------------------
Duning is a way of life!!!
Full Version: Buttercup,Gordons?
Never been to those places. What are they like?
------------------
Duning is a way of life!!!
------------------
Duning is a way of life!!!
And where exactly is Gordons? I am pretty sure I know where buttercup is, but refresh my memory!
------------------
Wile E. Coyote survived flying off a 300 FT. sand dune.....
------------------
Wile E. Coyote survived flying off a 300 FT. sand dune.....
Buttercup is the area bordered by the all american canal on the east, I-8 to the north and a western boundry where the dunes suddenly turn into desert scrub. So in many ways it's a mirror image of Glamis 
It's a relatively small area but has quite a bit of pavement and hardpack for camping. From the parking circle at the main campground you can head kind of southeast and there's a sand highway that leads through hardpack to the "first valley". Getting street trucks through here is no problem at all, you may have to air down a little but I normally tow my trailer through there with full pressure and have no problems as long as you keep the momentum up.
In the first valley of Buttercup you'll find the south dunes comp hill to the north, it's much steeper than Glamis comp and still gets a lot of "old time" style racing and families hanging out. Along the back of the valley there's a jeep trail at the base of the dunes where you can catch some air on a few small jumps and to the south east of comp there are a few really good jumps in the dunes that are visible from the valley and the top of comp.
Comp at buttercup also has a few good jumps scattered around it and it's not uncommon to see a group of predator cars jumping as they go up the hill, jumping a lip at the top, and then pulling a big jump off a lip as they start down the hill. One thing to watch for is that in the summer and begining of the season there's almost always a nasty ridge at the top of comp with a sudden drop off when you get up there.
There are some big bowls at buttercup and they're tucked in kind of north west of the first valley. There's one that's simply amazingly huge if you head directly west out of the valley and go over two ridges. It's easy enough to get to I've had my truck there on many occasions and have even railed the lip in my truck a few times.
South of the first valley is a set of very soft dunes that can be fun but you have to be carefull in. South of those is the second valley followed by more dunes and eventually a well worn sand highway that marks the mexican border. There are small and large concrete markers along the southern edge of this road marking the actual border.
I've yet to explore the dunes east of the valleys but I'm told there's a lot more there than it looks because the mexican border slants south so it's a much larger area than the western edge of buttercup.
Gordon's is the area just north of I-8 and the all american canal with western and eastern boundries much like Glamis. When you first enter the "Dunebuggy flats" camping area you cross over the canal where it suddenly makes a sharp turn east and follow I-8 across the dunes where it then makes a sharp southern turn and cuts through the dunes marking the edge of buttercup.
Gordon's has several very popular meeting places. Patton Valley is easy to get to from the dunes or sand highway. From the dunes just go north until you hit a big valley with lots of people. The sand highway runs along the top of the ridge that marks the end of the flats and begining of the dunes. Just follow it north until you see closure stakes and then look for the big opening in the stakes and turn east. There used to be a sign there marking the entrace but it dissapeared last summer sometime. Patton is a lot like olds only IMHO steeper and with a much friendlier crowd. The valley at the base of Patton also has a lot more vegitation than Olds valley making it much easier to find a nice shady spot to chill and watch the action on the hill.
The Gordon's equivilent of comp is test hill which is visible from I-8. IMHO test is one of the nastiest steepest hills still open at the ISDRA. Climbing it at night my lights can't illuminate the full length going up and it just seems to keep going forever. About halfway up I normally start to think I've got to be at the top only to find out I'm no where close. The easiest way to get to test is to follow a sand highway that runs on a ridge just north of the canal.
The dunes at Gordon's are outstanding! Most of the visitors stay on the first and second set of dunes so if you go just two ridges in suddenly it's virgin sand as far as you can see. Plenty of big bowls with smooth transistions between them so you can get that great roller coaster type of ride and never see another soul or track the entire time.
The far eastern edge of the dunes things get very soft though. My one friend who explored that area fairly well said one time he was just cruising along a big flat stretch of sand and suddenly his buggy sank in up to the floor boards it was so soft! So the farther east you go the more carefull you have to be. I assume there are some good dunes over there since some people camp at Ogilby and ride over there but I've yet to explore that area. Ogilby is the only ISDRA camp area I've yet to visit.
