Hogsback and Ishi roads

[4.3LXJ]

I couldn't seem to get anyone to go with me up Hogsback, so I went by myself. Hogsback Rd starts about 1/2 mi east of Red Bluff on Hwy 36. From Hwy 36, turn north and just follow it. The pavement soon runs out.

http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu215/warriorsuspension/Ishi%20Road/IMG_0522.jpg

Stopped here and took the tires down to 15# The stone fence is a common thing around here on what we call "lava cap" The soil is very thin and you can't dig a hole in it, so you build a stone fence. Most of these go back 150 years or more and were built by Chinese, Irish and Indians. The road climbs a good thousand feet in short order. Here is the valley below.

http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu215/warriorsuspension/Ishi%20Road/IMG_0522.jpg

http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu215/warriorsuspension/Ishi%20Road/IMG_0525.jpg

It doesn't show up well, but this is Many Springs Plain. The water follows the stone lava cap and shows up in many places, and of course in the road. The whole road is filled with these dried puddles that are about 8" deep. Not a big deal, unless you are traveling at speed. :D

http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu215/warriorsuspension/Ishi%20Road/IMG_0528.jpg

There are a few of these types of things, with bypasses. But who wants bypasses? I stopped to check out the flex on the new rear springs. Here is the other side.

http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu215/warriorsuspension/Ishi%20Road/IMG_0529.jpg

http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu215/warriorsuspension/Ishi%20Road/IMG_0530.jpg

I had to stop for a Kodak Moment. Nice view of Mt Lassen, the source of all this lava.

That concludes Hogsback Rd. About 22 mi of the same stuff shown in the pics. At the top, there are several roads that take off from it. Some are considered Jeep roads by the Forest Service. For the most part, they are just rough roads that are not maintained. I went down Ishi Road. Ishi is a famous name around here. He was the last wild indian in the US. Here is his story. Very tragic really. http://www.mohicanpress.com/mo08019.html

There are two campgrounds and three "slab crossings" on creeks.

http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu215/warriorsuspension/Ishi%20Road/IMG_0531.jpg

http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu215/warriorsuspension/Ishi%20Road/IMG_0531.jpg

There are numerous views of some impressive lava formations

http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu215/warriorsuspension/Ishi%20Road/IMG_0536.jpg

http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu215/warriorsuspension/Ishi%20Road/IMG_0540.jpg

As well as some funny caterpillars

http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu215/warriorsuspension/Ishi%20Road/IMG_0534.jpg

I was ready to head up and out from the second campground and thought I would not really see any technical wheeling when I came to the first obstacle.

http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu215/warriorsuspension/Ishi%20Road/IMG_0538.jpg

Up to this point I had not used any gears in the Atlas lower than 2.7:1 This one wasn't too bad, did not even spin a tire. There were a couple more like this. Then there was this one.

http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu215/warriorsuspension/Ishi%20Road/IMG_0539.jpg

It is worse than it looks, had to make three tries before I found the right line. Notice the asphalt? You usta could drive a car down there.

After that there was no place to turn around

The next obstacle was one of those that required lockers, which I don't have yet, well at least not in the Jeep. I had to stretch some cable on this one.

http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu215/warriorsuspension/Ishi%20Road/IMG_0541.jpg

And this one

http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu215/warriorsuspension/Ishi%20Road/IMG_0542.jpg

Left a few miles of rubber on the rocks, but got away clean in the smoke screen

http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu215/warriorsuspension/Ishi%20Road/IMG_0543.jpg

At this point, I lost a front brake line and almost all my brakes, which made things real interesting on a steep hill. But deep gears in the Atlas saved me along with my new disk brake on the back of it. Once I got going I didn't stop for any more Kodak Moments due to the brake issue. I continued on and came out on Hogsback Rd again several miles from where I had left it. The fast way home would have been to go back down it. But since I had essentially no brakes, I opted to go home the back way and drop down into Chico from the town of Cohassett. It took me four hours to do that. I got back at 11:30 and clocked 105 mi of off highway driving today.

[Mudderoy]

Nice, thanks for the pictures. So you just pulled a brake line out flexing?

[4.3LXJ]

Nice, thanks for the pictures. So you just pulled a brake line out flexing?

