X2! And I see an EB joined you guys so I guess I could tag along sometime too and not get left behind.yikes wrote:Awesome pictures Tom. What a beautiful area this is. Has a Baja feel to it.
Todd Z.
2013 BajaHID Excursion Post Trip Report
Re: 2013 BajaHID Excursion Post Trip Report
Todd Z.
-
yikes
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Re: 2013 BajaHID Excursion Post Trip Report
You would be more than welcome Todd.. Dale drove the piss out of that EB.
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BajaF250
- Posts: 2430
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Re: 2013 BajaHID Excursion Post Trip Report
Ok, my recollections of a trip past and in the history books... what a fantastic time!
The trip started off at our designed rally point at Afton Canyon Campground. There was much concern in the air with great uncertainty due to the government shutdown and closure of our National Parks across America, which covers the Mojave National Preserve. Afton Canyon Campground is situated on BLM land and was not subject to closure, thus a good meeting point. Further down the road the transition from BLM managed land to the National Park is a fence and gate… we were unsure whether this gate would be barricaded or closed in some manner. The decision was made to continue down the road and see what we would see. (As a spoiler, it turned out GREAT!)
We started off traversing through the Afton Canyon along with the railroad routing, crossing under the rail trestles many times. The canyons were spectacular, and of course, I failed to get any pics… but hey, we were driving in the most scenic dry wash the some good fast sandy/rocky sections… too much fun! The canyons opened up into the Rasor OHV area which consisted of a very wide dry river bed with a multitude of lines. This made for some questionable routing and as we separated and lost sight of each other, there were some frantic radio calls to get back together. So, we slowed a little and threw in some stop time to allow everyone to gather so we would lose no one on the trail.
At one such stop, out fearless SilverBullet came tearing up on the group with some almighty approach, spewing sand high into the air, carving tremendous channels in the sand wash as he tore around the waiting group… made for a outstanding view, right up to his grand stop… where he proceeded to bury the mighty SilverBullet right down to the framerails… I swear it must have taken 45-minutes to dig and snatch him out of the vast cavernous culvert he dug for himself!
Once freed from the massive sandy grasp, the group headed up the washed, past Rasor Rd, the Granites, through the WIDE OPEN National Park gates (Wahoo! Our worries were unfounded! And there was much rejoicing) to Traveler’s Monument… a huge pile of stones. The traveler's Monument is a fun part of the journey on the Mojave Road because not only do you get to relieve yourself of the rock you've been carrying with you to add to the monument but you get to read the plaque and finally discover the secret message that only travelers of the Mojave Road know.
The next big obstacle was Soda Lake. The crossing was particularly ominous due to the heavy rains a few days earlier in the week. There still remained quite a bit of standing water in large puddles along the routing. The Trail book specifically warns against crossing Soda Lake as the mud is exceptionally slick and will pull a truck under quite easily with extraction a major task. The decision was made to give it a try and we sent a Guinea Pig ahead to test the track. BajaBuck was the lead with Yikes in close trail… and then the rest of the group quickly followed in succession… with mud flying everywhere, all 17 trucks made it across the lakebed with no problems other than more than a few out of shape experiences, but no major stucks.
Then it was up past the Cowhole Mountains, across Jackass Canyon Road and up to 17-mile point with some absolutely spectacular views. Seventeen-mile point is particularly scenic as you can see westward all the way back across Soda Lake to Zzyzx road and then eastward into the massive lava flow beds and cinder mines.
Once around Seventeen-mile point, we descended down into willow wash which greeted us with some very soft sandy runs. Lots of nice high speed runs as we traversed south of the lava flow and cinder mines. Our plan for the day was to take a quick detour up Aiken mine road and hike up into the lava tubes for a little side trip… But, we were running late in the schedule and our scouting group had a very difficult time finding the trailhead for the lava tubes. So, we decided to abandon the attempt due to time constraints with the intent to get to our camp spot with enough daylight to properly and comfortably set up camp. So, the group trekked on up the trail.