Oh, and Gordon's also has it's own version of Boardmanville/Beach store called Pair-A-Dice. It's easy to find (Just turn left instead of right when you get off the highway to enter Gordon's) has some simply outstanding grub, and a decent selection of parts along with someone who can do welding and other minor repairs. They used to even offer a tow out service but I'm told that they don't anymore.
PAD is a great place to get breakfast, nice clean bathrooms (without any extra charge to use them) delicious food and a really nice clean air condtioned dining room or a great outdoor eating area. I just wish they would stay open a little later at night as we always seem to make a beverage run around 11 but they're closed by then.
If you've never been I HIGHLY recomend checking out Gordon's or Buttercup for an "off-weekend" sometime.
It's a relatively small area but has quite a bit of pavement and hardpack for camping. From the parking circle at the main campground you can head kind of southeast and there's a sand highway that leads through hardpack to the "first valley". Getting street trucks through here is no problem at all, you may have to air down a little but I normally tow my trailer through there with full pressure and have no problems as long as you keep the momentum up.
In the first valley of Buttercup you'll find the south dunes comp hill to the north, it's much steeper than Glamis comp and still gets a lot of "old time" style racing and families hanging out. Along the back of the valley there's a jeep trail at the base of the dunes where you can catch some air on a few small jumps and to the south east of comp there are a few really good jumps in the dunes that are visible from the valley and the top of comp.
Comp at buttercup also has a few good jumps scattered around it and it's not uncommon to see a group of predator cars jumping as they go up the hill, jumping a lip at the top, and then pulling a big jump off a lip as they start down the hill. One thing to watch for is that in the summer and begining of the season there's almost always a nasty ridge at the top of comp with a sudden drop off when you get up there.
There are some big bowls at buttercup and they're tucked in kind of north west of the first valley. There's one that's simply amazingly huge if you head directly west out of the valley and go over two ridges. It's easy enough to get to I've had my truck there on many occasions and have even railed the lip in my truck a few times.
South of the first valley is a set of very soft dunes that can be fun but you have to be carefull in. South of those is the second valley followed by more dunes and eventually a well worn sand highway that marks the mexican border. There are small and large concrete markers along the southern edge of this road marking the actual border.
I've yet to explore the dunes east of the valleys but I'm told there's a lot more there than it looks because the mexican border slants south so it's a much larger area than the western edge of buttercup.
Gordon's is the area just north of I-8 and the all american canal with western and eastern boundries much like Glamis. When you first enter the "Dunebuggy flats" camping area you cross over the canal where it suddenly makes a sharp turn east and follow I-8 across the dunes where it then makes a sharp southern turn and cuts through the dunes marking the edge of buttercup.
Gordon's has several very popular meeting places. Patton Valley is easy to get to from the dunes or sand highway. From the dunes just go north until you hit a big valley with lots of people. The sand highway runs along the top of the ridge that marks the end of the flats and begining of the dunes. Just follow it north until you see closure stakes and then look for the big opening in the stakes and turn east. There used to be a sign there marking the entrace but it dissapeared last summer sometime. Patton is a lot like olds only IMHO steeper and with a much friendlier crowd. The valley at the base of Patton also has a lot more vegitation than Olds valley making it much easier to find a nice shady spot to chill and watch the action on the hill.
The Gordon's equivilent of comp is test hill which is visible from I-8. IMHO test is one of the nastiest steepest hills still open at the ISDRA. Climbing it at night my lights can't illuminate the full length going up and it just seems to keep going forever. About halfway up I normally start to think I've got to be at the top only to find out I'm no where close. The easiest way to get to test is to follow a sand highway that runs on a ridge just north of the canal.
The dunes at Gordon's are outstanding! Most of the visitors stay on the first and second set of dunes so if you go just two ridges in suddenly it's virgin sand as far as you can see. Plenty of big bowls with smooth transistions between them so you can get that great roller coaster type of ride and never see another soul or track the entire time.
The far eastern edge of the dunes things get very soft though. My one friend who explored that area fairly well said one time he was just cruising along a big flat stretch of sand and suddenly his buggy sank in up to the floor boards it was so soft! So the farther east you go the more carefull you have to be. I assume there are some good dunes over there since some people camp at Ogilby and ride over there but I've yet to explore that area. Ogilby is the only ISDRA camp area I've yet to visit.
