Ken Cooke
Explorer Addict
- Joined
- April 18, 2000
- Messages
- 1,365
- Reaction score
- 0
- City, State
- Riverside, California
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- '03 Rubicon - Tomb Raider
Friday Night: Ron Shah [Exploder] calls me to ask if I'll be joining the guys at Casino Morongo for some gambling, and offers a weather report...He says it'll be "warm with no rain to speak of!" With most of Southern Ca. soaked w/rain clouds sticking it us, I had my concerns of the High Desert getting soaked too, and then I went to bed...
Saturday: I left home at 7:15 a.m. in Riverside, picked up the digital camera at Desert Dan's house in Palm Springs, and then, made it up to the Cottonwood Visitors Center in Joshua Tree by 9:30. The crew wasn't there, so I headed towards the spot they said they would crash out for the night. I met these guys midway to the trail - 3 tricked out SUVs with lights, tires, and two with factory lockers were heading my way. So, I flashed my brights a couple of times and pulled over. Sean was driving (in the Explorer) with his buddy Nick, another guy Steve was driving (his 4 Runner) with Phil (I think), and John was driving (his Montero) with another guy - I forgot the name. Anyway, we shook hands, and immediately headed towards Black Eagle Mine Trail.
On Black Eagle Mine Trail, there were several bypasses that we took to see how far we could push things. Sean decided to drive to the section of trail blocked by a nasty boulder in the trail. After parking at the trail blockage, another tourist in a stock Geo Sidekick pulled up from behind. With beer on his breath, he decided to single-handedly move the boulder himself!
It didn't work. So, I offered a different plan. How about drive up the wash? This plan didn't pan out. The boulders were about the sizes of the tires we were running (33" for Josh and I), and after smelling plenty of burnt clutch, we decided otherwise. Maybe a trail rig with 36" meats, double-low transfer case, and lockers front and rear would do fine, but we just weren't successful in the wash at this time. So, we turned the group around, and headed for this old mine, with an old single-wide trailer that was ripped apart by the elements and time. We stopped for lunch here, and after eating potato chips and peanut butter, we decided to hit the trail again. On the way in, Josh hit this nasty v-notch section that he straddled perfectly before dropping down another 5 or 6 feet. I drove up this, powering my 4.0 liter engine and spinning my 4.56s and BFG All Terrains to the top. I stopped, and spun tire in two separate places. I nearly made it to the edge of the trail, but I was stuck in the notch/ditch with only spinning All-Terrains to get me nowhere. Steve gave me a tug with the towstrap and I was freed. Next, Josh came up from behind, and after getting stuck, but also freeing himself, he made it up the v-notch, and out of the ditch that I got stuck in. This was now clear, that two vehicles with open diffs and similar lift-heights that...Josh's Pro-Comp Mud Terrains beat my BFG All-Terrain's thanks to the aggressive lugs on the mudders being spaced out farther than the All-Terrains! Something to think about...
Brooklyn Mine Jeep Trail: After speeding back to the trailhead, we pointed ourselves north, heading towards Brooklyn Mine. By now, we had spent nearly 3 hours in the dirt, and I decided to hit one last trail before calling it a day. Brooklyn Mine is this nice, hidden mine behind a set of hills that the driver must carefully climb in order to reach. The breakover is dramatic with you seeing nothing but hood before driving down what resembles a narrow path down a cliff. I drove up and down the section first and parked near the mining area. Josh, Steve and John all drove down shortly after. We looked around, and an elderly man - perhaps in his early to mid 70s greeted us, and asked if we paid our entrance. We said, "No!" Then, jokingly he said, "Okay, your fines will now be doubled!" A bit of desert humor! Heading down the Brooklyn Mine trail, we took moved along in 4-low, dodging boulders, and watching tire placement. Not very difficult, just slow running and just a little bit technical in places. We finished the trail with the hiker and his group that was waiting for him driving off in their group of 4WDs being led by a white Ford Explorer. They were going really, really slow back to Old Dale Road, so, we took an alternate route across a small rock garden and were able to get around them. A huge storm cloud began to drift overhead (it was now 4 p.m.) and it darkened up the sky completely. We were worried about getting rained on, so we pressed on...:redexp:
Old Dale Road to Golden Egg Mine: In relative darkness, we drove back up the Old Dale Road, climbing Old Dale road. This road is steep enough that 4 Lo will be necessary, but a 2WD probably would not make it unless equipped with a rear locker. We found the entrance to Golden Egg. It resembles a dirt road that falls off the side of the cliff, so, 4 low along with our brakes kept things controllable. After passing a section of Golden Egg that was probably where the miners lived (in 1988-1992), we drove even further down the trail along a narrow shelf road that led to the mining operation, tucked in a hide-away canyon. This is where we called it a night.
