Ol' Farts on the Devil's Highway '15-The Post Mortem

[achuto]

“A project post-mortem is a process, usually preformed at the conclusion of a project, to determine and analyze elements of the project that were successful or not.”

Thought that I might need to start a thread before Frenchie had a chance tell a story that would include untruths and exaggerations. If Frenchie started the thread, he would be saying how everything went wrong, from having a weather delay, people cancelling, people getting sick, not knowing where the starting point was, and someone breaking down. So I need to step up and let the truth be known! :Wow1:

The cast included: Mike & Vivian (jus passin thru) with a 2012 JKUR, Mike & co-pilot Brindy (mm58), in a 1976 Pinzgauer 710, Frenchie (FrenchieXJ) driving alone in a Jeep JKU. If you know Frenchie, that’s understandable! And filling out the foursome is us, Steve & Shellie driving a LJ and dragging a trailer….THAT WORKED PERFECTLY!



Everybody but us met at a campsite in Dome Valley Tuesday night. Wednesday morning we all met together at the Fry’s gas station off exit 12 & I8. Fueled and ready to go after our meet and greet we headed off to the trailhead at the southern end of Foothills Blvd. (exit 14)

[/URL][/IMG]

After airing down we’re ready to begin the journey. The highway is well marked, signposts show where we were and where to go………even Frenchie couldn’t find a way to get us lost! Lots of flora with blooms and color. We were working our way to Fortuna Mine to explore and have lunch. Popular place with lots of quads and a few four-wheelers. From there we headed south thru a rock lined wash, passing old vertical mine shafts, which I might add, Frenchie described beautifully…almost like he had been there before. During this time frame, accounts of our voyage might differ as to “who” tells the story. I’m here to tell that EVERYONE made it to our campsite that night at Spook Canyon and had a fabulous campfire. We even got christened with Frenchie’s campfire heater! :campfire:The campsite was at the end of a sandy wash with steep canyon walls. Weather was in the low 50’s, absolutely perfect.


More to come……….:coffeedrink:

 

[mm58]

A few pics that I took...

 

[jus passin thru]

I seem to remember being stopped in the middle of the road, I think a hi lift jack was involved. If only there were pictures to make my memories clear. Mike

 

[achuto]

Maybe there was something...........

Well, maybe there was a slight hiccup during the first day of travel. As an Ol' Fart, one might tend to forget unpleasant things or maybe omit them to draw responses from others. Yes, I was the guilty party. I had an issue with a leaf spring not behaving properly.

I seem to remember being stopped in the middle of the road, I think a hi lift jack was involved. If only there were pictures to make my memories clear. Mike

Actually it was in the middle of a nice wash with shade from a large tree. I can't say enough about all the help I got from everyone to design a fix to get us back on the trail. Frenchie had some hose clamps and a ratchet strap so along with some bailing wire, vise grips and duct tape we got it mended.

[/URL][/IMG]

[/URL][/IMG]

I found a bypass around the trail we just came from that let me travel back to town on a smoother ride. I ended up at the Tractor Store where I replaced the old springs with nice shiny new ones. Temporary fix but one to let us finish the trail. Took off back down the trail where we met up with the rest of the gang at the campsite.

[/URL][/IMG]

[/URL][/IMG]

Thanks again for all the help and patience from all, especially Frenchie who jumped in and helped get her done.

 

[Ace Brown]

Nice report. You know I wish I could have been there. I camped at Spook wash in 2013, looks like the same spot. Lucky that you found a spring that worked. Looks short but it got you back on the trail. No photos of the jury rig?

 

[mm58]

Here ya go... We literally used duct tape & bailing wire! (none of us had any chewing gum)

 

[achuto]

Day 2. After a causal time of having breakfast and packing up we take off back down Spook Cyn. to hook up again with the Devil's Highway. Some of the benefits of traveling the road a few days after a rainstorm are driving on a surface without dust and driving through an area loaded with desert bloom.



Our plan is to follow the trail in a southeast direction toward the Tinajas Altas Mountains looking for the High Tanks natural water storage. Traveling the Barry Goldwater Range finds you skirting areas with signs telling you it might be a bad idea to explore areas off the main road. On this day we never came across anybody connected with the Border Patrol or the military.



