Mikestang

These were taken after I had the truck for about 3 weeks and was my first trip "off road". Nothing that impressive, but fun none the less...

Here's the turn off:


It's a nice, clear day, about 102* outside. See that road up on the hillside on the right? That goes to Cucamonga Canyon Day Use Area, which I've mountain biked to. I have to ask the ranger for that park if there's anyway to get a permit to drive back there, it would be a lot of fun.


Up, up we go. I wish I could remember the name of that mountain. The road goes on like this for a coule miles. I'll take some "action" shots on the way back down...


Now here we are almost at the end, and this idiot has parked RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TRAIL! This road ends at a path down to a swimming hole, and there's plenty of places to park off the trail. I'm half tempted to tip his truck down into the canyon, but it's too hot and I'm feeling nice, so I park and get out to walk the rest. It could use some scouting, any ways.


Hmm, I bet I can straddle this. It's narrow, but I don't know if I have the clearance to drop one tire down on the left.


Here's the end. You could try to drive around this, but the last place to turn around is right behind where I'm taking this picture, and there's no way in hell I could back up around this when you consider...


...the drop if you mess up. That's the bottom of Cucamonga canyon, and the swimming hole I was talking about. I can see the dude down there that's parked in the middle of the trail. He's under the big waterfall at the top.


I do some hiking around for a while and that guy comes up and leaves, the trail's all clear! I drive up to the straddle point, and proceed slowly. The skid plate scrapes at one point. I get out and look to make sure it's ok to keep going, and proceed. Rear bumps lightly at the same spot. Mental note: reason to justify a lift.


I go up to the turn around and head back. I must have had a slightly different line the way back because the front rubs like the entire length of the skid plate. I correct part way through and the rear doesn't hit at all. That's going to leave a mark!


Now for the action shots (well, action shots to me, heh heh):

Here we come:


This photo doesn't do this hill climb justice. There's no way I'd attempt it yet. You'd need a lot more experience than I have (and some real tires).


Here's the view from the top.


Obligatory "put your tire up on some rock" picture.


I'll have to come back after a rain, there's a few of these would-be water crossings. Weeeee...


My first ding on my skid plate. I knew that one scrape was going to leave a mark, but that's what it's there for. Of course it's on the lowest part of the plate.


The end.

Coming soon: part II - Rincon to Shortcut Road

OutdoorLiving

All of us can justify getting a lift. Justifying the $$ in some form or another is a different excuse.

1stgenrnrdude

thats nice.. are you planning on doing anything to your runner?

Mikestang

Yup. Up next are a set of sliders (my video card crapped out and needed replacing, or I'd have them already), then a set of BFG mud terrains (265/75/16). A bit further down the road with be an OME lift (shocks/springs front and rear) and a shrockworks bumper w/warn winch. Somewhere in between I'll be working on some undercarrige armor, roof rack, hi-lift jack, etc... the usual goodies.

My second trip (Rincon-Shortcut road) was a little more aggressive, I'll have those picts up this weekend. Gotta take it slow and learn what I'm doing. Years of racing my mustang doesn't help me much off-road!