JFuller Posted April 21, 2014 Report Share Posted April 21, 2014 The spare key is always in the center consol on the trail. Just in case. Now don't go stealing my rig next trail run. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Solis Posted April 22, 2014 Report Share Posted April 22, 2014 Yeah i keep my spare set in my day pack (with spare for roof box). Of course i don't really lock my truck and if I did a 2 yo with a sippy cup could get inside. And once there a stern look at the dash and she'll probably fire right up. Oh and it's a manual so i'm set. To be fair I learned from Graeme who did an excellent job of leading by example Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GraemeWare Posted April 22, 2014 Report Share Posted April 22, 2014 To be fair I learned from Graeme who did an excellent job of leading by example A wise man indeed .... Graeme Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulD Posted April 22, 2014 Report Share Posted April 22, 2014 $5.76 for regular? Reminds me of that scene from "I Am Legend." --PD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LandRonB Posted April 22, 2014 Report Share Posted April 22, 2014 $5.76 for regular? Reminds me of that scene from "I Am Legend." --PD Funny, my post #3 is a photo from Sept 2012; same price then and now regular $5.76, med grade $5.87 and premium $5.99 same gas station; they probably never change the sign; except for the diesel; much less now vs then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DHappel Posted April 22, 2014 Report Share Posted April 22, 2014 Funny, my post #3 is a photo from Sept 2012; same price then and now regular $5.76, med grade $5.87 and premium $5.99 same gas station; they probably never change the sign; except for the diesel; much less now vs then. They're just saving up so they can buy some '6's before they raise the prices again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teds Posted April 23, 2014 Report Share Posted April 23, 2014 The spare key is always in the center consol on the trail. Just in case. Now don't go stealing my rig next trail run. Ditto. I always bring both keys on all trips. Sounds like you didn't lose too much time. Bob and Ward's cabin looks great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michal C Posted April 24, 2014 Report Share Posted April 24, 2014 The team made it to Cerro Gordohttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/04/24/duda7ujy.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/04/24/du6edygu.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/04/24/senyzupe.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/04/24/ybuvebet.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desertcrawler Posted April 24, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 24, 2014 http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/04/25/bera5yga.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/04/25/6abyru2e.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/04/25/be2useqa.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/04/25/nudu2a8u.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/04/25/u5uzu3e8.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/04/25/buge6e8a.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/04/25/banada5e.jpg Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco2Guy Posted April 24, 2014 Report Share Posted April 24, 2014 Tyler can wear this with the bunny mask! http://vinylmationkingdom.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/12pinkbunny.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desertcrawler Posted April 25, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 25, 2014 http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/04/25/eta9ygu2.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/04/25/4u6ugy8y.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/04/25/a3apubah.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/04/25/ujevy6er.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/04/25/epu8e5ah.jpg we made it out. Now except Michal who is heading home early we are back into cerro gordo Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AA Journey Posted April 25, 2014 Report Share Posted April 25, 2014 Great pictures! What happened to Michal car? The air suspension went out? Safe travels back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DHappel Posted April 25, 2014 Report Share Posted April 25, 2014 I'm hoping he was just airing up getting ready to pound some pavement back home (?) It doesn't look like he's sitting on the bump stops or anything, so hopefully nothing is wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michal C Posted April 25, 2014 Report Share Posted April 25, 2014 Hi all, I was just airing up All passes through Sierras are closed except for the I40 and thus now staying overnight in Reno to get some rest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desertcrawler Posted April 25, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 25, 2014 Enroute but down for a driveshaft swaphttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/04/26/vemaqa9y.jpg Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desertcrawler Posted April 25, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 25, 2014 http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/04/26/nuheme6a.jpg Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desertcrawler Posted April 25, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 25, 2014 http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/04/26/7yhy7ytu.jpg Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michal C Posted April 25, 2014 Report Share Posted April 25, 2014 Enroute but down for a driveshaft swaphttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/04/26/vemaqa9y.jpg Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk OMG - when did it happen???? Chuck - I just wanted to thank you for a fabulously organized trip! This is the one that I will remember for a loooooong time as it was simply amazing!