Strolling Amok

Pops goes on tour.

Archive for the category “The Intrepid”

14 Jun 2016
2 Comments

Chain-O-Lakes State Park

Beautious.

Beautious.

I made it to Chain-O-Lakes State Park in Spring Grove, Illinois at 3 PM yesterday. To say it’s lush is pretty accurate. In fact, the undergrowth is so thick that you’d need a machete to carve a new path through it. You can’t simply walk into the woods. Signs say that ticks are plentiful here. I don’t know about that, but my hopes of coming in too early in the year for the mosquitoes and biting flies were in vain. Still, the classic rule to avoid sunrise and sunset works, as does keeping moving.

The spot I made reservations for has no hookups of any kind, and the overhead treetops limit solar power to most of the day rather than all of it, which will likely be good enough. I had to be careful about that, since most of the Read more…

Posted in Campsites, The Intrepid, Travelin' Man and tagged
29 May 2016
6 Comments

A Busy Weekend

A tree, just like any other tree, only long-dead.

A tree, just like any other tree, only long-dead.

One thing that had conveniently skipped my mind is that although the Overland Expo is great, the following weekend may have a team roping competition to watch, but it also brings hordes of holiday campers to Mormon Lake.

The area where I was camped had some very, very big pines downed long ago, most falling in the same direction, as if a storm had blown them over long ago.

The area where I was camped had some very, very big pines downed long ago, most falling in the same direction, as if a storm had blown them over long ago.

The lower area where I was pretty much filled up, and a parade of fifth-wheel toyhaulers began making their way up the Read more…

Posted in Campsites, Daily Life, E-Bike Pack Mule, The Intrepid, Tourista! and tagged ,
19 May 2016
10 Comments

Trippin’ to Mormon Lake

I found this on a Land Rover coming into the show grounds. Asked where he got it, the owner could only fumble, saying he'd had it added some twenty years ago in England. I love it, as it's certainly appropriate for the Intrepid!

I found this on a Land Rover coming into the show grounds. Asked where he got it, the owner could only fumble, saying he’d had it added some twenty years ago in England. I love it, as it’s certainly appropriate for the Intrepid!

High on my list of things to see is another round of the Overland Expo West, taking place May 20-22 in Mormon Lake, AZ. Since Mormon Lake is not that far from Williams and Flagstaff, they’ve been on the receiving end of the same rainfall I’d gotten in Williams. Last year, the Expo took place in a mudpit, and it actually snowed one night. Fortunately, this year promises drier weather and temps in the high 60s, which is good for me because the sun here pops the perceived temperatures into the 70s. This year won’t be without challenge to the vendors however, since the first two days should net winds approaching 30 MPH. That ought to test the mettle of the canopies and display boards.

Also parked at the show entrance was this 2WD Russian-made bike.

Also parked at the show entrance was this 2WD Russian-made bike.

They have classes on just about anything you can think of related to overlanding, from navigation, equipment choices and use, to extricating your rig out of bad trail conditions. I might sign up for something sometime, but considering the cost, I want to Read more…

Posted in Campsites, The Intrepid, Travelin' Man and tagged , , , , ,
13 May 2016
8 Comments

Dirt Road Adventure!

Just east of Chino Valley apparently is where the antelope play! Not sure about the deer yet.

Just east of Chino Valley apparently is where the antelope play! Not sure about the deer yet.

In leaving the Chino Valley area and heading for the next crank up in altitude near Williams, Arizona, I decided to take a dirt road route via Perkinsville, rather than the convenience of the 65 MPH run up AZ-89 to I-40. Perkinsville is officially a ghost town having no remnants of a town left, save for a railroad station located on what is now private property. My goal is generally more about finding appropriate campsites, and less about blazing new trails to get to them, but I had the time and thought I’d give it a shot. There were alleged to be things worth seeing.

Once you approach some switchbacks, the view gets notable.

Once you approach some switchbacks, the view gets notable.