We made our way up the gentle ascension as we entered the huge Joshua tree forest and then on to the “mailbox.” We stopped at the mailbox and regrouped and were everyone signed the book for history and posterity! Once we all signed we saddled up and headed down the hill to Marle Springs and then onto our camp spot.
Since Saturday morning was the first day of deer season, we expected to have to compete for camping space, but much to our delight, our selected camp spot at the base of the Beale Mountains was completely untenanted, although we did have a small group join us later in the evening.
Our group consists of experienced campers and camp was erected in a flash and many activities broke out simultaneously! The camp essentially broke up into three smaller groups, south, mid and north. This was due to the limited fire ring access, we could only use the existing fire rings and erect no more. Thus the smaller groups each had their own sub-camps. Each camp set up cooking duties and the cooks quickly got the fires burning and chow on the grill and in the center ring… a spirited round of RC action broke out… with Tony’s Exo losing the front end quickly… a devastating blow!
One thing I’ve gotta say; we ate so well the entire trip… Buck brought some of his famous spaghetti, Jill delighted us with a huge lasagna and Carmen regaled us with her celebrated and renowned homemade tamales. So much for the diet! There were steaks on the grill, carne asada, tacos, and so many other delights! Buck broke out his Dutch oven and cooked up a peach cobbler for desert that was absolutely heavenly! As the sun set, the noises and the smells from camp brought the coyotes howls around us. The sun made for a remarkable visual image of soft hues and long shadows with the background singing of our canine friends. Our camp spot was perfect and the camaraderie none better.
Morning brought another round of culinary delights… Guard cooked up the most outstanding batch of hash and fresh eggs, steaming hot off the griddle. As each plate was served, many sought second helpings… Then to cap it all off, a heavenly coffee cake, hand made by Guard was served around… I’d dare say, there were no morsels left by the end of breakfast as it was scarfed up in quick succession by hungry campers before a long day of trekking.
Packing was quick and we hit the trail for yet another day of making dust and fantastic sights. We made quick 6-miles to the Kelso-Cima road. Another opportunity for the Park Service to close the road, but alas, we were greeted with no barricades or barriers. We crossed with no hesitation and then on to climb into the New York mountains up through Cedar Canyon. The road starts as a long climbing, wide nicely graded road, much different than the roads of the previous day. A few miles up we started to see quite a bit of activity, we started to run across quite a few trucks as the deer hunting season kicked off. Very quickly, we came upon a National Park Service Police stop; he had blocked the road and stopped all vehicles as they made the way along the Mojave Road. He was exceptionally professional and very pleasant. He asked about our group, what our intent was, where we were going and then let us know the park was closed, but the road remained open (hence no road barricades). When he learned that there were 17 trucks in our group, he asked for our permit, which I produced for him. He quickly looked at it and verified the contents… he very pleasantly wished us a great day and allowed us passage.
As we made way up towards Curruthers Canyon, we came upon quite a few trekking Jeep 4x4 groups (and one Land Rover group) out for a days’ run along the Mojave Road… all traveling opposite direction to us. The run up to Curruthers Canyon gets quite narrow and had very difficult passing lanes (and I use that term loosely)! Many of the trucks are now sporting some very generous “Mojave” pinstripes...
After passing the Mojave Desert Outpost, the terrain opened up a bit and we had some nice high speed spurts and then again, the scrub narrowed down and pinched into the trail. We broke out just to the west of Piute Gorge which was a PERFECT spot for a lunch break. We gathered and broke the coolers and grills out… again, quite the feast arose… Carne asada, shrimp, tortillas, sandwiches… and oh, so much more! We had the most astonishing views all around. We set up lunch on the Piute Gorge western precipice with a clear view through canyon to the eastern side following the Mojave Road as it snakes its way all the way to the eastern horizon. A photo just does it no justice!
After lunch and back on the road, we passed Piute Corral, down a steep rocky descent and hooked south, east and then north skirting the southern and eastern side of the Piute Range, passed Ft Piute and the directly east towards the Nevada State line. We had a straight fast run all the way to highway 95 where we stopped again, to gather up after some separation. A few took the opportunity to run up to Palm Gardens a couple of miles to refuel and top off as the group gathered up. We also took this opportunity to form up for a group picture. Getting all 17 vehicles always takes a little time and organization along with the keen and artistic eye of the photographer to coordinate the background, truck configuration along with lighting and shadows. We took photos with just the trucks and then the “real” photos, with the entire group. We surely wanted to record, for generations to come, the infamous trip across the Mojave Road (like we were the very first!
