FJ Cruiser Forum banner

2008/12/07 Brooklyn Mine Trail, Joshua Tree National Park

7K views 39 replies 14 participants last post by  technics 
#1 ·
Introduction:
Planning Thread: http://socalfjcruiserforums.com/forums/index.php?topic=1348.0

Trail Run:
Attendees: Mikescruiser, 1SikFJC, volhoo, Biff..., mojodog, GSFJ , fjreiszl, FunJunkie, FJCDZNUTZ, FJ-Piper, kokopeli, blue bee, CADavebert

Weather: Ranged from 53 - 63 F, cloudy skies, brief light sprinkle
Terrain Types: Soft Sand, Hardpack Dirt, Loose Dirt, Mud, Rocks, Rocks, Rocks, Bigger Rocks and Bigger Bigger Rocks

Actual Start Time: 10:00
Stop 1 (Air Down): 15 minutes
Stop 2 (Adit & Shaft): 15 minutes
Stop 3 (Mud Pit): 15 minutes
Stop 4 (Mining Camp - Lunch): 1 hour
Stop 5 (Flat Tire): 30 minutes
Stop 6 (Air Up): 30 minutes
Actual End Time: 16:30



Trail Summary:
The original plan was to meet at The Joshua Tree Visitors Center at the West Entrance at 09:30 but delays at the campground resulted in half of the rigs being late by 15 minutes. After catching up with new and old faces and topping off the tanks it was on to the drivers meeting. During the drivers meeting it was determined that MikeCruiser would lead and CADavebert would tail gun with the primary communications being CB channel 34 and FRS Channel 5/34 as secondary. With all the details squared away, we headed out to the trail at 10:00.

After driving past the trailhead and a quick u-turn, we pulled onto a sandy trail and began airing down the tires at 10:45. By 11:00 we were under way travelling down a soft sandy trail which soon became dirt then dirt and rocks then all rocks and the further we drove, the bigger those rocks got. Travelling up a narrow rocky incline, we soon started taking minor hits to various trail armor components such as rock rails and skid plates. Continuing along this rocky trail, we reached our first stop by 11:30, an adit and shaft located North of the Supply Mine.

The group visited the adit and shaft for approximately 15 minutes then was back on the road by 11:45 and headed for the next adventure, an unexpected stop at the Mud Pit, which we had arrived at by 12:00. BlueBee and FunJunkie splashed around in the mud for a bit while others photographed their playtime. At one point, BlueBee was stuck but determination and skill was the apparent tool that released him and allowed him to continue on without a pull. At 12:15, we were back on the road, and arrived at a mining camp just south of the Los Angeles Mine by 13:15.

The mining camp was as good as any place to stop for lunch so we parked the rigs, shut them down and got to eating and exploring the remnants of buildings and personal belongings of the miners that once stayed there. Some of the group hiked to the top of a ridge overlooking the camp and Kokopeli's son Tim felt compelled to join them up there via the hard way, he successfully rock climbed the near vertical face. After an hour had passed, we got back into our rigs and with a change of ranks, CADavebert was our new leader and ??? unknown ??? took up Tailgunner duties.

Leaving the mining camp by 14:15, we soon passed the Los Angeles Mine, maneuvered around a road washout, then headed down into the area dubbed Carnage Canyon because of the beating we took there. This is a loop road that passes the Brooklyn Mine then ends up back at the mining camp where we stopped for lunch. As we started down into this canyon, the chatter on the CB made it apparent that we were going to have to concentrate a bit to get through this without any major damage. Voices on the CB were calling out things like “Ooh, that’s gonna leave a mark” and ‘You might want to take a different line” and finally “hang on up there guys, we got a flat tire back here.” Well those of us up front were quite a ways forward and we knew that with FunJunkie and the others back there, getting that tire changed quickly would not be a problem so we all walked around and took in the scenery of the canyon while we waited. Before too long, we heard the blast of an FJ horn, signaling that they were on their way and we were continuing through Carnage Canyon by 15:15. As we exited Carnage Canyon and headed back to the mining camp there were a few more tough spots but nothing we couldn’t handle. Soon we were back by the mining camp and headed down a dry wash toward Old Dale road that was to be our exit and last leg of this run.

As we headed down Old Dale Road, the dust from 13 rigs was heavy and visibility was pretty bad. The follow me lights on some of the rigs worked great and seemed to cut right through the dust making it a lot easier to see the rig in front of you. After much driving on this straight dusty road, we found ourselves at the airing up point and the end of a great trail run at 16:00. After airing up and exchanging stories, we pulled out around 16:30 to head home.

Photos:
 
See less See more
1
#8 ·
GREAT run. Molly and I had an awesome time. Sorry about the carnage. :-[ I think I tried to warn during the plan, and reading back on the last run there should have been some input on the troubles we saw.

For me, I could not believe how differently I felt about the run this time versus the last time. The things I've done in my FJ since then have really increased my confidence and abilities. Last time I was scarred to even make that first rocky hill climb, let alone any of the other fun things we found on the way.

Carnage that I know of... (not me, but members of the group)

1 flat dunlop
1 torn mudflap and bent/damaged trim piece under the mudflap
1 tweaked front bumper wing.
1 Bling plate (may it rest in peace)
1 torn rubber tube on AFe CAI (that was me)

For my air intake, I THINK it was when I revved it up at the mud hole. If that is the case, then I shouldn't be toooooo bad, since I led the way out through all the dust.

And now, the pictures....

















 
#21 ·
busta3396 said:
Nice report. Just wondering where were the hard parts of this trail? The pictures seem to show just a lot of rocks but no big cavitations. Looks like you guys had a good time out there though.
Due to many limitations, it was not practicle to have a stationary photographer capture the rough parts of the trail and so the pictures you are viewing here are from many dedicated wheelers who one handedly attempt to take pics through their windshields while driving through the difficult parts. I have many many more pics than what I post but after QC checks, most do not make the cut due to blurring, out of frame, etc...

Trail difficulty is subjective. What is difficult for one may not be for the other. There were 3 parts of the trail that I found to be challenging but I completed the run unscathed, this time. I did take one or two hits to my rock sliders but hey, that's why they're there right?

I had an absolute awesome time with a great bunch of people and wish someone would start a thread for the 2009 Brooklyn Mine Trail Run so I can be the first to sign up! ;)
 
#25 ·
FunJunkie said:
What ever happened to Spertierra?
In his defense, he did leave me a voicemail and a PM explaining of some mechanical as well as personal issues, both of which have been resolved but I didn't get them due to the lack of cell coverage in the park.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top