My emergency rescue on Fordyce Creek trail

[GWeakland620]

I've read both threads now and I gotta say, what a community

I just keep thinking about how I would react to this. I keep going back to the fact that my group of wheelin buddies wouldn't leave me. There would be no miscommunication, cause they would never go anywhere till the rig was good to go. That really has me scratching my head.

As for being alone for a couple days in the wilderness by myself? I've said it before, but I am a b*tch and would have been in the fetal position crying.

Just a crazy story. One that will be remembered for a long time.

 

[wetoolowdingbangow]

This is hugely important. From what I've been through at BB the brotherhood stands tall. help is seemingly only a phone call away and the troops gather round!


Glad your alright, what an experience huh?

Hell yeah. I totally agree with Jethro. As remote as fordyce seemed i was amazed at the response and the hard work people put in. Even looking at the thread, its great to see people getting after it right away.

Best advice I could give to anyone is cool it. Take a step back. Eat some food. If your tired and by yourself take a nap.

I typically don't go wheeling by myself. But my wife was about an hour away from calling search and rescue a couple times when I was younger.

Tools and spare parts are a double edged sword. Yes you can fix lots but I know guys that carry near an extra thousand pounds. Weight causes breakage. But only wheeling experience can tell you what to bring.

I always make sure broke down rigs are ok. I really need a ham radio though.

On the bright side when you don't care about body damage it opens up all sorts of possibilities.

This and a couple of trip reports of other guys make me want to do Fordyce so much more than the Rubicon

Totally agree with this. Your mind can take on too much out there and you can start working against yourself. At a few different points i had to tell my mind "shut up, get focused and work". Spending a night by myself out there wasnt too horrible other than the loneliness, it was more about the trip was heading into the work week and i felt help would dwindle.

HAM HAM HAM. Its a must have. no doubt.

This trip wouldnt have been such a bad rescue if i didn't get left by the group. Still trying to figure out what happened there.

Definitely like the idea of not stressing about keeping the sheetmatel straight lol. I think there both top notch. If you want to get away from the stock jeep crowd and run a harder, more remote trail...fordyce is for you.

Sounds like a good time.....def was a good read first thing in the morning

Yeah man! Feels great to be on the other side!

 

[wetoolowdingbangow]

I've read both threads now and I gotta say, what a community

I just keep thinking about how I would react to this. I keep going back to the fact that my group of wheelin buddies wouldn't leave me. There would be no miscommunication, cause they would never go anywhere till the rig was good to go. That really has me scratching my head.

As for being alone for a couple days in the wilderness by myself? I've said it before, but I am a b*tch and would have been in the fetal position crying.

Just a crazy story. One that will be remembered for a long time.

The BOLD all day long. Just because the truck started doesnt mean you have the green flag. When it fired up there was nothing but a dust cloud.

Haha yeah most people would get very freaked out. Theres something about being in a valley surrounded by massive mountains, i guess its the fact that you cant survey the outlying area. I just kept thinking that "you need to work this". Work this situation until its done with.

Overall i think i did the right thing. Break down aside i probably wouldnt have done anything differently.

Supplies and tools wise i would do vastly different.

 

[GWeakland620]

Still waiting for some carnage pictures....

 

[skunked]

Its hard to tell whats ready and whats not. I know for a fact the truck can do the trail. I would have made it if it wasnt for the fueling issue but yes youre right in some aspects. Is anyones rig really "ready"?

I think everyone has a different idea of what is "ready" although I will say you won't catch many others or myself without lockers and some sort of crawl ratio on Fordyce.

It's also funny to see trucks that look like complete pieces of crap out on the trail however often those are the most sorted and reliable rigs out there with numerous trips proving so. I have a friend with a truck we call "trash truck", it's an older SAS yota and that damn thing will go anywhere, beat to **** and back but it's dead nuts reliable through Fordyce.

Just glad to see the wheelers come to your rescue. Brian said he was BBQing when he heard about you being stuck out there, so he just stopped what he was doing, loaded up his U4 and headed up the hill That's one cool dude.

 

[wetoolowdingbangow]

Still waiting for some carnage pictures....

Coming right up!

I think everyone has a different idea of what is "ready" although I will say you won't catch many others or myself without lockers and some sort of crawl ratio on Fordyce.

It's also funny to see trucks that look like complete pieces of crap out on the trail however often those are the most sorted and reliable rigs out there with numerous trips proving so. I have a friend with a truck we call "trash truck", it's an older SAS yota and that damn thing will go anywhere, beat to **** and back but it's dead nuts reliable through Fordyce.