).
From there, the remaining few miles to the Needles highway went quick and the gentle sloping down-run along the back side of the mountains to the river was fast and fun. The roads were graded and very fast with exceptional thrills along the way. We all hit the highway into town where some headed directly to the hotel for check-in and a much needed shower and others vectored across the river to fill up on cheap gas… for most Californians, the gas is cheaper than most have seen for many, many years!
After a much needed shower and cleanup, we all met at the Santa Fe room at the Tropicana Buffet for our group dinner. Chris coordinated the exclusive room use for us which turned out really well. We had the room where we could socialize and share our evening meal without the interruption of the “common folk” out on the gambling floor. We had such a great time regaling experiences and stories of the past few days and recreating the day’s events. Since the dinner venue was a buffet, we all consumed massive amounts of great nourishment and soon our bellies were replete beyond comfort. This is the point where most retired to the Grand Junction Lounge and proceeded to put a massive hurt on the house supply of Tequila and Margarita mix… and of course, the stories grew grander and more magnificent at each Margarita’s passing. Funny how that works!
The weekends trekking finally consumed most and each found their way back to their accommodations not ready for the weekend to end. We parted basking in the glory of sharing a magnificent time with friends and splendid scenery along with the excitement and delight of putting their own steeds to task along the Mojave Road. A tremendous adventure in such a short time.
The carnage of the weekend as best recollected;
• Quailhunter lost the tranny in his tow rig and never made it up to the start
• Donnddrc lost his transmission very early on
• Yikes lost his antenna (under the parking structure at the hotel! Doh!!!)
• BajaBronco13 lost his muffler and a radiator hose split
• Crisis88 lost a hood hinge
• Dale lost a fuel pump and mirror
• Dicker1 lost a mirror
• Hotrod82 lost his A/C and mirror
• Autofab lost his alternator
• Aaron lost his trackbar upper mount/pivot bolt and a mirror
• Bodypanel got a flat
• BajaF250 bulged a tire
• 323bronco had a battery and tray get loose and took out his A/C, lost his stereo power amp
• Philo lost the windshield in the mighty Exploder and he melted a headlight bulb
• Guard lost a shock (broke the shaft)
• Tcm glx lost most of the Teflon
• Aqui lost the viewfinder in his backup camera!
All-in-all, an absolutely phenomenal weekend! What a terrific time. I wonder if we’ll do one next year?
The trip started off at our designed rally point at Afton Canyon Campground. There was much concern in the air with great uncertainty due to the government shutdown and closure of our National Parks across America, which covers the Mojave National Preserve. Afton Canyon Campground is situated on BLM land and was not subject to closure, thus a good meeting point. Further down the road the transition from BLM managed land to the National Park is a fence and gate… we were unsure whether this gate would be barricaded or closed in some manner. The decision was made to continue down the road and see what we would see. (As a spoiler, it turned out GREAT!)
We started off traversing through the Afton Canyon along with the railroad routing, crossing under the rail trestles many times. The canyons were spectacular, and of course, I failed to get any pics… but hey, we were driving in the most scenic dry wash the some good fast sandy/rocky sections… too much fun! The canyons opened up into the Rasor OHV area which consisted of a very wide dry river bed with a multitude of lines. This made for some questionable routing and as we separated and lost sight of each other, there were some frantic radio calls to get back together. So, we slowed a little and threw in some stop time to allow everyone to gather so we would lose no one on the trail.
At one such stop, out fearless SilverBullet came tearing up on the group with some almighty approach, spewing sand high into the air, carving tremendous channels in the sand wash as he tore around the waiting group… made for a outstanding view, right up to his grand stop… where he proceeded to bury the mighty SilverBullet right down to the framerails… I swear it must have taken 45-minutes to dig and snatch him out of the vast cavernous culvert he dug for himself!
