Quartzsite 2010 rally happenings and photos

[Ken & Sheila]

Jim,

O think it was 1998 when you suggested a trip from east of QS to the Long Term area south of town.

The first "Ridge" trip by the forum. As I followed you winding up the side of a slope (mountain?) on what appeared to be an ATV trail - too narrow, my outside tires were off the trail part of the time, I wondered what the side inclination had to be before we tipped. Turns out from later experience we weren't close, but I didn't know that at the time.

Finally we are on the Ridge. Then you stopped and said the trail ended. No problem, except as I remember it was too narrow to easily turn around. Thoughts of backing down the trail crossed my mind, until we got out and found the trail continued it just dropped so steeply you couldn't see it from inside the car.


Really fun trip. Some how later trips didn't seem nearly so adventuresome, but still a lot of fun.

Its always good to be following a good leader. Remember folks, this was all pre GPS.

ken

[ruthandken CDN]

Tom, in that slideshow 'The Ridge' who is that gentleman in the red jacket and red cap?  Reason I ask is that the jacket and cap has the logo of Scotiabank, a Canadian bank.  I worked for Scotiabank for 26 years before retiring and my husband who just retired worked for them for 24 years.  Was wondering if it was anyone that we might know.  Can't get those things unless you worked for Scotiabank at sometime....

[Jim Dick]

Ken,

Aah, you remember that trip so well. Yes, it was very exciting and sometimes a little scary. When we went around that first bend at the top of the mountain, with the 25 degree slope to the right, Pat was all but sitting on my lap. When we did the identical one on the opposite side, she was almost out the window. She thought for sure we were going to roll over.

I remember vividly the road that disappeared from sight!! All I could see was blue sky. I also remember the hysterical laughter from Betty over the CB. What a great trip that was. I agree, subsequent trips seemed so tame from that first one.

Attached is a photo of my Grand Vitara that Terry took at the bottom washout, where we sort of took a wrong turn. That's where I stopped the car and leaned forward so the rear wheel was off the ground. Then I sat back in the seat and the front wheel came off the ground!!

[Betty Brewer]

Tom, in that slideshow 'The Ridge' who is that gentleman in the red jacket and red cap?  Reason I ask is that the jacket and cap has the logo of Scotiabank, a Canadian bank. 

Yep that fellow is Canadian and did  work for a bank in Nova Scotia and is retired.   I'm sure he will respond  to you here.
Betty

[Betty Brewer]

Attached is a photo of my Grand Vitara that Terry took at the bottom washout, where we sort of took a wrong turn. That's where I stopped the car and leaned forward so the rear wheel was off the ground. Then I sat back in the seat and the front wheel came off the ground!

Jim,

You should have seen that rut this year.  Fortunately they have a by pass route. Terry took the hard way as our tires and clearance  are pretty good.  The Ridge route is still scary even after doing it a few times.  Guys on ATV's  kept passing us telling us that we could not do it.  Well yes we did!

Betty

[Ron from Big D]

Jim,

You should have seen that rut this year.  Fortunately they have a by pass route. Terry took the hard way as our tires and clearance  are pretty good.  The Ridge route is still scary even after doing it a few times.  Guys on ATV's  kept passing us telling us that we could not do it.  Well yes we did!

Betty

Last time I was out there, the ATV people told me I couldn't do it either, but I did.  Interesting little trip.

[Wendy]

Terry told us we could do it in the Vw !!!!
 
Jim, You really need to come back to Quartzsite.
 
Did the Bouse run yesterday, stopping at the Intaglio and the WWII areas and also ran off road both north and south of the road. There are so many areas to explore ! Think we'll try Palm Canyon and Kofa Queen tomorrow....so many places, so little time.
 
Wendy
Roadrunner, Qtz

[Hfx_Cdn]

     I typed a response earlier, but the wifi at his park SUCKS!  Ruth, I said that I'd have gladly taken you on a tour of Head Office last summer when you were in town, in fact we met Frank and Barb about a half click from there.   You'll have to come back east     I worked 20 years at ARO and 15 at ADFC.
     Where are you in Ontario?  We have 2 kids living in Ottawa, so get up often.
     Jim, Donna & I car rallied when young, we drove in hill climbs, gymcanas, & ice dices.  I raced go-carts, and pit crewed at a dirt oval.  None of which prepared us for the Ridge, particularly after I blew a rock through a new tire.  There were a few  times that I wasn't sure we weren't going to roll, or end up like that Jeep here near Yuma with the road giving out.  In the end, all was well, I'm not sure that there wasn't a dark spot or 2 on the back seats, but hey I never sit back there anyway. 

[ruthandken CDN]

We're just outside of Toronto.  We both worked at the computer centre in Scarborough, in the security devision.  The computer security division. 

[Jim Dick]

Betty,

Bypasses take out all the fun! Terry's my man!!! Go for the difficult. Of course, he has a much better vehicle than I do now. Sure miss the days of our Grand Vitaras!

Wendy,

We would love to come back but probably won't be able to stay that long this year. Sometime take a run down into Swansea. It's an old abandoned mining area at the bottom of a valley. It's a long washboard drive from Bouse but quite interesting.

Ed,

The Ridge certainly is not for the faint at heart on the first trip. Gets a little easier the second time but still holds a thrill. That "rolling down the mountain" feeling just never goes away completely.

