Gadget
Senior Nomad
Posts: 851
Registered: 9-10-2006
Location: Point Loma CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Blessed with another day
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Trip report sordid details
I picked up my brother-in-law Scott after work on Thursday from his house in El Cajon and headed for Tecate. Crossed the border and headed for the
Compadre trail off Mx 2 at El Hongo. We would cross over to Mx 3 and head east to Borrego to the Locos Mocos double pit we were running this year.
Aside from the obvious concerns of crossing the border alone, we soon found that having other vehicles with us would have been a nightmare on the
trail. The air was very heavy and there was 0 breeze to clear the dust. The very few vehicles we encountered coming our way left dust hanging for
miles behind them. Following us would have been no fun for other rigs.
We took it pretty easy once we got onto the short section of the trail that the race was running on as we started to encounter a little more traffic
as spectators and crew were coming in late. Passed several nice camp set ups in the Oak groves and we prayed they would have some breeze for the
race. Otherwise those nice protected camp sites were going to be really dusty for the race.
We made good time and didn't miss a single turn or fork for my fist time navigating Compadre north to south and in the dark. I had no nav notes in my
GPS as we've always ran it in daylight and it's pretty easy to follow the trail. Just beyond the Ojos Negros junction we came across a crew with one
of their rigs hung up off the soft side of the road on a hard left turn they missed. We stopped and tried to winch them out but they were too far
over and burried in the deep sand to get them to budge. One of their crew scouted the 20 foot deep ditch below them and said it looked like he could
drive the Z71 4X out at the other end. Eight of us gave a big heave and pushed him over the edge and crossed our fingers that he wouldn't roll. He
made it out, we said our goodbyes and started thinking about another one of Jones' "surf and turf" feeds at the pit.
We were about 5 miles from Mx 3 and just cruising now. There was a down hill section of the track and we were doing about 50mph when I came into a
hard right / left hander a little too hot. I tapped the brakes (full bias dialed to the rear discs) and rally drifted through the right hander. I
tapped the brakes again and swapped around for the left turn.
You can see my track as I ended up tight on the apex of the left hander, just missed the 2 foot bank and fence post, climbed the bank beyond the
corner with the left front tire, as the rear end was sliding to the right and rolled on the passenger door. Plans just changed.
We both asked each other if we were OK as we hung in the 5 points. I got on the radio on weatherman channel and made a call. Picked up "pork pit"??
in Ojos Negros and asked if they had anyone to assist. They would get on it. A few minutes latter 3 pickups came down the trail and stopped. 2
young local men in each truck asked how they could help. Our deepest thanks to Luis and crew for the 2 plus hours of their night they gave us to
help. Baja at its finest.
The wheels to GSB were up against the 2 foot bank and the trail had a pretty good belly in it so rolling it back on its wheels as it sat was up hill
and impossible. So we hooked up my winch to one of the trucks and drug the front end around 90 degrees. Do to the lay of the trail GSB wanted to
roll on its lid as we move it, so I had to put tension on the winch cable just to the point where it wanted to go over then all 8 of us would rock it
and it would move a few inches. We did this untill we got it perpendicular to the road which are these other 2 pictures, strapped the frame rail to
one of the trucks and pulled it rubber side down again. Big cheer went up.
I called pork pit and they hailed weatherman who ran a relay to the Locos pit at Borrego and informed them we were back rubber side down, being
strapped to the Pemex on the hiway at Ojos and were OK, but would not be joining them.
Scott and I said a grateful good by to Luis, kicked him some pesos for his efforts and went to work unlocking the engine. We removed the totalled
right fender and began pulling the plugs to pump the oil out of the cylinders. Cleaned the plugs, topped off the oil and tranny fluid.
We got it running again to a huge cloud of oil smoke at 1AM, loaded up tools and gear and climbed our oil and tranny fluid soaked bodies in and headed
for Ensenada.
Home at 3:30AM
You can see the above photo of the A pillar damage, that the full cage did its job and kept us from loosing the windshield. That was very appreciated
for the drive home.
[Edited on 11-22-2008 by Gadget]
"Mankind will not be judged by their faults, but by the direction of their lives." Leo Giovinetti
See you in Baja
http://www.LocosMocos.com
Gadget |
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BAJACAT
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2902
Registered: 11-21-2005
Location: NATIONAL CITY, CA
Member Is Offline
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Wow Will, Im sorry man, was evebody ok,(I hope),there is always a risk of accidents, I had my fare share of that, I hope you and the GSB BRONCO will
be ready for next years 09 MATOMI NOMAD TRIP.
