Anza Borrego, SoCal 12/18/04 Pinyon Mtn Road

[Wgasa84]

Pinyon Mtn Road info (http://www.nowwgasa.net/photogallery/AnzaBorrego/Dec18-2004/Pinyon.htm)

I posted this a couple weeks ago on the old board, seeing if anyone wants to go.

EDIT: I figure I should make this apparent, any 4x4 vehicle with some clearance is welcome, just make sure you/they are prepaired for the chance of carnage, especially with out protection and/or a lift.

email me for more information, to let us know if you are going to be able to make it, or for other questions. trailinfo@nowwgasa.net

[ocdp2000]

damn i wanna go so bad but my taco is prerunner and stock right now, my mods wont be done until late december. hopefully another run soon.
-darren

[Mez]

Im interested! I'll ask my friend if he's interested as well (tacoma owner).

[Live4yotas]

I wish this place was closer to alabama it sounds awesome. Well have a got time be safe and be sure to take some pics

[Wgasa84]

I wish this place was closer to alabama it sounds awesome. Well have a got time be safe and be sure to take some pics

Thanks! We will take probably toooo many pictures. But hey thats what digital is for!

[Wgasa84]

damn i wanna go so bad but my taco is prerunner and stock right now, my mods wont be done until late december. hopefully another run soon.
-darren
Yeah unfortunetly this trail is not prerunner friendly. 4x4 is required for a handfull of parts.

thanks for the interest though.

[Wgasa84]

Im interested! I'll ask my friend if he's interested as well (tacoma owner).

You got mail.

[ocdp2000]

there are runs though that my 2x4 can go on right during the socal season. i really wanna go and have some fun. let me know.
-thanks

[Wgasa84]

there are runs though that my 2x4 can go on right during the socal season. i really wanna go and have some fun. let me know.
-thanks
Yeah there are plenty of places your 4x2 can go in Anza Borrego. Fish Creek/Split mtn are 2wd, till you get to Pinyon Drop-off. All of Ocotillo Wells SVRA.

i'll let you know when we go on another trip out to that area.

[snwbdr]

there are runs though that my 2x4 can go on right during the socal season. i really wanna go and have some fun. let me know.
-thanks

check out the joshua tree thread right below this one

[ocdp2000]

cool yea keep me updated im so psyched to get out and do some offroading.
thanks-
darren

[Wgasa84]

you can go out with the customtacos guys this weekend to JoshuaTree.

[mattl83]

Hey dog who's going? This will be a great run so if you have the ride to do it come on out!

[Wgasa84]

uh. you, and me for sure... lol scott and christine in either of our trucks to keep us company.

Weee!

[Wgasa84]

Well we finnished both trails, and had a blast.
I have roughtly 450 meg of just my pictures to go through, and enough video too.
I'll post the links when each one gets done.

Carnage for the trip:
Uniball adapter pulled out - My truck
Procomp tire had a decent size hole put in the tread. - Matts truck
Passenger side rear quarter pannel has a new scratch/dent- my truck
Rear fender flairs are toast in the front of the bedside-my truck
Boxers after almost rolling down Pinyon Dropoff, two times- me


After traveling Pinyon Mtn again, I don't think it would be a good idea for a stock/non protected truck to attempt it, after the 'recent' rains and other wheeler's changing the trail at the harderst spots, a stock truck would really have a hard time, even with full protection.

Bradshaw Trail is VERY easy but it is a great trail, 70+ miles long, amazing scenery. The start is a little difficult to find on the western side of the trail (salton sea side) but with the correct GPS cords, it is easier.

[ZR2Steve]

Good to hear about Pinyon Mtn trail.

I was out on the Mason Valley Truck Trail last weekend. Oriflamme goes all the way thru now, and is a fun drive. Used low range almost all the way. We camp at the saddle at the top of Mine canyon, don't know if you camped, but if you did we were not to far apart (as-the-crow-flys)

Later

[ZR2Steve]

Bradshaw Trail .........

If you like the Bradshaw trail and if you do it again, I recommed the drive thru Red Canyon. Check out the off shoots roads, there are some cool canyons.

There is also a great drive/views from the razorback between Chuckwalla Spring and Chuckwalla well.

[Wgasa84]

Good to hear about Pinyon Mtn trail.

