Is this Karma? (1 Viewer)

[sj]

I'll say this up front, I had 3 kids with me, it was 115 degrees and no ac.

We were going up camping yesterday, we left around 12:00. I saw one of the road signs up the 87 that say brush fire at mile post 243 expect long delays. I hadn't heard of any fires so I thought maybe it was old. Anyway, got to Rye and traffic was backed up. Not moving, did I say I have no ac. I knew the Tonto NF opened back up yesterday. So I decided to drive the dirt road (414) that goes from Rye to Payson. I have done this multiple times, we can stop, let the kids play and shoot some guns.

I get to the split of 414 and 535 ( not sure on rd numbers) there is a rancher driving by and said the main rd is locked. He also said the road is washed out really bad in a few places. I believe him about the gate being locked. I ask about 535. He said it's a rough road also, another guy said I can take it but it will destroy my car. Im in my 60, I tell him I have done it before and he shruggs his head and drives away. We proceed up the road, My brother was behind me in his truck. After a couple of miles it gets crazy. We come up to a line of cars, apparently Google had been sending people this way. There were trucks pulling trailers, one suburban had a wave runner. There were multiple mini vans and cars. I thought about turning around and leaving just as another truck got behind us.

The road went down into a canyon and nobody was moving. Finally I see people pushing a van up the hill on the other side, as they step on the gas. It makes it up and road and we all start moving agian. We go another 1/2 mile and stop agian, sit for a while. I decided to see what was going on. I walked past 15-20 vehicles, trucks, jeeps, mini vans, cars, wave runners, At one point the road turned into a wash with big boulders. Some lady is moving rocks, others are complaining that it's not a road, why was google sending them this way. My thought was "why didn't you turn around miles ago" Got to a lady stuck trying to leave the wash up the other side and through a gate. Both front wheels were flat and just spinning. 10 of us guys tried pushing her, but no good, couldn't really go backwards because she was 20 yards down the wash with the boulders. She said someone need to call 911 for help. I knew there was a lot of people who could help, I was 20 cars back. Sad part it I think we were 1/2 mile or less from the doll baby rd

I walked to my brother and said let's get out of here. We turned around and left. When we got back to Rye there was a sheriff stoping people from going that way. Google was still sending people that way.

Anyways as I was backing up I think I may have broken a transfer case? Ending up driving home

Transfer case?

I was out yesterday and needed to turn around and go back the way I came. It was a little rough and steep so I decided to put it in 4wd and go to 4low to go back up. I locked the hubs, put it in 4 low and put it in reverse. I could cut it into a clearing and go forward up the hill. As I am...

forum.ih8mud.com

I felt bad about leaving the lady, but there were a ton of people who could help.

 

[Funner]

I'll say this up front, I had 3 kids with me, it was 115 degrees and no ac.

We were going up camping yesterday, we left around 12:00. I saw one of the road signs up the 87 that say brush fire at mile post 243 expect long delays. I hadn't heard of any fires so I thought maybe it was old. Anyway, got to Rye and traffic was backed up. Not moving, did I say I have no ac. I knew the Tonto NF opened back up yesterday. So I decided to drive the dirt road (414) that goes from Rye to Payson. I have done this multiple times, we can stop, let the kids play and shoot some guns.

I get to the split of 414 and 535 ( not sure on rd numbers) there is a rancher driving by and said the main rd is locked. He also said the road is washed out really bad in a few places. I believe him about the gate being locked. I ask about 535. He said it's a rough road also, another guy said I can take it but it will destroy my car. Im in my 60, I tell him I have done it before and he shruggs his head and drives away. We proceed up the road, My brother was behind me in his truck. After a couple of miles it gets crazy. We come up to a line of cars, apparently Google had been sending people this way. There were trucks pulling trailers, one suburban had a wave runner. There were multiple mini vans and cars. I thought about turning around and leaving just as another truck got behind us.

The road went down into a canyon and nobody was moving. Finally I see people pushing a van up the hill on the other side, as they step on the gas. It makes it up and road and we all start moving agian. We go another 1/2 mile and stop agian, sit for a while. I decided to see what was going on. I walked past 15-20 vehicles, trucks, jeeps, mini vans, cars, wave runners, At one point the road turned into a wash with big boulders. Some lady is moving rocks, others are complaining that it's not a road, why was google sending them this way. My thought was "why didn't you turn around miles ago" Got to a lady stuck trying to leave the wash up the other side and through a gate. Both front wheels were flat and just spinning. 10 of us guys tried pushing her, but no good, couldn't really go backwards because she was 20 yards down the wash with the boulders. She said someone need to call 911 for help. I knew there was a lot of people who could help, I was 20 cars back. Sad part it I think we were 1/2 mile or less from the doll baby rd

I walked to my brother and said let's get out of here. We turned around and left. When we got back to Rye there was a sheriff stoping people from going that way. Google was still sending people that way.

