Death Valley 2022/23

[Beardilocks]

The only jinx possible is my truck breaking. Which just means I bore y’all desert repairs instead of hikes. Hahaha. I think I’ll be here until I decide to go. Probably until it gets too hot. I’ve missed this place the last few winters.

Nice to know your enjoying my ramblings @jkpaulsen. I think that makes an audience of 5 now. 😂

That pour over was a pretty easy climb, I don’t think over 8-9ft. But everything in the canyon can be easily bypassed as well. The higher walls are pretty much exclusively a decent distance from the drainage.

That fall did have a trickle of water. Much of the sand was saturated. Even pools in a few places. It’s been a really wet year.

[DAW89446]

The only jinx possible is my truck breaking.  Which just means I bore  y’all desert repairs instead of hikes.  Hahaha.

If that ever happened, I think your account of the incident and trailside fix would make for interesting reading. Breaking due to trail conditions or accident though, and how you handled it and lived to tell about it, that would make for some real interesting story telling and reading.

Being a Toyota, though, the chance of it simply breaking down is pretty slim. I speak as a previous owner of a well used and trail tested 2002 Tacoma TRD 4x4 (in my avatar) that is still in the family (grandson) and a current owner of a 2018 4Runner SR5.

[MojaveGeek]

Someone here told a story of having a truck break down (ball joint? can't recall the details, my memory ain't what it used to be) somewhere near SPW (Cottonwood Rd? Lemoigne?) and getting a ride out, spending time at SPW, getting a part, and going back out to fix it days later. Sounded pretty resourceful. Was that you? If so, you'll fix whatever breaks

As I've said before, I've been really enjoying these rolling reports, gives me reason to check the forum every day!

[Beardilocks]

Yep, that was me. Lol. I’ve had my share of breakdowns. But I usually put it back together.

Now we’re getting into jinx territory... 😂

[ski3pin]

Yup, I'm knocking on wood here for you.

[MojaveGeek]

Yep, that was me. Lol. I’ve had my share of breakdowns. But I usually put it back together.

Well my reaction when I read that description was "Wow that is one competent dude"

Once for some reason I stole a wire coat hanger from SPW, and a few days later ran into some stranded folks in the middle of the night for whom that was exactly the missing link for their jury rig repair.

[DAW89446]

Yep, that was me.  Lol.  I’ve had my share of breakdowns.  But I usually put it back together. 

Well my reaction when I read that description was "Wow that is one competent dude"

Once for some reason I stole a wire coat hanger from SPW, and a few days later ran into some stranded folks in the middle of the night for whom that was exactly the missing link for their jury rig repair.

Must have been in the day when you went by MacGyver Geek, eh? Coat hangers used to make dandy replacements for radio antennas ... 

[Kauri]

Yep, that was me.  Lol.  I’ve had my share of breakdowns.  But I usually put it back together. 

Well my reaction when I read that description was "Wow that is one competent dude"

Once for some reason I stole a wire coat hanger from SPW, and a few days later ran into some stranded folks in the middle of the night for whom that was exactly the missing link for their jury rig repair.

Must have been in the day when you went by MacGyver Geek, eh? Coat hangers used to make dandy replacements for radio antennas ... 

My favorites that I've read about are baling wire and a 1" Craftsman wrench for a broken leaf spring on a Tacoma, and a ratchet strap for a broken tie rod on a Land Cruiser.

[DAW89446]

I fixed the clutch on my 1970 Ford F-250 4x4 pickup in 1983, in the cold and snow, near the ghost town of Grantsville, Nevada; using an old pair of vice grips and bailing wire.

The truck used what basically amounted to a hard rubber bullet with a threaded rod that fit through the lever that came down through the floorboard; the bullet fit into the lever attached to the clutch. The nut had fallen off at some point, the bullet fell off in parts unknown. I drove around without a clutch for an hour or so that morning. Then the thought hit me as I was driving. The vice grips took the place of the bullet, the wire made sure the vice grips stayed clamped shut. The adjustment knob on the vice grips adjusted the clutch adequately. Ford wanted $25 for the part, when I sold the truck to my brother in law in 1985 the vice grips were still doing the job.

Enough of my backroad fix it stories. Now back to our regular Beardilocks travel channel … 

[Beardilocks]

Stories are most welcome! Especially when im lolligagging with updates. Lol. I have discovered more than my fair share of other folks “fixes” when trying to get a car right. Like a pair of visegrips welded to the frame of an old Mercedes I was working on. Still to this day not sure what they were meant to do…