Wandering the Southwest for Four or Five months of Wheeling.

[Covered in Dust]

Cholla is no joke. Once you've been stuck on some you'll always give it a wide berth in the future. This was out in ABDSP last year.

Sponsored

 

[azwjowner]

Cholla is no joke. Once you've been stuck on some you'll always give it a wide berth in the future. This was out in ABDSP last year.

Best solution to remove cholla is an afro pick, which cleanly removes the whole thing in one motion: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Ace-Crea...oth-Metal-Pick-Comb-Detangling-Black/26853226

 

[RudeJeepin]

I would love to play paintball at Combat Village, looks AWESOME!

Glad I'm not the only one thinking that

 

[RudeJeepin]

Cholla is no joke. Once you've been stuck on some you'll always give it a wide berth in the future. This was out in ABDSP last year.

I know a few motorcycle riders down that way, they all carry an old fashion comb with a handle. Gotta be careful which way your flinging the cholla so you don't redeposit it o someone else.
Pic for reference...

 

[wibornz]

can you share a link to the shareable map?

I can, what are you looking for?

 

[wibornz]

I note you have your phone mounted sideways with GAIA. Does GAIA not display on the jeep screen? Are you running something else on the Jeep screen?

When I did the Texas hill country trail (very tame, and very NOT well marked) I had google way points on my phone attached to the jeep screen, and google maps on my ipad in my wifes lap so it could zoom out and see the big picture.

Based on your comments I'll get GAIA.

I can display it on my Jeep screen and often do. At times I run it on my tablet also that I run on a mount from the passenger side of the dash.

 

[wibornz]

I note you have your phone mounted sideways with GAIA. Does GAIA not display on the jeep screen? Are you running something else on the Jeep screen?

When I did the Texas hill country trail (very tame, and very NOT well marked) I had google way points on my phone attached to the jeep screen, and google maps on my ipad in my wifes lap so it could zoom out and see the big picture.

Based on your comments I'll get GAIA.

After you get Gaia. Hit me up and I can give you some pointers. I also use google maps and can give you some great ideas on how to use google maps. I have taught mapping classes for Overland Expo.

 

[COJeeper]

After you get Gaia. Hit me up and I can give you some pointers. I also use google maps and can give you some great ideas on how to use google maps. I have taught mapping classes for Overland Expo.

Sounds like you should sign up to lead a webinar on Gaia….. “How to Gaia, the awesome way”

 

[wibornz]

There is a learning curve to Gaia. There are also many videos on how use Gaia on YouTube. I just like keeping it simple. Some people way over complicate things and plan things way to tight. I can show you how to use Gaia as a tool for exploring.

 

[Mx5red]

There is a learning curve to Gaia. There are also many videos on how use Gaia on YouTube. I just like keeping it simple. Some people way over complicate things and plan things way to tight. I can show you how to use Gaia as a tool for exploring.

I would subscribe to that thread

 

[wibornz]

@jlrubeinswaz and I went wheeling together again. My bud Gary and his wife also tagged along. jlrubeinswaz said he had a great trail to run. He did not disappoint. We spent about seven hours on the trail.

The first stop was to determine if a kinetic rope, or winch was the right tool to recover this bulldozer. Or does Gary have the proper shoes on for this type of recovery.

There were many color changes while running through some washes. This is the first time I have seen this type of yellow in the rocks.

Mr. Business is on guard duty.

Carla out walking some of the trail.

It felt warmer than 60 degrees, and we were blessed with a nice sky.

jlruiinswaz knows his way around out here and he is very knowledgeable about the trails. Note 90%of these trails do not show up on mapping apps.

He knows things like hey here is a small box canyon that when it rains, there is a water fall here.

jlruinswaz has a nice sorted JLUR.

There were some nice obstacles throughout the day. Plenty of climbs. Admittedly, I did not get any real decent shots of the obstacles. I was kind of living in the moment.

The desert is starting to bloom.

I barely fit through here and had to ride up the wall.

Mr. Business says he is ready to take the wheel. I have to remind him that two year olds are not legally allowed to drive in California. He was like that’s a stupid law.

Gary got a little tippy going down this as he did not square up to the decent very well and stayed to far driver.

All six of us had a great day of wheeling and then we all enjoyed dinner together. This is how great memories and friends are made.

 

[wibornz]

Last night about 10 pm returned from two long days of wheeling. Total miles logged off road was 146 miles. Could be a little more or a little less as there was a couple times I forgot to hit résumé recording on Gaia as we drove off after pausing it.

We meet up with @jlrubeinswaz at the Yuma Proving grounds. There are three Jeeps and six of us. Jlruinswazwill be leading the way. He has mapped our route and has wheeled it in the past. He is a great trail guide and knowledgeable about the area.

with a few minutes to burn I snapped these.

That’s some range and firepower. Nothing like our modern stuff and that’s why they are sitting on the edge of the road. We can often hear artillery fire from the base out here in the Yuma area and sonic booms from fighter jets. The first time they shook our camper we where like WTF

The first set of many mountains that we will wheel in and around.

You see these cactus in the desert or anywhere, just be aware they are called a jumping Cholla. They are nasty and it is hard to pull the spines out of you, your dog, your tires, your shoes, your clothes…. The cholla have forced me to carry a multi-tool. So that I always have a pair of pliers with me and on me while exploring the desert.

I like how the red looks like it flowed down this mountain.

