San Diego BS Thread.

Nice. I'll be in Ridgecrest area for TG starting this weekend. Not many of my friends still do moto either. Just my friends that don't have kids yet still ride. Well my parents and inlaws still ride, but I take it super easy when I ride with them. Just excited the 65+ crowd still like to put on some gear and get out. They do mostly ride the sxs once they do a few hrs on the bikes.

 

I'll be out in OW this weekend. No bike though, gotta get this crack sorted out. Really itching to ride.

 

I need to beef up leaf springs on my 2002 extended cab for regular 500lb loads (motorcycle plus travel trailer, really like 650lbs). I run the common Bilstein shocks. I have an add of leaf to support originals but alas this is to soft today.

 

While this isn't a Toyota, it's just way to nice a vehicle not to post!

 

That is a very clean samurai

 

Anyone ever done this route? Before Blair Valley out to the mud caves. Says it's unmaintained high-clearance road but want to get an idea of what it's like before getting stuck.....

https://www.gaiagps.com/map/?loc=12...&trackId=af788655-41c7-44ec-b67c-ce96f9c437dc

 

I haven't done it because my truck is too wide. I think the only challenging section is "The Squeeze". Might want to have another truck along with you. If your truck is narrow it isn't bad. It's very pretty back in there.

 

Ah, so this is where the squeeze is. I'll watch a couple more videos on that as well. With an RSI shell on my truck I really don't want to ding that up.

I've got full skids, sliders, 34s, locked rear.

Any other concerns?

 

Yup Pinyon Mt Rd is the squeeze. Can't promise you a late model tacoma can squeeze through it without some rock kisses. I'm sure later some guys will chime in that have done the squeeze.

 

Also, heart attack hill. I hate that more than the squeeze. Done this route in a jeep about 5 times. I’ve seen tacomas go through the squeeze, but not without at least some fender rash. Also, there’s a drop at the bottom of the squeeze and pretty much all the long wheelbase rigs bumpers hit it, just a matter of how much you can control the amount of the tap lol.

 

Thanks for the info. Watching some of the videos from the Squeeze and Heart Attack hill has me rethinking it a bit. I'm looking for an excuse to get a new high clearance bumper and can see a couple of good spots to rip the stock one off but not sure the wife is going to go for it. Also not sure I'm quite ready for any potential body damage.

 

If you're coming from the S2, there's a turnaround right before the Squeeze you can park at, then hike through the Squeeze to Heart Attack Hill.





Window breaker before Heart Attack Hill

 

Well my group this trip wasn't very motivated or I'm just a crazy person since I want to either ride my dirtbike or drive my X3 pretty much all the time and have a hard time just hanging out since I'd rather be going fast.
Went out every night solo while they were having a drinking competition and in bed before midnight, lol.
Meanwhile I take off in the X3 at 10:30 or later until I decide to head back usually covering 60-90 miles alone and when I say that I mean it, there was NOBODY out there at night, went to Superstition and sand dam and not a single person was out 3 nights in a row!
I do carry all the necessary things in case of an incident so I'm fine going alone, and the upside is no dust and not having to wait for anyone. Wouldn't mind a passenger in case I need an extra set of hands but still fun nonetheless.

Now that I've added so many electrical gizmos onto my SXS the charging system waves the flag in about 30 minutes and cuts power and goes into limp mode unless I turn off my big BD light on top that pulls around 350 watts just by itself, not to mention my parker pumper, particle separator intake, belt cooling fan, LP6 style headlights, ditch lights, chase light,etc... and that isn't even including the engine electrical system needs.

And those aftermarket alternator setups are pretty expensive so I've been trying to find a used one but seems unlikely.
The stock system puts out 650watts max and there is an upgraded stator setup that allows for 850 but that's still not gonna cut it and that setup is $800 for 200 watts, so I've got to find a solution to that sooner than later.

Oops. could probably weld that up for you, but might be better to just get a new axle assembly and swap it out.
If you want to go out and ride let me know, Im always looking for people to go with. go order that thing up and lets go ride!

We had a bit of an incident with friend of a friend that came out with a dirtbike and very little experience, while coming back from the Iron door he somehow ended up crashing and likely taking the handlebar to the gut during the "self-sustained Rodeo" and whacked his head pretty good since he was stuck on repeat mode.

Luckily for him half the people in our group have extensive medical training, one flight nurse, a CDF Fire Captain, and a couple paramedics. My buddy who is the Captain was able to get a bird inbound and we got a nice show having a helicopter land right outside our circle of trailers.

He ended up rupturing his spleen so badly that it had to be removed via emergency surgery so it was good he got air transport since time was critical in that situation.

 

On a completely different note does anyone know any tips and tricks to getting rid of those fawking weevil beetles!!? I just realized that my giant Canary Palm which is somewhat of the centerpiece of my entire property has recently started to get damaged and just noticed the top of the tree looking lopsided and frawns are browning.

Im going to strip out some of the lower frawns in order to gain access to the middle and top if possible since its a very tall tree in order to start adding some chemicals to kill the grubs that are inside eating it, noty sure if anyone has any good info that would help me out here as I need to do everything possible in order to save it if at all possible. I'd so so bummed if it died so I'll do whatever it takes to save it.

I noticed the top lacking growth just in the last 2 weeks and thought it was a water issue but it's not.

 

Jason- I just picked up a KTM 500 so let me know when you’re wanting to go ride/camp. Im not experienced with the area(don’t know trails or where to go exactly), but have been riding off-road for 25 years.

 

Absolutely, since you have a more structured job than I do just let me know when you have days you can ride and we will make it happen, mid-week is fine for me as well if those ever work for you!

Ok, back to the Canary Palm rescue. I haven't died yet so thats a huge plus. Being nearly 30 feet in the air with no harness is really testing my "Safety 3rd" way of doing things, haha.
I've cut all the frawns in the area all the way to the crown yesterday, and I also stripped all the old heavy stuff that hangs from the bottom that I like to call the widowmakers hat since if it falls on you it can be bad.

Now Im going to attempt to access the crown and see if I can get access to the bad worms. I have to use my Tractor bucket at 11 feet with a big ladder in it leaning against the tree in order to get to it, total redneck engineering over here at the moment, I'll take some pics for you all to laugh at!
OSHA would loose their mind....

 

Finally managed to hit Death Valley. Been trying to make it out for years but it’s always fallen through.

The GF and I soloed roughly 200 miles of dirt throughout the long weekend. Our trip didn’t go exactly to plan but we managed to make the most of it.

 

How far can we go up Carrizo Gorge on a lifted 4x4 truck? The road that goes pass the Rock House Canyon. I went up until it got a little tight and I found a spot to turn around. I think I was about 1.5 miles from then end but I am wondering the difficulty to make it all the way there.

 

The vehicle trail ends at 32.761130, -116.213012, about two miles past Rockhouse Canyon and there's wooden posts blocking the way. I've taken my first gen tundra up there but it was a few years ago and it was pretty overgrown.