COMPLETED TRIPS: Sacatone Overlook, Elliot Mine - Feb 2007

[The Roadie]

Still sore from a hike we took 1/4 mile from the Mexican border. I'll allow Teebes to explain why that was necessary.

First trail was to the Sacatone Overlook off McCain Valley Road in Jacumba, CA. The Sacatone Overlook gives great views all the way to the Salton Sea, about 40 miles away, on a good day, and into Carrizo Gorge, where a rail line clings to the side of the gorge. A side trip to a hill that overlooks the overlook thwarted me a couple of years ago with stock tires, and I had vowed to return. This was about a 33 degree climb - with gravel and a few sharp rocks embedded in just dust. No traction to speak of - no choice but to spin all four tires and try to get some momentum going. In a video of this climb, I get a couple of inches of air under both front tires at once.

Second trail was to the Elliot Mine and a few side trails, ending up 1/4 mile from the Mexican border. Time to be careful in that area. Teebes has already been "interviewed" by the Border Patrol for suspicion of inappropriate offroading.

Anyway, on to the pics!

Looking east towards the Borrego desert


Rail line clinging on for dear life


New graphics by Customsense.biz. THANKS, CHAD! (More pics to come in the Appearance Forum)


Sequence of Teebes coming down over a ledge. No scrapage on the frame with his 33"s. It's all in picking the optimum line.












The dusty hillclimb ahead




Got to the top of the dusty part! Both of us!


I climbed higher to look down on the world. Greg likes to stay in the car. Turns out his policy would have been a good one to follow later.


Bit of an off-camber tilt here, eh?


At the bottom of a great rutty hill - the video of this shows some amazing tire-in-the-air action!








Rocks


More rocks


Parked at the tip of the toughest part of the Elliot Mine trail


Valley of the Moon. You used to be able to drive this, now it's protected wilderness.


Rocks that look like a monkey and a bird. You can probably find more hidden.


End of the day - found the cars again. Whew.

[teebes]

Thanks for posting some of your (our) great adventures!

I had practically forgotten about elliot mine till you mentioned it last weekend. Do you have any pics from your recent excursion, by any chance?

Oh, and how did the latest version of the roadie mobile do on the 'rutty hill' where you previously had some great 3-wheel action going on?

[The Roadie]

Yeah, pics and a video is almost done being edited. The trail is generally deteriorated 20-25% from some thunderstorm activity, and there was some rock-stacking evidence, especially on the west side descent that denied me before. Some narrow washouts that had my shotgun-rider sweating. And he was mostly on the uphill side. Some medium difficulty ledges have bypasses now, and it was right at the limit of narrowness to get to the top of the mountain. I also took Jeff to where we lost the trucks near Blue Angel Peak.

On the steepest part of that hill, the locker was still necessary, but being aired down, as I almost ALWAYS do now, just takes all the wheel-spinning drama out of it. Slow, steady, and I never needed spotting. That pretty much defines this as a medium trail (5 or 6 out of 10) - multiple choices of lines or one main line that is easy to self-spot.

[bgwolfpack]

Thank you, you two. I really appreciate the pics and videos. It's nice to see the real thing being done in a TV.

[Gordinho80]

I would love to make it out to the West Coast to wheel with you guys. Some amazing trips that you guys have been on... VERY jealous

[Philberto]

I have GOT to hang out with you guys one of these days... Now if I can just get a few days off when I don't have stuff to do, that'll be the ticket