Some times I feel like my driving is being judged. I must be paranoid.

Sometimes as we wonder, we find things that are kind of out of place like a huge pile of ash…. Like why is this here specifically?

Jlruinswaz said this trip would run us by cabins you can camp over night in….. If your brave enough! The following pics are from around the cabin and the Gold Mine that was behind the cabin.

jlruinswaz is not afraid to explore mines with me and Mr. Business. I started up this ladder, but I found its structurally integrity not up to OSHA standards. I listened to my gut that was telling me, “hey this is not a good idea!”

A nice view of the Jeeps down in the valley.

Water tanks. For some reason people find it necessary to shoot water tanks full of holes. I have yet to find some that are not full of gunshots.

When we left this area we went around the mountain in the distance.

After wheeling for approximately eight to nine hours, we set up camp in a wash not far from our next place to hike and explore in the morning. We knew that rain was highly probable overnight, but jlruinswaz reassured me that we would not get washed away in the wash.

Does your wife ever look at you like are you drinking whiskey again look? She was like you didn’t even bring whiskey, and she was right. Jlruinswaz did though and he makes a great old fashion at camp.

I did get to hear how cool a roof top tent is, and how Gary and Angie slept in it in 75 mph wind gusts. I am thinking that I don’t want to stay in any tent in 75 mph winds. I am really digging the tent hooked to the back of my Jeep and a Deep Sleep air mattress in the back of the Jeep. It takes about five minutes to set up and then we unload our gear out of the back of the Jeep into the tent. We slept great that night even in the down pouring rain. Mind you I know that it is not the same as a six thousand dollar rooftop tent and rack setup, but hey two hundred for the tent, zero holes cut into my hardtop for the rack and loosing two or three mpg from the tent is a win in my eyes.

The next morning we rolled out to a place called Yakam Tanks. Not sure on the spelling. A nice trip out and back with so beautiful views.

There was a couple spots that brush had to be trimmed back to we could push forward.

This looked out of place. A very square rock out in the wild. Only one of them.

I think most people think of the desert just being brown in color, but it is not always true. We saw many colors on this trip besides brown.

The desert is beautiful after a good rain.

The tank was beautiful. The water collects in a couple different pools in this area, The water is crystal clear and green is coming from the moss and algae growing on the bottom.

I like to scramble and climb. Up I went to get this shot of Gary and jlruinswaz from the top of a big bolder type rock formation.

More scenic shots from the area as we hiked the area for an hour or so.

None of this trip required lockers or a big lift. You can build a big obstacle in your back yard, you can’t normally find views like this just everywhere.

On to the second cabin we found.

people even left food behind in the cupboard.

The third cabin was probably my favorite.

The random stuff at times is interesting.

The rain is coming back.

We were on the trail from until about 6:30 PM. Finished the trail with a glorious sunset that we drove into at the end of the day. A quick run up to Quartzsite for fuel after airing up, and then the long drive back to Wellton Arizona.

Joust a random pic.

Now to unpack our gear and let everything dry. We will soon be heading east to New Mexico and Texas for some more wheeling and exploring. Leaving our base camp behind and doing more hiking, wheeling and camping along our way.

I am thinking Texas is still the southwest and anything east of Texas is the start of the midwestern/southern states.

More to come.

 

[wibornz]

Saturday, Fully cleaned the Jeep and pack up all our gear preparing to leave on Monday. About 2 pm Carla is like we need to go run the desert some.

Well there was at least 500 more trails I would like to run in the area, so we headed out. There is one about six miles away north of Wellton in the Muggins Wilderness area that I have been itching to do, just never made it that way. Should be a perfect run. Off we go.

The trail started out in a wash, but soon jumped up on top so you could look down in to the canyon.

First time seeing a Rock writing outside of the Valley of Names.

When wheeling here, you can run the bottom of the canyon or up on top.

Mr. Business is judging me again.

We will be heading out through the canyon behind me. This proves to be more challenging than 99% of the trails we have ran out here. Most of the trails area easy and can be done with a stock 4x4. Not this one.

Mr. Business is like we are getting into the good stuff.

This is one of the very few times this year that I felt the need to walk ahead prior to going forward. We are by ourselves so extra precautions must be taken.

Funny an obstacle doesn’t look big in a picture, but the Jeep is flexed pretty good on what appears to be flat ground.

It was a tight fit through here with the passenger tires on a boulder that was chest high on me.

As always, Carla is a beast behind the wheel. She did need to pivot the Jeep using the rock rails around a boulder, but no body damage.

Another section that required spotting. Had to stack one rock on the passenger side coming off the boulder. The driver side rear tire had to climb the boulder the front tire cleared.

A decent Little Rock garden.

The rest of the drive out was nice and smooth with beautiful towering rock walked on both sides of the canyon. The trail was so much fun, I had to call @jlrubeinswaz and say, found a great trail, want to run it on Sunday morning. Last chance to wheel together before Carla and I head east. He was like what time and where are we meeting.

Three hours from now we will running this trail again. Retirement is not overrated.

 

[Gorilla57]

Well Ted, you’ve really tested the Baja AT tires and they look great. Mine just showed up at Discount and I’m certain I’ve made a good choice buying them. My extreme wheeling days in the JL are done and the Mickey’s will be doing trails like you and Carla. Thanks again for the info you sent me, answering my questions about the tires.

 

[wibornz]

I need to do a 15,000 mile review on the Mickey Thompson tires.

Sponsored