Builds My '78 FJ40 "44" (1 Viewer)

[4Cruisers]

Thanks for posting, always good to hear of your outdoor adventures. For some steeper hikes close by to aid in your training there's always Turtle Mountain in the Red Rocks area and the Camp Bonanza Trail just outside of Cold Creek. From what I've read a lot of curious types like the Camp Bonanza Trail because it offers some pretty good views of Area 51 . From the top, there are also good views to the southwest towards Telescope Peak in Death Valley (feel free to ignore Pahrump in the foreground).

 

[Solace in Solitude]

Hi Danny,
Welcome back, sorry to hear about your challenges and I hope it gets better soon.
Like Mark said, just keep moving.

Hey Michael!

I appreciate you rooting for me!!

 

[Solace in Solitude]

Thanks for posting, always good to hear of your outdoor adventures. For some steeper hikes close by to aid in your training there's always Turtle Mountain in the Red Rocks area and the Camp Bonanza Trail just outside of Cold Creek. From what I've read a lot of curious types like the Camp Bonanza Trail because it offers some pretty good views of Area 51 . From the top, there are also good views to the southwest towards Telescope Peak in Death Valley (feel free to ignore Pahrump in the foreground).

I always ignore Pahrump

I may try the Camp Bonanza Trail one day... I stumbled (literally) up to it one day, when 44 was coughing and sputtering, over 6k’.

that climb to the trailhead was the toughest 44 ever had.

I found the massive vacuum leak in the dissy advance module and used it as an excuse to install a DUI... now I’m barely able to keep her from running with the wild horses!

I stay away from Red Rock... way too many people.

I’m hoping to climb 44 up to Angle Peak over the holidays, but I think it’s snowing up there right now.

I started up there a few years back and got about 10 miles before my oem fuel pump split the diaphragm. I had to fight off the scorpions while I swapped fuel pumps. Had to hurry home and change the oil and filter.

That was the trip that encouraged my redundant fuel system design, with electric fuel pumps. No more flooding the crankcase with gas.

Have you ever driven up to Angel Peak, from the East (95) side? A lot of guys say don’t try without lockers... but, they’re driving Jeeps, in convoy.

From the videos, I don’t see why 44 can’t make it, unless it’s iced over... and I always carry a set of chains during the “snow time” of the year.

 

[4Cruisers]

I always ignore Pahrump

- Amen!

I stay away from Red Rock... way too many people.

- It used to be nice back in the mid-'80s.

Have you ever driven up to Angel Peak, from the East (95) side? A lot of guys say don’t try without lockers... but, they’re driving Jeeps, in convoy.

- My wife and I drove part way up one winter, just to check it out. We turned southeast on a 4WD road that crossed the ridge into the Kyle Canyon drainage. That turnoff was just before Lucky Strike Canyon steepens on the approach to Angel Peak. The first place we got to, just after it started to get dark, was Grassy Spring right over the first ridge. Then up and over into Grapevine Canyon, and finally down to Kyle Canyon Road. Part way down, probably not far below Grassy Spring IIRC, we saw some vehicle lights below and ahead of us. Pretty unexpected because it was way out in the middle of nowhere, cold, and dark, with some snow on the ground. The lights didn't move as we got closer. When we reached the vehicle there were two young guys, pretty much teenagers, trying to dig out their Jeep. They had gotten too far off to the right and dropped their front wheel off into a ditch. Luckily I had my tow strap and before you know it our '84 FJ60 had drug them back up on the road. We followed them out all the way to Kyle Canyon Road. Don't know what they would have done if we hadn't stumbled along - they didn't have any winter clothing or food. I guess they got really lucky.

 

[Solace in Solitude]

I just realized I never posted about an overnight the boys and I made to Little Joe May Canyon, in the DNWR, a few weeks ago.

I wanted to try out a backpacker tent I bought a few years ago, that uses Trekking poles for support. I bought it before my back got so bad and I had my spinal fusion.

Because it only takes minutes to set up, I was hoping to use it and return 44 to a 2-seater.

Unfortunately, getting down and crawling in and out was much harder on me than I expected.

This was a great place to camp, looking across at Mt Charleston, to the west.

It was the second time we’ve camped here and the second time the wind blew so hard, around 2am that I thought we were going to blow away.

Anyway, we tried to hike Little Joe May the next morning and made it about 3 miles before I started getting sick. We made it back to camp, only to find we had been overrun by bees... I think they were thirsty... a few dozen were dead in the dog water bowl and a few quadrillion were trying to get in our mouths.

I moved the boys a couple hundred yards, to a shady spot under a big Joshua and put them in “place”, while I went back and packed up.

The bees never once tried to sting me... only tried to suffocate me.

I won’t be camping there a third time... fool me twice...

I did see pretty sunset that evening though

 

[Solace in Solitude]

Michael,

Did I tell you, Dianna an I watched a TV series, called “Undercover”, a few months ago?
Frank Lammers played Ferry Bouman, who is based on the real-life criminal Janus van W from Eindhoven, Netherlands. Two undercover agents, Bob Lemmens (Tom Waes) and Kim De Rooij (Anna Drjver) try to infiltrate his criminal network in the Belgian province of Limburg.

We really enjoyed the series and also enjoyed being back in Holland and Belgium for a few days!!

But, we also had no idea that the meth scourge had become so prevalent in that part of the world... pretty naive, I know.