Once freed from the massive sandy grasp, the group headed up the washed, past Rasor Rd, the Granites, through the WIDE OPEN National Park gates (Wahoo! Our worries were unfounded! And there was much rejoicing) to Traveler’s Monument… a huge pile of stones. The traveler's Monument is a fun part of the journey on the Mojave Road because not only do you get to relieve yourself of the rock you've been carrying with you to add to the monument but you get to read the plaque and finally discover the secret message that only travelers of the Mojave Road know.
The next big obstacle was Soda Lake. The crossing was particularly ominous due to the heavy rains a few days earlier in the week. There still remained quite a bit of standing water in large puddles along the routing. The Trail book specifically warns against crossing Soda Lake as the mud is exceptionally slick and will pull a truck under quite easily with extraction a major task. The decision was made to give it a try and we sent a Guinea Pig ahead to test the track. BajaBuck was the lead with Yikes in close trail… and then the rest of the group quickly followed in succession… with mud flying everywhere, all 17 trucks made it across the lakebed with no problems other than more than a few out of shape experiences, but no major stucks.
Then it was up past the Cowhole Mountains, across Jackass Canyon Road and up to 17-mile point with some absolutely spectacular views. Seventeen-mile point is particularly scenic as you can see westward all the way back across Soda Lake to Zzyzx road and then eastward into the massive lava flow beds and cinder mines.
Once around Seventeen-mile point, we descended down into willow wash which greeted us with some very soft sandy runs. Lots of nice high speed runs as we traversed south of the lava flow and cinder mines. Our plan for the day was to take a quick detour up Aiken mine road and hike up into the lava tubes for a little side trip… But, we were running late in the schedule and our scouting group had a very difficult time finding the trailhead for the lava tubes. So, we decided to abandon the attempt due to time constraints with the intent to get to our camp spot with enough daylight to properly and comfortably set up camp. So, the group trekked on up the trail.
We made our way up the gentle ascension as we entered the huge Joshua tree forest and then on to the “mailbox.” We stopped at the mailbox and regrouped and were everyone signed the book for history and posterity! Once we all signed we saddled up and headed down the hill to Marle Springs and then onto our camp spot.
Since Saturday morning was the first day of deer season, we expected to have to compete for camping space, but much to our delight, our selected camp spot at the base of the Beale Mountains was completely untenanted, although we did have a small group join us later in the evening.
Our group consists of experienced campers and camp was erected in a flash and many activities broke out simultaneously! The camp essentially broke up into three smaller groups, south, mid and north. This was due to the limited fire ring access, we could only use the existing fire rings and erect no more. Thus the smaller groups each had their own sub-camps. Each camp set up cooking duties and the cooks quickly got the fires burning and chow on the grill and in the center ring… a spirited round of RC action broke out… with Tony’s Exo losing the front end quickly… a devastating blow!
One thing I’ve gotta say; we ate so well the entire trip… Buck brought some of his famous spaghetti, Jill delighted us with a huge lasagna and Carmen regaled us with her celebrated and renowned homemade tamales. So much for the diet! There were steaks on the grill, carne asada, tacos, and so many other delights! Buck broke out his Dutch oven and cooked up a peach cobbler for desert that was absolutely heavenly! As the sun set, the noises and the smells from camp brought the coyotes howls around us. The sun made for a remarkable visual image of soft hues and long shadows with the background singing of our canine friends. Our camp spot was perfect and the camaraderie none better.
Morning brought another round of culinary delights… Guard cooked up the most outstanding batch of hash and fresh eggs, steaming hot off the griddle. As each plate was served, many sought second helpings… Then to cap it all off, a heavenly coffee cake, hand made by Guard was served around… I’d dare say, there were no morsels left by the end of breakfast as it was scarfed up in quick succession by hungry campers before a long day of trekking.
