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View Full Version : Steve and Paul's Bogus Adventure



4.3LXJ
08-04-2013, 08:06 PM
My Jeep is broke, Pauls is half broke. Stuck in camp ................details at eleven

xj4life2
08-06-2013, 07:16 PM
what the heck Steve?? need a helping hand ? couldn't get there till sat but......

4.3LXJ
08-06-2013, 07:22 PM
Back home now. Had to bring it back on a trailer. It for once failed me. When I can get pics uploaded, details will follow. But, a comedy in the making

Carves
08-06-2013, 07:39 PM
Back home now. Had to bring it back on a trailer. It for once failed me.



Bugger .. :eek: .. :(




When I can get pics uploaded, details will follow. But, a comedy in the making


Cant wait for the workshop pics ... :p .. :D


http://youtu.be/lUtg7kfB74M

4.3LXJ
08-06-2013, 07:49 PM
Bugger .. :eek: .. :(






Cant wait for the workshop pics ... :p .. :D


http://youtu.be/lUtg7kfB74M

I don't think I have had that much fun in the shop, but some of the projects though ..................:rolleyes:

XJ Wheeler
08-06-2013, 10:49 PM
Ouch, Steve. Hope its not too bad.

Sent via messenger pigeon - i talk, he types.

cantab27
08-06-2013, 11:49 PM
I feel ya pain bro....

4.3LXJ
08-07-2013, 12:07 AM
Thanks guys. It is something really simple, like 5 minutes or 5 hours. Yet to be determined. But I knew I couldn't fix it up there.

4.3LXJ
08-07-2013, 01:43 PM
Well, here it is, the true and only slightly exaggerated story of our trip. :D

We had it all planned out, nothing left to chance. We had worked on the rigs. My XJ got the long elusive cylinder misfire fixed with a heroic injector repair (not supposed to be done) and a slight rearrangement of the leaves in the rear springs. Paul's TJ (Project TJ Resurrection) had gotten a winch and we were waiting for the rear lunchbox locker to show up. We waited and waited and it showed up in late afternoon before we were supposed to leave. So we delayed departure on Thursday to evening so we could put the Lokka in. Started in on it in the morning, got it apart and stood ten paces back, did three full turns of my best imitation of a discus throw got midway through the arm swing and ready to let go to toss that baby in ..................... and stopped. It had a track lock in it. Lokka won't fit :bang::bang::bang:

So, back together and loaded up to go. Even got creative on stuffing stuff in.

http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu215/warriorsuspension/IMG_0472_zps84796617.jpg

Ruth drove the TJ to Grass Valley and dropped it off. She decided she liked sitting up that high. Something about driving over people that cop an attitude :rolleye0012:

Onward we went and pulled into the campground just before dark

http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu215/warriorsuspension/IMG_0539_zps4b013a10.jpg

Set up the tent and got out the sleeping bags and called it a night. The next day we decided we would go to one of our favorite places. However the usual trail we would take was washed out this spring, so we tried this one.

http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu215/warriorsuspension/IMG_0473_zps117c4360.jpg

Tight is an understatement. The XJ did well on the loose and rocky ground that went straight up the side of the mountain, only curving to go around trees. But it was apparent it was a trail not to be alone on, so we decided to wait for the TJ to show up and then we would take it. There were a couple of spots that I would need a spotter to miss trees and stay on the trail. So down to the lodge at the bottom we went to check out the camp store there. The store was a disappointment, and so was the subsequent start up. Just a click. :bang:

Batteries were good, and I had only a couple of weeks on the starter. Banged on it with the BFH and nothing. Called NAPA at Truckee, and yes they had a starter. No they didn't deliver to nowhere, which we were in the middle of. Got to messing with wires and such and found the starter relay was working but not passing current to the starter. Touch a wire to the battery post and VROOM. Onward, oh wait that is some sort of political slogan now. :mad0029:

I decided we needed to do a little homework for the next day. I had planned on taking the Grouse Ridge Trail to the Beyers Lakes trail to Baltimore and on to Meadow Lake, the finish of the Sierra Trek. So we headed out. I was following the GPS trail map on my phone, which is also on the Delorm maps. It was a nice trail, got the suspension a little twisted up.

http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu215/warriorsuspension/IMG_0482_zps84b803f8.jpg

I had about three inches of travel left at each corner here. I was pleased with the rework of the rear springs. It was still nice and green here. It was just like spring. In spite of the dry weather, we found some water to splash through.

http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu215/warriorsuspension/IMG_0484_zps49cba23c.jpg

And some of these little guys.

http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu215/warriorsuspension/IMG_0480_zps8dc0944b.jpg

These are thimble berries. Very tasty, but like their name suggests, they are hollow. You could starve to death trying to live off them. Only a couple of berries per bush and not many bushes. Also saw some snow flowers. Bright crimson in early spring, but this one is mature. The tallest one I have ever seen.

http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu215/warriorsuspension/IMG_0481_zpsdaa8b3c0.jpg

You may notice there are no green leaves, or leaves of any kind. It is parasitic, feeding off tree roots and impossible to transplant. We noticed we were not heading in the right direction when we came to the Yuba River and started going parallel to it.

http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu215/warriorsuspension/IMG_0479_zps4574ca39.jpg

We continued on, finding more nice wide calm spots with fish rising in it and then came to the end. Someone had taken a 2WD van down here to camp. I didn't want to be around when they tried to take it back out up hill. So we left quietly. We left that little project to their buddies.

