As part of my job, related to activities at China Lake Naval Weapon Station, I've worked on a test range in Coso, about 45 miles northwest of the area mentioned in the article. I've also been down to Trona and Searle Lake. I can't imagine going off pavement in that area without experience and training.

As a further illustration of how remote this area is, the safety briefing for the range mentions two important points: 1) if you are injured and it's not life threatening, it will take 3-4 hours to get you to a hospital. Someone has to drive you off the range to meet the ambulance just east of Coso Junction since there's no way an ambulance can get into the range. The terrain is to rugged. Coso Junction is also about an hour north of Ridgrecrest/China Lake. 2) if you are seriously injured, the only way out is on a helicopter. It takes about 25 minutes to get a helicopter up to the range.

This area is starkly beautiful and there's a lot of interesting things to see and do, but it is absolutely deadly. You can't go in unprepared.