Mark's Off Road Warehouse Fire Thread (4 Viewers)

[65swb45]

Well, I’m all better, and back in training. Did a 10 mile hike with pack yesterday as I start working my way back into shape for another epic backpacking adventure. Still working on remodeling at home, and several gearbox rebuilds in the shop.

Speaking with @Chungas Revenge earlier today, I realized that the story of the Karma Cruiser has fallen somewhat into obscurity.

Ruftoys #4- my 'new' 69 FJ40

I took some more tame action shots of the Karma Cruiser at Pismo this year, complete with Hendog riding shotgun.

forum.ih8mud.com

If someone with better search skilz than me could find the Toyota Trails article on the truck and link it to the thread above, I would really appreciate it. @thebigredrocker ?

As always, if you could hit the like button, that’s how I know who dropped in.

 

[65swb45]

My daughter, with a little prodding from my wife, forwarded a couple of new pics of the grandkids.

 

[65swb45]

Another month, a lot of adventure. We drove up to San Jose to visit our son and his GF and made a small side trip to see Roger @Racer65 at his warehouse. I left there with a small wry smile of circumspection, having seen so many businesses in their infancy over the last four decades. We had a great time visiting, even though the weather was drizzly. Ended up driving down the coast, hiking in a couple of parks, and almost meeting up with @whitey45 for lunch.

The weekend after we visited mountain friends at a resort in Desert Hot Springs, hiking in Morongo Canyon, and doing a lot of music and merriment. Not sure we’re really into the glamping thing, but our friends really like it, and like having us there. So we’ll see.

The real ‘icing on the cake’ is that our daughter made a solo trip out from Tennessee just to see us! Tina and Becky got to do a lot of mother-daughter bonding. And more importantly for me, in her own way, she started the healing process for the rift between us. We had a wonderful, wide-ranging conversation on Saturday about life, religion, politics, and all the cool kinds of things WE used to have in MUD P&R until a few asshats forced woody into shutting it down.

The pic is a reprise of one we took in the front yard over 20 years ago. I had less hair then.

 

[65swb45]

I got a VM followup on one of my posts yesterday. Made sense to answer it here, where everyone can see it.

My next pack adventure is a day hike of Telescope Peak in Death Valley, approximately two weeks from now. Hoping I won’t have to deal with much snow by then, as the elevation/lack of oxygen should provide all the additional challenge I need for now.

I don’t have a lot of experience hiking at really high elevation, so I’m glad it’s only going to be a day hike. I have a much more ambitious trip planned about three weeks after with @Kofoed and a couple of his hiking buddies that will involve another ascent of Telescope as part of a cross-country adventure.

Yesterday was my first training run of the season with a full sized pack, loaded to (20#). Took in our closest local peak, Mt. Lukens. Vital stats logged with my Fitbit, kind of. It was actually only 12 miles and 3000 ft of gain. But the steps match my phone app.

 

[65swb45]

You can barely see Catalina Island above the clouds in the distance.

 

[65swb45]

So I posted one of my shop workbenches up for sale a couple of weeks ago in classifieds. Then I mentioned in the ideologies thread in chat about dismantling the crate from a new piece of equipment. Under the category of things that take a LONG TIME to happen…

About 30 years ago I bartered my wife’s’76 Camaro that we weren’t really using any more to a neighborhood plumber who ran all the air lines for my shop. Even WAY back then I knew that someday…

You can see the air line running above and behind the workbench in ‘the pit’

 

[65swb45]

@Kofoed helped me get the beast in.

You can see the capped branch fitting that was run THIRTY YEARS AGO in anticipation of this day! Now that’s planning ahead!

 

[65swb45]

What’s REALLY even more significant than the cabinet itself is the mindset that came with it. More than a few of you have noted my ‘drift’ since my mom died, turning a huge corner on the rest of my life.
Once I started putting old Landcruiser parts into the cabinet I felt not only more empowered, but a revitalized sense of commitment to Mark’s Off Road.
I can now see myself spending the next few years slowly digging into this warehouse and rehabilitating parts that have languished, albeit sheltered from the elements, waiting for this moment.

