| Pages:
1
2
3
4 |
Neal Johns
Super Nomad
Posts: 1687
Registered: 10-31-2002
Location: Lytle Creek, CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: In love!
|
|
I have been up Mano a couple of times (a few years ago) with my pop-top camper on a Toyota PU and never found the cable across the road.
Any stock SUV should make it with good tires, but the bottom is a little slow and tedious with all the rock ledges. Using the Baja Almanac, i made it
through to Hwy. 3 with no trouble.
My motto:
Never let a Dragon pass by without pulling its tail!
|
|
|
Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8947
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Pole Line Road postponed due to injury
|
|
That trail was the steepest climb I have made with my Rubicon. A stairstep that is littered with small rocks/gravel made climbing difficult. We
found a brand new shovel in the trail that probably fell out of a pickup traveling the trail.
|
|
|
David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64855
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
|
|
You think it is steeper than the Widowmaker? Not full of loose rocks, however.
|
|
|
Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8947
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Pole Line Road postponed due to injury
|
|
The Mission Impossible "Widow Maker" vs. the El Mano Stairstep
| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
You think it is steeper than the Widowmaker? Not full of loose rocks, however. |
David - It was about the same as the widowmaker. The only difference was, stairsteps replace the steep, rocky hillclimb. Both the Widowmaker and the
El Mano Stairstep are steep enough that all you see is your hood with about 20% trail just above your hood to give you an idea of what direction you
must go. The Widow Maker has a nice berm to keep you out of trouble. The El Mano Stairstep has a sheer drop-off to through you 500 ft. if your 4WD
gets sideways if you miss your footing on the stairstep.
|
|
|
David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64855
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
|
|
I am sure it has gotten worse since I drove down it 10 years ago!
So, what was going on with your Jeep in that extraction video? Why were your lockers not both working?
|
|
|
Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8947
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Pole Line Road postponed due to injury
|
|
| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
I am sure it has gotten worse since I drove down it 10 years ago!
So, what was going on with your Jeep in that extraction video? Why were your lockers not both working? |
The Jeep was really heavily weighed down with lots of gasoline and camping supplies, so I didn't want to stress the drivetrain too much. The rear
locker was toggled, but the front wasn't to keep stress to a minimum. The front drivers tire was spinning and throwing dirt into the Jeep, so I
thought both were doing the same.
In a few months, I will be regearing the Jeep and adding chromoly axles with upgraded ujoints - for now, everything I am running is (10 yrs old.)
stock, original equipment. I could have backed out, but Victor offered to give the Jeep a little tug, and that's all that I needed to get across the
two foot-deep channel that I was stuck in.
|
|
|
David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64855
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
|
|
I worry about you Ken when I am not along! 
|
|
|
Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8947
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Pole Line Road postponed due to injury
|
|
Had the Jeep broken along that section of trail, we would have been able to drive back to Hwy 2 in about 1/2 a day. I still didn't want to take any
chances with spoiling this trip - which the participants said was, "Better than running the Pole Line Road." Can you believe that?
|
|
|
| Pages:
1
2
3
4 |
![[*]](images/xmbforum/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