[Edited on 11-22-2008 by BAJACAT]
BAJA IS WHAT YOU WANTED TO BE, FUN,DANGEROUS,INCREDIBLE, REMOTE, EXOTIC..JUST GO AND HAVE FUN.....
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BajaWarrior
Super Nomad
Posts: 2307
Registered: 9-27-2006
Location: Mission Bay, San Diego. Playa Hermosa, San Felipe.
Member Is Offline
Mood: Anxious to get south
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Glad you guys are ok Will, lots of other people have worst stories about wrecks! Back home by 3:30 a.m., not bad for a night run to Baja!
Haven't had a bad trip yet....
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Sharksbaja
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5814
Registered: 9-7-2004
Location: Newport, Mulege B.C.S.
Member Is Offline
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Looks like you got off easy to me. The roll cge did it's part. Suspension intact and lightbar ok. A little body work and no injuries. What was that
road surface like? Ice?
Oh, the man and his toys! Thanks for the pictoral report.
DON\'T SQUINT! Give yer eyes a break!
Try holding down [control] key and toggle the [+ and -] keys
Viva Mulege!
Nomads\' Sunsets
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bajaandy
Senior Nomad
Posts: 769
Registered: 2-7-2004
Location: North County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Adventurous
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Aye Carumba! Bummer dude! Gald to hear that it was just a tip over and not a full roll and that you guys are OK.
subvert the dominant paradigm
"If you travel with a man, you must either fall out with him or make him your good friend."
JBL Noel
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bajabound2005
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2760
Registered: 10-15-2005
Location: Punta Banda, BCN
Member Is Offline
Mood: words cannot describe...
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super bummer and great pix!
Friends don't let friends drink white zinfandel.
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SiReNiTa
Special Correspondent
Posts: 881
Registered: 5-5-2006
Location: Ensenada, B.C.S.
Member Is Offline
Mood: Savoring life while saving the world!
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ouch!!
glad your ok!!!
Live life as well as you can,
don\'t regret the things that once made you smile,
learn from your mistakes,
and thank God for every second he gives you upon this earth.
Visit me at
Http://BajaScents.Scentsy.com.mx
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BajaGringo
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3882
Registered: 8-24-2006
Location: La Chorera
Member Is Offline
Mood: Let's have a BBQ!
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Sorry about the damage but glad you are OK...
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64587
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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WILL!!! Oh dude... ouch!! Really Baja Proven NOW!
Baja Angel and I followed the race from home and when Locos Mocos/ Baja Pits was mentioned (at your pit), I said THAT's were Gadget is! I was wrong...
Really glad to see the Hellas not busted! Those HIDs are NOT the cheap ones!!!
I will wish you a big construction contract to get GSB repaired!!
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Bob and Susan
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8809
Registered: 8-20-2003
Location: Mulege BCS on the BAY
Member Is Offline
Mood: Full Time Residents
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what kind of seat belts were you using???
you MUST be sore
glad you're ok
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64587
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Bob and Susan
what kind of seat belts were you using???
you MUST be sore
glad you're ok |
5 point! Here is Baja Angel being strapped in by Mrs. Gadget before her 'demo ride' south of El Rosario in July, 2007:
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Gadget
Senior Nomad
Posts: 851
Registered: 9-10-2006
Location: Point Loma CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Blessed with another day
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Thanks everyone for the comments.
Yes we were both totally fine.
Honestly, one of my first thoughts after we asked each other if we were OK was that I wished we had been going faster so I could have really tested
all the time and expense put into the safety gear.
It was really kind of slow motion when we went over, my brain was just kinda going this isn't happening.
I've rally slided GSB through 100s of turns and never even considered that it would roll once it was sliding.
I guess now I know different.
It will be some time before repairs get started. I am way too busy with my new job and have no time or $ to even think about it.
Adjuster will be looking at it early this week. We'll see what and how much they will fix.
"Mankind will not be judged by their faults, but by the direction of their lives." Leo Giovinetti
See you in Baja
http://www.LocosMocos.com
Gadget |
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