29-JAN-2011
Leaving our Oasis
The "little Draggin' " manages to entice the "She Beast" away from the Oasis with promises of free fuel from the processing trailer it's pulling.
~
The plan is to navigate as much dirt track as we can between our part of the Mojave and the other side of the Sonoran Desert. We are hoping to do about 100 - 150 miles on most days.
Today we start out late and don't plan to make that much distance, but we will get quite a ways off pavement.
29-JAN-2011
Tri-Colors
Some of the mountains to the north of us as we work our way across the Palen/Mccoy wilderness.
29-JAN-2011
Hard Pack and Washes
After running a few miles of sand track we get to some hard pack. Now we just have washes to cross. Some will be easier than others.
29-JAN-2011
Camp
We camped here the first night out.
Nice rock hill behind us. We climbed up to see the setting of the sun.
30-JAN-2011
Ruins
The next day upon leaving we discover that there are these ruins on the other side of the hill we were parked near. Not sure what the history is on these, will need to do some research.
30-JAN-2011
She's Tuff E. Nuff . . .
. . . to roll with me on this kind of a trip.
30-JAN-2011
a Good section of the track
Our goal today is to make the crossing of the pass. Neither of us have ever used this route, it's all an exploration.
It's a special kind of strangeness that makes one explore the unknown tracks . . . it's even STRANGER to do it with TWO BIG TRUCKS AND A TRAILER!!!
~
We've not spoken with anyone about the conditions of the track, . . . or done any research on what the route is like. Can we fit through tight spots? . . . will the angle of some climb be "off" enough that we risk laying the "She Beast" on her side? . . . Will it be too soft, eaten by erosion? Will we find an impasse and have to back track for hours? It's all unknown to us.
This is NOT how I would advise anyone to go! This is how I go!
It's not about getting there, it's about going there! For me it's the knowledge that we are not dependent on anything that we do not have with us. Even fuel, . . . the challenge for this run is that we buy little (or NO) fuel, we know that diesel is available and will most definitely be used if needed. The fuel processing trailer (`sketer) is still under going testing. Some would do that in the safety of their driveway, side yard, maybe even a garage. That just doesn't work for me . . . I have to really take it out there.
The route we have planned lands us in some small town about every 100 - 175 miles. That should give us the chance to help out some Mech-Docs with all the vital fluids that they collect. If we collect even 100 gals of used motor oil, ATF, kerosene, etc. at these towns, we can with filtering and separating, use it to replace the fuel it took to get there. With tanks on the trailer we can stay a day ahead and only have to collect once every two days. Therefore, the ability to NOT buy fuel.
30-JAN-2011
Lean on me
Not long into the morning we come to some of those"challenges". This section dropped into a wash, turned and followed it for about 100', then climbed out . . . up a badly eroded track on the other side. That part was going to lean us to the side a good bit. Yesterday Tuff did a few "off" angle drops into some of the washes that made this one look like it's on flat ground. After the second one we had to pause for some meltdown time . . . you know, when you do something that you just "CAN'T believe you did and you're still OK" kind of meltdown.
This morning I drove some of the more challenging parts.
30-JAN-2011
Road building
Our next challenge showed up soon after . . . a section of track that was eaten away on the down hill side and too steep on the uphill. We've done enough of leaning the "She Beast" and wouldn't, if we didn't need to!
So . . . the other option was to rebuild the road.
30-JAN-2011
Crossing the Wash
Later that day, after crossing through the pass and working our way down into more sandy terrain, we came to a wash that had really flowed sometime this past fall. The bank on the other side was bumper high to the "little Draggin' ".
The usual thing to do would be to breakdown the side so that it was more of a ramp . . . I thought I'd just try to climb it.
30-JAN-2011
and the `sketer gets pulled up
03-FEB-2011
After almost a week in Quartzsite, during which time we find some shop that is happy to let us take their collected Mech fluids, we take off to cross our next section of dirt track. Another 150 miles before pavement. We find a pipeline service road, skirt the gate, and head off to the mountains. 5 miles down the track we find signage saying that it's a "Wildlife Refuge" . . . no Mech Monsters allowed.
We U turned, glad we were only 5 miles in, and I made a mental note that "NWR" on my map app means no travel for us.
The only way around was to use the "I", that ribbon of pavement known for it's freight haulers and those only interested in the destination . . . not the type of pavement that we really want to travel on. Something about being the the slowest rig, well caravan really, on the pavement makes you feel like you are driving backwards at 30 mph.