Packing was quick and we hit the trail for yet another day of making dust and fantastic sights. We made quick 6-miles to the Kelso-Cima road. Another opportunity for the Park Service to close the road, but alas, we were greeted with no barricades or barriers. We crossed with no hesitation and then on to climb into the New York mountains up through Cedar Canyon. The road starts as a long climbing, wide nicely graded road, much different than the roads of the previous day. A few miles up we started to see quite a bit of activity, we started to run across quite a few trucks as the deer hunting season kicked off. Very quickly, we came upon a National Park Service Police stop; he had blocked the road and stopped all vehicles as they made the way along the Mojave Road. He was exceptionally professional and very pleasant. He asked about our group, what our intent was, where we were going and then let us know the park was closed, but the road remained open (hence no road barricades). When he learned that there were 17 trucks in our group, he asked for our permit, which I produced for him. He quickly looked at it and verified the contents… he very pleasantly wished us a great day and allowed us passage.
As we made way up towards Curruthers Canyon, we came upon quite a few trekking Jeep 4x4 groups (and one Land Rover group) out for a days’ run along the Mojave Road… all traveling opposite direction to us. The run up to Curruthers Canyon gets quite narrow and had very difficult passing lanes (and I use that term loosely)! Many of the trucks are now sporting some very generous “Mojave” pinstripes...
After passing the Mojave Desert Outpost, the terrain opened up a bit and we had some nice high speed spurts and then again, the scrub narrowed down and pinched into the trail. We broke out just to the west of Piute Gorge which was a PERFECT spot for a lunch break. We gathered and broke the coolers and grills out… again, quite the feast arose… Carne asada, shrimp, tortillas, sandwiches… and oh, so much more! We had the most astonishing views all around. We set up lunch on the Piute Gorge western precipice with a clear view through canyon to the eastern side following the Mojave Road as it snakes its way all the way to the eastern horizon. A photo just does it no justice!
After lunch and back on the road, we passed Piute Corral, down a steep rocky descent and hooked south, east and then north skirting the southern and eastern side of the Piute Range, passed Ft Piute and the directly east towards the Nevada State line. We had a straight fast run all the way to highway 95 where we stopped again, to gather up after some separation. A few took the opportunity to run up to Palm Gardens a couple of miles to refuel and top off as the group gathered up. We also took this opportunity to form up for a group picture. Getting all 17 vehicles always takes a little time and organization along with the keen and artistic eye of the photographer to coordinate the background, truck configuration along with lighting and shadows. We took photos with just the trucks and then the “real” photos, with the entire group. We surely wanted to record, for generations to come, the infamous trip across the Mojave Road (like we were the very first!
). From there, the remaining few miles to the Needles highway went quick and the gentle sloping down-run along the back side of the mountains to the river was fast and fun. The roads were graded and very fast with exceptional thrills along the way. We all hit the highway into town where some headed directly to the hotel for check-in and a much needed shower and others vectored across the river to fill up on cheap gas… for most Californians, the gas is cheaper than most have seen for many, many years!
After a much needed shower and cleanup, we all met at the Santa Fe room at the Tropicana Buffet for our group dinner. Chris coordinated the exclusive room use for us which turned out really well. We had the room where we could socialize and share our evening meal without the interruption of the “common folk” out on the gambling floor. We had such a great time regaling experiences and stories of the past few days and recreating the day’s events. Since the dinner venue was a buffet, we all consumed massive amounts of great nourishment and soon our bellies were replete beyond comfort. This is the point where most retired to the Grand Junction Lounge and proceeded to put a massive hurt on the house supply of Tequila and Margarita mix… and of course, the stories grew grander and more magnificent at each Margarita’s passing. Funny how that works!
The weekends trekking finally consumed most and each found their way back to their accommodations not ready for the weekend to end. We parted basking in the glory of sharing a magnificent time with friends and splendid scenery along with the excitement and delight of putting their own steeds to task along the Mojave Road. A tremendous adventure in such a short time.
The carnage of the weekend as best recollected;
• Quailhunter lost the tranny in his tow rig and never made it up to the start
• Donnddrc lost his transmission very early on
• Yikes lost his antenna (under the parking structure at the hotel! Doh!!!)