Oh, and Gordon's also has it's own version of Boardmanville/Beach store called Pair-A-Dice. It's easy to find (Just turn left instead of right when you get off the highway to enter Gordon's) has some simply outstanding grub, and a decent selection of parts along with someone who can do welding and other minor repairs. They used to even offer a tow out service but I'm told that they don't anymore.
PAD is a great place to get breakfast, nice clean bathrooms (without any extra charge to use them) delicious food and a really nice clean air condtioned dining room or a great outdoor eating area. I just wish they would stay open a little later at night as we always seem to make a beverage run around 11 but they're closed by then.
If you've never been I HIGHLY recomend checking out Gordon's or Buttercup for an "off-weekend" sometime.
jhitesma: man you are right on....Great narrative.
I know about the big bowl you are talking about at Buttercup. We (my bros and I) nicknamed that bowl Taladega...It is huge...this bowl gave me the idea for my username. This is one of the only bowls where one can hold it WFO for about 15-20 seconds. What a rush. You can also link up three other big bowls right around that one (a.k.a. Daytona, Indy, etc.)
We usually camp on the Gordons Well side right along the canal towards the start of the dunes. The canal makes for a great place to wash the sand out of all yer orfices.
Sand drags also start forming up at about 4pm.
-----------------
Cheeseburgers in Pair-a-Dice......
I know about the big bowl you are talking about at Buttercup. We (my bros and I) nicknamed that bowl Taladega...It is huge...this bowl gave me the idea for my username. This is one of the only bowls where one can hold it WFO for about 15-20 seconds. What a rush. You can also link up three other big bowls right around that one (a.k.a. Daytona, Indy, etc.)
We usually camp on the Gordons Well side right along the canal towards the start of the dunes. The canal makes for a great place to wash the sand out of all yer orfices.
Sand drags also start forming up at about 4pm.
-----------------
Cheeseburgers in Pair-a-Dice......
good discription jhitesma
------------------
------------------
good discription jhitesma
------------------
------------------
Jason,
How's the hiking?
------------------
Tim Wight
Mesa, AZ.
Protect your right to ride in the dunes, join the:
American Sand Association
www.americansandassociation.org
Ignorance and Apathy are just as dangerous as an environmentalist with a cause and a lawyer!
How's the hiking?
------------------
Tim Wight
Mesa, AZ.
Protect your right to ride in the dunes, join the:
American Sand Association
www.americansandassociation.org
Ignorance and Apathy are just as dangerous as an environmentalist with a cause and a lawyer!
Yeah that one big bowl kind of marks the start of all the good bowls at Buttercup that I've found. There's a few smaller ones right behind it that are a lot of fun as well. First trip out this season I was still getting my bearings back and was in the area immediately behind Taladega (I like that name!) and though I was somewhere else. I ended up coming almost straight off the edge into it from the top and nearly had to change my underwear when I realized what I was doing!
The one thing I've never been able to find at Gordon's is the drags! But I finally figured it out on the way home on Easter this year. I was looking for them on the wrong sand highway! I thought they took place between Dunebuggy flats and the dunes - but from the highway heading home I saw what sure looked like drags taking place on the sand highway that runs parallel with the canal....doh!
It sounds like you camp really close to us 5th. We normally follow the canal until we're a couple hundred feet from the base of the ridge and then head north until we find a nice group of bushes to use as walls for our camp. I'll post the GPS coords later on tomorrow when I dig my GPS out from my last trip.
If we're out there our camp is VERY easy to spot. Just go up on the ridge at night and look for the biggest brightest fire and head for it If there's a red/white Ramcharger and a brown/tan suburban you've found us! Only once have I seen anyone out there that rivaled the size of our campfire
(Hey, we're Ohio boys grown and raised in the woods. It's a sin to start a fire with any kind of fuel in our camp and it's got to be taller than us to be called a fire!)
The one thing I've never been able to find at Gordon's is the drags! But I finally figured it out on the way home on Easter this year. I was looking for them on the wrong sand highway! I thought they took place between Dunebuggy flats and the dunes - but from the highway heading home I saw what sure looked like drags taking place on the sand highway that runs parallel with the canal....doh!
It sounds like you camp really close to us 5th. We normally follow the canal until we're a couple hundred feet from the base of the ridge and then head north until we find a nice group of bushes to use as walls for our camp. I'll post the GPS coords later on tomorrow when I dig my GPS out from my last trip.