I really like my new toy.

 

[65swb45]

So when I last posted, I failed to mention that I had done something to my back again, moving a transmission and transfer case combo by myself. I had a back brace on, and nothing seemed to happen when I did it. But when I tried to get up from an afternoon nap about five hours later, I was swearing at the top of my lungs just trying to go 10 feet to the toilet. Something had cut loose, and was being agonizingly pinched between my vertebrae.

I laid back down, grabbed the iPad and started researching. Herniated disc matched my symptoms pretty well. Fine. Research how to strengthen back from herniated disc. Start doing PT right then and there.

Well this doubly sucks, because the karma cruiser is already packed for me to leave on 4/20, attend a land use meeting in Red Rock Canyon, then drive on to Wildrose Canyon and hike to Telescope Peak on the 21st. Well, that ain’t gonna happen. Start calculating the odds that I can recover quickly enough to take another stab at it on the 27th, piggybacking on another land use meeting.

Saturday the 23rd Tina and I drove to Bakersfield for the big Landcruiser Rally. Good attendance. Sold a LOT of parts. Wore a backbrace all day, and managed not to hurt myself any worse. That night I got a bug. Probably too much physical contact with too many people. But really? On top of a sore back? What’s up? Luckily the bug passed by morning.

Sunday I went on an easy recovery hike with Tina, again wearing a back brace, something I’ve never had to do hiking. I had also decided that I would have to forgo taking a full, multi-day pack if I went to Telescope, so I switched back to my daypack, loaded five liters of water, and off we went. All good.

Monday I woke up with the kind of sinus pressure I only get before an infection sets in. REALLY? The day before im going to try and leave town for my rescheduled trip? I spent the day putting my head over bowls of steaming water, in between dealing with customers. By evening the sinus pressure had subsided.

 

[65swb45]

Tuesday morning the 26th, everything seemed to be reasonably ok, so I hopped in the truck and slowly made my way to Death Valley. Arrived at Wildrose pretty much on schedule, after determining at last cell service that the gate to Mahogany Flats had still not been opened. The net effect of that locked gate adds an additional 1.6 miles and 1300’ of elevation gain each way to a 14 mile, 3000’ gain hike that ends at 11,000 feet! Oh well, I’m a sucker for punishment.

After a decent nights sleep in the Karma Cruiser (see pics in Expedition forum) I woke up the last time about 5:30 and alternated between doing stretches and relaxing, while pulling the day’s clothes into the sleeping bag to warm them up. Had planned on my trusty old canvas shirt (42+ years old!) over a long sleeve performance wicking shirt. Long hiking pants with multiple pockets over performance tights. All based on earlier forecasts of a 40degree ambient temp at start, with trail high at summit of 70. Not only was the weather perfect, so was the clothing selection. Only thing that wasn’t in the original plan was that I wore the back brace for the entire duration of the hike.

Started hike at 7am sharp. 40 degrees as predicted. But a dry cold. So I put on no extra gear. Was assaulted immediately by the elevation (7000’) and the grade (1300’ in first 1.6 miles!) Had to stop several times to catch my breath. This became the day’s norm.

Much to my surprise I reached the trailhead @1.6 miles in 45 minutes. That and seeing the actual trailhead for the first time gave me a rush, and off I went. No rest stop. Maybe a mistake, maybe not.

After an hour and a half of hike time I took my first trail break. Half a dozen Fig Newtons! When I reached the saddle just south of Bennett Peak (9900’) I took out my phone to check time: 9:04! What a pleasant shock: over 4 miles and 3000’ of gain in two hours! Ok, now comes the good part. Over two miles of relatively flat terrain to the final climb.