• BajaBronco13 lost his muffler and a radiator hose split
• Crisis88 lost a hood hinge
• Dale lost a fuel pump and mirror
• Dicker1 lost a mirror
• Hotrod82 lost his A/C and mirror
• Autofab lost his alternator
• Aaron lost his trackbar upper mount/pivot bolt and a mirror
• Bodypanel got a flat
• BajaF250 bulged a tire
• 323bronco had a battery and tray get loose and took out his A/C, lost his stereo power amp
• Philo lost the windshield in the mighty Exploder and he melted a headlight bulb
• Guard lost a shock (broke the shaft)
• Tcm glx lost most of the Teflon
• Aqui lost the viewfinder in his backup camera!
All-in-all, an absolutely phenomenal weekend! What a terrific time. I wonder if we’ll do one next year?
-
BajaF250
- Posts: 2430
- Joined: Fri Jun 18, 2010 7:47 pm
- Bronco Info: 1982 Ford F250
- Location: San Diego, CA
- Contact:
Re: 2013 BajaHID Excursion Post Trip Report
No kidding, a well built truck with a skilled driver... well doneyikes wrote:You would be more than welcome Todd.. Dale drove the piss out of that EB.
Todd, no one gets left behind!
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RyanDS650X
- Posts: 1867
- Joined: Sun Dec 13, 2009 11:13 am
- Bronco Info: Autofab '96 XLT 5.8
- Location: Mesa, AZ
- Contact:
Re: 2013 BajaHID Excursion Post Trip Report
Excelent write up and pics ,Tom. Looks like a great run, i have to do it at some point! How did Michael break a shock shaft?!
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tcm glx
- Peanut Butter
- Posts: 7303
- Joined: Tue Dec 08, 2009 11:19 am
- Bronco Info: 93 Ford Bronco 5.8
- Location: Riverside Ca
- Contact:
Re: 2013 BajaHID Excursion Post Trip Report
RyanDS650X wrote:Excelent write up and pics ,Tom. Looks like a great run, i have to do it at some point! How did Michael break a shock shaft?!
Having a damn good time, yelling WHEEEEEE!!!
All kidding aside Ryan, we ran through a ton of rocks, whoops, jumps etc... could have taken a rock hit and gone bad from there.
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Bondobob
- Posts: 499
- Joined: Mon Apr 12, 2010 10:41 am
- Bronco Info: 1987 XLT 5.0 in the family since new in May of 1987
- Location: Bakersfield CA
Re: 2013 BajaHID Excursion Post Trip Report
Looks like it was a blast, I thought about it all weekend while at work...Great coverage!
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HotRod82
- Posts: 119
- Joined: Tue Jun 05, 2012 7:27 pm
- Bronco Info: 99 Explorer -Dixon Front, Giant 64 rear.
Re: 2013 BajaHID Excursion Post Trip Report
What a great trip! Our journey began several weeks ago when I committed to this trip while my Bronco was still in about 1000 pieces scattered about my shop. As most of you can relate, many late night wrenching sessions were involved getting the beast back together in time with a substantial amount of cursing involved. In typical down to the wire fashion, I replaced a broken front hub thursday before we left. Due to the VERY limited number of miles I had on the Bronco I decided to trailer it to Barstow. With new springs on all 4 corners, the Bronco rode like a buckboard for the first part of the trip and I was met with more than one disapproving glare from my wife who was co-dawging. Once we reached the lakebed, the shocks warmed up and the springs settled in a bit so we could start enjoying the ride. I must say watching the girls fishtail across the lakebed in the ranger was awesome! We then took a little side journey helping Don get his wounded Bronco up to Baker, everyone probably thought I was being generous helping out but in fact I just wanted some onion rings and a shake from Jack-in-the-box. So we headed back south to the trail and had some fun getting on the throttle catching up to the group. I particularly enjoyed the campsite, tons of great food, great people, and my Vodka bottle didn't break on the way there so life was indeed good. The next morning we struck out a few minutes ahead of the group to check out the farmhouse (and the RR) when we ran into the friendliest and most helpful NPS ranger. After explaining the park was closed, he told us the road itself was open so off we went. The lunch stop was pretty amazing, let alone another full blown meal with carne asada and grilled shrimp. The rest of the trip went by waaay to fast, I was sad to see the Needles Hwy in front of us. I must admit I was completely stoked my Bronco didn't skip a beat after all the work that had been done and this being it's first real test. Although I did lose an AC line, but I can live with that. A BIG THANK YOU to all those involved in planning this trip and it was great to finally meet some of you in person. cheers! A few random shots....