Perkinsville Road heads east out of Chino Valley and works its way northeast to, well, Perkinsville. It varies between 1.5 and 2 lanes of quite smooth graded road, suitable for any vehicle. It winds around a bit here and there, and presents some nice views. I had initially planned to Read more…

Posted in Daily Life, The Intrepid, Travelin' Man and tagged , , ,
05 May 2016
10 Comments

Same Situation, New Camp

While I was airing up the tires, I figured this shot might show that this is cattle country. Most stay contained within fences and cattle guards, while a few strays go all over the place.

While I was airing up the tires, I figured this shot might show that this is cattle country. Most stay contained within fences and cattle guards, while a few strays go all over the place.

While heading for town on a supplies/laundry trip, I decided to do two things: try a partially-different trail route back to Perkinsville Road, and scout for a markedly different campsite in Prescott National Forest, north of Paulden, AZ. The return to Perkinsville was via a sort of loop that wandered across State Trust land, and that trail was easier overall than the forest road trail I’d taken in. The drawback was that I’d have to cross the ditch that I’d chickened out and turned back at on FS638, which required putting on my big boy pants and listening for ground contact while crossing it. I had my door open at a couple of points to check how close I was to grounding out the running board on that side. Made it!

I’d left tire pressures down, since although the newish route was less hazardous to tires, it was still rocky enough to need a softened ride. This allowed faster speeds overall, along with less trauma to the camper, but of course the airing up process at the end takes enough time (35 minutes) to cancel out any speed gain. It’s worth it, though, and after my early experiences with Read more…

Posted in Campsites, Daily Life, Navel Gazing, The Intrepid and tagged
03 May 2016
4 Comments

Thunder Basket Mod

And the tag is still on it!

And the tag is still on it!

There’s a thick steel bracket attached to the lower edge of the Ford’s tailgate opening. It’s just a flat plate maybe 3″ wide. It sticks out about 5″ and has a slot cut in it that goes from the end almost all the way to its mount. I think it served to make sure that the tailgate didn’t work itself toward one side or other. Now that the tailgate’s gone, I’ve been wondering if there was some way to put that bracket to another use.

That use surfaced on the first trip into Wickenburg AZ some time back. When going in for supplies and to drop off waste bags, it’s best to have the small trash bags and the solid waste bag from the C-Head toilet sealed and conveniently placed for disposal. Just for the trip in, the latter was placed in the Read more…

Posted in Mod Squad, The Intrepid and tagged
27 Apr 2016
4 Comments

Camp Hunting II

This is the gatekeeper for getting to town.

This is the gatekeeper for getting to town.

A day trip into Chino Valley for assorted necessities was needed after a week of camping miles east of town, so I decided that I may as well find a new campsite at the end of it – because I now can. I’ve hopefully outfitted the Intrepid for 1-week stays, and that was technically pulled short a few days when I failed to keep tabs on breakfast items. I was having soup or kippers for breakfast, which works, but it just felt…wrong. So wrong. Water was holding out fine after 7 days out, being somewhere between 1/3rd-2/3rds full, thanks to a simple menu that doesn’t require much cooking or cleanup. And I’m still waiting to run out of the first tank of propane despite running the furnace for minimum temperature each night.

And from the rear, it looks like this! I don't have all that much articulation to play with. This is where an overly-stiff frame can work against you.

And from the rear, it looks like this! I don’t have all that much articulation to play with. This is where an overly-stiff frame can work against you.

So, I made a late start and spent the day picking up packages, buying sundries, mailing off a failed memory stick at the Post Office, refilling the Intrepid’s water tank, doing laundry, buying groceries, disposing of waste bags, and of course enjoying breakfast out. I generally don’t eat any meals out because the expense adds up, but when a great place for breakfast is available and cheap, I’m a sucker for it.

By the time that was all done, it was after Read more…

Posted in Campsites, The Intrepid and tagged ,
20 Apr 2016
20 Comments

Wickenburg Descent

At the end of the roll down the hill, the tires had to be aired back up in order to press on to Chino Valley.

At the end of the roll down the hill, the tires had to be aired back up in order to press on to Chino Valley. That’s a tire gauge on top of the rear tire, for a final check, since the dial gauge on my pump reads 4 pounds high.