If we're out there our camp is VERY easy to spot. Just go up on the ridge at night and look for the biggest brightest fire and head for it
If there's a red/white Ramcharger and a brown/tan suburban you've found us! Only once have I seen anyone out there that rivaled the size of our campfire (Hey, we're Ohio boys grown and raised in the woods. It's a sin to start a fire with any kind of fuel in our camp and it's got to be taller than us to be called a fire!)
Thanks for the info Jason...
Yea. The drags at Gordons are right on top of the sand highway. You can see them when your camping in the flats.
I was at Gordons for easter also. It was a great time. Everybody was totally cool.
We were raging my buddies Dodge Ram around Test hill at night. When we made it to the top the buggies had to give us a double take and were like how the hell did you get that thing up here!
Now that we have this forum the G/B-Cupers can hook up!
I was at Gordons for easter also. It was a great time. Everybody was totally cool.
We were raging my buddies Dodge Ram around Test hill at night. When we made it to the top the buggies had to give us a double take and were like how the hell did you get that thing up here!
Now that we have this forum the G/B-Cupers can hook up!
You should have seen peoples expression when my landlord got his 1981 1.6l Turbo Diesel VW Rabbit to the top of test!
Yeah, he had to cheat and go up the back to get there but it still blew people away. He duned that thing better than most people with high dollar suspension buggies drive their toys.
The VW was stock except for a homemade 4" lift in the rear (it has a front lift too but needs higher angle CV's to be driveable with it) and a homemade propane injection system. About this time last summer he thought it blew a head gasket and gave up on it. I bought it for $100 and found out that the head gasket was fine, one of the head bolts was loose.
I've got the motor back together now but still have to replace a few thing that broke before I can start it (neck on the radiator rusted through and snapped when pressure got into the water jacket from the loose head bolt, and I broke the water neck that attaches to the head when dissasembling it because I didn't notice it was double nutted)
Heck, he even towed my business partners buggy back out of the dunes with that rabbit when my partner broke his frame. There used to be a shot of that in one of the user submitted dirt-e-pictures but I can't find it anymore. Guess I'll have to dig it out and post it on my own site
Yeah, he had to cheat and go up the back to get there but it still blew people away. He duned that thing better than most people with high dollar suspension buggies drive their toys.
The VW was stock except for a homemade 4" lift in the rear (it has a front lift too but needs higher angle CV's to be driveable with it) and a homemade propane injection system. About this time last summer he thought it blew a head gasket and gave up on it. I bought it for $100 and found out that the head gasket was fine, one of the head bolts was loose.
I've got the motor back together now but still have to replace a few thing that broke before I can start it (neck on the radiator rusted through and snapped when pressure got into the water jacket from the loose head bolt, and I broke the water neck that attaches to the head when dissasembling it because I didn't notice it was double nutted)
Heck, he even towed my business partners buggy back out of the dunes with that rabbit when my partner broke his frame. There used to be a shot of that in one of the user submitted dirt-e-pictures but I can't find it anymore. Guess I'll have to dig it out and post it on my own site
That is my favorite bowl any where. There is nothing like pinning my bike, tapped out in a bowl. I have heard it called Flipper and Buttercup bowl.
Just remembered I've got a few photos of the valley and the "Big bowl":
This is my business partner Matt and his suburban parked at the top of "Taladega" or "The Big bowl" or "Flipper" or whatever your group likes to call it You can see the valley in the background comp is on the left side in this image at the very back of the valley.
http://hitesman.com/arizona/full/DSC00011.JPG
I've also got this shot looking down into the bowl from on top:
http://hitesman.com/arizona/full/DSC00009.JPG
Unfortunatly that image got corruped on my server and I can't find the original so it's hard to judge just how big it is from that shot.
This is my business partner Matt and his suburban parked at the top of "Taladega" or "The Big bowl" or "Flipper" or whatever your group likes to call it
You can see the valley in the background comp is on the left side in this image at the very back of the valley.http://hitesman.com/arizona/full/DSC00011.JPG
I've also got this shot looking down into the bowl from on top:
http://hitesman.com/arizona/full/DSC00009.JPG
Unfortunatly that image got corruped on my server and I can't find the original so it's hard to judge just how big it is from that shot.
