FOUND!! Search and Rescue in South Sierras
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mtbtim
Elite Member
Wheeling alone on tame fire road trails where a tow truck can get in and pull you out, sure, go ahead. Wheeling alone on a more technical trail or desolate area where a tow truck will be unwilling to come save your ass, I don't agree. The reason I don't agree is now you are relying on other groups to bail you out. Another group is going to feel compelled to save your stupid ass and then you screw them out of their plans.
It's always good to go with at least one other rig so you can pull each other out of trouble or at least be able to drive out and get more help and any tools and parts you need. In my opinion, leaning on strangers and screwing over their plans isn't cool.
It's always good to go with at least one other rig so you can pull each other out of trouble or at least be able to drive out and get more help and any tools and parts you need. In my opinion, leaning on strangers and screwing over their plans isn't cool.
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mtbtim
Elite Member
I've been mountain biking for over 35 years and I do it alone too. The big difference is even with a major mechanical that can't be fixed, you can still walk out. When I mountain bike alone, I leave early so I have plenty of daylight available in case I make a wrong turn or have a mechanical. I also try to let someone know my planned route. I also take it down a notch on the downhill sections knowing if I crash hard and screw myself up, I might be in a bad situation.
If your rig breaks down in Bum F#ck Egypt (Mohave Road as an example), you're not getting out without leaning on some other group coming across you. So, I'm going to disagree with you here. It's best to wheel on remote or technical trails with at least one other rig.
Endlessblockades
Senior Member
I totally agree with the solo safety angle but can't let lack of interest in joining me stop me. I will have a safety beacon in effect. The Mojave Road area is pretty tame and has travelers and the heat will have dropped into the low 90s by the end of the month. The Fox US Open at Big Bear was just cancelled due to the CA All-Forest Closure, so I'm going to spend my time on the west side of the Road between Afton Canyon and the Rasor OHV park and Cady Mtns. Do you still ride (MTB)Tim? I'm older than you, but still race the other geezers (for fun - Cat 2/Sport Class) in the gravity events. I always do the DH and DS at Sea Otter.....No more Enduro. Doing that on Thursdays was ruining the whole weekend!
mtbtim
Elite Member
Yes, I still ride but not as much as I use too. My body is a bit messed up and also lack of motivation to spend lots of time in the saddle. I raced for quite a while. I made it as high as the Semi-Pro class. I also raced Cyclocross. I raced the A Division, Master 35+A, and Master 45+A. Too many injuries got me to retire. One year I won my Expert age class at the Sea Otter. I raced cross-country.
theesotericone
New member
I wheel alone on technical trails a lot. I've also recovered more then a few rigs that got stuck wheeling alone. All those rigs had a fairly new driver to the off-road scene. Two I was able to drive out by lowering tire pressure and using the parking brake. Five others I've had to resort to winching or snatching.
The one thing they all had in common was no recovery gear. A hi-lift and the ability to use it would have recovered all but 2 of those. The other 2 probably could have gotten themselves out if they had a winch.
As for my personal wheeling alone. I have a full set of tools, a full set of front end parts including spare spindles, and a pretty deep mechanical know how. I also have years of seat time on very technical trails. Even with that I also carry a go bag. It's got food, shelter and warm layers. If I need to hike out 15 miles in the future because of catastrophic engine or trans failure I'm prepared and able to do that.
If your comfortable wheeling alone, do it. If your not, don't. If you are make sure you are prepared for worse case scenarios. They can, and will, happen. One thing I don't worry about is relying on anyone. If I ever need help I'm sure karma will find a way to provide it. One of the unwritten rules of wheeling goes like this: No rig left behind. I know I've never left anyone. Even if it meant adjusting my plans to help out a fellow wheeler.
The one thing they all had in common was no recovery gear. A hi-lift and the ability to use it would have recovered all but 2 of those. The other 2 probably could have gotten themselves out if they had a winch.
As for my personal wheeling alone. I have a full set of tools, a full set of front end parts including spare spindles, and a pretty deep mechanical know how. I also have years of seat time on very technical trails. Even with that I also carry a go bag. It's got food, shelter and warm layers. If I need to hike out 15 miles in the future because of catastrophic engine or trans failure I'm prepared and able to do that.
If your comfortable wheeling alone, do it. If your not, don't. If you are make sure you are prepared for worse case scenarios. They can, and will, happen. One thing I don't worry about is relying on anyone. If I ever need help I'm sure karma will find a way to provide it. One of the unwritten rules of wheeling goes like this: No rig left behind. I know I've never left anyone. Even if it meant adjusting my plans to help out a fellow wheeler.
Romeo1
Member
Well……. If the issue was a mental one here then all other bets are of. All assumptions are made assuming the cheese is squarely planted on said cracker….. if the cheese slides off the cracker…. Eh….. things usually get a little dicey.
Don’t solve temporary problems with permanent solutions. Ever.
Don’t solve temporary problems with permanent solutions. Ever.
Romeo1
Member
On the subject of wheeling alone, that’s a more nuanced discussion. Risks and remoteness have to be taken into consideration.
My family and I wheel alone pretty regularly. But it’s done very smartly in not super remote areas (almost always in cell service when the Wilson booster is powered up.) I have a booster, multiple gps units, multiple radios, multiple cells, garmin in reach that works incredibly well and people I can call to get me. These are also people that I have helped in the past.
Lots of food water and gear. Always warm clothes. The vehicle is super solid mechanically as I am my own warranty station having spun my own wrenches professionally and for hobby for the third decade in a row.
On those solo rig trips it’s almost always fire roads with some mixed technical.
My issue is getting people to go. My brother seems to be more willing to go these days with his TJ rubicon assuming it’s close by.
I’m about ready to go join a local association to hopefully find more folks to go with.
