Carrizo Wash Run

Jim Phillips wrote:The Jeep Run this Saturday the 15Th, was one of the best.
We arrived at the trail-head about 9:30 am with 6 Jeeps. We aired down and proceeded into the Carrizo Badlands. The weather was perfect. I'm glad I decided to leave all my windows at home. I was concerned that mud would splash all over my supplies in the back seat as we blasted through the swamp road, but the water level was down slightly and the bushes were a little thicker, and as the first Jeep in line, I set a little slower pace. The speed was a perfect blend of water splashing up over the hood and minimal bush whacking. I've been offered a $10.00 car wash already, but I think I'll let the mud stay on the Jeep another day or two. It's a Jeep Thing.

After everyone successfully negotiated the swamp, we somehow managed to find the Carrizo Stage Station despite inept GPS skills and multiple best guesses. We even found the remains of an old ranch I visited 15 years ago and was told it was the old Carrizo Stage Station. So with my History lessons behind me, and my cameras memory card already full of pictures, I led the group up the wrong wash to the Mud Caves. It did take us to our next destination though. The Drop Off. Unfortunately a group of twelve Toyota pick up trucks were there ahead of us and had spotters out guiding each ones descent. I reaaly need to get more memory chips for my camera. They were very intertaining. While they inched their way down and around each divot and rock, Cole and Fred and Rick circled around them like vultures going up and down long abandoned trails that quite frankly, could no longer even be considered any kind of trail. I guess that's a Jeep Thing too. Those Toyota trucks had the wash blocked for an hour!

We finally got out into the wider Fish Creek Wash area and swarmed past those Toyota's while they stopped to high-five each other on their survival of the perilous adventure. We went into Sandstone Canyon to see where the BLM had closed off the trail. Fortunately it's past the narrow area and is still a beautiful side trip. We weren't there long before the Toyota's found us. They seemed to be a nice bunch. They were a mixed bunch of young families and kids. I have no doubt that those kids will grow up wanting a Jeep!

It was 4 pm when we headed out of there, and with darkness approaching, it was decided to head out Split Mountain to Rt. 78. I guess we never considered just how wonderful the weather was. We found so many people camping along the route through the Split Mountain area, that it almost felt like we were a parade with all these people lined up on both sides watching us go by. The air was filled with the aroma of toasted marshmallows, fire roasted hot dogs, and Smores. Now I was wishing my windows were in. I was starving, and the thoughts of posing as a food inspector crossed my mind. Rick and I tied up channel 40 on the CB with talk about Cheeseburgers and chili cheeseburgers, and Arby's, and finally had to stop when the thought of BBQ Ribs and Corn on the Cob started taking our minds off the road and the crazy quad campers of LA started to blast past us looking for their turnoff for their campsites by the Blu-Inn.

Arriving home at 7 pm and finding out my wife had my favorite burrito from my favorite restaurant waiting for me, and it was still hot, was the perfect ending for a great day of off roading. jim phillips