Ocotilla Pics

[ckh550]

Went Saturday night with my bro and his woman, and my woman with both of our XJ's. We got there late Saturday night, and tried some night wheeling for the first time. Pics and vids don't do it justice, but it was a perfect level trail for night wheeling. Not too hard, but you gotta pay attention. Rock lights would've been nice!

We camped out, it was about 50 degrees but super windy, real good for camping of course. Since it was car camping, we had the AeroBed all inflated in the tent......NICE.

Sunday morning, a few friends in their TJ joined us for a few more hours of slightly more difficult trails, but amazing views of the valley and mountains around us, as well as some pretty narrow trails bordered by HUGE steep cliffs. Speaking of borders, we were right along the Mexican border the whole time, and believe it or not, actually saw a Mexican running down the trail. He hid in the bushes when he saw us! Hilarious, hilarious.

Enjoy the pics!!


A little night wheeling....

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e93/ckh550/Ocotilla/night2.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e93/ckh550/Ocotilla/night3.jpg



Campout!!

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e93/ckh550/Ocotilla/tent1.jpg

Some rock climbing, mini Moab if you will...

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e93/ckh550/Ocotilla/rock1.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e93/ckh550/Ocotilla/rock2.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e93/ckh550/Ocotilla/rock3.jpg

[ckh550]

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e93/ckh550/Ocotilla/rock4.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e93/ckh550/Ocotilla/rock5.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e93/ckh550/Ocotilla/rock6.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e93/ckh550/Ocotilla/rock7.jpg


http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e93/ckh550/Ocotilla/rock8.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e93/ckh550/Ocotilla/rock10.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e93/ckh550/Ocotilla/rock11.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e93/ckh550/Ocotilla/both1.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e93/ckh550/Ocotilla/both1.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e93/ckh550/Ocotilla/bradytyson.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e93/ckh550/Ocotilla/bradyrock1.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e93/ckh550/Ocotilla/bradyrock2.jpg

[blackdoutxj]

nice pix, where is this at in oco?! doesnst look familiar.. but i always go to devils slide, and shell reef and whatnot:)!ps i want ur tires;)!

[chelms27]

Really nice looking jeeps, I went down there a while back to truck haven and had a good time.

[djblade311]

looks like johnny;s old rear c4x4 bumper

[ckh550]

nice pix, where is this at in oco?! doesnst look familiar.. but i always go to devils slide, and shell reef and whatnot:)!ps i want ur tires;)!

My Claws make me a better man. I love them. I've had General Grabber ATs on the last few months, for my drive cross country and for my daily driving tires. I threw my claws back on this weekend....I forgot how awesome they were. So meaty, grip like crazy, and sound like monsters. I'm never going back to ATs after this set is worn out.

And yeah, that's Johhny's bumper.....bottle opener and all. Came in handy on one steep drop off.

Thanks for the comments. It was a real good time, definitely recommend it as a hard/moderate trail. We're stock axles and gears, open/open. But still some good rock climbs and challenges. Really fun trails.

Chris

[ckh550]

By the way, anybody ever bend their Currie HD tie rod this badly? It actually hit the diff, and I had to use my winch to straighten it back up some.

I'm thinking free replacement......suggestions?

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e93/ckh550/Ocotilla/BentCurrie1.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e93/ckh550/Ocotilla/CIMG1882.jpg

Chris

[joehiker]

What kind of front bumper is on your brothers jeep (I assume he has the bushwackers...)?

Not sure I like the end caps, but I sure like the skid and grille-guard..

thanks - Joe

[zjmikey]

Cool pics, Man I get you are glad you had that snorkle.. it looked real wet out there...:doh:

[cal]

By the way, anybody ever bend their Currie HD tie rod this badly? It actually hit the diff, and I had to use my winch to straighten it back up some.

I'm thinking free replacement......suggestions?


People bend those all the time, good luck getting it replaced. :)

[ckh550]

What kind of front bumper is on your brothers jeep (I assume he has the bushwackers...)?