 

[Solace in Solitude]

They were VERY lucky!! ... and VERY naive!!

I used to hike Red Rock... it seems like a lifetime ago. Dianna moved here in ‘68 and I visited in early Dec ’68, on my way to Tripoli, Libya... and MANY times after that... we were married here in Mar, ‘70 and finally moved here in 2012 IIRC.

 

[4Cruisers]

... we were married here in Mar, ‘70

By Elvis?

 

[Solace in Solitude]

By Elvis?

No, we wanted him to marry us, but Elvis would only perform marriage ceremonies for couples who had a chance of a lasting marriage.

So, I arranged to have Uncle Tony “The Ant” Spilotro turn his operations over to his Captains, for the evening of Saturday, March 21, 1970 and he performed our wedding ceremony.

Uncle Ant always called me his “Little Fredo”... I never understood the reference, but appreciated his affection.

 

[Solace in Solitude]

This is me in the middle of a yuge bajada, on the way to First Canyon, in the Sheep Range of the DNWR. Son-in-Law took the pic... he was way ahead of me and up on a plateau. Cold day!!

There’s a Bighorn Desert Sheep in this picture, but good luck seeing it... I forgot my camera and it was about 500yds away, on a ledge on the right side of the drainage

Chester photobombed me, while I was trying to organize a selfie of the three of us

After this hike, Teddy got groomed... I think they also polished his tongue!!

 

[Solace in Solitude]

Y’all always want purty pitchers... here’s my latest.

Around mid-December I found this... no idea where it came from... no trauma... no memory...

Like always, I started researching and discovered “subungual melanoma” I had never heard of developing melanoma under finger or toenails. I thought melanoma was always caused by sun exposure.

But, subungual melanoma is generally the result of heredity and/or trauma (anytime in one’s life)... and it’s generally pretty aggressive and pretty deadly, because it usually appears after it’s been growing, under a nail, for some time.

As a cancer survivor, I was stunned by the possibilities. The nail was splitting and the cuticle showed what could be a “Hutchinson’s Sign”... but, subungual melanoma doesn’t usually present, on the nail, apparently overnight. It usually effects darker skinned people... but my paternal granny’s name was Osa Ola (after Seminole Chief Osceola), so I presumed I was dark enough.

I made an appointment with my dermatologist and he told me the same thing my research said, “you can only diagnose it with a biopsy”.

I said, “well biopsy it”. He said, “you have to have the nail removed”. I said, “remove it then”. He said, “I don’t do that, you have to see a hand surgeon”.

They referred me to one. I called and was told “he doesn’t work in hands and referred me to another”. I called and was told the same thing.

Out came DuckDuckGo.com again and I found the Broenstein Hand Center and Dr Olivia Wang. The first words out of Dr Wang’s mouth were, “we don’t do nail bed biopsy. you need to see a dermatologist”. Dianna said, “we did”. I explained the runaround. Dr Wang had her scheduler schedule the biopsy for the next afternoon.

She removed my nail, ablated the nail bed and found only an indentation under one part. She captured a 3mm sample and sent it to a lab in Texas.

We’ll have to wait a week or two to be sure, but Dr Wang‘s first impression is that it’s NOT cancer. We’ll see, but we’re much further along this road anyway!!

I currently sport the new 6000 foil nail and will have to have the nail bed repaired, so a new nail can attach to it... but, that’s after we have a full diagnosis.

That’s what we’ve been up to lately.

Here’s a better picture, with my beautiful bride of 50 years (in March).

 

[1911]

Hope everything turns out OK Danny!

 

[Solace in Solitude]

Hope everything turns out OK Danny!

thanks Lee!

 

[mrboatman]

Prayers will be with you Danny
JP

 

[waiting for time]

Hang in there Danny, we hope for the best.
looks like your medical system works just like ours.

 

[drnekFJ40]

I wish you the best ,Danny and hope you will recover soon...Life is a survival...always something attacking us....Good luck to you!!!

 

[Solace in Solitude]

Prayers will be with you Danny
JP

thanks JP!

 

[Solace in Solitude]

Hang in there Danny, we hope for the best.
looks like your medical system works just like ours.

thanks Michael!

yes, very similar!

Oddly, if this were a toenail, a podiatrist (foot doctor) would do the biopsy.

I did a bit more research and found an article in “Dermatology Today”... since it’s a fingernail, a dermatologist is supposed to do it, but they make more money with cosmetic surgery and injections (like Botox), so they don’t like to “waste” their time in biopsies.

So, it’s kind of a void that we fell into, but we’ve found a way out.

waiting for the biopsy result is maddening... I’ve been through this before... but, it’ll be back soon.

I expected a lot of pain, from the removal of my nail, but I haven’t had a scintilla of pain thus far.

 

[Solace in Solitude]

I wish you the best ,Danny and hope you will recover soon...Life is a survival...always something attacking us....Good luck to you!!!

thank you Michael!

I hope your back pain abates a bit and you are not forced to return home to have a fusion.

I forgot to tell you, CBD Oil really helps mitigate the pain associated with L5-S1 and sciatica.

I don’t know where you are living now... but, if you can get Mary’s Muscle Freeze ($45-$70/3 Oz)... it’s available online... it just might make life a bit more livable for you.

It’s available in Nevada dispensaries... be SURE you know your state’s law though.

 

[Helipilot]

Prayers sent to the Boss for your recovery and negative results on the biopsy. Nice picture of you and your bride!