This run turned out to be a day run for us since we all had plans for Sunday.  Other than myself, Bisher Alkatib, Billy and Connie Sims, Cal Gordon, Lyle Coren, Steve Bass, and Frank Hayes joined the fun. I brought my daughter Elizabeth and her friend Whitney. This was Whitney’s first 4x4 run, ever. 

Having been drafted by the club president to lead this run although I this would be my first trip to Los Coyotes, I figured that I would simply get out of being the run leader by offering someone else to lead if I wrote the run report.  No takers.  Everyone insisted that I be allowed to embarrass myself by leading a run armed with only a map, a GPS with a few waypoints loaded, and lots of helpful hints from the backmarkers. So off we went down the trail. Now I had to lead the run and still write the run report.

Before the run, I had done some homework on Los Coyotes.  A number of years ago I bought a copy of “Backroad Trips and Tips” by Harry Lewellyn.  It that book, it states that some sections of Los Coyotes “…make the Rubicon look like grandma’s run to the store for a loaf of bread.” Oh great, Warren, what have you gotten me into?  I decided that I was due for some equipment upgrades before I tackled this run.

After wheeling for nearly 5 years, I felt that I had paid my dues by running open differentials long enough.  It was time to step up the level of performance (my CJ’s, not my own) and get locked.   After several trips to the friendly 4x4 parts store (they always seem friendly when you drop large sums of money on them) I had the equipment that I wanted.  Then I visited a friendly retired truck driver with spare time on his hands to get the equipment installed.  Oh yeah, there was another trip to the 4x4 parts store again for the correct parts (a bit less friendly since no money was exchanged).  After all of this, I finally had lockers and was ready to try them out.

Lyle and I met on the 91 freeway and drove out together. We met Bisher at the campground and waited for the others to arrive.  This gave us time to air down, let the girls try out the rope swing, and plan the run.  After no offers to lead the run, I headed out of the campgrounds.  My first wrong turn happened before I even got out of the campgrounds.  I quickly decided that trying to keep track of my trail errors was futile and I decided that simply exploring would be my story.  Boy, did I do a lot of exploring.  Most of the time everyone, and I mean everyone, behind me gave me plenty of room to back up and take the “correct” trail.  No problem.  It was a beautiful day; I was out of the office in the mountains, and enjoying myself. 

Once successfully out of camp, we headed down Rough Road and tackled Left Turn Hill and Jeep Squeeze.  After another exploration trip around a camping area on Quiet Road, we were on Hot Springs Road on our way to Dangerous Road.  At 4 Corners, we went on to Lady Bug Lane then across to Squeeze Rock by way of Creek Road.   We stopped for lunch on Hot Dog Hill and watched an early Bronco with worse carburetor problems than I had go around Hot Dog Hill.   We saw a black TJ skip up Hot Dog Hill in what seemed to be 30 miles per hour. The vehicle and driving style looked familiar but they were not with our group.

After lunch we approached El Hill but had no takers.  We worked our way through Which Way Hill to Rock Canyon Road.   I again did a little of accidental exploring up No Way Hill and found it to be appropriately named. I had found the limit of my carburated but locked CJ. Other than a little rock rash on Cal’s cab, everyone got through Bagby’s Rock with the help of excellent spotting by Frank. 

Soon after No Way Hill, Frank had recommended that someone else take the lead up Bob Sled Run which sounded good to me.  But after Bagby’s Rock, I forgot about that and took the lead until I found Bob Sled Run with an intimate thud.  I took a right turn a bit too wide and slid into a rut and against a rock giving myself a big beauty mark where the diamond plate don’t shine.  Having successfully blocked the trail thereby preventing anyone from getting past me to winch my sorry #&! up the hill, I had to put it in reverse and get myself off the rock with my starter (remember, carburetor and 45 degree side slopes don’t mix). This was successful with two guys standing on my left front and a small army pushing my roll bar off the rock. Only then did I find out that this is Bob Sled Run.

Bob Sled Run (after the little rock incident) didn’t seem to be too big a problem for me.  Bisher however became intimate with a tree with his left front fender and had to be winched up Bob Sled.   I am sure that everyone will say that I loosened up the trail making it more difficult for those behind me.  Hey, I am beginning to like this run leading after all.

After Bob Sled, we headed back to the campgrounds then out toward the highway.  After we aired up, Steve Bass noticed that his CJ was tracking down the road sideways. A quick inspection identified that his spring left rear spring stack had broken and the bottom leaf was gone.   That would explain the leaf spring that we found on Bronco Hill. When Frank found it, we all laughed about loosing a spring then went back to our vehicles quickly to see if it was ours.  All except Steve.  It turned out to be his.  Anyway,  we tightened up the u-bolts and were again on our way.

After we I got home, I noticed that my 35mm Canon SLR camera was gone.  It may have fallen out at the bottom of Bob Sled Run but I didn’t see it in Steve Bass’ pictures of my carnage. I must have left it laying on the side of the trail.  A quick call to the Indian Reservation office to report my loss was in order.  Again I had to endure laughter (I guess not everyone shares my faith in humanity). Oh well, I guess it is disposable cameras for me now. 

At the end of the day, I got more damage that I wanted, Steve will be getting a new leaf spring, Bisher will be getting a new fender for his CJ, and someone will be getting a nice camera with an exposed roll of film with pictures of my son and daughter’s graduation.  Not bad for a day run.

Have I told you lately how much I like having those lockers?

Bud “Gizmo” Keil