 

[65swb45]

I had already told myself that even if I didn’t summit, I at least had to cross this section to the base. Well as it turned out the trail had a slight drop in elevation, which quickly re-energized me. While I was doing this section it also suddenly dawned on me that the trail had to have been cut by the CCC. Perhaps as early as the 1930s. It had all the obvious signs. This made me smile as I slipped into flashback mode, remembering my own trailbuilding days with the Conservation Corps in 1977. Same basic techniques, 40 years later. And THAT made me smile thinking about how long MY handiwork would last.

Now the pain. Screenshot of the altimeter confirmed the final ascent was not from 10k, but from 9400, a 1600’ gain over about two miles…with all the lack of oxygen you could ask for.

As if I hadn’t been through enough—hurting my back the week before, then having an overnight flu bug Saturday and bad sinus pressure the day before leaving—NOW my left leg was sending me phantom signals that I had passed the rubicon point-the point of safe return. I started calculating my odds, all the while considering one of my lifelong mantras: when your aspirations meet your limitations, the one you embrace defines you. And I kept walking, pausing every 100-200 feet to take 10-20 seconds of extra breath because of the elevation. I wasn’t sore, but I knew I could easily become so if I tried to go any faster.

And the head games just wouldn’t stop. One minute I was thinking ‘it’s not a question of if, just when.’ Five minutes later I was ready to turn around again. Five minutes later I heard my dad telling me to just take my time. Then I heard my leg again.

Finally I realized that I was less than a 1/4 mile from the top. When I sat down next to the USGS survey marker on the Peak, I made a simple note in my phone “I no longer cared about the bragging rights of saying I finished nearly as much as I cared about not wanting to say that I hadn’t. Aspirations/limitations (See signature line)

 

[65swb45]

 

[65swb45]

That’s Panamint Valley and Searles Valley, looking Southwest.

 

[65swb45]

I polished off a PBJ my wife had packed for me, along with 800mg of Motrin, and after half an hour of letting them both digest, I started back down.

Stats: 17.2 miles round trip, 4400’ total elevation gain (matched with 4400’ of decent-no idea how many toenails I’m going to lose!) Fitbit actually registered 4880’. Took 20# pack, half of which was water. Phone step app registered 46000 steps over 21 miles (because I was taking smaller steps at the end of the climb) 4:45 to the top, 4:00 down. Fitbit said 47k steps. Close enough.

I am very satisfied to be scratching this off my bucket list days before I turn 61. 60 started on such a low note with me recovering from a very bad hiking injury. For as sore as I am, I am still very happy to be ending 60 on a high note.

Also noteworthy: I was the ONLY one to hike Telescope Peak on April 27,2022. I was on top of the world, and I was alone. Kind of how I told @HENDOG that I always knew it would be.

(I am cautiously unlocking the thread, so you can comment and/or just hit the like button to let me know you stopped in.)

 

[Kofoed]

Good job. That hike is a great hike. The slight down hill secton at trail crest on the way up makes you PAY on the way back. Can I suggest a Mt Langley day hike?

 

[MANUCHAO]

And I kept walking, pausing every 100-200 feet to take 10-20 seconds of extra breath because of the elevation.

Good times !!!
That's a great hike and to have the whole peak to yehself........ NOW THAT IS A TREAT !!!

 

[Zack1978]

I really love this thread. It allows me to take a wonderful journey, albeit vicariously......

 

[mrboatman]

Great job

 

[4Cruisers]

An epic hike, that's for sure. Now you're ready to hike the New Hance Trail from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon to the Colorado River and back in one day. I'd wait until November though.

My wife, youngest son, and I did the Telescope Peak hike quite a few years ago - one of my all-time favorites. We did start at the Mahogany Flats Campground, though, so it made the hike a bit easier. What's impressive to me is the extreme elevation difference (11,325 feet) between the Telescope Peak summit and the floor of Death Valley at Badwater in a distance of only 16 miles.

 

[65swb45]

Avenger is only a year old, and he’s already a little man. Our daughter tells us that he is the ONLY one in his daycare class who is walking. What an amazing difference from Olivia.