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#11 Casa Escarlata Robles Too

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Posted 19 April 2011 - 10:22 PM

WOW what a story.I even heard the music.We drove past that road last september coming home from Yellowstone and thought boy don't know if I want to take some of these side roads.

Thanks for the story.The road crew is our tax dollars at work on something other than WAR

Frank
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#12 busboy66

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Posted 20 April 2011 - 01:10 AM

These are all great! wow.
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#13 UglyScout

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Posted 20 April 2011 - 08:18 PM

I have a bunch but they are all my own fault for being an off roader... But I do have a few from more 'normal' camping trips.

Spring break 1995: I was attedning the University of Alaska in Fairbanks and it had been a long, cold, dark winter so I decided to take a road trip south for the week. No real plan, no destination, no one knew where I would be... I did take a friend from college. We loaded up in my 2wd Ford Ranger loaded to the top with camping gear and supplies and headed out. Did I mention it was cold? That spring break set record lows in Fairbanks, something like 40 below...

Out first night camping was outside of Palmer, AK on some side road along a frozen river. The plan was to hunker down in our tent - wake up every few hours and start the truck to keep it warm. That worked fine until I over slept the last wake up/start the truck session. By the time I got up the truck was dead cold and wouldn't start - I tried until I feared that going any further and it would be too dead to jump start or push start - if we found help.

My buddy and I were close to panic mode being off some side road, in the snow, in the cold, with nobody to find us, and pre-cell phones of course. And we didn't really know where we were. The sun was shinning so we opened the hood of the truck in hopes that some direct sun might warm the engine and battery giving us a chance to start the truck. We also placed our small backpacking stove under the truck to heat the oil pan - sure we could have burnt the truck down, but at least we would have been warm watching it! We waited about an hour and tried to start it again - it turned over so slow I was sure we were done for - but at the last second of battery life it caught and I floored it to keep it going!!!! We got very lucky - on our way out we found out we were a couple miles from the main road and 20 mils from town. We didn't see anyone on the road that morning all the way back to town.

Later in that same trip we got snowed in at Valdez, AK by a serier of avalanches in the pass. The road out of town was closed. Being poor and broke we had to camp somewhere so we just pulled off the highway and found a spot to set up shop - the snow was falling so fast it would cover things up if you set them down for 5 minutes. It snowed 4 feet the first night and broke a pole in our tent... No big deal but what we didn't realize was that our camping site was a little too close to the highway and within range of the snow plow.... So we were awaken by the crash of flying snow as it buried the truck! By morning the truck had 6 feet of snow burying it from the road - the tent had 4 feet on it/around it. And the main hwy wasn't completly plowed/open where we were. We started digging, eating breakfast and packing when we heard the the snow plow coming up the highway. We figured he'd see us and give us a pull or at least clean out a little of the snow in front of us. After a while we heard a lot of backing up, beeping, reving, etc. then nothing. 10 minutes later - we see a guy walking up the road. It was the snow plow driver - he was stuck at a turn around just around the bend of the road... But he had seen our truck in the night and figured we might be of assitance. He did tell us that the road was closed at the turn around he was stuck at, and that he would not be plowing this section open. But he would try and make it at least to where we were to get us out. We gave him one of our shovels as we kept digging with our other shovel. At least we when help might be on the way... After about an hour - we got unstuck enough to make it the 40 feet to the main highway at about the same time the snow plow made it to us. We made it back to town and were happy to be out of the snow. We slept int he safeway parking lot the next two nights as they got the pass open...
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#14 busboy66

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Posted 21 April 2011 - 04:48 AM

1995 seems like a good year for stories.
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#15 MarkBC

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Posted 21 April 2011 - 04:53 AM

1995 seems like a good year for stories.

Maybe 'cause it's long enough ago that nobody can say it didn't happen that way. Posted Image
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#16 HERR42

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Posted 21 April 2011 - 04:54 PM

from back in '95 as well....

i've been out in snowy backwoods stuck after a day of eating and drinking due to running the vehicle battery down playing music all day. there was still enough juice to use the cb set. a quick jump and all was well.

one time the wife & I and our two girls woke up to the sound of a huge herd of deer running past our tent. it was like being in a cattle stampeed. the terrain funneled them in close to us and there were a lot of them. it was truly frightening and it seemed to go on forever. there was nothing we could do and i felt so helpless as we huddled in the tent. eventually they all ran past. we were so relieved. the tent was never touched.
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#17 Ted

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Posted 21 April 2011 - 08:34 PM

Sunman, a return trip to Black Rock in similar conditions to see if I would have made is not likely to happen. See, I have this choice, go back to Blackrock or stay happily married. ;)

Not in '95, but back in '93 my Father and I made our first trip to Baja in his VW camper. Most of the drive down we had heavy rains. While staying in The Orchard in Mulege, the owner, Roberto, told us that the bridges washed out up north and we would not be able to get back that way. (Sound familiar Suni?) We decided to head back the next day and see for ourselves how bad it was.