I'm a third generation duner and I remember many moons ago my family used to go to Gordons. We had stopped going there because of the wind. Is this still an issue? I'm also remembering an issue with getting stuck after you cross the bridge going in. I have a 26' toybox that I got stuck out at Olds highway in G and it took a hummer to pull us out. You hit that one spot of quicksand and it's all over. I'd also like to find out how the crowds are. I have a newborn son, and the last couple of holidays at G were a little too much. Between the nearby parties and the dust in the valleys, it wasn't too enjoyable.
Wind really depends on the weather. Somedays it's windy some days it's not. Sorta like that anywhere you go though. There are days I don't want to go out my front door here in Yuma because the wind is blowing so hard that dust from the surrounding farms makes it hard to see to the end of the block.
Some people complain about getting stuck at Gordon's but I've yet to find any of these soft spots they complain about. I tend to stay close the south canal until I'm right near the dunes and then cut north and taking that path it seems to be VERY hard packed. I've done it in cars and in my truck with my trailer I do it in 2WD without airing down no problem. I've gotten stuck just off the pavement at Buttercup much easier! As long as you keep moving and don't stop unless you're in a hard packed area you should have no problems. Also the people who complain about getting stuck all seem to camp near the western canal so I suspect that area may have more soft spots.
The crowds are bigger on holliday weekends but still nothing compared to Glamis. This past Easter it looked packed and the area just over the canal coming in was a madhouse (that's where they moved the vendors to now that the area west of the canal is closed) but there were still plenty of secluded spots even close by in the flats and the people in the dunes were sparse and very friendly.
If you don't like the crowds I'd suggest visiting on non holliday weekends. Gordon's and Buttercup are great on those weekends! Enough people to back you up if you have problems out there but still deserted enough you can find plenty of solitude and peace.
Some people complain about getting stuck at Gordon's but I've yet to find any of these soft spots they complain about. I tend to stay close the south canal until I'm right near the dunes and then cut north and taking that path it seems to be VERY hard packed. I've done it in cars and in my truck with my trailer I do it in 2WD without airing down no problem. I've gotten stuck just off the pavement at Buttercup much easier! As long as you keep moving and don't stop unless you're in a hard packed area you should have no problems. Also the people who complain about getting stuck all seem to camp near the western canal so I suspect that area may have more soft spots.
The crowds are bigger on holliday weekends but still nothing compared to Glamis. This past Easter it looked packed and the area just over the canal coming in was a madhouse (that's where they moved the vendors to now that the area west of the canal is closed) but there were still plenty of secluded spots even close by in the flats and the people in the dunes were sparse and very friendly.
If you don't like the crowds I'd suggest visiting on non holliday weekends. Gordon's and Buttercup are great on those weekends! Enough people to back you up if you have problems out there but still deserted enough you can find plenty of solitude and peace.
cnbmcdermott: If you go in at Gordons Well turn right (left will be Pair-a-dice) you will pass the dumpsters then the pay area. Follow the canal down to the right,it is easy driving. Lot's of big RV's and the like. No one seemed to have any problems gettin in or out.
Lot's of kids and families. Easter weekend was awesome. I did not see one fight or people being as-ses. Just a lot of duning and partying.
About the wind. If it's windy it's windy. If it's not..well....Just have to go and see.
Lot's of kids and families. Easter weekend was awesome. I did not see one fight or people being as-ses. Just a lot of duning and partying.
About the wind. If it's windy it's windy. If it's not..well....Just have to go and see.
Which place is it that has the killer fries I've heard so much about??
------------------
Anybody got a beer??
------------------
Anybody got a beer??
It is called Pair-a-Dice, you take a left off the freeway and it is right there, you can't miss it. As far as getting stuck, as long as you don't go by the western canal, and stay in the middle of the valley it is fine. There are a lot of soft spots over by the western canal.
I wont be down there anytime soon.. 30 hours is a long way to drive for fries, no matter how good!!
------------------
Anybody got a beer??
------------------
Anybody got a beer??
Every time we've gone to Gordons we've camped about 1 mile north of the pay station along the west canal and never been stuck there. If you go much farther north it does get pretty soft though.
Thanks for all the great info! I'm looking forward to the new adventure.
Candy
Candy
This is a "lo-fi" version of our main content. To view the full version with more information, formatting and images, please click here.