Be sure to read and follow the SCCX Xcursion Guidelines. In addition, here are a few of mine for this trip:
A) Rig requirements:
1) Good clearance, or thick skid plates (having both is preferred)
2) In generally good mechanical order
3) Good recovery points front and rear – in case we need to drag your mall-crawler chassis over some rock outcrops (see item #1)
4) Communications of some variety, in descending order of preference – ham VHF, FRS, CB, horn, whistle, smoke signal, sign language
B) Driver requirements:
1) Good attitude, especially when A3 is occurring
2) Generally self-sufficient
3) No whiners
C) Navigator/passenger requirements – driver’s responsibility:
1) Good attitude, and definitely when A3 is occurring
2) Generally self-sufficient
3) No whiners
The current plan is as follows: Saturday we will be travelling from Swansea up to our first camping site. This is the reverse, or tougher, way as gravity won’t be helping rigs get down ledges or obstacles (if there are any). It shouldn’t be too difficult, but it is a gain of 6,000 feet in less than ten miles (~15 road miles). We will NOT be hard-charging this trip. Saturday will be devoted to getting to the crest of the Inyo Mountains and finding the ideal camping site. If we depart Swansea by 1000 I expect we will be in camp by 1400, if not sooner. There will be plenty of time to stop for pictures, check out the geology, and be amazed at the ingenuity and determination of the folks that built the salt tram. We will be surrounded by “wilderness” and there are lots of hiking and exploring opportunities. Just watch out for light-headedness, over-exertion, dehydration, and other signs of altitude sickness. Sunday will be a drive along the crest south to the salt trams (~7 road miles) where we can spend a couple of hours exploring and having lunch. Then it is on down the road (~7 more road miles) to Cerro Gordo ghost town. Note that the crest trail is a shelf road in many places, and can cause severe (even debilitating) sphincter contractions. Those with weak dispositions should be medicated or blindfolded and muffled. We will camp east of the ghost town Sunday night. Monday, we will explore the town for a couple of hours, and then head back to pavement and home. The last section of dirt road from Cerro Gordo down to Hwy 136 is ~6 road miles long, but you drop almost a mile in elevation as well.
Location information:
http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/inyo/recarea/?recid=21880Friday night accommodations – you are on your own. I am staying in Lone Pine at the Comfort Inn. If you are in the vicinity and want to meet up for dinner, that would be great. Rooms are going fast, as it is Memorial Weekend. Alternatively, you could get up early on Saturday and drive directly from home to the trail head meeting at 0900.
Please post your number of persons/vehicles and send me a confirmation PM. Also note what type of comms you have or intend to use on the trip. I will be putting together a comm plan. There will be no name tags.
