SMB has a hard day

[jstanley]

The day started in Eastern Central CA(US 395) on Lower Rock Creek with my buddy falling off his bike and knocking himself out and doing the epilectic floppy fish.

Then I took the powerline maitainace road up Silver Canyon by mistake (STEEP!)
SMB overheated at ~10,000 ft, radiator blew, and it took 45 minutes to be able to add water, thank god nobody tried to come up the road cause we had it blocked.

Got to Cottonwood Creek trail and was too scared to take SMB down it.

Went down Crooked Creek instead and ended up highcentering van on rear differential and swaybar mounts, had to jack up backend, then drive off jack(!)

100 yards from where we highcentered i hit the passenger side nerf bar so bad it can no longer be used as a step.

The next 3 days we just camped at Deep Springs Cow camp, road bikes and didnt drive (whew!)

Took Wyman Canyon down, uneventful, lots of wildflowers.

In NW Washington now, and its sunny.

[Ford_6L_E350]

Any adventure like that is one you will look back on fondly - in a couple of years when you forget the bad parts!

I hope you had fun. If not, I hope you later remember the fun you didn't have.

Mike

[jstanley]

I was very glad my buddy snapped out of it, he was flopping on the ground for about 2 minutes. It looks like he will end up with a concussion, broken hand, and brused sternum.

The SMB is still kinda scary for me when the trail is steep with a lot of exposure. I still dont know how the extra weight will react. Backing up around the steep switchbacks was a pucker factor of 9. I dont even want to think about backing all the way back down.

The overheating was my stupid fault, 100 degrees, 5000 ft climb, AC on full blast, I didnt follow the main road (accidently), and I didnt put it in 4wd low (cause ya dont need it on the main road). The temperture guage went from normal to red in less than one minute, one minute later it boiled over (7.3 L deisel). The engine did pull well in first gear, 4wd high (until it overheated).

I was disapointed the front wheel drive wouldn't pull us off the highcentered differential. The nerf bar will be less expensive to replace than the vans doors but boy did it sound bad as we landed on it then scraped off of it.

We took US 395 all the way to central Washington, easy driving, beautiful, no semi's (no other cars either thru eastern central Oregon).

[John and Dana]

Wow, you had quite a day. Welcome to the PNW.

John

[jstanley]

Welcome to the PNW.

Thanks, got any good tips for primative dispersed beach camping?
Thanks,
John

[daveb]

Well, nice to hear you really use your van. It's an adventure BTDT Well maybe not that bad

[Jeffrey]

I still can't figure out how you can get lost off the main Silver Canyon Road. I'd like to know what turn you took and if it took you all the way to the White Mtn Road at top. I can't imagine getting up there in high range. You left your A/C on?? Glad I wasn't on a trip with YOU. Sorry, but I've been up there dozens of times and never had a problem. Been all the way down Cottonwood and Crooked creek roads many times. Where the heck can you high side and ruin your nerf bar?

[jstanley]

I'd like to know what turn you took and if it took you all the way to the White Mtn Road at top

I didnt turn, that was the problem. The maintance road had just been bladed and I took the "best road" past the canyon the main road goes up. Once I started up I didnt want to turn around,
It came up to the White Mnt Road one canyon to the south of the main road.
I highcentered trying to turn the van around where the Crooked Creek road goes up to the plateau to get to Dead Horse Meadow, the sagebush I backed over was actually a sagebrush with a boulder under it.
I banged the nerf bar right after that probley cause of being stressed out.

How is getting down to Cottonwood Creek from the saddle where the road ends and the trail starts?

I looked down it and thought it was pettering out, and the winch cable laying next to the trail didnt help my confidence.

The SMB is VERY different than My little Toyota 4wd or big F-250 4wd, this is my first van, first diesel, first automatic transmittion, first car with AC and Im still learning.

[jstanley]

"been all the way down Cottonwood and Crooked creek roads many times

Have you taken Cottonwood Creek all the way down to Oasis in Fish Lake Valley, and the Crooked Creek Road thru Dead Hourse Meadow and out to Roberts Ranch on the Wyman Road?

They both go thru but I dont know about with a SMB. They both look like a lot of fun for a one way mnt bike ride down.

[WVvan]

my buddy falling off his bike and knocking himself out

Was your friend wearing a helmet?