40 miles later . . .
On dirt again we head south. About 25 miles of dirt and we find this sweet little canyon as the sun is getting close to the horizon.
Saturday, February 05, 2011
Batts have died in my image capture device, therefore no views.
Spent all day working on getting enough fuel into our tanks. No problem finding sources, . . . it's the air powered pump . . . it eats so much air that the compressor can't keep up. I do have an air tank mounted under-body on the trailer, it's just too small. We've bought a 24 volt waste pump to replace this one and try to UP our pump rate
Sunday, February 06, 2011
The "She Beast" is acting like all her filters are clogged. She'll run great for a short bit and then start surging really bad. The surging gets worse and the RPM's keep dropping (at max surge) till she just won't run at all . . . we wait for 5,10 mins and she starts . . . and off she goes . . .
. . . then it starts over again. I've changed the primary filter twice . . . getting to be an expert at that.
If you need to know how I can give you directions step by step ;)
07-FEB-2011
Door View of the Santa Cruz
Spent last night in a Food City lot. Right now we are (I am) with our rigs on the side of the Santa Cruz river bed . . . down town Tucson. Found a lot behind some convenience store, empty and freshly graveled.
It's great how guiding one of these beasts around can change how you view things. When we pulled in the store lot, just thinking I could locate us there while Tuff went to the temporary bazaars (set up on the other side of the river) to connect with some vendors. As we pulled off to one side of the lot we see this empty, graveled, lot in front of us. Blocked off by vertical posts across the road. I go back to speak with Tuff and she says " why don't we just go in there? We can just drive over the curb". This is from someone that was riding 10" off the ground for the last few years, . . . now a 6"+ curb is just a bump.
07-FEB-2011
Guest Parking
Later in the day we roll in to Babylon's compound. I thread the "She Beast" into the back lot off the alley. The "little Draggin' " takes a stand outside the back gate.
We will probably be here for a few nights.
First thing in the morning I'll start the search for new filters.
09-FEB-2011
Tucson Covention Center
Two days later the filters are on order, and I've once again accepted the offer to help "Arkane Arts" transport one of his sculptures. This is the second time that he's had one of his works on display at the TCC during the Gem & Mineral show
09-FEB-2011
. . . and in this corner . . .
Mister Arkane Arts himself.
11-FEB-2011
Transplant
While parked at the Babylon family compound I use the time to start a turbo transplant. The turbo in the "She Beast" is known as a "whistler", which is really popular due to the sound it makes, . . . it's not as popular when you drive for hours at a time, it kind of makes one crazy!
We do have a non-whistler that I've been packing with us, and now I have some time.
15-FEB-2011
Basking
Last night we took the "She Beast" out for a little test run. I've transplanted a turbo and want to see how that takes. It was also a good time to take it over to a friend's place for dinner and a "show-off".
Leaving there late we guided her back to Spence's "Dry Dock", where the "Draggin' " had been staying since a meet with some Traffic Control Enforcers (we did get away w/ just a warning for "alley parking").
~
The next morning there was some basking and your basic slow start after a late night.
15-FEB-2011
Dry Dock
If we stay at the "Dry Dock" for more than a day we'll need to do some re-arranging of the Mechs so that I can use the trailer for fuel gathering. The "She Beast" is in the gateway.
The turbo seemed to have taken well and she no longer whines, there IS a bit of exhaust leakage around the clamp that I'll see to later.
15-FEB-2011
Pushing under the tree limbs
Moving the rigs, so that we can put the Live-In part of our caravan into the back corner of the yard, we once again appreciate the branch lifting abilities of the cab-over rack that we worked up. It has already kept limbs, at several different times, from meeting the almost 3' of box front that's above the cab.
18-FEB-2011
Tightening Up
We decided that the best option was to borrow a little "personal transport", from the Dry Dock, and run Tuff back to the Oasis. There she could do some study courses that she had been planning on, and take care of some other things. It would just be an over night there for me and then I would be running it back here.
So I needed to redeuce our encampment. First I squeezed the trailer in between the "She Beast" and the sapling (you can see it on my driver's side, about halfway back the bed).
18-FEB-2011
Close enough
I've still got loads of room!
18-FEB-2011
Courtyard
Not only does this add to the courtyard feel of the Dry Dock, it also gives us our own private courtyard behind the "She Beast".
