Motherlode Hill

[Jeff]

Just a heads up.
The road is not great but no worse than usual.
If your vehicle can't manage the hill, please park up top. You are not making the road any better by spinning your tires on your way out.
Got behind two vehicles on the way out yesterday who made multiple attempts to get up the hill. Finally made it when 4 or 5 guys literally pushed them up.
Fortunately no one was injured.
Sat on the hill for half an hour waiting for them.

[Raiden]

The road is fucked right now; the steepest portion looks like a downhill ski moguls course. Several cars had to be winched out by a truck on Saturday night. We could hear people spinning their tires up the hill all day. It was a similar situation Sunday night with several small FWD cars having difficulty getting up the hill.
In the past I've always scoffed at warnings about the road condition as being for gumbies who don't know how to drive, but it's pretty bad right now.

[pumpout2004]

Couple pointers for the FWD cars out there. Take it or leave it. 1.) Obviously default to Jeff's advice above if you have any hesitation or can't risk bumping up your car. Now: 2.) going up that mogul ridden hill is all about momentum. If you stop or slow down you are going to spin the fuck out of your tires. Go into that bitch with speed. If you have good clearance, but no 4WD then MORE SPEED! If you are low to the ground with 2WD just slightly less speed. 3.) Scout out that pock marked fucker on your way down the hill! What is the best line with the least pot holes? 4.) Aim your tires through the flattest regions, but try for the straightest approach. If you turn your wheels mid fuck-fest its going to get ugly. 5.) Put your car into 2nd gear (yes you can do this in automatics). 1st gear has too much torque and if you have to give it some more gas you will spin your tires like mad max and stop upward progression. Again see #2 about momentum! And 6.) Just in case shit hits the fan near climax turn off your fucking traction control before you start this endeavor. Obviously you don't want to spin your tires if you can avoid it, but if you are almost ready to blow your proverbial rock load at the top of the hill you may need a quick spurt to get you over the edge. TC will stop your wheels from spinning, take away your MOMENTUM (see 2) and you are fucked. Happy skiing folks. Or just walk.

[Andrew]

Couple pointers for the FWD cars out there. Take it or leave it. 1.) Obviously default to Jeff's advice above if you have any hesitation or can't risk bumping up your car. Now: 2.) going up that mogul ridden hill is all about momentum. If you stop or slow down you are going to spin the fuck out of your tires. Go into that bitch with speed. If you have good clearance, but no 4WD then MORE SPEED! If you are low to the ground with 2WD just slightly less speed. 3.) Scout out that pock marked fucker on your way down the hill! What is the best line with the least pot holes? 4.) Aim your tires through the flattest regions, but try for the straightest approach. If you turn your wheels mid fuck-fest its going to get ugly. 5.) Put your car into 2nd gear (yes you can do this in automatics). 1st gear has too much torque and if you have to give it some more gas you will spin your tires like mad max and stop upward progression. Again see #2 about momentum! And 6.) Just in case shit hits the fan near climax turn off your fucking traction control before you start this endeavor. Obviously you don't want to spin your tires if you can avoid it, but if you are almost ready to blow your proverbial rock load at the top of the hill you may need a quick spurt to get you over the edge. TC will stop your wheels from spinning, take away your MOMENTUM (see 2) and you are fucked. Happy skiing folks. Or just walk.

Post of the year

[clif]

the rrgcc's application to the Access Fund that they posted about suggesting public input for updating the Gallery should be written to acquire land/a parking lot on top of the crags back in the Charmane Oil county road area anyway.

[monty4355]

Isn't that land already owned by the coalition?

[clif]

its been a long time and in the last couple years it seemed like a boundary map showed up (guesstimated or rigorous?) but for a long time any interest in finding the property lines was discouraged. I'd assume some people know more than others but since the financing was not the conventional kind I'm not sure there ever was a proper 'survey'??

...Jones road looks interesting too.

[milspecmark]

Clif, Have you been down these roads. I believe both will lead you to the top of clifflines, requiring a rappel to access climbing. Im not positive though.

[clif]

I've not and think you're probably right about the rappel, I don't see that as a problem. btw, the road to Chica Bonita is probably a continuation of the Charmane Oil County road.

The rrgcc has come a long way in providing parking down there, but, to my thinking, the road being a creek bed/flood plain, the hill, combined within generally narrow confines and increasing interest, suggests a better approach. Ladders and rappel approaches are not that uncommon, Endless Wall?

Plus, some chance of a campground and for someone to make a little money?

[milspecmark]

It is a great idea. Maybe we should go exploring