Sunday Morning: We hit the trail at 10 a.m., and continued through the mountain range until we hit a Truckhaven-like play area we call The Bowl. Everyone took turns driving the various sections of this area, taking lines that were either steep going up, or steep coming down. Then, Josh decided to jump his Explorer on one of the sections of dirt that resembled a dirt ramp. He did this successfully, but afterward, we saw that his Superlift dropdown bracket had a hairline crack along the weld that appeared to grow since being on Black Eagle Mine road. He shook his head, angry that he could not jump his truck and compete with the other guys. So, we decided to gas up our vehicles with the Jerry cans everyone brought (but me), and get ready for the next set of trails. A group of SUVs was coming down from the mountainous area of Old Dale Road, and would likely need to pass our group. Being parked in the middle of the trail, I went to move my truck - without my seatbelt on! I drove forward, entering the bowl, but I hit a section that caused me a nearly lift a tire. So, I backed up, securing my seatbelt. Unfazed, I continued forward, heading directly into a nasty dirt v-notch! My passenger-side front tire skirted above the notch, but my passenger-side rear tire slid into the notch, causing my drivers-side rear tire to go airborne 4'-5'! With a wall of dirt closing in on my passenger-side rear view mirror, I thought, "Great! This is how the run is going to end!" So, I turned into the roll, and gassed it - powering through the notch before landing flat on my side - or worse! The guys all ran down to the center of the bowl where I parked it and jumped out for fresh air. They all congratulated me on the stunt, and wished they could have caught it all on film! Josh and his friend were still fueling his Explorer and missed the whole thing, but because I nearly wiped out, I didn't have to jump my truck along with the other guys - since 1 close call was enough for the day! The guys jumped their Montero and 4 Runner and the Montero caught some killer air. The 4 Runner just barely lifted all 4 tires. Josh was still shaking his head, saying that he would show them all up if his bracket wasn't bent or if he had coilovers installed. We continued on up Old Dale, high-speed running the dirt road as it placed us within 4 miles of Twentynine Palms. From here, we could place calls out on our cell phones and check for voicemail. My promoter up in Portland, Oregon dropped me a message about some DJ work, and Steve tried to call his sweetheart down in San Diego to tell her that he missed her. We turned everyone around, and headed toward the Supply Mine.
Supply Mine/O.K. Mine Trail: I wasn't sure exactly which way to travel up to the Supply Mine. This trail would lead us to Carlysle Mine and the adventure we were expecting. But, if we got stuck on the wrong trail, with Joshs broken drop bracket and 4 vehicles, we'd be really screwed. And, with my near rollover, I wasn't in the mood for taking chances. So, we flipped a coin, and headed instead for O.K. Mine and the O.K. Mine Trail. On this trail, traction is the key. The road is lined in brittle rocks that slide you around if traveled too quickly. And with the absence of a guard rail, you'd be an instant part of mining history with your rusting rig down the cliff like the old mining equipment that you'll see if you're brave enough to look. We each made our way safely to the top in 4-low and cruised through the O.K. Mine site. We passed this landmark and continued on to the O.K. Mine trail. Once again, we had a nice, deep chasm below us, with a narrow shelf road/trail to contend with. So, nothing difficult - just careful tire placement - especially in the sections where rocks had fallen into the trail, causing the trail to contain some obstacles. After the shelf road section ends, you are taken down into this mean wash that pushes you around in your seat as you maneuver the rocks and washout sections that keep you on your toes. In one section, your passenger-side is elevated 20 degrees as you have to drive around a set of rocks and boulders that cause you to slide around, causing more loss of stablility, and giving you an even greater sense of being off-camber. So, the higher you are lifted, the bigger thrill you'll get! Continuing on, we made it through the end of O.K. Mine Trail. We found the main trail out of Brooklyn Mine that you must take to exit O.K. Mine Trail, and the guys passed me up to do a high-speed run doubling back down Old Dale Road to the Old Dale/Black Eagle Mine split. I finally caught up to the pack after taking my time, and preserving my spindles and alignment job on my frontend.
From here, we called it a day. We decided that with my 1/4 of a tank and another 35 miles until we reached Dillon Road for gasoline, that we'd better not chance it. It was 3 p.m., and the guys were all wanting to get back to Orange County, and me back to Riverside. So, we all followed each other to the gas stations on Dillon Road, aired up, gassed up, ate at Carl's, shook hands and headed our separate ways.
Some Useful Notes: I didn't have the gas to make it down Berdoo Canyon Road. If I had brought along a 5 gallon Blitz Can, I'd have been fine. Berdoo Canyon Road takes about 90 minutes to drive from the top of Geology Tour road to the bottom near Dillon Road. This would have dumped us out just 5 miles up the road from the Love's Truckstop with Carl's Jr. Always go to Love's Truckstop. The air is free. The gas is always cheaper than at the Chevron - where you'll waste time on their piece of crap air compressor, airing up your tires.