Just glad to see the wheelers come to your rescue. Brian said he was BBQing when he heard about you being stuck out there, so he just stopped what he was doing, loaded up his U4 and headed up the hill That's one cool dude.

Yeah i get it. Personally the lack of lockers never hindered me. Being 6klbs with 12 psi is an abundance of traction. Sure its on my list of things to take care of but my gear ratio and open diffs was a non issue out there.

What happened to me could have happened to anyone. It wasnt a reliability issue. It was a chain of events that i was unaware of.

The verdict is that the tank was accidentally pressurized by the exhaust getting bent up, which pumped the smog canister charcoal into the carb. This filled the top of the float up, forcing it to the down level and plugging everything else.

Nobody could predict that. In fact i never knew that could happen. Lesson learned. No more smog stuff on this truck.

Ill be back next year for more.

Im heading towards being a trash truck.

 

[wetoolowdingbangow]

 

[GWeakland620]

Yeah, you're looking pretty beat up on the passenger side. That's my beat up side too. Well, not after last weekend I guess. I'll have to get some pics up too.

Still glad all ended way better than it could have.

 

[wetoolowdingbangow]

Yeah, you're looking pretty beat up on the passenger side. That's my beat up side too. Well, not after last weekend I guess. I'll have to get some pics up too.

Still glad all ended way better than it could have.

Yeah its hard to judge space on that side lol.

Yeah im very happy to have gotten out. Very appreciative too. Cant believe those guys did what they did for me.

 

[K30Blazer]

couple of observations, take them for what they are worth.

First of all, your gratitude and understanding of your situation show maturity and smarts. I sense you are younger, but have a good head on your shoulders.

Your appreciation of the help you received and your lack of condemnation and contempt for those who left you behind are commendable. It would be easy to be cocky or full of excuses in this situation and you are exhibiting none of that.

First and foremost, you needed to take a pause on the trip. I believe your youth and enthusiasm got the best of you when it came to pulling the trigger on going on the trip. I feel you knew it was rushed and you should have called it then. As other issues cropped up, (not finding your party, not sure if or when they would be back once you did find them etc) those were all chances to see that this was ill-advised and take a breather.

That said, I think we have all been there. I have been an avid mountain biker for years, and when I was younger, nothing could stop me and I got myself in way over my head many times. Sometimes dangerously. I was able to learn from those mistakes though and now I have tremendous respect and appreciation for the outdoors and my abilities.

I was with the Sheriff Search and Rescue here in Santa Barbara County for 10 years. The number one thing I saw in either fatalities or multiple day searches was people compounded their problems. They took what they thought were short cuts, they pushed when they should have been resting and they kept moving and not staying in one spot.

Hell, we found a dirt biker in the back country that refused to stop and rest and take stock of his situation. When we found him, his bike was on its side, he was sitting on it with his head in his hands. Dead. Rigor already set in. He pushed and pushed and just expired. If he would have found a shady spot and rested he would be here today.

Waiting until help comes to you, and then being able to be of assistance to that help and not dead weight is crucial. Sounds like you did a solid job in this.

End of essay, you will have learned so much from this, you are alive and your truck will be better because of it. Make sure you learn from the easy lessons, (truck prep), but also the more intangible ones (listening to your gut etc).

This has given you the experience to be one of those on the trail helping out others in the future.

 

[Smokinthehippies]

I will say living out that way and talking to wheelers. 4 dice was always the one people were most concerned/respectful of. I always assumed the con would've been the biggest baddest but fordyce is definitely the one people talk about as being the hardest out there. Pretty sure Avery goes out there every once in awhile. It's closer to his side of the state.

 

[K85 Octane]

I wouldn't knock Rubicon, beautiful trail and plenty of obsticles along the way. Having said that, Fordyce sounds like it should be on my to-do list.

Glad to see ur still around Eric

 

[skunked]

couple of observations, take them for what they are worth.

First of all, your gratitude and understanding of your situation show maturity and smarts. I sense you are younger, but have a good head on your shoulders.

Your appreciation of the help you received and your lack of condemnation and contempt for those who left you behind are commendable. It would be easy to be cocky or full of excuses in this situation and you are exhibiting none of that.