With Mike's Pinzgauer I felt like we had a military escort driving along with us. I think this thing is totally cool.



Along the trail you come across towers that have been erected to help immigrants that find a need to call for help in order to survive. I believe these were installed after a border crossing went awry.



Lots of plants and lots of interesting rock formations



After lunch we found our way to the watering hole. One has to think of the early travelers who came to this spot knowing that if no water was found their life expectancy dramatically declined.



Finally we came to the American Flag erected by the Boy Scouts. There are a few nice campsites in the area and we decided it would be a great place to pitch a tent......or whatever. Another campfire with lots of stories told, some true...some ???



More to come........

 

[1leglance]

I have driven during and after rain and it could have been called the Canal del Diablo.
Looks like a good time with great people and I am eagerly awaiting the rest of the tale.

 

[Ace Brown]

Here ya go... We literally used duct tape & bailing wire! (none of us had any chewing gum)

View attachment 274758View attachment 274757View attachment 274759

Love the red duct tape, looks like a bloody good mess.

 

[achuto]

Day 3, here we go.

On the second day when we entered Cabeza Prieta Refuge we found the trail dramatically improved over the previous day. The Border Patrol drags this part which leaves an almost paved road feeling.

I have driven during and after rain and it could have been called the Canal del Diablo.

I think we were there during the Canal days. Frenchie said it would be fine to take the wet road, of course he wanted one of us to try it first. Something about needing to bring up the rear 'cause it might be sloppy. I'm thinking we should have brought a water ski and rope!





Next up we visited a well/pump water supply.



Stopped here for lunch, tried to figure out the language on the bootom of the sign:



Guess the road wasn't smooth enough so......



Found some more moisture, of course Frenchie said "No Problem" follow me!!



Next we moved into Organ Pipes National Monument....



Then we stopped at an old ranch used for grazing cattle(?) After the death of the owner in 1976 the property fell into the hands of the national park service. Lots of vegetation and remnants of the old ranch.





Getting near the end of the trail we found a nice campsite location (thanks to Mike & Vivian) where we set up our last camp as a group. I set up the deluxe version of my camp since we were going to be heading home the next day.



We never had any direct interaction with the Border Patrol or the military. No one ever stopped to talk to us or ask us for our passes. We then had another night around the campfire telling more tales. Seemed like each night our bedtime became earlier than the night before!

Maybe a little more to come.............

 

[agavelvr]

Stopped here for lunch, tried to figure out the language on the bootom of the sign:

Pretty sure that is Yaqui, a tribe that lives on both sides of the border. There is a border crossing on the Tohono O'odham reservation west of Ajo that is simply know as "the gate" where tribal members can cross. It's a trip, just a dirt road in the middle of nowhere.

 

[Ace Brown]

^ Frenchie is up to his usual level of BS and weirdness. But this reminds me of a rule we had in off-road racing: if there was a hole in the road always hit it on the passengers side and save the driver.

 

[achuto]

^ Frenchie is up to his usual level of BS and weirdness.

I found nothing weird or any high level of BS with Frenchie (oh wait, there was that one day I had to put my boots on, but I digress)!! Unfortunately, Shellie has a copy of the Articles of Off-Roading and SHE says that there is a chapter somewhere that says any of her personal items that she buys and brings on the trip and stores on MY side of the jeep comes out of the jeep budget.

She won't let me read that chapter

 

[Weeds]

My wife always gets the mud, cow pie side. Especially on the back of her pants getting in and out.

 

[JCMatthews]

Pretty sure that is Yaqui, a tribe that lives on both sides of the border. There is a border crossing on the Tohono O'odham reservation west of Ajo that is simply know as "the gate" where tribal members can cross. It's a trip, just a dirt road in the middle of nowhere.

Googled it. According to the state of Arizona, it is Pima.

I have had the opportunity (if that's what can be called) to visit with Frenchie during the EJS event. During those visits, all of us had to move our wallets to our shirt pockets.