Four Wheeling up Spiller Peak
BusaDave9
Always Off-Roading Jeeper
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- 1979 Jeep CJ5 with 304 V8, T18 Transmission, Dana 20 Transfer case with TeraLow 3:1 gears, 4.88 axle gears, Detroit Locker up front and Ox Locker in back with 1 piece axle shafts, 36" SuperSwamper SX Tires, Shackle reversal, MileMarker Hydraulic winch, MSD 6A ignition.
Today I took my CJ into the La Plata Mountains. I was originally thinking of going to the mountains over Silverton CO but the La Plata Mountains are closer to my home.
My tires are still at 9 PSI from last weekend but I don't have far to go. I head into the mountains. This trail is very narrow. It is unmaintained and that is one thing I like about the La Plata Mountains. Sometimes the trail has a washout that can't be passed. That's not good but overall I like the narrow, rarely traveled trails in these mountains.
The trail is steep and rocky. I find a fork that goes off into a wide pasture.
I get out and hike around a bit and I find this:
I don't know if this really is a grave. Today you can't bury someone out in the mountains like this. And it didn't look to be 50 or 100 years old. It would have more weeds growing through the rocks.
Like many of the trails here in the La Platas there are times that the trail gets so narrow I don't know if I can continue and turn around.
These tracks are made by ATVs so I hike ahead to make sure I can continue.
I do continue but stop again when the trail gets narrow again.
This next picture is of Silver Mountain and (on the right) Deadwood Mountain. I climbed Deadwood Mt in an earlier thread)
I leave my jeep and hike ahead.
I find a mine but then hike back to my jeep.
I find a spot off the trail and behind my jeep to have lunch. I also start to read the newspaper and have a beer. It starts to get cloudy so I decide to pack up and start heading down.
I have the top down and I left my doors at home. While I am jeeping down it begins a light rain. I look across the valley. I can't see the mountains on the other side and I say to myself "That's not fog or clouds. That's heavy rain and it's heading this way. I better stop and put up my top." Just then a downpour starts and it begins to hail. Koda, my dog, is scared. He jumps out of the jeep and runs around looking for cover. I'm in my T shirt putting up the top. When it's just good enough to cover the front I call Koda back into the jeep. I put on a jacket I had with me and decide to wait it out. The hail stops and I think the rain will stop but it doesn't. The hail starts up again and I am thinking about the trail below. There were steep switchbacks and a spot where the trail was partial washed out. If it washes out more I'm in trouble. And the hail won't help the steep parts. I continue on in the thunderstorm.
It's slow going. I get to the place where the trail was partial washed out. A lot of water is rushing down but it doesn't look like the erosion is any worse. I make it past that spot without even slipping.
I get down to the main road. It's still raining but the hail has stopped. Actually there isn't much hail on the ground and I don't think it was as bad at these lower elevations.
My top is not set up. I have been pushing up on it to let the water spill off to the sides. I have been worried that it will come off the windshield and dump me with water and hail. I see blue sky ahead and think I will fix the top when it stops raining.
It never stops raining and I no longer see any blue sky. I stop in the rain to fix the top. I make sure the top is attached to the top of the windshield. That's all that matters to me. I just don't want the top to blow off. The back is drooping. The roll bar is holding the top over my head. No doors. No sides. I continue home where I park in the garage and go in to change into dry clothes.
My tires are still at 9 PSI from last weekend but I don't have far to go. I head into the mountains. This trail is very narrow. It is unmaintained and that is one thing I like about the La Plata Mountains. Sometimes the trail has a washout that can't be passed. That's not good but overall I like the narrow, rarely traveled trails in these mountains.
The trail is steep and rocky. I find a fork that goes off into a wide pasture.
Like many of the trails here in the La Platas there are times that the trail gets so narrow I don't know if I can continue and turn around.
I have the top down and I left my doors at home. While I am jeeping down it begins a light rain. I look across the valley. I can't see the mountains on the other side and I say to myself "That's not fog or clouds. That's heavy rain and it's heading this way. I better stop and put up my top." Just then a downpour starts and it begins to hail. Koda, my dog, is scared. He jumps out of the jeep and runs around looking for cover. I'm in my T shirt putting up the top. When it's just good enough to cover the front I call Koda back into the jeep. I put on a jacket I had with me and decide to wait it out. The hail stops and I think the rain will stop but it doesn't. The hail starts up again and I am thinking about the trail below. There were steep switchbacks and a spot where the trail was partial washed out. If it washes out more I'm in trouble. And the hail won't help the steep parts. I continue on in the thunderstorm.
It's slow going. I get to the place where the trail was partial washed out. A lot of water is rushing down but it doesn't look like the erosion is any worse. I make it past that spot without even slipping.
I get down to the main road. It's still raining but the hail has stopped. Actually there isn't much hail on the ground and I don't think it was as bad at these lower elevations.
My top is not set up. I have been pushing up on it to let the water spill off to the sides. I have been worried that it will come off the windshield and dump me with water and hail. I see blue sky ahead and think I will fix the top when it stops raining.
It never stops raining and I no longer see any blue sky. I stop in the rain to fix the top. I make sure the top is attached to the top of the windshield. That's all that matters to me. I just don't want the top to blow off. The back is drooping. The roll bar is holding the top over my head. No doors. No sides. I continue home where I park in the garage and go in to change into dry clothes.
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