A great Christmas Weekend... Ridgecrest, Ca and the surrounding areas

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Joined
Oct 25, 2008
Threads
63
Messages
709
Location
Queen Creek, Az
Hello everyone,

Haven't posted much here lately, been busy with work and working on my son's FJ62 since he got it a few months back.. Don't even have time to work on my own truck.... It feels so neglected it decided to throw a code and kick on the 'CHECK ENGINE LIGHT' for running too lean...I replaced the primary O2 sensor and checked the MAF sensor too... I have a bad feeling its the cat converters that are going bad....:frown:

Anyway we camped out and roughed it at the Comfort Inn in Ridgecrest, Ca only because we were visiting family out there, so we killed 2 birds with one stone!

Saturday: Laying around bloated from all the food the night before, we received a call from the wife's cousins that they were heading out to Trona Pinnacles... I've been to Ridgecrest 1000's of times but have never been.... It was the best news I heard all day! My wife and I jumped into our 80 and my son and daughter jumped into his 62 and with the rest of the cousins, tore off towards
Trona. Nothing hard core, but being the boy is only 18 and getting him wheeling in easy stuff was a blast for him and for me getting to watch him and share the love of LandCruisers and wheelin!

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Sunday my brother and our good friends from Hawaii came up and met us at Jawbone Station as we planned to run Last Chance Cyn... Unfortunately I left all my books and information on this area at home!:bang: But we figured there was so much to see and do in this area it wasn't the end of the world.... Again all the days coming out to Ridgecrest, I've never done any of these trails either... But it was fun, Red Rock Canyon is beautiful! Some amazing colors and landscapes.... Can't really put into words.

Our buddy Leo (who was born and raised in Hawaii) wheels locked 86 Toy p/up on Oahu but he also rides dirt bikes and we are trying to talk him and his wife into moving out to the mainland! So we took him on a tour to Burro Schmidt Tunnel, Red Rock Cyn, Dove Springs, some of Last Chance Cyn and some of Jawbone. Figured since this is what he likes, maybe we can sell him on what to expect. Won't hurt I guess

My brothers 4DR Tacoma and our cruisers on top of a hill climb in Dove Springs
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Some of the motor home and MX madness in Dove Springs
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Found a little rock section to play on... But the rocks weren't joking around that day... Got hung up on my rear diff but eventually made it over...
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Made it up to Burro Schmidt Tunnel.. This is amazingly CRAZY! Who in their right state of mind would dig a tunnel for 38 years!
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Out the other side of the tunnel.. looking down at Koehn Dry Lake off of Garlock Road.
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Red Rock Canyon - Sculptured wind erosion
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Kid's got a new Nikon D3000 Camera for Christmas, they were still trying to figure it out as we went along... The pics don't do justice of the bright 'strawberry pink', 'mocha' and 'creams' of this place... It reminded me of Neapolitan ice cream!
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Some more random photos of our Sunday excursion... It was so nice to finally get out into some dirt and back country.... Sorry mostly poser shots... I couldn't get my daughter to get out and take action shots... But our buddy from Hawaii I think got plenty.. But won't be back home until after the new year....

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Ummmm I think we're lost??
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Uhhh yea, we're lost!! LOL!
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Next time I think we'll be doing some camping and some more exploring in this diverse region..... It was a really great weekend! :cheers:
 
Nice pics and cool looking area to explore.
 
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Wish I would have known you were in the CREST. I was their too but took off Saturday evening. I hear you on never doing the trails, I grew up their and have hardly done any trails until the last three years. Anyway next holiday when we both end up out their to visit family we need to get together.

I took the family to Burro Schmidt tunnel the day after Thanksgiving.

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Yea Mark, Thats right I remember talking with you at a meet and greet that you grew up out there. My wife's family moved out there when she was in HS, 2 brothers still live out there and a hand full of her cousins too.

We'll have to hook up and check out some other places out that way.

Perfect time of year to see the desert... My wife has been buggin to see Death Valley.
 
Let me know.. I just know Feb 6th is booked for something...

But I should be able to make it.
 
Some people just cant leave $h!T alone can they?
 
Yea, there were no rocks there. You come out and that was it.... Nothing.
 
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