Went down to the southern California desert over thanksgiving week. We did other stuff, but a highlight for me was getting to take my two boys out in the desert to ride. Wife happened to have brought "the good camera".
It's definitely a different style of riding. I love single track in the trees, but turning a desert hillside into a wall ride is a great feeling. First time there in the little underpowered KLX. If I wasn't following kids around I might have hated how slow it was.