Reece04
Observer
We just finished the El Camino Del Diablo this past weekend.
What an amazing, scenic trip. This was not my first "overland" style trip, but it was the first major trip in my new 4runner. I was able to travel with some great guys, with impressive rigs. Jimbolio and Vdbazfj have great FJs, Dave had a stock 94 Cherokee and I had my 4runner, and they performed very well... Mostly!
The Trip started out with your typical meetup at a Gas Station, I had met everyone on the trip prior to, but we were not all acquainted. After some brief introductions, meeting the copilots, 2 and 4 legged, we all gassed up and headed off to Ajo, our last chance for Fuel before we hit the trail.
The first night we camped just a little ways onto the trail, pitching my little backpacking tent amongst the RTTs was a little intimidating. Others were in tents and just out on cots. The weather turned out to be very nice, with a nearly full moon. We were only awakened by the racing of Border Patrol vehicles up and down the main road during the night.
We awoke, ate, aired down and hit the road! We stopped at Bates Well to check out the old buildings, corrals and look at all the human traffic sign that had been moving through the area. We then turned our trucks south for Quitobaquito. None of us had been down to this area, but heard there was portions of the original ECDD as well as some grave sites. We were met with a desert oasis! Quitobaquito springs was beautiful and a big surprise to us
We headed back up the trail toward our main road. We pass through the "playa" which kicked up dirt and dust so think that we had to put a lot of distance between us just to be able to see the road! It was like an apocalyptic could following our trucks.
We eventually arrived at Tule Well and signed our names in the log at the cantina, With 3 of the 6 of us having been Scoutmasters, we also had to explore the Boy Scout Monument on the hill next to Tule Well. We then pressed on into Christmas Pass for our camp spot that night. As we climbed a rather rough and rocky section, the lead vehicles (me included) clicked into 4wd, only to hear the bragging voice of the trail vehicle as he exclaimed over the radio that he just did it in 2wd with a trailer! We exchanged our jabs about driver skill and settled into a nice fire and an awesome meal!
The next morning we scratched the (you know what) out of my truck down a very narrow road, as we left the Cabeza Prieta Refuge and entered the Barry Goldwater Air Force Range. We found a crashed F4 Phantom, and a Combat Village open to foot traffic.
We then headed to Betty Lee Tank for lunch! Then off to our Camp site for the evening.
The next day we found tanks, which of course made us feel like little kids pretending to blow each other up! and a quick lunch stop at Fortuna Mine. As we made the last leg out off the trail, tragedy struck... A fuel pump went out on one of the vehicles. After a few hours of nursing we got it to the end of the trail where it was towed on the black top all the way home to Tucson!
All in all it was an awesome trip and I can't wait to hit the trail again with these guys!
What an amazing, scenic trip. This was not my first "overland" style trip, but it was the first major trip in my new 4runner. I was able to travel with some great guys, with impressive rigs. Jimbolio and Vdbazfj have great FJs, Dave had a stock 94 Cherokee and I had my 4runner, and they performed very well... Mostly!
The Trip started out with your typical meetup at a Gas Station, I had met everyone on the trip prior to, but we were not all acquainted. After some brief introductions, meeting the copilots, 2 and 4 legged, we all gassed up and headed off to Ajo, our last chance for Fuel before we hit the trail.
The first night we camped just a little ways onto the trail, pitching my little backpacking tent amongst the RTTs was a little intimidating. Others were in tents and just out on cots. The weather turned out to be very nice, with a nearly full moon. We were only awakened by the racing of Border Patrol vehicles up and down the main road during the night.
We awoke, ate, aired down and hit the road! We stopped at Bates Well to check out the old buildings, corrals and look at all the human traffic sign that had been moving through the area. We then turned our trucks south for Quitobaquito. None of us had been down to this area, but heard there was portions of the original ECDD as well as some grave sites. We were met with a desert oasis! Quitobaquito springs was beautiful and a big surprise to us
We headed back up the trail toward our main road. We pass through the "playa" which kicked up dirt and dust so think that we had to put a lot of distance between us just to be able to see the road! It was like an apocalyptic could following our trucks.
We eventually arrived at Tule Well and signed our names in the log at the cantina, With 3 of the 6 of us having been Scoutmasters, we also had to explore the Boy Scout Monument on the hill next to Tule Well. We then pressed on into Christmas Pass for our camp spot that night. As we climbed a rather rough and rocky section, the lead vehicles (me included) clicked into 4wd, only to hear the bragging voice of the trail vehicle as he exclaimed over the radio that he just did it in 2wd with a trailer! We exchanged our jabs about driver skill and settled into a nice fire and an awesome meal!
The next morning we scratched the (you know what) out of my truck down a very narrow road, as we left the Cabeza Prieta Refuge and entered the Barry Goldwater Air Force Range. We found a crashed F4 Phantom, and a Combat Village open to foot traffic.
We then headed to Betty Lee Tank for lunch! Then off to our Camp site for the evening.
The next day we found tanks, which of course made us feel like little kids pretending to blow each other up! and a quick lunch stop at Fortuna Mine. As we made the last leg out off the trail, tragedy struck... A fuel pump went out on one of the vehicles. After a few hours of nursing we got it to the end of the trail where it was towed on the black top all the way home to Tucson!
All in all it was an awesome trip and I can't wait to hit the trail again with these guys!
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