I then take the Draggin' over to the Babylon Compound. It will stay there while we're doing this weekend run.
19-FEB-2011
Sand Storm
We start out today by heading into a line of storms between here and the Mojave. Major winds and some rain. We do pass an over-the-road tractor/trailer combo that went off the "I" into the ditch.
As we leave the wind break of a small mountain we see this sand storm ahead.
This is ag-land and that is what's known as top-soil, . . . somewhere a bit more east will get it.
20-FEB-2011
more MechDoc'ing
There is something about borrowing your buddy's transport, the same one that had his van/yard art at the Oasis for a year . . . not working, that concerns me.
We did know that it had a noisy idler pulley (we even took some spray lube with us),it had the "basic" tool kit (I didn't even look). . . which meant that we would NOT have the needed tool for whatever happened, and it was far too close to the ground for either of us to feel comfortable.
Sure enough, . . . 50 miles east of the colorado the pulley seized up. That smell of a slipping belt was added to the smell of the desert after the rain.
We stopped and checked under the hood, which was a bit of a team event. One had to grab the hood release cable with some locking jawed pliers, while the other one attempted to lift the hood . . . that had been injured in some previous incident, leaving it somewhat bent up in the middle. This also caused it to flex a lot during full running speed causing us to be concerned about whether it was going to fold back on us and smash the windshielding.
Anyway, after getting access to the drive unit it was quickly determined that 1) it was indeed the pulley, 2) the "basic" tool kit was a few sockets, a driver that fit them, and a multi-tipped screw driver, and 3) I was NOT going to make it spin for another 50 miles.
~~
That night we spent in one of the traveler's inns after getting flat-bedded into town. The next morning I'm modifying up a pulley that will work with some back spacing . . . and using borrowed tools.
21-FEB-2011
Welcome to Open Range
On the way back from the Oasis I come upon the scene of a "bad night". This one managed to take out two of the walking beef (notice that they are black, the hardest ones to see at night) . . . it did cost them a new rig, and they'll prob have to pay for the beef.
This happened either after we got flat-bedded in, or last night. It's not 50 miles behind our breakdown site.
21-FEB-2011
This is the reason that I take this route . . .
21-FEB-2011
. . . you can drive at 50 - 55mph, see great sites (of all kinds), and relax.
Not "space out", just taking it all in. Being hyper-aware of where you are, and not "trying" to be at your destination.
That scene back there, that rarely happens at 55mph, and I would guess almost never at 35. Some roads are just not suited for 75.
27-FEB-2011
Snow
Not only did I wake to some snow in the mountains, but later in the day it dropped flakes around on the things I left out.
The last week has seen little progress. There were those couple of days, of just getting myself sorted out (now that I was alone I had to start thinking about things like . . . maybe I should eat at least once today). Hell, I had to go through all our food stock just to find out what was here. It's not like Tuff didn't go through a detailed verbal list of what she was leaving . . . it's just that was, at least, two realities ago.
There was that one where we were driving that "too close to the ground" little personal transport . . . and waiting on the side of the road for the flat-bed . . . the motel on the colorado . . . the fixing it . . . ,
and then there was the "this is a second chance to get anything that I forgot when we left" day back at the Oasis.
There was another day in the little thing running back to Tucs, and after all that I'm suppose to remember what food is in the "She Beast" . . . not likely. I'm someone that needs to re-evaluate my surroundings constantly . . . so I went though the whole food stock.
~~
Once I was sure that there was enough tea and chips, I took off to retrieve the "Draggin' " from the Babylon compound. It had all my tools in it.
Getting both of these Mech Monsters comfortable in the Dry Dock took a bit of time as well.
Now that I was ready to start on some "exploratory surgery", and find out what was ailing the "`Beast", some winter storms move in.
~~
I'm now watching a few flakes that settled on the cab-over rack and wondering what things I've left out that shouldn't be snowed on.
05-MAR-2011
Office Art
This last week has been mostly about getting some tanks filled w/ fuel.
It's not like being able to run down to the nearest fuel station and fill up. I need to find some place that stores mech fluids, make sure that it's NOT just a mud mix of anything that they need to get rid of (which means I spend some time "socializing" to feel out the situation and see if I trust the person). I then have to get the `sketer to the tank. Sometimes (often) that means backing into the back lot of some mech-yard that's loaded up w/ customers transports waiting for repairs . . . long wheel base truck, short wheelbase trailer . . . want to try it?
