Trip to Los Coyotes park on Jan.30, 1999

Here I stopped last time...

Here my last trip ended - I figured that I'd rather leave chances of breaking something for another trip - with somebody able to pull me out.
So off we went with Pete Griffith on January 30, 1999, without any mishaps and unusually early - around 9:30 in the morning. First thing we saw in Los Coyotes Indian Reservation was a group of nice FJ40s, a Sami, and a late-model Dodge Ram truck. I didn't know yet that Pete was determined to take up something above average, so we flexed little muscle climbing Marshmallow Hill (see previous trail report). This time, most of the trail was covered by 2-3" of slowly melting snow, not much to talk about in general, but given some off-camber, able to spice up the trip. Actually there wasn't anything exciting about the driving; the views were really magnificent.

So, Pete wanted more excitement, and after some snowball throwing and snack, we went to Old Mine Trail (Pete Griffith discovered a name Appian Way; I don't know where did he get it from). The trail was slightly augmented by recent rain, a tiny bit slicker, the creek a tiny bit deeper, but still not much to worry about. Soon, we were at the place I chickened out before (see the pic at the top of this page).

Now, first puzzle was to get past this place. The set-up is the following (assuming you go down):
a tree and 1-2' vertical bank at your right, shallow water and small rocks ahead, and 2-3' steep bank at your left. By "steep" I mean some 45 degrees or so; you can look at a pic below when I tried to exit this way. In order to keep your roofline intact you have to climb high up the left bank, with some rocker panel hits with the heavy roots that keep that bank from being flattened by our fellow four-wheelers. The funny part is that you need either short track width, like CJs (fit right between the banks), or at least 65" that widetrack Cherokees have. Pete's Model 18 tended to tilt uncomfortably to the right, and if his left wheels were to slip down the bank, he would end up wedged pretty good. So he chose a different line between the trees on the right side (pic @ left).

The trail's look made me uneasy last time, and it didn't improve much. Mostly for the lack of skill and no lift I banged hard those widetrack fender flares, which remains yet to be fixed. However, there isn't much to conquer, maybe a bit more than Coyote Canyon Pass but no hard-core deed.

Here's relatively well-known place called a "Z-turn". Imagine aU-turn in a parking lot, to get to the spot after the next to you?

That's what it looks like, coupled with another U-turn of the same plane geometry, but some topo is involved. The turns are "marked" with trees on the furst U-section, and boulders in another. The rocks *are* big, in a way that only a full-sized high-lifted rig with big meats could climb the rock, but... the wheelbase wouldn't allow to turn. Still, the group we met featured a stock relatively new 4x4 DodgeRam that made it back and forth! The guy at the pilot's seat was awesome, given with the extra workload he had compared to baby jeeps and FJ40s. As a side note, that's where a slushbox comes handy instead of a manual transmission. Probably that was those 1-2' of water that cooled the other guys' clutches, but only a couple folks made it through without much hassle.

That's where we put a "logical break" in our journey, for we wouldn't be able to make it back to the gate at 4 p.m. (said to be locked after that). Or rather chickened out - I still like my doors and fenders the way they are.

The way back, however steep it was, posed little problems

A couple more shots - for a need at left, and for fun - at right. See, this is a **stock** rig, with stock 1.5" lift and stock 31" tires, with sway bar in place, and she still can deliver about thirty-four inches of articulation without getting air under any of the wheels! I would love to drive over that boulder, but there's a ledge that is not visible here but would hang me high up. Backed off this time.

Now, here's the exodus. Pete Griffith (right) takes his old-and-faithful line. I tried to take mine, but found myself losing traction when my right rocker sat on the root. Tried to take it higher and lower at this bank, to no avail. Had to back out and take the side exit. Funny, it looked like I'd shear off my fender flares, but it fit just fine.

Well, that's all about that trip. Here's my brother Nick sitting graciously on my hood; I owe him some thanks for excellent spotting job he did for me and Pete Griffith on that venture. Oh well, lost him as a spotter - he's got himself "one just like mine" - a Black Beauty '80 Cherokee Chief.

There's still tens of miles of trails for us yet to take, with neat names like "Winch Hill", 'Axle Alley" and such. Can't wait until the weather gets warmer so that we could camp overnight.

If some of you are still interested in what was before, here's the link to my previous trip to this place:
Los Coyotes Indian Reservation - Trip of Jan.23, 1999

If you have comments or suggestions, feel interested, or just want to bust me somehow, email me at pmatusov@mpl.ucsd.edu