This is the journey report for the Saturday, July 8, 2000 evening run on Tin Can Alley. This path lies west of Lake Pleasant in and across the previous P4W BLM lease land. I name it Tin Can Alley as a result of it was launched to me final 12 months by a superb good friend who additionally referred to as it Tin Can Alley (duh). Actually, there’s a spot alongside the path (it was too darkish final evening to see it) the place the previous miners apparently dumped a number of their trash, bottles, cans, and so forth.
Disclaimer: Any feedback made in direction of an individual’s driving capacity or path worthiness of stated particular person’s journey is made with the most effective of intentions and a smile on my face. If I had needed to insult you or your Jeep, I will surely have accomplished it on the path final evening, in particular person, so I may have seen your response! 
Jeeps began arriving as early as 5:30 PM on the air down level simply off of SR74. We needed to go away promptly at 6:00 PM (really we left at 6:02, which could darn nicely be a report). Greetings had been made and faces had been related to e-mail signature strains. After a brief driver’s assembly, we headed down the Haul Road to the path, about 4 or 5 miles away. There had been 9 SWB Jeeps and 1 Cherokee (there at all times must be that 10% in any crowd!).
I hope I’ve the next driver/passenger checklist right….I’m actually dangerous with names. Let’s see, there was Steve, Larry, Scott/Matt, Dion/Mrs. Dion, Chris J/Mrs. J and youngsters, Mike/Mrs. Mike, Drew/3 Jeep chicks (some folks!), Mike/Robin, Patrick, and myself.
After dropping down right into a wash and locking the gate behind us (many because of Mike, the tailgunner and obligation gate nearer), we slipped into 4WD and proceeded on. Our first shock was after we came across a pair of untamed burros. I caught one in every of them with the digital camera (quickest digital within the West!). Do you see it within the photograph beneath?
Within a couple of minutes, we came across the primary rock impediment. Now if in case you have some carry and/or huge tires (with tread….Dion), this little rock pile doesn’t pose an issue. However, a lot of our group had been operating inventory Jeeps and so there was a couple of makes an attempt made earlier than all cleared the rocks. No one wanted a strap and we proved that 4 ready bodied by-standers CAN push a hi-centered Jeep into freedom!
Next got here “the squeeze”. As my mother and father by no means dropped me on my head as an toddler, I used to be capable of decide that my TJ and “the squeeze” weren’t made for one another.
As such, I opted to take the up and round bypass whereas Steve squeezed by. I knew he would make it, as he had accomplished so on the final Sunday’s pre-run. Patrick additionally determined to present it a attempt. After a few makes an attempt, he to made it by, however not with out a new crease (aka, badge of braveness) in the best rear quarter panel. The remainder of the drivers took the bypass (additionally the results of caring mother and father little doubt!). It needs to be famous right here that tires aired as much as a excessive stress with little tread could have an issue on this a part of the path too!
We continued down the wash a methods after which climbed out to increased floor. The path continued to achieve altitude as we began operating the ridges within the foothills. As nightfall was setting in upon us, we had a ravishing view of Lake Pleasent and the twinkling lights of the Phoenix valley method off within the distance. We stopped right here to take a relaxation break and whereas I attempted to determine how Drew received all these Jeep chicks in his journey.
After everybody received accomplished doing what ever it’s that everybody does when doing a relaxation break (don’t go there!), we headed to the highest of the ridge and located a pleasant tight switchback that requires a nicely executed 3 level activate a superb day. I’m nonetheless undecided what or who had the very best flip rely, however I don’t suppose anybody hit double digits whereas attempting.
Well into the foothills by now, we found the whoop-de-doo part of the path. Short/steep climbs and descents had been the secret. A number of of the stockers encountered traction issues right here and the strap got here out on one event. Naturally, the peer stress that resulted from this motion acted because the motivating catalyst for the remainder of the evening….NO ONE WANTED THAT YELLOW DEMON HOOKED TO THEM!
Every every now and then the path gained good character, because of mom nature’s drainage issues and the steep climbs over the whoop-de-doos. We stopped a number of extra occasions with a Jeep ready on the prime, the yellow “strap of humility” in hand, to make it possible for the following automobile would efficiently make the climb.
About .4 miles from the Haul Road (you gotta love these GPS items), Larry introduced on the CB that we had a break down. Patrick’s entrance shackle had let go leaving his leaf spring with nothing to play on! The unique plan was a fast “path weld”, however by some means, logic rose over madness. Plan B was rapidly fashioned (Steve was actually itching to do some welding with two batteries and my jumper cables) and resulted in chaining the shackle in place with a exactly measured piece of log chain and a not so exact bolt that was bouncing round within the tub of somebody’s Jeep (I nonetheless don’t know who discovered the bolt, however an enormous because of you!).
After the primary and solely presentation of “Trail Repair 101” was concluded, we completed the trek to the Haul Road and regrouped. It was about 11:30 PM or so and a number of other of the parents headed again in direction of house. I had promised those that needed to remain that we may do an elective hill on the way in which again to civilization.
With about half of the group safely on their method house, the remaining insomniacs tossed warning to the wind and headed out to search out Wishbone Hill. I had Wishbone marked on my GPS, however I didn’t have the path to it. We managed, with out even a mistaken flip (OK, so even a blind squirrel can discover a nut now and again), to climb and claw our method to the highest of the hill (did I point out we nonetheless had a stocker with us….Scott, you might be such a persistent man!).