We learn quickly never to listen to ATV drivers. Terry & I won't listen to Rangers either. They told him the Calcite Mine drive was undoable a few years ago after we both completed the trail with Grand Vitaras!!

[MikeCoke]

Here are 2 pics I took a few day after the rally ended.
Moonrise & Sunset
Mike

[caltex]

Jim, on one hill there was a rock with your name on it -- or so Terry said. Transmission hill I think he called it.

[Jim Dick]

Robert,

Yep, just as you get to the climb up to The Ridge. What happened was I had placed the GV into four wheel drive but could not get over a small rise. The light showed it was in four wheel but it would not go. I decided I better head back. I told everyone to continue on as the drive out was simple (not far from Apache Chief) but they all said no. The Framily wasn't going to let us go back alone.

We had to take the car to Phoenix to find the problem. Ron & Sam came with us in their car to be sure we made it. The problem turned out to be a pin in the shift for the transfer case. It had fallen out so we never were in four wheel drive. The lever moved into position and turned on the light!

That is the only mechanical problem I ever had with two GV's. That first one had 82K driven miles and 55K towed miles when I traded for a new one.

There is another trail to Chicken Corners where I scraped a rock on a sharp turn and tore off the rocker panel trim. That was a matter of getting more plastic rivets to replace the broken ones.

[Terry A. Brewer]

  Terry & I won't listen to Rangers either. They told him the Calcite Mine drive was undoable a few years ago after we both completed the trail with Grand Vitaras!!

Jim
I did it this year with Jerry & Ardra but could only get their Acura half way up before clearance became a problem for them, or they would have made it too......

[Terry A. Brewer]

Terry told us we could do it in the Vw !!!!

Wendy

Not the Ridge...I was talking about the Big Eye mine for you.

[Jim Dick]

Terry,

Jerry & Ardra have a nice SUV but it isn't designed for Calcite Mine or that other trail we did after the mine.

[ArdraF]

You are so right, Jim.  We have no skid plate like we did on the Jeep and haven't found anyone who would put one on so gave up trying.  Also it's a tad lower than the Jeep Grand Cheokee so less clearance.  Guess we don't do enough four-wheeling to make that much of a difference.  If we go back to Moab we've been thinking about renting a Jeep there.

ArdraF

[Jim Dick]

Ardra,

The GV didn't have any skid plates and it was pretty low to the ground. You just have to find the proper path through the obstacle. It does take time to learn but it can be fun. Sometimes it just isn't possible. The Calcite Mine is one of those!

[ArdraF]

Jim,

Yup!  And two years ago at Moab we only made it part way up Pucker Pass of all places because of very deep sand and boulders at one point not far from the top.  Al Griefer made it in his Hummer but there was a lot of slippin' and slidin' to get past that one point where we turned around.  And to think - Pucker Pass was our very first four-wheel drive!  C'est las vie.

ArdraF

[Marsha/CA]

.  Guess we don't do enough four-wheeling to make that much of a difference.  If we go back to Moab we've been thinking about renting a Jeep there.
ArdraF

Ardra, that's what Tim and I have decided to do.  I really enjoyed the 4 wheel drive with everyone in QZ; but we don't do it often enough to buy a car that can 4 wheel.  We actually have a 3/4 ton Chevy truck that is 4 wheel, but it might have had problems in the more narrow parts of the trial.  So we though, heck, we'll rent a jeep for a day or for a week.  That way anything that happens, it's rental facility that has the problem.  I felt bad for Ed and Donna, not only did they have a flat on the ride; but got some good scratches on their jeep.

Marsha~

[Hfx_Cdn]

       with a little bit of elbow grease and some rubbing compound became    The tire on the other hand was a bummer, but s$%t happens   It was only a real pain when we were told they couldn't match the tire, but even that turned out ok when we got to talk to someone who knew how to order the right one.  While we didn't do anything that severe, we did go back roading again Sunday.  No ridges, but lots of washes and soft gravel.  Went about 30 to 40 miles through BLM land between Yuma and route 78.

[Marsha/CA]

Ed, I'm so glad to hear you got the scratches out.  I felt so bad and it sounds like the tire can be taken care of too.

Hope the weather is good in Yuma; it was great in Palm Springs!  We are now home, the coach unpacked and parked at the storage lot.  We even have everything put away; but have already begun to think about the next trip.

Marsha~

[Jim Dick]

Ardra,

Can't say we've ever done Pucker Pass, unless someone has renamed it. I know of one that should be called that!!

[vmax1]

http://paloverdevalleytimes.com/main.asp?SectionID=99&SubSectionID=704&l=2

[Terry A. Brewer]

  but got some good scratches on their jeep.
 

Marsha
Those are called Arizona pin-striping...... If you go four-wheeling in the desert you're going to get them.

[Tom]

Those are called Arizona pin-striping...

Second only to the waterless brush car wash when you drive down the washes 

[Marsha/CA]

Thanks Terry!  Good to know they have a  name.   

Marsha~

[Ken & Sheila]

In 1998, the year I followed Jim on the Ridge ride - we followed him some other "interesting" places (never said I was smart-BG). At the time I had a fairly new Jeep Grand Cherokee Ltd. In March when I got to my first work assignment of the year I spent $125.00 to have the car detailed to remove the AZ pinstripes! Not the last time I had to do this.

ken