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desertcrawler Posted April 26, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 26, 2014 http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/04/26/e4agyrav.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/04/26/aru5ary3.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/04/26/7u7ame8e.jpgb I had a good time too with you Rupert and the crazy Lizzybus peeps ...David and Jayne Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AA Journey Posted April 26, 2014 Report Share Posted April 26, 2014 Hi all, I was just airing up All passes through Sierras are closed except for the I40 and thus now staying overnight in Reno to get some rest. Cool, i misread the post. Normally when people leave early from a trip, is when something breaks. :-0 Can wait to see more pictures of the trip. DV is one of my favorite places. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desertcrawler Posted July 11, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 11, 2014 So I was reading Mendo Recce - and I saw there was a small group in Death Valley same time we were. It inspired me to write my first post up to that list in a few years talking about our DV trip which happened at same time. No pictures - but here is the recap. If you want pix - you'll need to check out the other guys posts earlier, Tyler and My facebook pages - and the Lizzybus website. Wow, it sounds like our spring break trip in Death Valley (with a" group of Rovers from NCLR in Northern California) synced up with ours. Started out small, with a 3 vehicle team that grew to 4. A Disco 2, LR3, and LR4 from the Bay Area - and sturdy 110 from England in the midst of a transcontinental adventure. Unlike past trips, we kept the group small. Really enjoyed the ability to really cover the country and be more spontaneous than with a larger group. Our trip started on Good Friday, with a long drive to Baker. Checked into the local hotel (pretty sketchy) late at night and rallied up with Michal driving a LR4 and the “LizzyBus†a couple from England in the midst of driving a D110 around the world. Check out http://www.lizzybus.com for a story of their journey. It’s an amazing story in and of itself. Saturday morning started with a minor disaster. Here I am trip leader, with a well planned out itinerary. Wake up early, grab breakfast, and leave key on the table at the Mad Greek. Someone picked it up or bussed it with the trash – and the trusty D2 is completely locked up with no way to move. Waste an hour or so looking and digging through the trash to find it – no dice. End up making the call to get towed by AAA using a complimentary tow all the way to LR Las Vegas, where a locksmith can rekey it. No locksmiths in Baker that could handle creating a factory key. So we end up splitting up the group – send everyone else (including my family) to go grab our first nights campsite at Bob and Wards and then they head to Dumont for the chance to show Jayne and David (Lizzbus) what the Dunes are all about. End up meeting them around lunch time at Dumont after a quick tow and return – head out to explore the Dunes. If you haven’t seen em – they are a lot bigger and treacherous than Pismo for sure. Leave the 110 parked in the 110’ heat – take em for a ride in the LR4. Michal is a bit new to Dunes exploring – ends up following me into a pretty nasy witches eye. Gets sideways – lots of good pucker factor going on. I end up barely getting out of the bottom of the witches eye by running in circles, all the while hearing over the CB “stop playing around and come rescue me!!â€. End up with a winch recovery to get em out – then head back to Bob and Wards for the sunset and get to know one-another over Boddingtons and single malt. Finally feeling good, back on track with the plan. Only regret was how much time that key replacement cost us – we really wanted to check out Crusty Bunny ranch and the Kingston wash this trip in honour of Easter…. Sunday we headed out to Striped Butte Valley. Took us a bit longer than hoped – we ended up going via Badwater and Furnace Creek. Couldn’t let Lizzybus not see the lowest point in North America. Took the photos, had the ice cream at Furnace, then headed into Striped Butte via Warm Springs. Bummed to see that the Talc mine was locked up and inaccessible, but ran into a neat old guy who was camped at the resort and was actually filling the swimming pool up from the hot spring. Still a day away from being full enough to swim in – so we soaked in the springs and then headed into Striped. About halfway to the Cabins – Lizzybus throws a tantrum after we turn her off. Won’t start – complete electrical failure to the starter. Haul her in and score Russell’s camp (with the garage) – with plans to spend a couple nights there and diagnose what was wrong. Got tricky pulling her up to the cabin, but some careful winching and pulley work got the job done. Valley was empty – Geologist was open – there was another jeep at Stella’s but they were gone by the morning. Monday we wake up, make leisurely breakfast (German Pancakes Dutch Oven Style) and watch the sunrise while also admiring the new outhouse. Get ready to start tracing electrical when low and behold the better half suggests “Should we see if Lizzy starts?