Not sure I like the end caps, but I sure like the skid and grille-guard..

thanks - Joe

It was custom built by a shop in El Cajon, WELDTEC. I think it looks good, but it was welded on to the frame, which he had done before he knew any better. We're trying to figure out how to eventually mount a winch plate to it, and that will take some custom fabbing. But it's strong and it works really well,real high clearance.

As for the snorkel, I got it for $40 when I lived back in Maryland, so it made a bit more sense. Out here, it's a joke of course. But hey, ya never know...

Chris

[Brady's XJ]

There may or may not be a banana peel on my antenna in those pics.......thanks for that bro.

[Brady's XJ]

And where are the pictures of the women?? Email me the other pictures, the ones with the (tj) in em and I'll send them to Tyson.

[nosigma]

The terrain looks like the area south of the 8 East of Jacumba and West of In-Ko-Pah. Where were you when you found rocks like that near the border if not in that area?

John

[Gerr]

Hey yeah we need to see pics of the women :)

[ckh550]

Well my woman was the one taking all the pictures, I don't have a single one of her! And Brandon, I thought we had some of Julie...but then I remembered she didn't get out of the jeep a single time. Nope, not once. Hmmmmmmm

[Brady's XJ]

That's cuz I made her wheel in a thong. Now what?

[ckh550]

^^^^^ LAME^^^^^^


ok, since several people have PM'd about exactly where we were, here goes. I guess it wasn't actually Ocotilla, but between Ocotilla and Jacumba, at the IN-Ko-Pah exit off of 8 East. Take that exit, take a right onto Olde Hwy 80 which leads back towards Jacumba. You go about 200 yards, and on your left there is an opening with an information sign. You can go either right or left and start the trails. It's one big loop basically, and it was about 2-3 hours of wheeling for 3 XJ's and a TJ. We all have 33's, about 5" lift, but stock gears and axles and open/open. Clearance is key, but even without lockers it wasn't too bad.

It was about an 1.5 hour drive east from San Diego to the trailhead.
hope that helps.

Chris

[djblade311]

without lockers, I wouldn't rate that as a hard trail at all. More like moderate. Hard = anything at JV. Thanks for the directions, I will have to check it out sometime.

[Brady's XJ]

With your setup, you'll be bored on the trails. But there's lots of room to go off the trails and play around on harder stuff.

[mikedashg]

^^^^^ LAME^^^^^^


ok, since several people have PM'd about exactly where we were, here goes. I guess it wasn't actually Ocotilla, but between Ocotilla and Jacumba, at the IN-Ko-Pah exit off of 8 East. Take that exit, take a right onto Olde Hwy 80 which leads back towards Jacumba. You go about 200 yards, and on your left there is an opening with an information sign. You can go either right or left and start the trails. It's one big loop basically, and it was about 2-3 hours of wheeling for 3 XJ's and a TJ. We all have 33's, about 5" lift, but stock gears and axles and open/open. Clearance is key, but even without lockers it wasn't too bad.

It was about an 1.5 hour drive east from San Diego to the trailhead.
hope that helps.

Chris


Sounds like you guys went to what's called "Valley of the Moon" — been there done that. I beleive Sidekick off-road has a map of that area, as well as an area norht of the 8.


Did you guys go up Elliot Mine, or Smugglers Cave?

View from Elliot Mine in Jacumba:
http://www.mike-g.net/jeep/yinyang/pics/jacumba/view2.jpg
http://www.mike-g.net/jeep/yinyang/pics/jacumba/view3.jpg
http://www.mike-g.net/jeep/yinyang/pics/jacumba/view4.jpg

road to the mine:
http://www.mike-g.net/jeep/yinyang/pics/jacumba/trail.jpg

inside it:
http://www.mike-g.net/jeep/yinyang/pics/jacumba/mine_mike2.jpg

entrance 1:
http://www.mike-g.net/jeep/yinyang/pics/jacumba/mine7.jpg
and 2:
http://www.mike-g.net/jeep/yinyang/pics/jacumba/mine8.jpg

smugglers:
http://c04l.scl1.imeem.com/g/004d8855396f4279c01ead52f6cf192c.jpg

more:
http://www.mike-g.net/jeep/yinyang/pics/jacumba/