I was out on the Mason Valley Truck Trail last weekend. Oriflamme goes all the way thru now, and is a fun drive. Used low range almost all the way. We camp at the saddle at the top of Mine canyon, don't know if you camped, but if you did we were not to far apart (as-the-crow-flys)

Later

I did a quick search for "manson valley truck trail" and "Oriflamme trail" and didn't come up with much. I did get a topo map though.

do you have any pictures or other information about the trail?
musicfreak_84@hotmail.com

[Wgasa84]

Videos of Pinyon Mtn Road http://www.nowwgasa.net/photogallery/AnzaBorrego/Dec18-2004/Videos/
Save it to your computer. The server I am on doesn't allow streamed video/sound.

yes that 90meg one is the middle rez. the high rez is 300+meg.

if you full screen the video its not that bad.

let me know what you think! :)

[ZR2Steve]

I did a quick search for "manson valley truck trail" and "Oriflamme trail" and didn't come up with much. I did get a topo map though.

do you have any pictures or other information about the trail?
musicfreak_84@hotmail.com

I'm not surprised about the lack of net info. It's not a high travel area except for people hiking the PCT.

Try 'Oriflamme Lights' you should see a few hits about the Ghost Lights.

The wife took some pics, I can try and e-mail you a few.

Basicly all the roads in that area are doable with a Tacoma 4X4. Chariot Canyon road & Mason Valley Truck Trail are easy. Oriflamme Canyon, and Rodriguez Canyon road are harder. Nothing like Pinyon Mtn. But without a locker, a spoter is helpful. All these roads tied together make a loop.

[1bille1]

Yeah there are plenty of places your 4x2 can go in Anza Borrego. Fish Creek/Split mtn are 2wd, till you get to Pinyon Drop-off.
And also from the west- The Squeeze- is the turn around which is about 7 or so miles in-from the west side. Might be able to crash down through it , but w/o hours of rockstacking and a running start, impossible to make it back up in 2wd. COuld go down the BIG droppoff tho, but then the exit there's is a steep stair steppin slippery climb out. ANother impossibilty for 2wd.

After that,easy dirt road driving, tho sandy, all the way out to Fish Creeek to the NE ? from there.

[Wgasa84]

And also from the west- The Squeeze- is the turn around which is about 7 or so miles in-from the west side. Might be able to crash down through it , but w/o hours of rockstacking and a running start, impossible to make it back up in 2wd. COuld go down the BIG droppoff tho, but then the exit there's is a steep stair steppin slippery climb out. ANother impossibilty for 2wd.

After that,easy dirt road driving, tho sandy, all the way out to Fish Creeek to the NE ? from there.
Im sorry I didn't follow you.

[1bille1]

Sorry, what I meant about "the turnaround" was your reference to the trail not being prerunner friendly.
The "Squeeze" http://www.3riversjunction.com/Anza-Borrego/squeeze2.jpg is the narrow rocky spot before the Dropoff. Prerunners would be blocked and have to turn around- due to their width at the Squeeze as well as lack of ground clearance and Tcase....

[CartmansPnus]

Wgasa84 what program did you use to make the video????

[Wgasa84]

Wgasa84 what program did you use to make the video????
Pinnacle Studio 9. im trying to get Adobe Premier to behave.

[Wgasa84]

Sorry, what I meant about "the turnaround" was your reference to the trail not being prerunner friendly.
The "Squeeze" http://www.3riversjunction.com/Anza-Borrego/squeeze2.jpg is the narrow rocky spot before the Dropoff. Prerunners would be blocked and have to turn around- due to their width at the Squeeze as well as lack of ground clearance and Tcase....
correct, up to that point (traveling east) it is do-able in 2wd. Not sure it its worh it though. I mean its beautiful out there, but that is a pretty small trail for being so far from other trails for prerunners.
Are you LT? b'c a stock prerunner would fit fine. any thing wider than a taco with 12.5" tires on 3.75 bs aired down is going to be fun to get through that part.

[1bille1]

correct, up to that point (traveling east) it is do-able in 2wd. Not sure it its worh it though. I mean its beautiful out there, but that is a pretty small trail for being so far from other trails for prerunners..

So instead of a REAL trail run ,it's a mini trail run w/ a good day hike( WHale Peak is to the SOuth) if you're so inclined. There's no "trail", per se, but quite a few "ducked" routs up to the top at around 5400' elev. been up there 4 or 5 times , so far.
It's about 6miles round trip. Good views to south and north- Sea of Cortez to Toro Peak.

Maybe you noticed a couple trails that split off to the south a mile before the Squeeze. THose are "trailheads" for the hike.

NOt a mountain I would want to hike alone or w/o someone that's done it already- very easy to get lost as you can't even see the peak until you're almost on top of it.