September '08 Full Moon Run, Cliff Climb and Repair Party

[StvDiego]

Note to SCUFF Members: Do Not Follow David Up The Cliff



Another great weekend in the desert came to a close. We met up at Aqua Caliente County Campground and pretty much had the whole place to ourselves, very quiet and a great moon rise. David volunteered to be dinner for the local arachnids and the weather was about as good as it gets this time of year.



Saturday morning we headed out to Vallecito Creek and drove through the mud and made a stop at the stage station.



Back through the creek and headed up Arroyo Tapiado and spent a couple of hours playing in the mud caves.



Headed up the Arroyo and across to Diablo Dropoff for some play time in the rocks before heading north to Sandstone Canyon for lunch and some more rocks.



And then stopped for some trail cleanup



Went as far in as we could until David's beast could go no further.



After some interesting 93 point turns we headed out of the canyon and alnost made it to the end before David stopped with this brilliant idea of checking out a slot canyon (hence the warning above). Almost two hours later David and I found a way down off the cliff.

Finally back on the trail we headed back up the Diablo connector where all three of us got into a battle with the same rock. David made it through with some help from Jimmy spotting, John got centered and had to be strapped and I got the worst of it snapping an outer axle on the front right and grenading a u-joint which meant a limp up the rocks and running up Diable Dropoff in 2WD.



Took a long time to get back to camp where we rewarded ourselves with top sirloin, lobster tails, awesome corn-on-the-cob and plenty of cold liquids.

Sunday morning was work on the Jeep and pull the unit-bearing while Jimmy played pancake maker got lots of good help from Ben the tire changer.



So another great weekend, had lots of fun, scratched John's Jeep, David's truck has a new leak, broke mine, got mud, dirt, rocks, hills, hot spas and a cool pool, what more do ya want

 ~rockon

[hammeredtoys]

Sounds like a great weekend  ~clap hope to see some pics also ~rockon

[DavidWymore]

About me being dinner for the arachnids....the other night out by Glamis something comes running at me across the sand...I couldn't tell what it was, and I wasn't interesting in finding out after it ran up my pants and bit me, so I stepped on it. Funny looking critter, not quite scorpion looking and not quite spider looking. Squished pretty easy, in one step and scorpions are tuff and take a few hits usually. So then Friday night sitting in camp with John (big boy) waiting for StvDiego I was telling John about this wierd bug I'd found. A few minutes later the topic of conversation had moved on until I suddenly jumped out of my chair yelling. Something had crawled up my pants and bitten me on the calf, and then my finger when I tried to get rid of it. After a minute of looking on the ground with a light, we found a "wind scorpion". Pretty ironic being the only one in camp to be bitten after just talking about them. Didn't hurt too bad, it was a small one.

http://kaweahoaks.com/html/wind_scorpian.htm


 http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0407/feature5/index.html

http://www.whatsthatbug.com/solpugids.html

[DavidWymore]

 blurry cell phone pic from the top of sandstone

[Big boy]

What a great weekend!! Thanks Steve for putting this trip together, it was a great adventure. Also thanks for pulling me off that rock...........If I would of listened to Jim I probably wouldn't have got stuck. Big props to Steve, Jim and David, your knowledge of the Anza Borrego desert is priceless. You guys rock  ~punk. Here are some pictures of our weekend.

[Big boy]

more...

[Big boy]

more...

[DavidWymore]

Thanks for all the pics guys  ~rockon

[Tink]

It was nice meeting everyone. For those of you who didn't go, you missed out on alot of fun.

Special thanks to Steve and Jimmie for leading a great trip.   David and Ben for keeping us entertained.

Since, I can't see the pictures that Steve posted, a little bird told me there is a really nice one of me with my hat on backwards in the mud cave.  Thanks Jimmie...  Until I get home to see if for myself you off the hook.   But if it's as bad as I think it is...  pay back is a bit#$....  ~2guns.

[Tink]

David...   the Spider thing was freakie.... But when I read "They then exude an enzyme that liquefies the flesh, which they suck into their stomachs."  Ok,  it's boots and long pants tucked in...  I don't want nothing that liquefies the flesh crawling up my pants.   ~eek 
 

[Metal Twister]

Hey Tink! I looked at the pics today, No payback required! ~clown It looked like you guys were having alot of fun... And the caves are pretty cooooool too. In fact I thought the lighting in the pics of you guys was pretty cool.  Now that goofy looking guy with the red hat you were with, well thats another story. ~eek 

[DavidWymore]

Tink, you should see the one from out by Glamis in the bottle on my desk...glad it was the little one that bit me!  ~eek

[jeffm1964]

Hey Tink! I looked at the pics today, No payback required! ~clown It looked like you guys were having alot of fun... And the caves are pretty cooooool too. In fact I thought the lighting in the pics of you guys was pretty cool.  Now that goofy looking guy with the red hat you were with, well thats another story. ~eek 

Can't be to much of a CUBS fan if he's wearing an ANGELS cap

[lqcj8]

looks like everyone had a good time ;D

[DavidWymore]

Aw, man...guess I finally oughta R/R the pinion seal that's laying on my desk while it's up. And the PS leak, and lube the front CV....man I love maint....NOT!

[StvDiego]

that's not a leak, it's crying for more off-road use and abuse  ~clap

and gee, all I have to do is replace my right front axle and outer stub, change the clutch, replace the rear shock bushings, repair a control arm mount

that was a fun weekend  ~rockon

[lqcj8]

that's not a leak, it's crying for more off-road use and abuse  ~clap

and gee, all I have to do is replace my right front axle and outer stub, change the clutch, replace the rear shock bushings, repair a control arm mount

that was a fun weekend  ~rockon

psh I thought you had to work on it ;D

clutch's are a pain, everything else , basic after run maintainance :D

[carnage4x4]

wow we have them stupid bugs for pets out at truckhaven.  they were crawling all around out at the shop the other night. well at least we know what they are   the locals out here  call them   vinagaroons  im not jokeing  you guys will see when yall come out in a couple of weeks  well it will probably be to cold for them then   we will see   anyway just had to pipe in   later

[Big boy]

wow we have them stupid bugs for pets out at truckhaven.  they were crawling all around out at the shop the other night. well at least we know what they are   the locals out here  call them   vinagaroons  im not jokeing  you guys will see when yall come out in a couple of weeks  well it will probably be to cold for them then   we will see   anyway just had to pipe in   later

I hope it's to cold for those things to be out other wise I'm bringing a flame thrower ;D

Can't be to much of a CUBS fan if he's wearing an ANGELS cap
[/quote]

C'mon now, all of my Cub hats are in a glass cabinet and can't get dirty  ~clap ~clap

[4x4grey88]

It was nice meeting everyone. For those of you who didn't go, you missed out on alot of fun.

Special thanks to Steve and Jimmie for leading a great trip.   David and Ben for keeping us entertained.

Since, I can't see the pictures that Steve posted, a little bird told me there is a really nice one of me with my hat on backwards in the mud cave.  Thanks Jimmie...  Until I get home to see if for myself you off the hook.   But if it's as bad as I think it is...  pay back is a bit#$....  ~2guns.

Today was the first day that I got to access login so I did not get to read the comments until today.

WOW.. I thought it was a good picture.