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Broncodawg
- Posts: 711
- Joined: Fri Dec 11, 2009 10:14 pm
- Bronco Info: Ole Yeller- 89 Bronco prerunner, 77 Bronco rock rig, 79 F100 prerunner barn find
- Location: Bishop, CA
Re: 2013 BajaHID Excursion Post Trip Report
Thanks for taking care of things Steve and Tom and trip pics and writeup make trip look epic.
Best carnage line: "TCMGLX lost most of the TEFLON" Gotta love it!
Now we're ready for some more Go Fast videos of the run!
Best carnage line: "TCMGLX lost most of the TEFLON" Gotta love it!
Now we're ready for some more Go Fast videos of the run!
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ESHALLBETTER
- Posts: 1579
- Joined: Fri Dec 11, 2009 8:49 am
- Bronco Info: 85 class 3, 70's somthing trail bronco.
- Location: Minneapolis, MN
Re: 2013 BajaHID Excursion Post Trip Report
Does that little Xcab ranger have Wisconsin Plates?! Did they make the haul out or are they now living out west?
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tcm glx
- Peanut Butter
- Posts: 7303
- Joined: Tue Dec 08, 2009 11:19 am
- Bronco Info: 93 Ford Bronco 5.8
- Location: Riverside Ca
- Contact:
Re: 2013 BajaHID Excursion Post Trip Report
ESHALLBETTER wrote:Does that little Xcab ranger have Wisconsin Plates?! Did they make the haul out or are they now living out west?
They now live in Yuma... it was a pretty sweet Mazda actually, with a Mustang 5.0 Swap, sounded MEAN!!!
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BajaF250
- Posts: 2430
- Joined: Fri Jun 18, 2010 7:47 pm
- Bronco Info: 1982 Ford F250
- Location: San Diego, CA
- Contact:
Re: 2013 BajaHID Excursion Post Trip Report
Oh, bummer... you couldn't go AND work... ugh!Bondobob wrote:Looks like it was a blast, I thought about it all weekend while at work...Great coverage!
-
BajaF250
- Posts: 2430
- Joined: Fri Jun 18, 2010 7:47 pm
- Bronco Info: 1982 Ford F250
- Location: San Diego, CA
- Contact:
Re: 2013 BajaHID Excursion Post Trip Report
Thanks Ryan... you were really missed! Bummer you couldn't make it.RyanDS650X wrote:Excelent write up and pics ,Tom. Looks like a great run, i have to do it at some point! How did Michael break a shock shaft?!
-
BajaF250
- Posts: 2430
- Joined: Fri Jun 18, 2010 7:47 pm
- Bronco Info: 1982 Ford F250
- Location: San Diego, CA
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Re: 2013 BajaHID Excursion Post Trip Report
See how well it all worked out??? We had a blast with you and Jill... it was so nice to finally meet and put a face and name to a screen name...HotRod82 wrote:What a great trip! Our journey began several weeks ago when I committed to this trip while my Bronco was still in about 1000 pieces scattered about my shop. As most of you can relate, many late night wrenching sessions were involved getting the beast back together in time with a substantial amount of cursing involved. In typical down to the wire fashion, I replaced a broken front hub thursday before we left. Due to the VERY limited number of miles I had on the Bronco I decided to trailer it to Barstow. With new springs on all 4 corners, the Bronco rode like a buckboard for the first part of the trip and I was met with more than one disapproving glare from my wife who was co-dawging. Once we reached the lakebed, the shocks warmed up and the springs settled in a bit so we could start enjoying the ride. I must say watching the girls fishtail across the lakebed in the ranger was awesome! We then took a little side journey helping Don get his wounded Bronco up to Baker, everyone probably thought I was being generous helping out but in fact I just wanted some onion rings and a shake from Jack-in-the-box. So we headed back south to the trail and had some fun getting on the throttle catching up to the group. I particularly enjoyed the campsite, tons of great food, great people, and my Vodka bottle didn't break on the way there so life was indeed good. The next morning we struck out a few minutes ahead of the group to check out the farmhouse (and the RR) when we ran into the friendliest and most helpful NPS ranger. After explaining the park was closed, he told us the road itself was open so off we went. The lunch stop was pretty amazing, let alone another full blown meal with carne asada and grilled shrimp. The rest of the trip went by waaay to fast, I was sad to see the Needles Hwy in front of us. I must admit I was completely stoked my Bronco didn't skip a beat after all the work that had been done and this being it's first real test. Although I did lose an AC line, but I can live with that. A BIG THANK YOU to all those involved in planning this trip and it was great to finally meet some of you in person. cheers! A few random shots....