Parked on the crest of Wishbone, I plugged in the hand-held spot mild to probe the darkish and deep abyss that lie simply inches in entrance of my TJ. Mike (now promoted from tail gunner and obligation gate nearer to THE tail gunner) defined the 2 potential paths down the face of Wishbone and together with the bypass…..bypass???…..gosh, that’s nearly as dangerous as that yellow demon!
Those with lockers (Mike, Steve, and myself) pushed off the highest, one after the other, and made the descent into the darkness. Well….we did have headlights, and so forth., so it wasn’t possibly fairly that dangerous. Once safely on the backside, we rotated to do battle with the overburden and rock ledges that makes you like the phrase DETROIT! Once we had been all safely on the prime, we headed out to the Haul Road to wrap up the night….oops….morning. It was 12:30 AM.
We headed for the freeway and stopped to air up. After filling tires and getting the discos again into avenue mode, we stated our good-byes and headed for house. I made my storage at 2:00 PM and referred to as it a day.
Night Run
Here are a couple of photographs from the 9/9/2000 evening run. We had a complete of seven Jeeps alongside this time, all SWBs. Roger and his pals, John, Bob, and Keith joined up with us. Dion and Paola had been there, together with Larry and Jeff. I lastly received Ross and Deb (and their little son Brian) to return alongside. Ross has been working laborious on his CJ-7 all summer season lengthy and it’s lastly on the stage the place he can drive it on the paths. You’ll see some pics of it beneath.
The run lasted a bit over 6 hours. During this time, we misplaced a couple of folks as we’d come again to the Haul Road and they’d decide to name it an evening and head for house. It was a number of enjoyable, and I feel we’ve got Deb hooked on the whoop-de-doo part of the trial. She actually appeared to love the curler coaster journey!
Here are some photographs of some of the contributors as they navigate their method by the path.
Here is Dion choosing is method by some rocks within the wash to not removed from the beginning of the path. Those Goodyear MT/Rs proceed to do an important job. I ‘ve been keeping track of them they usually don’t appear to be chunking very a lot and the sidewalls are holding up as nicely.
Roger picks his was by the identical rocks that Dion was in. Hey, take a look at that roll bar. Roger received his accomplished at O-R Fab too, similar place I received mine from.
Here is Ross along with his lately modified CJ-7. Let me see if I can bear in mind many of the particulars. 38.5″ Super Swampers, D44 entrance, D60 rear, 4.88 gears, ARBs in each ends, customized steering, suspension, and axle work. Yeah…these are the excessive factors.
This is Ross on the squeeze rock that Steve went by on the earlier web page. I’m standing on the other facet of after I took this photograph. As you possibly can see, Ross has determined to go over the squeeze as a substitute of by it.
Ross made it up onto the rocks and is choosing a line (what line?) off of this jumbled pile of boulders. I snapped a number of pics as he labored his method by this impediment and he by no means as soon as touched the beneath facet of his automobile on a rock. This brute of a Jeep offers Lady a posh! (Hey buddy, I stated that with a smile on my face!)
September 24, 2000 Tin Can Alley
It was a few days earlier than the weekend and I rapidly despatched out some e-mail to see if anybody was up for a run on Sunday. Some of my common Jeepin’ buddies had been both out of city, broke down (Dion), or deliberate on watching their favourite soccer group take a beating on TV.
I received maintain of Uncle Mike and he confirmed that he and his CJ-5 could be coming along with his good friend, Tim, who lately constructed up his Y2K TJ. We additionally had Jim be a part of us for the primary time in his lately upgraded YJ. Larry, an everyday all throughout our summer season evening runs, rounded out the group along with his TJ. It was nice operating with some new people and I hope Tim and Jim could make many extra runs with us.
Since I’ve written about Tin Can Alley within the earlier pages, I attempted to get a couple of photographs of various locations on the path that I had not gotten earlier than. Since we began the run at 3:00 PM (because of cooler climate), we had been capable of see elements of the path in day mild. WOW! What a neat idea.
I noticed fairly a little bit of the native wild life inhabitants throughout this run. We flushed a number of coveys of quail and noticed two coyotes. An awesome huge lengthy eared jack rabbit took off down the path leaving however a few puffs of mud floating within the breeze.
We got here throughout this tortoise by the facet of the path. He was good sufficient to pose for a few photos. He in fine condition. Just in case you had been questioning, we peaked beneath his shell to see what he had. Although some had been shocked, I used to be anticipating to see Detroit Lockers, entrance and rear. Yes sir, no ARBs on this fellow!
After the drive practice inspection, we requested him if he may give us an motion shot. Luckily he rose to the event and slipped it into 4LO. Although we didn’t calculate it, his crawl ratio should have method, method down there. Pretty good rock crawler, little doubt. Between the actually low gearing and people CLAWS, I feel he may mount an assault on absolutely anything we may throw at him.
As we labored our well beyond the tortoise and additional in to the whoop-de-doo part of the path, I used to be capable of catch all of us within the shot. Catching one in every of these at evening when everybody has their rock lights on makes for a pleasant photograph additionally.
Mike was operating tail gunner for us….a thankless and normally dusty job. So, I’m going to double what I’ve been paying him and can promise to submit extra photos of him sooner or later. I caught Mike in his CJ-5 climbing up out of the wash. All of us groaned after we received thus far because the solar was only a bit above the horizon and was straight in our eyes as we got here up the financial institution. Now I do know why it was a lot simpler when it was darkish out!