First and foremost, you needed to take a pause on the trip. I believe your youth and enthusiasm got the best of you when it came to pulling the trigger on going on the trip. I feel you knew it was rushed and you should have called it then. As other issues cropped up, (not finding your party, not sure if or when they would be back once you did find them etc) those were all chances to see that this was ill-advised and take a breather.

That said, I think we have all been there. I have been an avid mountain biker for years, and when I was younger, nothing could stop me and I got myself in way over my head many times. Sometimes dangerously. I was able to learn from those mistakes though and now I have tremendous respect and appreciation for the outdoors and my abilities.

I was with the Sheriff Search and Rescue here in Santa Barbara County for 10 years. The number one thing I saw in either fatalities or multiple day searches was people compounded their problems. They took what they thought were short cuts, they pushed when they should have been resting and they kept moving and not staying in one spot.

Hell, we found a dirt biker in the back country that refused to stop and rest and take stock of his situation. When we found him, his bike was on its side, he was sitting on it with his head in his hands. Dead. Rigor already set in. He pushed and pushed and just expired. If he would have found a shady spot and rested he would be here today.

Waiting until help comes to you, and then being able to be of assistance to that help and not dead weight is crucial. Sounds like you did a solid job in this.

End of essay, you will have learned so much from this, you are alive and your truck will be better because of it. Make sure you learn from the easy lessons, (truck prep), but also the more intangible ones (listening to your gut etc).

This has given you the experience to be one of those on the trail helping out others in the future.

Good info and thank you for your rescue efforts.

I will say living out that way and talking to wheelers. 4 dice was always the one people were most concerned/respectful of. I always assumed the con would've been the biggest baddest but fordyce is definitely the one people talk about as being the hardest out there. Pretty sure Avery goes out there every once in awhile. It's closer to his side of the state.

Avery is about 4 hrs south of the trail in Fresno I thought? Fordyce is up North of him in the Tahoe National Forest.

Yeah i get it. Personally the lack of lockers never hindered me. Being 6klbs with 12 psi is an abundance of traction. Sure its on my list of things to take care of but my gear ratio and open diffs was a non issue out there.

Lockers and better gearing take strain off your rig plain and simple which will improve reliability. I'm not saying you rig isn't capable as is, it's just I believe some small changes can make a BIG difference in the performance and reliability of your rig. And you got to WH1 and turned around right? You had a lot of trail in front of you that you've never ran if that's the case. With some changes I know you'll get through a hell of a lot easier :beer:

and maybe next year this time I'll be with you.....you know I carry lots of spare parts and tools!

 

[Rugger187]

Crazy adventure you had there. Good learning experience. I am glad you made it home safe.
I'm always down to drop what I can and help someone out. The troubleshooting of broken rigs and figuring out how to get un-f**ked on a trail is always fascinating to me.
Learn from your mistakes and tackle that **** again! With good friends this time.

 

[Smokinthehippies]

Good info and thank you for your rescue efforts.



Avery is about 4 hrs south of the trail in Fresno I thought? Fordyce is up North of him in the Tahoe National Forests!

Yeah you are right! I knew he was near Fresno but I always think fordyce is down that way. I forget that it's more up north.

 

[wetoolowdingbangow]

couple of observations, take them for what they are worth.

First of all, your gratitude and understanding of your situation show maturity and smarts. I sense you are younger, but have a good head on your shoulders.

Your appreciation of the help you received and your lack of condemnation and contempt for those who left you behind are commendable. It would be easy to be cocky or full of excuses in this situation and you are exhibiting none of that.

First and foremost, you needed to take a pause on the trip. I believe your youth and enthusiasm got the best of you when it came to pulling the trigger on going on the trip. I feel you knew it was rushed and you should have called it then. As other issues cropped up, (not finding your party, not sure if or when they would be back once you did find them etc) those were all chances to see that this was ill-advised and take a breather.

That said, I think we have all been there. I have been an avid mountain biker for years, and when I was younger, nothing could stop me and I got myself in way over my head many times. Sometimes dangerously. I was able to learn from those mistakes though and now I have tremendous respect and appreciation for the outdoors and my abilities.

I was with the Sheriff Search and Rescue here in Santa Barbara County for 10 years. The number one thing I saw in either fatalities or multiple day searches was people compounded their problems. They took what they thought were short cuts, they pushed when they should have been resting and they kept moving and not staying in one spot.

Hell, we found a dirt biker in the back country that refused to stop and rest and take stock of his situation. When we found him, his bike was on its side, he was sitting on it with his head in his hands. Dead. Rigor already set in. He pushed and pushed and just expired. If he would have found a shady spot and rested he would be here today.