The next evening we were coming into Catavina. The parking lot at the hotel was filled with a couple of hundred people camping. People were saying that there were hundreds of cars, motorhomes, and commercial trucks parked up at the first washed out bridge. Rumors were out about how people were trying to get the rv's to give them food and water. Estimates for the bridges to reopen were in the weeks to months. A small group of us decided to backtrack and take the road over to Bahia San Luis Gonzga and go north from there. We had dinner, went to bed, and headed out early the next morning.

There were five vehicles to start. Us in the old vw, two guys in big 4x4 trucks with campers, two girls in a 2wd van, and three Canadians in a little Toyota. The washboard was typical Baja teeth rattling stuff, and the three of us in 2wd's took it easy, but both the trucks headed off at high speed. We saw one of them later with two flats. Never did see the other. We were getting close to Puertocitos as the sun was setting. My Father and I happen to be in the lead of the three remaining vehicles when it occured to us there was no one behind us. We went back and found the Toyota stopped in the roadway with the van behind it. The washboard was too much and a frame crossmember had dropped out on one side. The transmissin was sagging and they only had third gear. We were able to jack it back into place and bolt it well enough to keep going. It was dark when we got into Puertocitos and were once again on pavement. Not being able to see, we pulled over at a wide spot and set up camp on the road in town. We slept well knowing we were gong to make it.

The next morning the van and Toyota headed for the border. We found a mechanic to repair some problems we had developed on the rough drive, and headed out after lunch. That night we got a hotel in the states, showered, and called Mom to let her know we were on our way home. Heading up 101 we had a good laugh at a Caltrans warning sign "Rough Road". After doing the notorious road between Puertocitos and Gonzaga, we found that pretty amusing. Wouldn't you know when we hit that bump it blew the tire. Ever blow a tire on a loaded VW camper at highway speeds? I crossed two lanes before I got control of the vehicle. :o

Despite this trip or because of it, I learned the charms of Baja. Like anywhere else, getting off the highway and seeing the backcountry and meeting people away from the touristed areas shows you a what a place is really like. The hook was set, and six months later I was making the first of a number of return trips.
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#18 EdoHart

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Posted 21 April 2011 - 11:39 PM

February 1998.

A friend who lived 200 miles from me and I met in Saline Valley for a week. On our last day there, a huge storm hit Southern California causing a lot of havoc. However, we didn't realize that because we had light rain at the hot springs. It was really quit nice (I love the desert in the rain).

At the time, my friend was unemployeed and used to sleeping late. I think the gentle patter of rain on his camper caused him to sleep later that usual because he didn't get up until almost noon. I had planned to spend a few more days, but my friend had a job interview the next day and didn't want to drive out alone, so I agreed to convoy out with him.

The southern road to Saline Valley decends to the valley floor following a wash. When we got to that wash, it was a small river which had cut down into the road about 4 feet and there was no way we could make that first crossing, let alone the next couple of dozen crossings. We decided to try the Lippencott Mine Road that leads up to the Devil's Race Track, then drive through Death Valley to hook up with Hwy 190 so that we could get to Hwy 395.

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Fortunatley, the Lippencott Mine Road had recently been graded and was easily drivable in 4x4. We were having a fun time when we met a couple of guys in a 4x2 pickup who hadn't been able to make it out and had turned around to return to the hot springs.

We gave them several days worth of food. When the guy who was collecting my food saw me throw in a couple cans of chili, he asked "Do I need to tell him you gave me these?"

"No, I'll take care of that." Then I yelled "I gave him two cans of chili."

With some slipping and sliding, we finally made it to the top, where I snapped these pictures of The Devil's Race Track.

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By the time we got to Death Valley it was dark. While making our way south through Death Valley, we crossed a wash carrying thick, black mud. It was so black that it looked like pavement in the dark, but was actually about 2 feet deep. Thankfully, my friend who was following, is a good driver and left plenty of following distance between us. When we went through the flowing mud, it splashed on our windshields and was so thick that wipers couldn't remove it. Both of us had to stop our truckes blinded by the mud covering our windshields. After cleaning our windshields, we chatted for a few minutes and suddenly we heard a semi hauling a 30 foot trailer hit the same mud patch and jackknife. We decided this wasn't a good place to stay, so after ensuring the driver was OK and back on the road we headed south again.

Every time we tried to drive south or west, we were met by mudslides or closed roads. Eventually we made it to Shoshone, CA around midnight, where we parted ways. I spent the night in a little campground, my friend continued home.

The next day was clear, sunny and cool. I took a quick dip in the hot springs across the road from the campground and headed home myself. Keeping with my habit of avoiding paved roads whenever possible, I looked at my maps and choose a course.

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During my drive home, I was surprised by all the road closed signs and evidence of landslides and mudslides.

My friend got the job, we both had fun getting out of Saline Valley, and I got to drive on virgin snow. Not really a horror story, now that I think about it.
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#19 craig333

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Posted 22 April 2011 - 02:41 AM

You guys are going to make me scan my pics aren't you? You wouldn't believe my story otherwise.
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#20 MarkBC

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Posted 22 April 2011 - 02:54 AM

You guys are going to make me scan my pics aren't you? You wouldn't believe my story otherwise.

Sure sounds like photo-documentation is called for. ;)
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