You done good with the build... the Bronco worked great all weekend! Great pics too!-
Nick
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- Bronco Info: 1995 bird poop target
- Location: La Habra Ca.
Re: 2013 BajaHID Excursion Post Trip Report
Wow! it looks like I also missed out on a great rip.
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BajaF250
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- Location: San Diego, CA
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Re: 2013 BajaHID Excursion Post Trip Report
Hey Erik, the guys Rob (5.0 Ranger) and Aaron (Dodge shortbed diesel) are out of Wisconsin, but currently living in Yuma for a year as Tony Said. Jamie, Rob's sister flew out from Wisconsin JUST FOR THE RUN! Well done!ESHALLBETTER wrote:Does that little Xcab ranger have Wisconsin Plates?! Did they make the haul out or are they now living out west?
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BajaF250
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Re: 2013 BajaHID Excursion Post Trip Report
We missed you Amigo! Sorry you couldn't make it... we really had a great bunch of guys and gals along...Nick wrote:Wow! it looks like I also missed out on a great rip.
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yikes
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- Bronco Info: 1996 with tires and stuff
- Location: Yucaipa, CA
Re: 2013 BajaHID Excursion Post Trip Report
Wow Tom! Great write up. You should submit that to Off-Road Mag.
Carmen and I just made it home and I must say - I think we were running on adrenalin the last couple days because we're wiped out right now. It was sure nice to have the extra day to chill though.
During Tom's event debriefing Saturday evening, he made some eloquent comments as to why we created GFB and I must say, hit the nail on the head. This site is as much about camaraderie, friendship and sharing of our common off-road interests as it is about Broncos. The BajaHID Excursion represented that theme perfectly. I'm so honored to participate in this and proud of all the great people who make these events memorable. A huge THANK YOU again to Chris, Tom and Tony for stepping out and giving of their limited time to organize such an awesome adventure. For those who participated for the first time, I truly hope you felt welcome and enjoyed yourselves. Seriously super excited for what new lines the next event will bring.
Carmen and I just made it home and I must say - I think we were running on adrenalin the last couple days because we're wiped out right now. It was sure nice to have the extra day to chill though.
During Tom's event debriefing Saturday evening, he made some eloquent comments as to why we created GFB and I must say, hit the nail on the head. This site is as much about camaraderie, friendship and sharing of our common off-road interests as it is about Broncos. The BajaHID Excursion represented that theme perfectly. I'm so honored to participate in this and proud of all the great people who make these events memorable. A huge THANK YOU again to Chris, Tom and Tony for stepping out and giving of their limited time to organize such an awesome adventure. For those who participated for the first time, I truly hope you felt welcome and enjoyed yourselves. Seriously super excited for what new lines the next event will bring.
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yikes
- Founder
- Posts: 4138
- Joined: Sun Dec 06, 2009 7:51 am
- Bronco Info: 1996 with tires and stuff
- Location: Yucaipa, CA
Re: 2013 BajaHID Excursion Post Trip Report
...So there I was, on my knees trying to get this artsy fartsy cell phone shot of the Bronco, when much to my chagrin a Buck holding mini muffins wandered into the frame. The sun was killing my view and I didn't see the svelte Buck in the shot until after I snapped it, but behold!, there he was. Hahahahahaha!