†– turn the ignition – and she turns right over. Look at one another sheepishly – and then rush to pack up camp while Lizzy bus patiently chugs and waits. Head down Goler – reminisce sadly at Barker’s Racnh about the time we last saw it (only 10 days before some fool burned it down) and then cruise down Goler which is pretty much a gravel freeway thanks to a recent Inyo County grading. Stop at Ballarat, chat with Rocky, and then decide not to try and head up to Briggs like originally planned since it looks a bit rough for Lizzy – instead try to score Minnietta. Run into the same group we had beat to the cabin this time last year – tour the cabin – then head to Osbourne instead. Didn’t see the ringtail – but had some awesome sunsets. Next day (Tuesday) we leave Lizzy – head to Lookout City and to Defense Mine. Climb the ladders ,exit out the tunnels way up on the second level – then scramble the scree to get up to the “third level†I’d heard about but not seen. Discretion was better part of valor – we decided not to enter since it looked a bit risky. Approach to Defense was sketchy – but I became proud of my spotting (and Michal of his LR4) – after spotting it all the way up to the top with no body damage! On way back we connect with Rupert in his LR3 – towing an adventure trailer and spend second night at Osbourne. Wednesday morning it’s a quick stop for showers and ice cream at Panamint – then head towards BoxCar. Then the highlight (for me) of the trip begins. Head up White Talc Mountain Road doing the “Back Way†to Cerro Gordo. Not sure anyone had done it the direction we were doing it this year yet – lots of washouts – challenging to follow trail up wash. Cut two tyres in the group – some tricky spotting especially for the LR3 with the trailer. Lizzybus said this was the most technical stuff they’d ever seen on their entire world journey – and really liked being with a group that knew how to take it one. Awesome to see the 110 just crawl up things that were challenging the modern rigs – and wonderful to see how the offroading skills of the newbies really improved as the day wore one. Made it to Cerro Gordo, set up camp in the center of town, cooked up dinner in the bunkhouse. No more 110’ weather (it dropped into the 30’s) – but at least no snow like last time I was there. S Thursday woke up feeling a bit bittersweet – our last full day in Death Valley. Got a tour of the town, then headed out to do the Salt Tram trail (Swansea). Left Lizzybus and the trailer at camp, did it with three rigs. Awesome loop and new road for me. Found some neat cabins and the Salt Tram was awesome. Iffy shelf roads, and the tour took us a bit later in the day then we thought – dropping down from the Cerro Gordo height down to the Valley floor took longer than we thought – and the road was unforgiving. Said goodbye to Michal and the LR4 – then headed back up to camp in Cerro. The poor LR3 had 3 tyres that needed to be replaced – some pretty bad sideway cuts from yesterdays activities. Drank our final toasts in the Hotel Bar – then woke up next morning and headed back to Bay Area. Long goodbye with Lizzybus crew – we are still corresponding via Facebook – in fact last week they did the Haul Road to Prudhoe and then met my Dad up in Fairbanks (where he’s retired) for breakfast! Small world – and great to see how the Rover community sticks together. Each year I do Death Valley I find something new. This is probably my 8th trip into the backroads there – and it’s amazing how much there is yet to discover – and how much what I’ve already discovered has changed. Great to have that place to share with my kids – I fear it won’t be there by the time they want to show their kids. Too much regulation. Good news is there is Esmerelda County to the North and the Mojave to the South – it will take a long time to get it all fenced in! Hopefully we can meet up one of these years - I've done death valley over easter break for the last 6 years. If nothing else, we are running 146.460 while in the park - I was able once to raise up a group of Tacoma's down at Owlshead Spring while sitting up at the waterfalls in Inyo Pass. I'm sure I got a few of the details wrong - getting old you know - but my new resolution is to make sure I write a final summary of how the trip actually went. Other than the crazy confusion around insurance, and the need to always carry a spare key -- I was actually pretty proud of my trip planning abilities - this year we pretty much hit every camp with plenty of time to spare. No real late night drives. Places we didn't make this time (cut out because of time) but are on the bucket list include: a)The elusive Crusty Bunny Ranchb)The "spring" by Osbourne (I think it is a myth)c)Exploring the mines of Minnietta and getting to the end of that road - also finding the mines we started hunting up down at the intersection of lookout and defense mine roadsd)More time "poking around" the highlands by Swansea Road near Cerro Gordo -- there is cool stuff there I think -- just need to know how to find it or get good directions from the caretakee)Briggs camp and Chicken rock - it's time to do it again!f)Darwin and Darwin Fallsg)Hunter Cabinh)Checking out some of the mine sites along East Side Road ...and those are places that were right near our route! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRover Posted July 20, 2014 Report Share Posted July 20, 2014 Thanks for sharing Chuck! It sounds like a lot of fun and we hope to join you one of these years. -Erin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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