Anyways as I was backing up I think I may have broken a transfer case? Ending up driving home

Transfer case?

I was out yesterday and needed to turn around and go back the way I came. It was a little rough and steep so I decided to put it in 4wd and go to 4low to go back up. I locked the hubs, put it in 4 low and put it in reverse. I could cut it into a clearing and go forward up the hill. As I am...

forum.ih8mud.com

I felt bad about leaving the lady, but there were a ton of people who could help.

They would drive off a cliff if google sent them, can’t fix stupid.

 

[-Spike-]

Not to preach, but fire restrictions are still on, no shooting. We really, really don't need any more fires.

As for the rest of it, daaamn what a mess. I usually figure I'm the best hope the person in trouble has, so I do what I can, when and if I can. Every situation is different, only you should judge yourself. And maybe your higher power, which may be what you're thinking.

I was otwh from Payson the day the Bush fire started. It was very early on, traffic was diverted onto 188 from the 87 southbound, reason unknown at the time. I was looking at a long drive through Globe to north Phoenix, and thought very hard about taking 4 Peaks Road across. Good thing I didn't, the fire was breaking across the highway there and it would have really extended my trip to be turned back, if I would have even had the gas to get back to Tonto Basin.

 

[Dimples]

In that situation I look at it in a more logical frame of mind. Am I contributing anything useful to the situation, or am I just in the way or worse?
Sorry to hear about the tcase, but in every off-roaders life a few gears must fall.

 

[Living in the Past]

Sorry to hear about the tcase, but in every off-roaders life a few gears must fall.

Interesting thought the FJ60 had a decent skid plate? The FJ62 moved to a mall cruiser setup.

So far no gears but in my early years spun a rod bearing on my first cruiser. PO on a quick rebuild didn't bother to put the cotter pins back in the castle nuts. Does that count?

 

[Dimples]

Interesting thought the FJ60 had a decent skid plate? The FJ62 moved to a mall cruiser setup.

So far no gears but in my early years spun a rod bearing on my first cruiser. PO on a quick rebuild didn't bother to put the cotter pins back in the castle nuts. Does that count?

It sure does. Drive it, break it, fix it, repeat

 

[Living in the Past]

Not to preach, but fire restrictions are still on, no shooting. We really, really don't need any more fires.

Agree we don't need anymore fires. Coconino National Forest has opened again if you travel further north. Not sure if Tonto National Forest has lifted any restrictions.

 

[-Spike-]

Agree we don't need anymore fires. Coconino National Forest has opened again if you travel further north. Not sure if Tonto National Forest has lifted any restrictions.

Tonto was under Stage 3 fire restrictions for July, which means no travel, essentially closed. It was downgraded to Stage 1 yesterday, which prohibits shooting (other than active hunting), and also fires and smoking outside of developed areas, but does not limit travel.

 

[murf]

Google is up to no good...?

 

[Dimples]

Google is up to no good...?

 

[DSRTRDR]

Tonto was under Stage 3 fire restrictions for July, which means no travel, essentially closed. It was downgraded to Stage 1 yesterday, which prohibits shooting (other than active hunting), and also fires and smoking outside of developed areas, but does not limit travel.

Travel is still prohibited in the area of the Bush Fire (see my post New closure of Bush Fire area), until end of March 2021, due to concerns about flooding/mud slides

 

[-Spike-]

Travel is still prohibited in the area of the Bush Fire (see my post New closure of Bush Fire area), until end of March 2021, due to concerns about flooding/mud slides

Yep. Richard and I have been helping and talking with the Mesa district personnel, they expect massive damage with the next major storm. Like, take out sections of the 87 massive. That area will be a cause for concern for years. That's a huge amount of drainage that no longer has significant vegetation to help slow water runoff. I'd expect the area to be closed through the end of the year, at least, but that's not by any means official.

 

[MesquiteDweller]

Not to preach, but fire restrictions are still on, no shooting. We really, really don't need any more fires.

We weren't doing any shooting this time. He just meant in past times they have stopped to do some shooting (when conditions allow).

It was pretty dry out there. When we came back out to Rye we talked to the same rancher again. We told him about the mess. I guess it wasnt the first time Google has sent people down that road. He said they worry because obviously people will get stuck, but also the smart ones do eventually turn around. But in these dry conditions that sometimes means leaving the roadway to turn around and they worry about vehicle/brush fires.

I bet with all the minivans, vehicles with trailers, and sedans, that mess properly took hours to clean up.

 

[MesquiteDweller]

This is where everyone got stuck. It was as people were dropping into the gultch. It was thick with brush and trees. So there was no passing anyone. It was pretty steep drop so the people with trailers and non 4-wheel drive vehicles weren't going to be able to back out.