It just blew right in the middle from a heavy foot. I haven't examined it closely yet. It was a stainless steel line that was long enough. I will check it out when I replace it.

[nismo5]

looks like fun im glad i couldnt take the truck if you had to winch the jeep :)thanks for postin some great pics i cant wait to check out the area when i get a jeep and glad you made it back safe with a busted brake line

[4.3LXJ]

Thanks. If you had brought the Nissan, I would not have led you up that. The rest of the trip you could have made though.

[4.3LXJ]

Just a quick update. The brake line appears to have been rubbed by the tire. I was not aware of this happening. I have replacements coming. However, I am not a fan of those 22" brake lines hanging out in space. When I redo the long arms suspension and go to three link, I am going to address this so it doesn't happen again. Also, just to give you a sense of the trip even on forest service roads which were rough in themselves with lots of whoops and mud holes, I lost the pin out of my clevis after I got off the Ishi road. It apparently vibrated out.

http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu215/warriorsuspension/Ishi%20Road/IMG_0546.jpg

http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu215/warriorsuspension/Ishi%20Road/IMG_0545.jpg

[cantab27]

nice pics , cheers for sharing

[4.3LXJ]

nice pics , cheers for sharing

Thanks. You will be happy to know I did go through one mud hole, but I didn't stop in the middle and get out to take pics :thumbdown:

[nismo5]

damn a brake line and a clevis pin oh well all in fun right i have gone from cohasset through the wild life refuge and ishi wilderness and came out almost to where 32 meets 36 then went back down through forest ranch but i had no idea i could take those roads out to red bluff thats where hogsback is right??thats awesome i cant wait to go explore some more of the back roads around here but your right the way i went was just a bumpy a$$ rocky road my ifs made it a little more comfortable though

[4.3LXJ]

damn a brake line and a clevis pin oh well all in fun right i have gone from cohasset through the wild life refuge and ishi wilderness and came out almost to where 32 meets 36 then went back down through forest ranch but i had no idea i could take those roads out to red bluff thats where hogsback is right??thats awesome i cant wait to go explore some more of the back roads around here but your right the way i went was just a bumpy a$$ rocky road my ifs made it a little more comfortable though

Yes, just before you get to Red Bluff there is a sign that identifies it. Never noticed it before. I even passed it when I was looking for it. :D

It ends at Ponderosa Way, which is the dirt part of the road that goes through the town of Cohassett. You can get there by just heading out past the air port and just keep going.

[Scooter_long]

Thursday I took Hogs back from Ishi Camp to Red bluff was up there for work and in a slight rush so did not get to enjoy the wheeling but made down the trail in one hour very fast ride home. Loved your pics looks like you had a lot of fun, just up the hill past mineral ran into a few feet of snow was good wheeling had to put the Aussie in the front to the test after install.

[4.3LXJ]

An hour is good time. I did not keep track of how long it took me to go up. But I stopped for pics and stuff anyway. The trail write up I saw says 2 hours

[Rysam]

Sounds like it was a good time. Now that Im done with school for the summer, I can finally start to get my rig somewhat trail worthy and join the fun.

[4.3LXJ]

Sounds like it was a good time. Now that Im done with school for the summer, I can finally start to get my rig somewhat trail worthy and join the fun.

We should be having a get together soon. What time of the month would be good for you? We should throw in a run to go with it.

[Rysam]

Im wiiiiide open until the 15th of July, then its 3 or 4 weeks of camping and back to school.

[4.3LXJ]

I was wanting to go up to Fordyce, but that is still snowed in as well as High Lakes I understand. Will figure out something. Can always go back to Cohassett area, though I think I found all the challenging stuff by accident.

[Rysam]

I've heard the highlakes are pretty nasty now too, lots of mud down lower and snow at the lake.
This is my goal for July of next year. The Dusy Ershim trail
http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/sierra/publications/pdfs/rogs/dusytrail.pdf

The big yearly family camping trip is right there at Shaver Lake so I see no reason not to do some wheelin' too.

[4.3LXJ]

Dusy Ershim I hear is a good trail. I have a friend not too far from there. He says it is a nice trail. On my list of places to go

[Carves]

Here is his story. Very tragic really. http://www.mohicanpress.com/mo08019.html


Good reading ... thanks ... :thumbsup: