Poughkeepsie Gulch / Engineers Pass with Honda Accord
09-24-2012, 12:29 PM
#1
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Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Ridgway, Colorado
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Poughkeepsie Gulch / Engineers Pass with Honda Accord
The GF was disappointed that I spent most of Saturday working on the Toyota.
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f199.../#post51977393
She really wanted to summit another 14er before the season is over. She was aiming at Uncompahgre.
So the plan was to leave that evening, head over toward Lake City on the Alpine Loop, camp the night, and hike Uncompahgre Peak on Sunday.
One of the reasons I have been building up the Toyota was a failed attempt at Poughkeepsie Gulch. "The wall" unloads diagonally opposite wheels - lockers needed.
Now I had just finished fitting lockers front and rear, and a winch, so I wanted to test them out. There was no way I wasn't going to make it up this time. There is no bypass, and backtracking would have added a lot of time.
Just as we got onto Alpine Loop heading towards Engineers pass, we got stopped by some ATV riders. Apparently there was a Honda Accord on the trail! Some idiot had managed to bring it most of the way over Engineers Pass.
They said they were in the process of rescuing driver and passenger and we may need to push/pull it off the trail.
The next ATV that stopped us had the driver on the back. An older gentleman understandably upset. I resisted the urge to ask "WTF were you thinking?!?"
We proceeded up, but were disappointed to turn off onto Poughkeepsie trail before we reached it.
Up further on the steep scree section we came across an older Land Cruiser being pulled down backwards by a Toyota rock crawler. The Cruiser was mostly off the trail, but kinda teetering on the bank. I wasn't sure I could squeeze past so stopped on the trail down a little.
We got out and asked if they needed help. The Cruiser was having engine problems (seized?) and they were trying to turn it around to tow it out. They proceeded to attempt another pull. The Cruiser driver wasn't aware of which way to steer (not to mention no power steering), and nearly flopped right in front of my truck. A smashed front end of my truck flashed before my eyes. It would have been close. He was supper lucky and a large rock chocked the front left wheel and stopped it from rolling over. He was completely unaware that he nearly flopped. I insisted I tie a strap and get the passengers pulling on it before they attempted another pull.
Taking off on the scree was tough. Lots of wheel spin. Noticed that my front left wasn't spinning? Broken locker already? Then I realized that my 4wd dash light wasn't on. I probably got the ADD vacuum line on backwards when I reinstalled the front diff. Jumped out and swapped them. Nice. Green light, 25% more traction. No worries.
Reached "the wall" obstacle on dusk. Asked the GF if she wanted to be in or out of the truck. She said she didn't know so I just flicked on the rear e-locker and attempted the climb. Nearly stalled about half way up, but had no traction issues. A bit of a clunk at the top as the truck dipped into a hole and bottomed out somewhere.
But success on the first attempt!
Stopped for dinner at Como Lake and drove California Pass and Engineers Pass in the dark. Found a camp in the dark about 15 miles out of Lake City.
Hiked Uncompahgre Peak, 14,321 ft, despite a bit of sleet when we drove up the Nellie Creek trail, the weather held off.
Came back over Engineers towards Ouray. Speculation was running high on whether the Honda Accord would still be on the trail. How would they even get it out from there? It probably couldn't be towed and there is no way you could get a tilt tray up there.
We surveyed the trail the whole way, guessing if you could get a Honda through. On the western descent where it gets really rocky and rough, we gave up and decided there was no way he made it that far and that the car must have already been removed.
Not so!
It's impressive he made it as far as he did. There are some pretty big rocky sections above where he made it to, much tougher that where he stopped.
The car is high centered, and jammed up against an Aspen on the passenger side. He has got the doughnut falling off the front. Not sure which came fist the high-center or the flat spare.
But he must have wheeled it hard, got a flat, decided to change that and keep going. I guess at a certain point he must have realized he wouldn't be able to go back up.
Maybe after the spare went flat he just kept going?
I'm surprised he wasn't passed by someone while we was on the way down who told him not to go any further and help him back the other way.
Fellow passers by have written "Retard" and "What were you thinking?" in the dust on the car. Hard to disagree.
So the new running joke on the trail is now to ask "Would a Honda Accord make it over THAT?" -- "That obstacles Honda Accordable!"
That and we wonder what it would have been like to be a fly on the fall for that ride down. Maybe the older woman we saw on the back of the first ATV was his wife? For how much longer?
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f199.../#post51977393
She really wanted to summit another 14er before the season is over. She was aiming at Uncompahgre.