So far no damage to anything :)
~~
I need to do this so that I can can have full tanks on both the rigs. Tuff's, so that I can troubleshoot the fuel issues which require driving it around waiting for it to start acting up . . . while hoping that it doesn't . . . knowing that it could in another mile, . . . or 5, . . . or 20, . . .
Mine, so that I can keep scavenging fuel and filling her tank from all that troubleshooting 8-|
09-MAR-2011
Think she's starting to like him
After hours of scavenging fuel the "She Beast" gets her fill. This will let me see if the latest fuel system tweaking has solved her issues.
The plus is that I meet some "Hot Rod" guys that were embarrassed for me about my transfer pump, they didn't think that it should take hours to pump a 55gal drum.
I may get some help with creating a new, and improved, transfer pump (can it really be both?).
11-MAR-2011
Looking down on the city
I ran the city streets for some time and then headed up the pass. I had no problems till the trip back down.
The trip back to the Dry Dock was a bit unpleasant with no power, and thinking that she might demand some rest time at any moment keep me on edge.
I did get her back and tomorrow will go the next step in fuel system troubleshooting.
12-MAR-2011
50 gal tank
Today I disconnect and pull the tank out. I then pull the in-tank pump to check that.
After finding a hose that was "not really" tight, I replace the factory clamp with one that I can adjust and tighten it to what feels like tight enough.
I also move the height of the pump in the tank to keep it a couple inches off the bottom (something that I later learned is just going to run me out of fuel sooner. I originally was thinking that it would keep it out of any bad stuff in the fuel)
22-MAR-2011
A couple weeks ago this man, hiding in the shadows of his laths and drill presses, and his band of mis-fits, figured they could hammer me together some kind of transfer pump that would put my latest purchase to shame.
With information from pioneers in the field, a small block chevy oil pump, and some basic mech tools, . . . a few false starts, and they were on it.
22-MAR-2011
Not too bad for some guys in a dark, back alley, garage.
And it does put the last pump to shame.
Now if I can just get some hose strong enough to NOT collapse under the suction of pumping.
22-MAR-2011
Turn the lights on in that little "Back Alley" shop and your eyes are filled with the works of art that these guys make in their "spare" time.
22-MAR-2011
Pure "Eye Candy" they are.
It will be nice to see how this one progresses.
Seeing all those did make me think I should at least take a hose to the little Draggin'.
23-MAR-2011
Climbing the Pass
Six weeks after arriving in the city we are again on dirt.
This side of the pass switchback's up a couple thousand feet before topping out. We're definitely getting loads of practice doing hairpin turns.
23-MAR-2011
A Dirt Highway
This wasn't our usual style of Dirt Track, but it was nice to move alone at more than our "usual" speed of 10 - 15 mph. Thoe not all of this dirt road was this nice, or wide. A few miles up from here we pass the grader crew.
23-MAR-2011
Into the next valley
Once we wind far enough through the mountains to be able to see into the distance, this view of our road heading into the next valley shows itself.
23-MAR-2011
River camp
Tonight we camp in the mesquite above the rivers flood plane. We'd been following the river south after reaching the valley, and looking for a good spot to park-up for the night. This track leading into an abandoned homestead was just what we we're looking for.
We do hike the cattle trails under the newly leaved cottonwoods and down to the river bed. It's dry this time of year, in this place. That's what rivers in the `Zona are like. Sometimes they have no water, sometimes too much (for a day or two), sometimes the water's above ground, and sometimes it's under the sand of the bed.
Seeing a river full past the banks . . . shaking the bridge that it flows under . . . that's something that you can't put on your calendar, a planned vacation like the turning of the leaves in the NE. It's all about being around here long enough (sometimes years) and having several storms follow each other though in close procession . . . then the rivers race!
24-MAR-2011
Cottonwoods
Our view, from camp, down on the riverbed.
27-MAR-2011
Mining Town
After a short stay with a friend out in the valley, we guide the mechs into the mountains and stop at this old mining town.
We'll stay here for a few days while we visit with friends.
29-MAR-2011
Departure time
Today we leave here, headed to a pass on the other side of the valley. This is the point where we start moving back in a westward direction. Our plan for the day is to cross the valley, climb to almost 7,000', start down the other side of the pass and find some place to park-up for the night.
