ANOTHER Suicide Sunday

After running a fever all day Saturday and well into the early hours of Sunday morning I wasn't sure there would be a Suicide Sunday this week.  But around 9 am I started feeling better, installed the CB into Wyle E. and by the time I was finished I was feeling fit and ready for some Jeepin'.  So I grabbed the camel backs and the Oh Shit bags and loaded up the jeep for the planned trail of the day.

As I headed up the mountain into the Park the temperature dropped to a delightful high 90's with a soft breeze top it off.  There was very little traffic for a Sunday and so I could really enjoy the drive to the trail.  As I pulled off on the trail head I watched a 2WD Toyota drive down, I parked for a moment to take in the scenery and let them get well out of my way.  Sadly I did not get pictures of them hung up and losing their air dam as I looked behind me and saw a lowered decked out Honda pulling up (REALLY FOLKS!? the 4Wheel Drive signs posted everywhere weren't a hint?) So I had to hop out and flag down the Honda and send them back up to the main road while the Toyota got out and so no pictures of idiots.  After that I was on my own on the trail.  I didn't see another soul other than pocket gophers, birds, and ground squirrels.  The first part of the drive dropped down into Pleasant valley and a dramatic terrain change as I drove up to the section of desert where it changes from Mojave to Colorado.  Dipping further down into the valley the smells changed and the temperature grew softer.  I stayed in the Valley for a good while just enjoying the scenery and smells and have decided I am going to take a weekend and hike back to the Back Country to camp down there.

Back on the trail and heading up out of the valley the trail narrowed and became much more rocky.  Up on the other mountain side looking back I could see the winding trail I had followed into the Valley.  It was here I came across a road sign informing me if I turned left I would be able to go all the way down to Dillon Rd in Palm Springs and right would loop me around back up to Park Blvd.  I looped back around to the park, this time.  Soon Wyle E. and I will make the long run all the way down the hill.

Looping back across the valley brought me across some amazing Joshua Trees and I knew I was seeing a part of the Desert not many people are able to see and I can't wait to go back and share it with a few other chosen people.

All and all this was a very relaxing and picturesque Suicide Sunday and a few more pieces of me I don't need anymore were left along the trail, if you decide to drive this trail yourself, maybe you will find them.  If you do, you can keep them.

I hope you enjoy the video seeing some of what I saw today.

Preparing for another Suicide Sunday (Geology Tour Rd)

This week has been fairly quiet.  Just driving to work and running around town.  But today is prep day for tomorrow's Suicide Sunday.  Wyle E.'s new CB and Antenna came this week and once I pick up the power drill tonight I will do the install on those tomorrow morning, tune the antenna and be prepared to hit the trails by noon.  I already have the trail picked out for tomorrow.  The park ranger I spoke to said it is about a two hour trip from the looks of the map it seems to be 15 to 20 miles round trip (not including the drive to the trail).  The selected trail is a short loop of a much longer trail that would end up down by palm springs.  My goal is to work up to be able to run that trail.  So, my Oh shit bag is packed, the camel backs are filled and all I have left to do is to install the CB and toss everything into Wyle E. .  Check back soon for the updates from tomorrows Jeepin' adventure!

Highlighted in yellow is the route for tomorrow.

The inconvenience of a CJ is good for you...

Today's adventure isn't anything so exciting as bumping down desert trails, but a bit on an adventure none the less.  I went to work and then....to the Commissary.  Ok, get the confused look off of your face as I explain WHY this is an adventure...look at the picture of Wyle E., she is a CJ5, this means she is just a Lil' thing.  As well as being topless, door-less, well hell, other than a jerry can, a spare, and a bikini top she is down right naked!  BUT I will NOT let this deter me from enjoying a drive in her just to pick up some groceries...

A ratchet strap and a coleman are all it takes for me to get what I need!!
There is a bonus to this as well, while it seems really inconvenient to strap a cooler down in the back of the Jeep just to do a grocery run I have found it is VERY conducive you my diet and exercise program.  I can't buy much if ANY junk food cause it just won't fit.  And lifting the cooler and other household goods in and out of the back is one hell of an upper body workout on a lifted CJ.  AND it's green in the fact that I don't bother to have them bag my groceries, just toss them back in the cart, I'm going to have to arrange them in the cooler anyway.

I've found driving her everyday has encouraged me to keep things much more simple and live for the moment.  She may be inconvenient, but it's worth it.

Jeepin' JT

Everyone's got to start some where

Well, if you are reading this I either gave you the address and begged you to read it, you stumbled across it, or you were looking for something to read about Jeeps.  Regardless of how you ended up here I'd like to thank you for having a read and I hope you stop back to check in.

Let's start at the beginning.  Back in June after buying himself a new GSXR1000 my husband decided he would buy me a birthday present that couldn't be topped and told me to start looking for a Jeep I wanted.  I already knew the model and had a good idea of the year in mind and so I hit the internet running hoping to find SOMETHING we could afford that wouldn't be too much work.  In a matter of days I ran across a CJ5 in Big Bear, CA only about an hour and a half away.  She wasn't exactly what I was looking for, only had the 151 Iron Duke engine and I had my heart set on the strait 6.  However, when I got there and layed eyes on her and drove her I fell in Love.  And so Wyle E. came into my possesion.  I got her home and had to do a bit of work on her; new starter, alternator, motor mounts, some new wiring, nothing big or expensive and she was on the road.

So, here you will find me logging my adventures in my girl.  I drive her everyday and take her off road at least once a week.  So now we are gonna play catch up with this past weekend, pics, and video!

Sundays are now known to me as Suicide Sunday.  This is a day when I go do something new and let adventure find me so as to kill off the remnants of myself I may not want hanging around.  So, this past Sunday I packed up an "oh shit" bag, filled the gas tank and the Jerry can, and headed up into Joshua Tree National Park.  I decided to just do some recon on 4X4 trails and stick to the dirt roads not 4X4 designated.  I started out driving down to Queen Valley Mine (nice smooth dirt trails, but fantastic sceanery none the less) then looped back towards Keys view.  Ran across a dirt trail not on the map and decided WTH! and followed it.  this trail only went about 3 miles before it dead ended, but it was still worth the drive.  Headed back towards Keys View and got distracted by Lost Horse Mine.  This trail was a bit of a steep climb and a pretty windy way, I'm glad I didn't run into anyone coming the opposite direction as the sides were steep and I'm not sure how well we would have by passed each other.
After Lost Horse Mine I hit pavement again and rolled all the way up to Keys View where I talked to a ranger who gave me the low down on the 4X4 trails.  I was VERY dissapointed when I looked at the time and my fuel levals and realized it was time to head back to town, HOWEVER I am now fully prepared for next Sunday to run Geology Tour Road.  Come back to find out about it!

Taken a few weeks back behind the golf course in town.