The quarter-mile trip down Mt. Niitaka needs considerably more care than the climb, because the trail up continues back down in a sort of extended loop, with its own set of challenges. Mind you, I watched an old Jeep Cherokee cruise by camp, having had no difficulties, and once or twice a day, an open Jeep Wrangler went past with a few tourists, its driver stopping now and then to tell his stories. A nice, narrow 4WD vehicle with high ground clearance is all that’s needed, and I’m sure even a 2WD vehicle with a limited-slip rear axle could make it up the trail I came down on.

2WD without a limited-slip diff, which I affectionately call “one-wheel drive”, well, good luck and make sure your spare tire is usable – should your vehicle prove unsuited and you insist on proceeding up anyway, you may slice or otherwise overtax a drive tire. Forget trailers of any type unless they are small, lightweight, and off-road specific – or you don’t mind dragging your converted cargo trailer over deeply embedded rock projections. It’s your money. The cell signal in this area is generally very good, by the way.

The trail as shown in the video below looks flat and featureless, but keep in mind that I’m picking the smoothest path down it. It’s practically a cruise in a small-enough vehicle, but get wider and longer, and you can start grounding things out. At a couple of points, it’s a choice of evils and there is no “best” path. Classic utility or sport utility vehicles will find it fun and very easy. Bigger, lower vehicles with overhang and more cargo capacity, not so much.

I decided to take the advice I’d received and lower the Ford’s tire pressures in an attempt to soften the jarring violence of 70 PSI when going over rocks. I’d noticed on a walk-through that some of the Read more…

Posted in Mod Squad, The Intrepid, Travelin' Man and tagged ,
13 Apr 2016
6 Comments

Climb Mount Niitaka!

The top section of the ascent.

The top section of the ascent.

Well okay, what I’ve nicknamed Mt. Niitaka is actually a high hill on the outskirts of the Hassayampa River Canyon Wilderness at Wickenburg, Arizona, where Rincon Road plays itself out into other dirt paths. The lower approach going up the hill is actually the worst as far as pitching and heaving goes, mainly because it looks flat, but isn’t. You don’t know it’s coming, and a walking pace is way too fast. Then, suddenly, the truck is tipping left and right with a vengeance, and for no apparent reason.

This is the basic approach up the mountain, which I previously wasn't able to climb in 2WD on all-season street tires. Now, with the camper in back and some serious Coopers, it's do-able, with slippage. 4WD low makes it much easier all-around.

This is the basic approach up the mountain, which I previously wasn’t able to climb in 2WD on all-season street tires. Now, with the camper in back and some serious Coopers, it’s do-able, with slippage. 4WD low makes it much easier all-around.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. This “day of the climb” began an hour and a half north, in Prescott AZ. My delivering dealer for my FWC camper, Adventure Trailer, was to reposition the camper in the bed of the Ford Super Duty, A.K.A the “Mighty Furd”. It’s rearward end had somehow Read more…

Posted in Campsites, The Intrepid, Travelin' Man and tagged , , ,
10 Apr 2016
7 Comments

Waiting in Prescott

Well, the cargo box is up higher, but is also back farther...

Well, the cargo box is up higher, but is also back farther…

While in Congress, Arizona, I installed a Curt hitch adapter, which has as many drawbacks for my use as benefits. The frame underneath the cargo box is now about 5″ higher off the ground, but is also placed some 8.5″ further rearward. Overall, I think it will help in the situations I expect to face, the prime drawback being that getting up into the camper is more complicated now. The frame was previously at the same height as the bumper’s step, making entry from the rear easy. It’s now useless as a step, and getting in requires a kind of side approach around the front of the frame in order to get at the bumper step. Entry and exit now requires more care in foot placement as well as using the entry handle for balance. I think the camper’s door now has the clearance to swing wide open, if it weren’t for the lawn chair and emergency shovel attached to the “back” of the box.

The Curt adapter itself can’t use StowAway’s hitch tightener – that now only fits the upper receiver that the box frame goes into. So, the box now won’t Read more…

Posted in Mod Squad, The Intrepid and tagged ,

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