Mike's Sky Ranch to El Coyote

After the SF250 race I went to Mike's Sky Ranch and spent the night. There was a group of side by side ATVs there from the Mexicali area, at least that's where they started from and were going back to. I talked to a couple of guys with the group that were from El Centro. Also an interesting man and wife from San Luis Obispo, they were lawyers and rode in on a DR650 Susuki from the El Coyote direction. I talked to Mike Jr about the road out and also the couple. The man said no problem except an arroyo crossing with sand hills. One side was very steep.

Dinner was steak which was a little tough but OK with beans, rice, mixed vegetables and tortillas. big steaks. Breakfast was scrambled eggs with ham, scrambled eggs with chorizo(sp) and beans. Lots of coffee.

Sunday morning I left Mikes in my 2004 Tacoma 4x4. and up the hill I went. Remember the large rock in the road going up the hill closer to the top? It's not there now. Must have been pushed over the side. Also near the top they put in concrete for about 30 feet, nice. Past the Simpson turn at 4.8 miles the old road/race course is blocked with logs. There is a sign for El Coyote to the left 10 miles. At 4.9 miles is a gate to the right and an off road biker friend said that is the best way to go just make sure you close the gate and it joins the old race course around to El Coyote. I saw some faint bike tracks thru it but decided to pass since there were fresh bike tracks and 4 wheeler tracks going ahead. This is the cut across road that goes from 6 to 4 on the attached map. 6.7 miles is a down hill switch back, careful on the turn. 7.1 miles is a rocky wash crossing that I had to backup a couple of times to make the right turn around a large rock. A short wheel base like a Jeep wouldn't have a problem. At 8.6 miles is the arroyo crossing the lawyer said would be a problem. Coming from Mikes there is a short left turn from the road to go down a very steep 20 foot drop into the wash. A very tight right turn required me to back up 3 or 4 times to get turned right and go about 50 feet and left up a 6 foot sand hill to rejoin the road. Coming from El Coyote the steep 20 foot hill could be a problem going up for a 4 wheeler. We need to get a group together and dig the side of the hill across from the 6 foot hill. This is the regular road that washed out. At 8.7 miles is an old adobe house on right.

At about 10 or 12 miles ( I didn't note it) I was traveling slow near a gully on my right. All of a sudden my right front wheel gave way and in what seemed like slow motion the truck tips over to the right. The passenger side mirror breaks off as it hits a large rock. The truck is now on it's side at about a 45 degree angle resting on a rock where the mirror was. The left rear wheel is in the air. Everything in the back falls to the right with the ice chest contents all over the place. I pull most of the stuff out of the back and get my portable winch and tow straps out. About 70 feet behind me to the drivers side is a large tree. So I strap it up and was able to pull the truck upright and back it out with the help of the winch. The only damage was around the mirror area on the door and minor damage to the fender. With the help of a stick I got the door to function OK.

At about 12 miles is Rancho El Coyote to the right and another 4 miles to the Observatory hwy.

TW

Man, that must've been an Oh sh!t!! moment. You write about it like it was just another day in the country. Glad you had no serious damage and your recovery worked.

Is your portable winch electric or some type of 'come-along'?

Allen R

It was an Oh Sh*t moment but it happened so slow it almost felt unreal and I could not believe it happened. It is a portable electric winch I bought on ebay rated at 5,000 lbs dead weight. I got it a couple of years ago for under $150. It comes with a plate that goes over a trailer ball and I welded it to a hitch to slide into a receiver. I have a receiver on the front and rear of the truck. Last week I bought a 6,000 lb winch at Harbor Freight with a cradle that fits a receiver but I don't have it wired up yet. Also have several tow straps helps and I carry several pulleys. Here are pictures of the ditch and truck. I didn't think to take one while it was in the ditch, too busy getting the truck out.





[Edited on 3-13-2012 by TW]

OH, you can buff that out.....

Driving over the rock with your right tires, you might have bottomed/high-centered. Good thing you were able to perform a self-recovery on this particular trail.