without a problem.

It’s just changed and will never go back.

I remember the good ole days parker strip flattys hydros 18 ft jets and a few 21 ft day cruiser now it's shit show of who has the biggest offshore boat and 1000 jet skis...condos canals sure got ruined.. everything gets ruined

 

[Gelcoater]

Here you go!! Still for sale down in the classifieds, I'll make you a hell-of-a-deal..
View attachment 1465620

Would you just stop it
I saw the add for sale.
I hope you sell it soon, it’s so tempting.
The cost of the machine doesn’t scare me, but the cost of the divorce lawyer will

 

[530RL]

View attachment 1465608

I should haul out the Orange Crush.

 

[DaveH]

for those off roaders that have never been.....there is a reason the place is such a zoo.........cuz its fun as hell.

for those who are turned off by the crowds and the craziness.......is it really any different than boating in Havasu?

 

[Angler]

Same as the River, I don't boat on the weekends and Never ride the dunes during the weekend.

 

[bilz]

1st mod to the 3 rail motorcycle trailer. 1.5 pipe welded to tongue. Quad fronts on pipe, honda 250 atc with front tire on quad seat. No pictures but that would have been around 1987. This pic @1989. Moved up to an 88 ranger, new in 88 camp was simple

 

[rivrrts429]

I should haul out the Orange Crush.

View attachment 1465649

Love that car!!

 

[Gelcoater]

I should haul out the Orange Crush.

View attachment 1465649

Show us more!
What’s the details on this rig?

 

[Joe mama]

Shit I’m old! Got my first atc 90 in 1975. A race up comp hill was ass bouncing on seat to keep traction lol. Later on Harry and Larry from trinity built it to a 180 and ran straight methanol. It took a while to dial it in, but wasn’t long those fricking tri-motos were kicking my ass. Those were some good times back then that I will never forget.

 

[PRIMO]

The Gestapo Ruined the Place.......

 

[Sportin' Wood]

I may have shared some of this before, but since this is a Good ole Days of Glamis, I'll share again. I have many good old days stories about Glamis, here is just a taste.

In the late 70's my parents made many trips to the So Ca desert including Glamis. They ran around with a bunch of people from our home town in Menifee who were members of the Looney Duners club. We camped northwest of Clean Gene's in what we called the baby dunes. I think that was also the old Glamis Store location with a few old gas pumps. I think that area got closed in a wilderness grab.

79-80, my parents divorced, and the Looney Duners started renting some property for a permanent camp off an air strip behind Boardmanville. Back then it was just a single wide trailer with a couple coolers for beer, ice and some frozen crappy food. Dad continued to run around with the club and he started dating Chuck Boardman's step daughter Noey. Shirley was Chuck's wife when he started building up Boardmanville, she had three daughters.

I spent pretty much every holiday weekend during the season in Glamis for about 5 years or so working the gas pumps, stocking the ice machine and coolers as the Boardmanville trading post gained in popularity. One new years eve a drunk guy on an ATC crashed into my brother near the store and he ended up filing a lawsuit against Boardmanville that took years to settle. That slowed our trips to Glamis, I assume Chuck and my Dad likely got into some sort of disagreement about it, being Chuck could be an asshole. Chuck was always super cool to me however, because I liked working the store and would do whatever he asked.

Because I worked hard, Chuck would let me drive a few of the vehicles he had. I was only about 13 years old, but he had no issue with me taking a VW bus that had paddle tires and no windows or doors our for cruises to Comp hill. I learned how to drive in Glamis. It likely did not hurt that the bus was a giant rolling billboard for the trading post and I would sell ice out of a bunch of coolers when I got to comp hill.

For many years there were hand drawn maps in the back of the old single wide trailer hanging on the walls that people used to navigate he dunes. I drew all those maps because I spent a lot of time in the dunes and knew my way around very well. I never would get lost, so my dad let me run pretty wild on ATC's, MC's and whatever Chuck would let me drive.

Pretty much all the Looney Duners I remember are dead now, but we used to have so much fun back then. The people were always very nice to all of us kids. After Shirley and Chuck parted ways we never went back to Boardmanville. When my daughter was just a baby (she is 32 now) I took my wife out there to share some of my experience and she hated it, so that was the end of glamis until last year. I did not make it to Boardmanville, maybe this year, I'll try and stop in and see if my old maps are hanging around anywhere.

I had dinner last night with a group and one of the guys made the perfect statement about Glamis. He said something to the effect that he was chasing a "time" in Glamis when he returned and he quickly learned that it was never going to be what it was. I agree with him, it was not the place I remember, because it was not the TIME I remember, everything changes. The late 70s-Early-80s where a really great time for enthusists in Southern California.

There are few better feelings than being 13 years old and having a 15 year old girl hop on the back of your ATC with a few stolen beers in the 6 pack cooler for a ride out into the dunes. I can't lie, Banquet Beer out of an ice chest, still reminds me of cherry lip gloss.

 

[thmterry]

Flying by 2003

 

[530RL]

Show us more!
What’s the details on this rig?

That is the same car as in post 79.

That picture in post 79 is early 80’s when it had a 2387 on alcohol and a turbo.

Now it has a Pauter 2784 with a 471 blower. Alcohol.

 

[Gelcoater]

That is the same car as in post 79.

That picture in post 79 is early 80’s when it had a 2387 on alcohol and a turbo.

Now it has a Pauter 2784 with a 471 blower. Alcohol.

Nice!!

 

[530RL]

Nice!!

An early iteration when it was in Hot Rod Magazine.

I'd bet that gal is in her 70's now...........

 

[Boatymcboatface]

Sorry if you were camped near our group!

 

[Boatymcboatface]

 

[Bakotrash]

It boggles my mind that I've never been to Glamis... I'm a CA native, avid off-roader. Dang..

I have never been either.