All I can say is, I had a great time!
-Ken
Saturday: I left home at 7:15 a.m. in Riverside, picked up the digital camera at Desert Dan's house in Palm Springs, and then, made it up to the Cottonwood Visitors Center in Joshua Tree by 9:30. The crew wasn't there, so I headed towards the spot they said they would crash out for the night. I met these guys midway to the trail - 3 tricked out SUVs with lights, tires, and two with factory lockers were heading my way. So, I flashed my brights a couple of times and pulled over. Sean was driving (in the Explorer) with his buddy Nick, another guy Steve was driving (his 4 Runner) with Phil (I think), and John was driving (his Montero) with another guy - I forgot the name. Anyway, we shook hands, and immediately headed towards Black Eagle Mine Trail.
On Black Eagle Mine Trail, there were several bypasses that we took to see how far we could push things. Sean decided to drive to the section of trail blocked by a nasty boulder in the trail. After parking at the trail blockage, another tourist in a stock Geo Sidekick pulled up from behind. With beer on his breath, he decided to single-handedly move the boulder himself!
It didn't work. So, I offered a different plan. How about drive up the wash? This plan didn't pan out. The boulders were about the sizes of the tires we were running (33" for Josh and I), and after smelling plenty of burnt clutch, we decided otherwise. Maybe a trail rig with 36" meats, double-low transfer case, and lockers front and rear would do fine, but we just weren't successful in the wash at this time. So, we turned the group around, and headed for this old mine, with an old single-wide trailer that was ripped apart by the elements and time. We stopped for lunch here, and after eating potato chips and peanut butter, we decided to hit the trail again. On the way in, Josh hit this nasty v-notch section that he straddled perfectly before dropping down another 5 or 6 feet. I drove up this, powering my 4.0 liter engine and spinning my 4.56s and BFG All Terrains to the top. I stopped, and spun tire in two separate places. I nearly made it to the edge of the trail, but I was stuck in the notch/ditch with only spinning All-Terrains to get me nowhere. Steve gave me a tug with the towstrap and I was freed. Next, Josh came up from behind, and after getting stuck, but also freeing himself, he made it up the v-notch, and out of the ditch that I got stuck in. This was now clear, that two vehicles with open diffs and similar lift-heights that...Josh's Pro-Comp Mud Terrains beat my BFG All-Terrain's thanks to the aggressive lugs on the mudders being spaced out farther than the All-Terrains! Something to think about... Brooklyn Mine Jeep Trail: After speeding back to the trailhead, we pointed ourselves north, heading towards Brooklyn Mine. By now, we had spent nearly 3 hours in the dirt, and I decided to hit one last trail before calling it a day. Brooklyn Mine is this nice, hidden mine behind a set of hills that the driver must carefully climb in order to reach. The breakover is dramatic with you seeing nothing but hood before driving down what resembles a narrow path down a cliff. I drove up and down the section first and parked near the mining area. Josh, Steve and John all drove down shortly after. We looked around, and an elderly man - perhaps in his early to mid 70s greeted us, and asked if we paid our entrance. We said, "No!" Then, jokingly he said, "Okay, your fines will now be doubled!" A bit of desert humor!
Heading down the Brooklyn Mine trail, we took moved along in 4-low, dodging boulders, and watching tire placement. Not very difficult, just slow running and just a little bit technical in places. We finished the trail with the hiker and his group that was waiting for him driving off in their group of 4WDs being led by a white Ford Explorer. They were going really, really slow back to Old Dale Road, so, we took an alternate route across a small rock garden and were able to get around them. A huge storm cloud began to drift overhead (it was now 4 p.m.) and it darkened up the sky completely. We were worried about getting rained on, so we pressed on...:redexp: Old Dale Road to Golden Egg Mine: In relative darkness, we drove back up the Old Dale Road, climbing Old Dale road. This road is steep enough that 4 Lo will be necessary, but a 2WD probably would not make it unless equipped with a rear locker. We found the entrance to Golden Egg. It resembles a dirt road that falls off the side of the cliff, so, 4 low along with our brakes kept things controllable. After passing a section of Golden Egg that was probably where the miners lived (in 1988-1992), we drove even further down the trail along a narrow shelf road that led to the mining operation, tucked in a hide-away canyon. This is where we called it a night.