So the plan was to leave that evening, head over toward Lake City on the Alpine Loop, camp the night, and hike Uncompahgre Peak on Sunday.
One of the reasons I have been building up the Toyota was a failed attempt at Poughkeepsie Gulch. "The wall" unloads diagonally opposite wheels - lockers needed.
Now I had just finished fitting lockers front and rear, and a winch, so I wanted to test them out. There was no way I wasn't going to make it up this time. There is no bypass, and backtracking would have added a lot of time.
Just as we got onto Alpine Loop heading towards Engineers pass, we got stopped by some ATV riders. Apparently there was a Honda Accord on the trail! Some idiot had managed to bring it most of the way over Engineers Pass.
They said they were in the process of rescuing driver and passenger and we may need to push/pull it off the trail.
The next ATV that stopped us had the driver on the back. An older gentleman understandably upset. I resisted the urge to ask "WTF were you thinking?!?"
We proceeded up, but were disappointed to turn off onto Poughkeepsie trail before we reached it.
Up further on the steep scree section we came across an older Land Cruiser being pulled down backwards by a Toyota rock crawler. The Cruiser was mostly off the trail, but kinda teetering on the bank. I wasn't sure I could squeeze past so stopped on the trail down a little.
We got out and asked if they needed help. The Cruiser was having engine problems (seized?) and they were trying to turn it around to tow it out. They proceeded to attempt another pull. The Cruiser driver wasn't aware of which way to steer (not to mention no power steering), and nearly flopped right in front of my truck. A smashed front end of my truck flashed before my eyes. It would have been close. He was supper lucky and a large rock chocked the front left wheel and stopped it from rolling over. He was completely unaware that he nearly flopped. I insisted I tie a strap and get the passengers pulling on it before they attempted another pull.
Taking off on the scree was tough. Lots of wheel spin. Noticed that my front left wasn't spinning? Broken locker already? Then I realized that my 4wd dash light wasn't on. I probably got the ADD vacuum line on backwards when I reinstalled the front diff. Jumped out and swapped them. Nice. Green light, 25% more traction. No worries.
Reached "the wall" obstacle on dusk. Asked the GF if she wanted to be in or out of the truck. She said she didn't know so I just flicked on the rear e-locker and attempted the climb. Nearly stalled about half way up, but had no traction issues. A bit of a clunk at the top as the truck dipped into a hole and bottomed out somewhere.
But success on the first attempt!
Stopped for dinner at Como Lake and drove California Pass and Engineers Pass in the dark. Found a camp in the dark about 15 miles out of Lake City.
Hiked Uncompahgre Peak, 14,321 ft, despite a bit of sleet when we drove up the Nellie Creek trail, the weather held off.
Came back over Engineers towards Ouray. Speculation was running high on whether the Honda Accord would still be on the trail. How would they even get it out from there? It probably couldn't be towed and there is no way you could get a tilt tray up there.
We surveyed the trail the whole way, guessing if you could get a Honda through. On the western descent where it gets really rocky and rough, we gave up and decided there was no way he made it that far and that the car must have already been removed.
Not so!
It's impressive he made it as far as he did. There are some pretty big rocky sections above where he made it to, much tougher that where he stopped.
The car is high centered, and jammed up against an Aspen on the passenger side. He has got the doughnut falling off the front. Not sure which came fist the high-center or the flat spare.
But he must have wheeled it hard, got a flat, decided to change that and keep going. I guess at a certain point he must have realized he wouldn't be able to go back up.
Maybe after the spare went flat he just kept going?
I'm surprised he wasn't passed by someone while we was on the way down who told him not to go any further and help him back the other way.
Fellow passers by have written "Retard" and "What were you thinking?" in the dust on the car. Hard to disagree.
So the new running joke on the trail is now to ask "Would a Honda Accord make it over THAT?" -- "That obstacles Honda Accordable!"
That and we wonder what it would have been like to be a fly on the fall for that ride down. Maybe the older woman we saw on the back of the first ATV was his wife? For how much longer?
11-09-2012, 02:46 PM
#3
Contributing Member
I thought you meant to or from Lake city over to or from Silverton, poor little accord's driver is one crazy meatball.
It looks like he was headed towards Ouray down Mineral creek? I don't know whether to be in awe or just plain scared these people drive on the same roads I do!
It looks like he was headed towards Ouray down Mineral creek? I don't know whether to be in awe or just plain scared these people drive on the same roads I do!
Last edited by habanero; 11-09-2012 at 02:57 PM.
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