The "She Beast" has been running great after the attentions that I gave it a couple weeks back . . . the "little Draggin' ", not as well.
He's just a bit weak on grades and starts hard. So I decided to start turning up the fuel to see if it helps.
I'm going to start with small amounts just to see if there's any difference, and to keep it from heating up to much and melting down my turbo. I don't yet have a gauge to monitor that.
29-MAR-2011
Lovely Ladies
Some of the local art. These pieces were done by a friend of mine, the town black smith.
Not a good photo, sun was in the wrong place . . . but we were leaving. I know! . . . should have taken photos on other days, when the sun was in the right place, instead of hangin' with friends . . . oh well, not this time.
29-MAR-2011
Mexico
As we head west we are running parallel to the border. Mex starts just about where the land changes from dark to light.
We'll be even closer when we start climbing the pass.
29-MAR-2011
After a turn so tight that we had to backup and make it a three-point turn (try that with a trailer), we were gifted with this view.
We started on the other side of that valley, not the mountains you see they're in Mex, but a bit more to the left.
There were signs down below saying the road was not suited for rigs and trailers over 24', glad we're just under that. ;)
29-MAR-2011
Views
I'm going to be quiet for a bit and let you enjoy the view.
29-MAR-2011
West Slope
This is our first view down the other side.
29-MAR-2011
The road down this side seems like it will easy, . . . that is until we get some distance on it. Being that we are on the Mex border, and cross traffic is heavy, the Patrol Agents are thick like flies. They run this road, less steep and lacking the switchbacks, at speeds that are a "bit" high. That is what turns dirt roads into washboards.
We are rolling slower here than we were climbing the other side.
30-MAR-2011
Roadside Camp
Last night we spent about a mile up a side track.
Found a place that would let me back the trailer into the space that the "She Beast" was in, after she pulled out . . . I was pretty sure that I could make the turn from there back across the cattle guard.
It was a nice place to spend the morning.
30-MAR-2011
Bad Water Creek
Not far from where we camped was this little water way. The down side was that it was in open range. Most things that were worth eating had been, and the rest was just trampled.
30-MAR-2011
Their Elders
Once out of the mountains, we come upon some "Road Crew" mechs.
These two are the Elders of our rigs, especially the one on the right. It's a `58 with a gas engine.
The other is a `63 5 ton dump truck that came with the winch installed. Still working they are.
30-MAR-2011
Our last mountain pass
After a quick run up the valley northward, with a mid-day stop to add some fuel to the tanks (ours', and the mechs) and a quick connect on the wireless, we find the the dirt road headed into the next range that we're planning to cross.
It wasn't the first road that we took, but it didn't take me long to decide that that one did not seem right. Some more map & satellite checking got us back on track.
Finding the road we were after, we wound our way past some farms and then into the mountains.
The road worked it's way into a canyon and then clung to the side of the slope above the dry river bed.
30-MAR-2011
Dry Waterfall
Coming upon this wet weather waterfall definitely makes us want to wander back through here during the monsoon.
30-MAR-2011
Powerline Road
Coming out of the canyon we hit pavement. Thinking that we had just rolled over our last bit of dirt track, we headed down hill. We were now going to jump on the "I" for the next 20 miles. The Gathering that we were moving towards was off the "I" south of us, we were pretty sure that there wasn't any back track in.
At full pavement cruising speed I caught a glimpse of a cattleguard and a dirt track as we passed . . . HA!
Took another couple miles before we could find somewhere to turn the Mechs around.
As we approached, this time much slower, it seems I was right . . . a powerline road! About 30 miles from the gathering site and we were about to jump on a service road, that in the rankings of service roads, rated as about as extreme as it gets . . . we might not get there today.
30-MAR-2011
The track quickly turned into climbs into and out of narrow wash valleys.
30-MAR-2011
Out There . . .
Somewhere between us and the distant mountains was our goal.
30-MAR-2011
A pause
Topping this ridge we see dwellings for the first time since we started this track . . . it might just be time to stop for the night.
30-MAR-2011
Ridgetop view
The mountains to the east of us start their "color changing" as the sun lowers in the sky.
30-MAR-2011
Tomorrow the mass of population
31-MAR-2011
Rail line
This morning we finished out the powerline road, it ended at a open gate that read "Private Property". There were no other offshoots and we weren't going all the way back to where we started. So . . . we squeezed through the 8 1/2' gate (we're 8' wide) pushing branches out of the way, crawled through the little dry wash on the other side, dodged a junk car, and popped out in someones back yard.
