08-APR-2011
Train line
The next day was overcast and chilled. We had about 130 miles of the "I" between us and the next real dirt track. Being that we were doing almost any thing to stay off the "I", this became a day of challenging path finding. There was no clear track that we could find on any of our maps that would get us the whole way, so . . . we started on a small power-line service road, dodging the leavings of those that couldn't find the local transfer station, until it turned into private land.
A little more poking around and we found an abandoned rail-line that had some tracks following it . . . off we go!
It was good for a while, some washed out crossings but nothing big.
08-APR-2011
We could definitely tell that spring was crawling around in the low desert with us.
08-APR-2011
At one point we came to a major wash-out. We weren't crossing that way . . . and neither had any others.
There was an open gap in the fence line that was the way forward, . . . and it was over an earth berm, into a ditch, and through a very narrow gap.
08-APR-2011
I'm glad that we weren't pulling the trailer with the She Beast, I'm sure it would have connected and probably caused us damage.
08-APR-2011
Tuff worked the She Beast around a different way, not as steep but more off-camber and a harder approach to the gap.
08-APR-2011
In the process the branch pushing rails snag one of the low hanging power-lines. It's also abandoned and down in many places.
08-APR-2011
It took very little effort from the She Beast and she was ripping down the pole.
At this point it required some backing and un-snagging the line before we could continue.
We definitely will have to do a bit more shaping of those rails and get the catching points ground down.
09-APR-2011
By the end of the day we had made it into Cali and started north. Before dark was total we found a nice place to tuck in out of the wind.
The next morning was pleasant enough that we spent some time just enjoying the area around our park-up.
At this point we knew that we only had a couple more nights out before we hit Base Camp . . . this trip is winding down.