Waiting until help comes to you, and then being able to be of assistance to that help and not dead weight is crucial. Sounds like you did a solid job in this.

End of essay, you will have learned so much from this, you are alive and your truck will be better because of it. Make sure you learn from the easy lessons, (truck prep), but also the more intangible ones (listening to your gut etc).

This has given you the experience to be one of those on the trail helping out others in the future.

Thanks man. This is good stuff here. I really appreciate your words. Im 25 years old. First wheeling truck, been off roading via dirt bike for 17 years. Big time learning opportunities here.

Youre absolutely right about pulling the trigger on the trip. It was a decision made on a whim out of anger from working on it so much. I have a problem with that. It should dissipate with age and experience lol.

My judgement isnt usually so clouded but it happens.

I felt like i should have rested more...part of the problem is that i was texting about 20 guys on the situation with limited battery life so there was a sense of go go go.

I know the importance of shade as well. I never would stand in the sun for longer than say 15 minutes. At one point the truck was in an area with no shade. I had tarps but it just radiates heat so i walked about 500 ft away from the truck and sat in the shade, carefully scanning for rattle snakes.

You must not allow yourself to get worked up out there. Every time i broke a sweat i went and sat in the shade. I was especially careful about slipping, jumping or twisting an ankle. All things that could potentially disable you from getting to water or safety.

Thanks for sharing you experiences...definitely very valuable. Id like to think i have a good head on my shoulders. Im a pretty logical, strategic person and this helped ten fold out there.

The lessons are welcomed and ill carry them for life. Thanks again for the kind words.

One of the things that made the most happiest about the whole thing is the offers to take me back from those who helped me. Everyone out there said when youre ready to come back call me and ill take you through the trail.

 

[izzy1776]

What a story. Glad your out and back.

We have the Dusy Ershim trail down here by Fresno. Crazy ass trail...

 

[NorCal_Chris]

fordyce is %100 harder than rubicon in almost all aspects.

only thing the rubicon has as being harder is no mid trail excape route. Fordyce does have a halfway point that can be used to get people out and in, allthough that part of the trail is just has hard as the rest. i wouldnt be on that trail without a proven reliable rig with lockers. but thats me.

i go to the rubicon to kick back and enjoy the scenery. fordyce is where you go to party.

 

[wetoolowdingbangow]

I will say living out that way and talking to wheelers. 4 dice was always the one people were most concerned/respectful of. I always assumed the con would've been the biggest baddest but fordyce is definitely the one people talk about as being the hardest out there. Pretty sure Avery goes out there every once in awhile. It's closer to his side of the state.

Most definitely. Ive heard its the hardest trail in california. I would agree even though i didnt get to the winch hills.

I wouldn't knock Rubicon, beautiful trail and plenty of obsticles along the way. Having said that, Fordyce sounds like it should be on my to-do list.

Glad to see ur still around Eric

The entire time i was think "Brent would love this". I hope to go with you next year.

Yeah man im not giving up! ill build a better truck!

Crazy adventure you had there. Good learning experience. I am glad you made it home safe.
I'm always down to drop what I can and help someone out. The troubleshooting of broken rigs and figuring out how to get un-f**ked on a trail is always fascinating to me.
Learn from your mistakes and tackle that **** again! With good friends this time.

Thanks man me too! You definitely have to get crafty out there. The guy with the green 4 runner was crafty as hell. He had a solution to every dead end problem. Just experience and logic.


Looking forward to tackling it again. I learned a lot and one ting is that fullsizes need to stick together. If you go with rigs that cant tow you its not the end of the world but it sure helps the situation out a lot and immediately.

What a story. Glad your out and back.

We have the Dusy Ershim trail down here by Fresno. Crazy ass trail...

Thanks man! Yeah dusy is a hell of a trail. The length of it scares me the most. Good news is i can fit between the trees now lol

 

[wetoolowdingbangow]

fordyce is %100 harder than rubicon in almost all aspects.

only thing the rubicon has as being harder is no mid trail excape route. Fordyce does have a halfway point that can be used to get people out and in, allthough that part of the trail is just has hard as the rest. i wouldnt be on that trail without a proven reliable rig with lockers. but thats me.

i go to the rubicon to kick back and enjoy the scenery. fordyce is where you go to party.

For sure. It was dumb of me to go without more time on the rig but im young and have to learn things the hard way sometimes. I also placed to much trust in people.