Sunday Morning: We hit the trail at 10 a.m., and continued through the mountain range until we hit a Truckhaven-like play area we call The Bowl. Everyone took turns driving the various sections of this area, taking lines that were either steep going up, or steep coming down. Then, Josh decided to jump his Explorer on one of the sections of dirt that resembled a dirt ramp. He did this successfully, but afterward, we saw that his Superlift dropdown bracket had a hairline crack along the weld that appeared to grow since being on Black Eagle Mine road. He shook his head, angry that he could not jump his truck and compete with the other guys. So, we decided to gas up our vehicles with the Jerry cans everyone brought (but me), and get ready for the next set of trails. A group of SUVs was coming down from the mountainous area of Old Dale Road, and would likely need to pass our group. Being parked in the middle of the trail, I went to move my truck - without my seatbelt on! I drove forward, entering the bowl, but I hit a section that caused me a nearly lift a tire. So, I backed up, securing my seatbelt. Unfazed, I continued forward, heading directly into a nasty dirt v-notch! My passenger-side front tire skirted above the notch, but my passenger-side rear tire slid into the notch, causing my drivers-side rear tire to go airborne 4'-5'! With a wall of dirt closing in on my passenger-side rear view mirror, I thought, "Great! This is how the run is going to end!" So, I turned into the roll, and gassed it - powering through the notch before landing flat on my side - or worse! The guys all ran down to the center of the bowl where I parked it and jumped out for fresh air. They all congratulated me on the stunt, and wished they could have caught it all on film! Josh and his friend were still fueling his Explorer and missed the whole thing, but because I nearly wiped out, I didn't have to jump my truck along with the other guys - since 1 close call was enough for the day! The guys jumped their Montero and 4 Runner and the Montero caught some killer air. The 4 Runner just barely lifted all 4 tires. Josh was still shaking his head, saying that he would show them all up if his bracket wasn't bent or if he had coilovers installed. We continued on up Old Dale, high-speed running the dirt road as it placed us within 4 miles of Twentynine Palms. From here, we could place calls out on our cell phones and check for voicemail. My promoter up in Portland, Oregon dropped me a message about some DJ work, and Steve tried to call his sweetheart down in San Diego to tell her that he missed her. We turned everyone around, and headed toward the Supply Mine.
Supply Mine/O.K. Mine Trail: I wasn't sure exactly which way to travel up to the Supply Mine. This trail would lead us to Carlysle Mine and the adventure we were expecting. But, if we got stuck on the wrong trail, with Joshs broken drop bracket and 4 vehicles, we'd be really screwed. And, with my near rollover, I wasn't in the mood for taking chances. So, we flipped a coin, and headed instead for O.K. Mine and the O.K. Mine Trail.
On this trail, traction is the key. The road is lined in brittle rocks that slide you around if traveled too quickly. And with the absence of a guard rail, you'd be an instant part of mining history with your rusting rig down the cliff like the old mining equipment that you'll see if you're brave enough to look. We each made our way safely to the top in 4-low and cruised through the O.K. Mine site. We passed this landmark and continued on to the O.K. Mine trail. Once again, we had a nice, deep chasm below us, with a narrow shelf road/trail to contend with. So, nothing difficult - just careful tire placement - especially in the sections where rocks had fallen into the trail, causing the trail to contain some obstacles. After the shelf road section ends, you are taken down into this mean wash that pushes you around in your seat as you maneuver the rocks and washout sections that keep you on your toes. In one section, your passenger-side is elevated 20 degrees as you have to drive around a set of rocks and boulders that cause you to slide around, causing more loss of stablility, and giving you an even greater sense of being off-camber. So, the higher you are lifted, the bigger thrill you'll get! Continuing on, we made it through the end of O.K. Mine Trail. We found the main trail out of Brooklyn Mine that you must take to exit O.K. Mine Trail, and the guys passed me up to do a high-speed run doubling back down Old Dale Road to the Old Dale/Black Eagle Mine split. I finally caught up to the pack after taking my time, and preserving my spindles and alignment job on my frontend. From here, we called it a day. We decided that with my 1/4 of a tank and another 35 miles until we reached Dillon Road for gasoline, that we'd better not chance it. It was 3 p.m., and the guys were all wanting to get back to Orange County, and me back to Riverside. So, we all followed each other to the gas stations on Dillon Road, aired up, gassed up, ate at Carl's, shook hands and headed our separate ways.
Some Useful Notes: I didn't have the gas to make it down Berdoo Canyon Road. If I had brought along a 5 gallon Blitz Can, I'd have been fine. Berdoo Canyon Road takes about 90 minutes to drive from the top of Geology Tour road to the bottom near Dillon Road. This would have dumped us out just 5 miles up the road from the Love's Truckstop with Carl's Jr. Always go to Love's Truckstop. The air is free. The gas is always cheaper than at the Chevron - where you'll waste time on their piece of crap air compressor, airing up your tires.
All I can say is, I had a great time!
-Ken