4.3LXJ
08-07-2013, 02:16 PM
Try as we might, we just couldn't find the lower end of the trail. So we decided to go find the upper end and see just where it did end up in this area. On to Grouse Ridge. Came upon some Elderberries. They are ripe here at the house, but these are still in bloom. Wine anyone? Also good for the immune system.

http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu215/warriorsuspension/IMG_0474_zps0b49f076.jpg

The view up there is excellent.

http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu215/warriorsuspension/2013-08-04_11-53-23_917_zps11d33e33.jpg

This is up almost 8,000 feet and is the site of an old fire look out. It is easy to see why. Just after taking this pic, the Jeep just quit. No check engine light or anything. Got to tinkering around with the fuses for the ECM and got the light back. Started working the starter and got it to fire on starting fluid, but not gas. Then the starter really did quit this time. So we called it a day and called Paul for a rescue. He was still at work on Friday, but broke away and came up in his YJ and towed the XJ up to an area where there was some logging equipment. He arrived again after dark and like us the night before, he set up the tent and called it a day. He took me back home to get the pickup and trailer and he headed back to Grass Valley and I headed for my poor Jeep. I was just starting to load the Jeep when he called me and told me the TJ developed another tranny leak in the line we didn't replace and was burping fluid like a sick baby with the colic. He turned around and headed back home. After a few misadventures which only he can relate, it died with smoke coming out of the dip stick tube a ways from the parts store. After a failed attempt to get a tranny line, he got one that would fit and installed it, poured fluid into the tranny and the AW4 that refuses to die came back to life. It has about seven more to go I think. Eight hours into an hour trip, he arrived in camp after dark and in true Jeeper style wheeled over the obstacles into the camp site. Out of the way guys and gals. :D

Mudderoy
08-07-2013, 02:36 PM
My Jeep is broke, Pauls is half broke. Stuck in camp ................details at eleven

Ohhh noes! That Dana 35 finally exploded and took out the other vehicle? ;)

4.3LXJ
08-07-2013, 02:37 PM
Sunday, we knew we were not going to get far in the mountains with a 2WD pickup. We had a birthday girl in camp, so we celebrated. While Paul and I were messing with sick Jeeps, Ruth made some ear rings out of her jewelry makings.

http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu215/warriorsuspension/IMG_0527_zps8fd59551.jpg

The rest of her stuff however, she had to go find. We had a great time with hiding her gifts in plain sight and making her find them. An hour later, she had found then all. :D

We picked some local wild goose berries.

http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu215/warriorsuspension/IMG_0471_zps85018e5c.jpg

As you can see, you don't just pop these in your mouth unless you like multiple tongue piercings. You cut one end and squeeze the seeds and juice out.

http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu215/warriorsuspension/IMG_0494_zpsa7eb6fcd.jpg

It is like eating tomato seeds and juice, only sweet. Lots of bright orange butterflies too

http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu215/warriorsuspension/IMG_0542_zpsb6e8521e.jpg

And an occasional humming bird, too fast to take pics though. We stayed in camp, but Paul and Emily went in the TJ up to Fordyce Lake and found of all things a new Cherokee. Are you listening Josh, A new Cherokee with the weird headlights on a fairly rough trail. Paul did a poser shot next to it, which we don't have on this computer yet. Afterwards, Paul went back to Grass Valley and we just relaxed and waited until the bugs came that night.

This is a yearly tradition for us. We keep the lanterns lit and read or just talk and wait for the bugs. Kind of fun really. There are light yellow butterflies that come out at night as well as the usual moths. This year we had a very friendly metallic colored moth visit. Very beautiful in lantern light. Also we were blessed with some wood boring beetles. They come in like low flying airplanes and make a crash landing. Very noisy and poor fliers. Probably too embarrassed to fly in the day time when people can see. These were about an inch an a quarter long. Sometimes the really big ones come in that are about three inches long. Look out below .............

Monday, after a leisurely morning at camp, we packed up and came home

Brasscatz
08-07-2013, 06:21 PM
Wow, what an adventure! I'm glad you're sharing this with us!

4.3LXJ
08-07-2013, 06:27 PM
Seems we always have adventures :D

cantab27
08-07-2013, 10:00 PM
cheers steve nice spot .... and good to see you stayed out camping with sick jeeps ...

4.3LXJ
08-07-2013, 10:01 PM
Yup, prepaid for the camp site. Gotta get the full goody out of it :D

XJ Wheeler
08-07-2013, 10:59 PM
Even with all the delays it sounds like you guys still had some fun. That's great!

I'm surprised you guys didn't hear the helicopter that dropped off that new Cherokee up there. :smiley-laughing021:

Did you get the XJs problem figured?

Sent via messenger pigeon - i talk, he types.

4.3LXJ
08-07-2013, 11:08 PM
Even with all the delays it sounds like you guys still had some fun. That's great!

I'm surprised you guys didn't hear the helicopter that dropped off that new Cherokee up there. :smiley-laughing021:

Did you get the XJs problem figured?

Sent via messenger pigeon - i talk, he types.

Nah, the only thing the XJ did today is winch itself into the shop. I will look into it tomorrow.

But the really revolting development is the marshmallows got all stuck together. So .................................................. ..................................
















They miraculously turned into fudge :frog:


http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu215/warriorsuspension/2013-08-07_21-02-28_719_zps7b72a71e.jpg

XJ Wheeler
08-07-2013, 11:57 PM
Nah, the only thing the XJ did today is winch itself into the shop. I will look into it tomorrow.

But the really revolting development is the marshmallows got all stuck together. So .................................................. ..................................
















They miraculously turned into fudge :frog:


http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu215/warriorsuspension/2013-08-07_21-02-28_719_zps7b72a71e.jpg

Yuummmmm!

Sent via messenger pigeon - i talk, he types.

4.3LXJ
08-08-2013, 09:56 AM
Made it myself :D