We slowly made our way (without crushing anything) through the backyard, along the side of the property and out the front gate.
Not a soul showed. Guess when a couple Mech Monsters appear in your yard first thing in the morning it's best just to stay inside.
Outside the front gate we found pavement not far off. A few miles on that got us to our next bit of dirt, a rail line service road.
Rail line roads are usually pretty good, sometimes the washes are a challenge but the rest is often better than what you can find on a dirt road shared with personal transports. They can washboard a good road in no time. Seems that people think if you go faster on washboard it's better. Better for what? Your rig? No! The road? No! Faster you go the more it washboards . . . the more it washboards the faster people go, . . . repeat.
02-APR-2011
Overland Expo
Rolled into the Expo and found a place to make our camp.
These photos were taken right before breaking camp and moving out. Didn't really take any while it was going on (kind of a bad habit)
02-APR-2011
Some of our neighbors' rigs
03-APR-2011
It's little!
Before leaving the Expo Ara, from "http://theoasisofmysoul.com/", came over to check out or rigs. Someday we are hoping to share a camp site and some stories.
03-APR-2011
That night we watched the shadows crawl up to the peaks. We stayed on the west slope for one more night. Tomorrow would be the run back up to Tucson.
04-APR-2011
Crossing back though the Canyon
Today we cross back through the mountains before heading north to the city on back roads. Anything to stay off the "I".
04-APR-2011
As we roll up to the "Dry Dock" I jump out of the " . . . Draggin' " to be "eyes" for backing in. Right off I see that Tuff has a very soft tire on the rear axle.
After getting them parked we find that she's packing a nail. She does the swap w/ her spare, I make jokes and take photos (I'm sure she would do the same for me ;)
05-APR-2011
Fuel Pumps!
We decide to stay another day while I pull my fuel pump. Just wanted to see if mine had the same issue that had caused the "She Beast" so much problems on the way here, . . . sure enough! Mine also had a loose hose, not so bad that it was sucking air yet . . . but it would have at some point.
06-APR-2011
We end up spending two days here.
The Beasties are ready and waiting to roll.
06-APR-2011
What a pair.
They do kind of make the house look small.
07-APR-2011
Rolling again we aim for a narrow bit of land that's between the rez and the Mil base. It's the last deceit place to park up. After this we will be doing a straight run (trying to stay off the "I") till we get to that corner between the `Zona, Cali, and Mex, cutting south of the mountains. There a hard right will point us in the direction of Base Camp.
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.
09-APR-2011
A nice sized Ironwood tree
09-APR-2011
Racing trains
Later in the day we were again running along the rail-lines. At one point I noticed in my rear-view that a train was trying to sneak up on the She Beast ;)
09-APR-2011
Sand dunes taking back the road
Not the sort of thing that most would expect a hundred miles from the ocean.
10-APR-2011
As the day progressed we made our way north to, and through, the Slabs, . . . found a place to harvest some fuel, got pulled by the Border Patrol at their check point, and finely made it to the canyon that directed us to the southern side of J-Tree's park.
Getting pulled at the check point was interesting. an officer headed toward my rig telling me that I needed to "shut it down". I replied that I could not, it has an oil cooled turbo and shutting it down without letting it idle for 4, or 5 mins can cause damage. He then decided that I needed to exit the rig.
His partner, a shepherd, was expecting to be able to sniff about in the cab but was not happy with it still running (loudly). There was also the issue of how to get him up there. The little Draggin' has no step to access the cab (it was damaged when someone ran it over something that was too high and I've been using a support bracket as a step)and I could see the officer contemplating wrestling his buddy up and into the cab like an over-sized sack of potatoes, I too was having those visions (and trying not to laugh). He decided that it was not what he wanted to do today and instead just walked him around the outside a bit.
After talking with us for a while, mostly about the mechs, and a quick glance inside the back of the She Beast, we were on our way.
10-APR-2011
Last nights park-up was on the edge of a canyon that wound through the mud hills, left-overs from the days when this was the bottom of the ocean. It was the last night outside of Base Camp, so we spent the morning exploring some of the little slot canyons.
10-APR-2011
The whole place is crevice upon crevice of eroded hard clay mud.
10-APR-2011
Back onto pavement for the last section through the park and into J-Tree.