My hubby and I and OUR Trip OFF the Grid

A few days ago my awesome hubby and I 

decided to go for a LITTLE ride.. 

we left about eleven thirty a.m. and we didn't tell 

anyone where we were going...

because WE didn't even know where we were going

We grabbed a few sodas, some strawberries, 

we tossed in a few dinner rolls and some lunch meat ..

and off we went

We just started driving North on the freeway,

 when we got about to the Carp Elgin turn off

we thought if would be fun to drive out to Sam's Camp

We stopped at Pete's Rock 

(White Rock named after his Uncle Pete)

and shot a few rounds out of the rifle

then we were off again .. on the way to Sam's Camp

a small detour...

While we were driving Stan would tell me the names of 
the places, roads and stories and adventures that he had growing up. 

He saw this trailer that belongs to the father of one 

of his friends from high school

The father died in 2007 and no one has moved the trailer. ..

Stan and even our son Justin has camped here several times.

Stan has lots of great memories in this camp

It is alway fun to hear the stories that 

Stan has to tell about when he was younger

then ..on with our adventure...

 

Now which way should we go??

It was getting about time for a pit stop so we decided 

to head toward Pine Canyon Reservoir Dam Campground

It was starting to rain pretty hard and the roads

were getting really slippery and muddy. We slid 

around a few corners but made it safely to the campground

We ate some lunch and then headed back to 5 Points

We thought we should start heading back toward home cause of the 

rain.. so we headed toward Barclay.. it got raining to hard 

and the roads were getting pretty bad.. 

we decided to turn around and head back to 5 Points again..

and decide where to go again from there

 

We could see the Fire Lookout Tower so we headed to the top of Ella Mountain to see the sites from the TOP

The Lookout is at the end of a very long, bladed,  

washboardy, rocky dirt road

The Lookout Tower has awesome 

views all the way around
(There was a Watchman inside.. but he was kinda rude, he just turned his back and shut the door on us.. 
I would have thought he would want some company.. he probably doesn't get many visitors all the way up here)
 

 Stan has been to and could name all of the 

surrounding mountains, flats and washes

.

Here is just a few: Stoke's Flat 

Clover Mountain

  

Chief Mountain

Highland Peak

Delamar Mountains

Hayford Peak

  

Kane Springs Wash

 

  

Meadow Valley Mountains

 

and ... Pennsylvania Canyon

This canyon was going to be our way down the mountain

Stan had gone down this road some 20 years ago 
and he said it was not a very good road back then,

but we were going to try it out anyway

We DID NOTICED the WARNING SIGN 

on the road way ... but it only said

ROAD DAMAGE....

 

So we thought that we would give it a try..

we had four wheel drive and it did

only say ROAD DAMAGE....

 

It didn't seem to bad.. so we kept on going

 

and going...

then the road turned into this....

and it wasn't getting any better...

but we had started down and there was no

where to turn around and even if we could turn around....

there was no way we could go back the way we came...

so we kept on going..

14 MILES down this WASH.... 

there wasn't any ROAD DAMAGE...

cause there was NO RODE AT ALL!!!

We had to get out and walk up and down the wash 
several times to see what would be our best route 

and/if we COULD get any further..

We even had to stop and hunt for rocks to PILE up in our 
path to help us get UP and/or OVER other rocks/boulders 
and small drop offs...

 

Then OF COURSE there just had to be 

some of these...

 RATTLESNAKES

but we had to keep going....

We kept going down the wash following what

looked like "the trail" and then OH NO..

NO MORE TRAIL to follow

We must have passed up the EASY WAY... LOL

We backed up, went forward, backed up, went forward..

and then backed up again and again and we 

finally got the LONG BED TRUCK turned around and

started back UP the wash looking for the "trail"

We spotted the "road" going UP the side of a steep cliff

Stan started to walk up the steep canyon road to see if it was 

really was "THE ROAD"..  he got a ways up the steep, 

rocky, drop off, cliff that looked like the road.. and turned 

and motioned to ME.. to DRIVE UP the really 

STEEP, ROCKY, DROP OFF, CLIFF 

that looked like the road.. 

I did panic for a seconds and then I drove up

the so called "ROAD". ..  

I made it to the top. 

Stan got back in the truck and off we went again.. 

this time we spotted...

Clear down at the bottom of the mountain

just on the other side of were we just came up was 

The Elgin School House... 

WE had almost made it to the main road..

We went slowly down the steep road 

and BACK on the GRID!!

The Elgin Schoolhouse

 

When we had finally truly made it to Elgin and 

the MAIN DIRT ROAD headed towards home..

 

Stan and I looked up at the mountain that we

had just came down and we were truly AMAZED

that we had made it down with out a flat tire or broken axle

We were sure glad to see the not as bumpy, rocky, 

washboardy road home from Elgin!!

STAN,

YOU ARE TRULY THE MAN!!!

I had a blast and I can't wait for another adventure...

I will always look twice at the signs

that say "ROAD DAMAGE" 

That was TRULY the BUMPIEST non-road adventure

that I have ever been on.. I do want to go on this adventure again but next time we go down Pennsylvania Canyon lets take the RHINO or the four wheelers.. NOT the Long Bed!!  (lol)

Stan, 

I love you to the mOOn and back and for 

all Eternity!!