Now all of this said, I’ve been in many many many bad spots in my life outdoors prior to my family with kids life. Enough **** ups have been made to where a good decision making skill set has been developed.
I’ve snowmobiled alone before, and got bitten bad. Almost had to spend the night. Good news was I was setup for it. Bit still a super bad deal to cause for yourself as the walk out is a real ****ing problem in snow. Walkouts are easy without snow assuming no fires are present.
Anymore for me snowmobiling alone is a no go. Wheeling with one rig doesn’t bother me as long as it’s done smartly and don’t take unnecessary risks. I detoured around a snow drifted road in early June to avoid a potential stuck situation. I surveyed the area a good five minutes, decided that a trip down a slope around the obstacle and up the slope was near a zero risk and carried on. The result was an epic day.
Short story long, it’s not a blanket yes/no answer to go wheeling in one rig. If you don’t know what your doing, it’s obviously a hard no. If you do know what’s up and are self sufficient for survival and know your limitations, I say it can be done and done well.
But do be cautious. If there’s even a feeling of doubt, then the answer should be no.
My family and I wheel alone pretty regularly. But it’s done very smartly in not super remote areas (almost always in cell service when the Wilson booster is powered up.) I have a booster, multiple gps units, multiple radios, multiple cells, garmin in reach that works incredibly well and people I can call to get me. These are also people that I have helped in the past.
Lots of food water and gear. Always warm clothes. The vehicle is super solid mechanically as I am my own warranty station having spun my own wrenches professionally and for hobby for the third decade in a row.
On those solo rig trips it’s almost always fire roads with some mixed technical.
My issue is getting people to go. My brother seems to be more willing to go these days with his TJ rubicon assuming it’s close by.
I’m about ready to go join a local association to hopefully find more folks to go with.
Now all of this said, I’ve been in many many many bad spots in my life outdoors prior to my family with kids life. Enough **** ups have been made to where a good decision making skill set has been developed.
I’ve snowmobiled alone before, and got bitten bad. Almost had to spend the night. Good news was I was setup for it. Bit still a super bad deal to cause for yourself as the walk out is a real ****ing problem in snow. Walkouts are easy without snow assuming no fires are present.
Anymore for me snowmobiling alone is a no go. Wheeling with one rig doesn’t bother me as long as it’s done smartly and don’t take unnecessary risks. I detoured around a snow drifted road in early June to avoid a potential stuck situation. I surveyed the area a good five minutes, decided that a trip down a slope around the obstacle and up the slope was near a zero risk and carried on. The result was an epic day.
Short story long, it’s not a blanket yes/no answer to go wheeling in one rig. If you don’t know what your doing, it’s obviously a hard no. If you do know what’s up and are self sufficient for survival and know your limitations, I say it can be done and done well.
But do be cautious. If there’s even a feeling of doubt, then the answer should be no.
Endlessblockades
Senior Member
Cool - Much respect for you XC animals. I need gravity to excel. I know you have a physically demanding job and the consequences of getting racked up every weekend would be bad. Luckily I fly a desk and coworkers just laugh at me when I show up in a cast on Monday.
Backcountry aloneness is actually what I want - I have a wife and kids who are nearly grown and stable enough to deal with it if I were, say, snatched by aliens. I have no concerns about the risks of traveling solo. I bring enough resources to survive and I don't ever plan to rely on the kindness of strangers but I do carry a 30 foot kinetic rope if I need to give or receive a quick yank. I spend more time thinking about how I could help others actually. For on-road help I carry a charged up 1/2" impact and all lug-size sockets. A tall bottle jack and some wood blocks, a tire repair kit if they don't have a viable spare, and even a lug-lock defeater if they can't find their lug lock key. I would also be happy to pull someone out of a ditch - my time schedule isn't that important to me (being alone) and helping some poor bastard out would be one of the highlights. Enough virtue signaling from me. I totally support preparedness and safety measures, but as another poster said - the next catastrophe may well be something you did not see coming! I'm taking some chances alone before I'm too old to....or til I finally get a friend off their ass to join in
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mtbtim
Elite Member
There's lots of ways to meet people to wheel with. This forum is one of them. There's a Facebook page called Bay Area Toyotas that regularly plan trips. But, group trips have their own issues meaning you don't know who the hell you're going to be traveling with and there might be some idiots in the group or they're annoying as fuk.
Maybe we could do a mtn bike ride one day and see if we can stand each other. If so, we could maybe do some trips together. I will be putting together a Death Valley trip this coming February. Death Valley is awesome. I'm assuming you've ventured through there.
Endlessblockades
Senior Member
Thanks Tim - what a nice person you are to offer! I don't use FB proper other than IG to be honest, and I'm not really looking to meet anyone for the reasons you mentioned. I think I just need to actually make it to your BBQ (my kid had a last minute baseball schedule change and I couldn't swing it) and you can see if I'm too much of a goofball for yourself. I don't expect you to go for a bike frolic in the woods with some rando from this forum.
ANYWAY. I watched your entire Death Valley Trip series as soon as you posted each chapter and I feel like I was already along for the trip! I have driven through DV on-road a bunch but haven't wheeled or even camped there as an adult. My parents took me several times in a '64 Valiant station wagon and we got stuck in the gnarliest mud ever at least once. Def something I'd like to check out. I need to beef up my rig a little more before a multi-day DV run, though - a couple of the ledges you guys dropped would be real bumper-slappers with my stock front and rears. I'm armored-up otherwise and don't mind grinding metal with my mid-travel setup. If there's a wild-card spot free in Feb maybe I could swing by beforehand and you can oversee me installing one of Sean's Lexus steering wheels and make sure I'm not full-on kook.
BTW, I bought the green kook-scoop hood from Sean about a year and a half ago. He gave me a deal - right around full price! :lmao:
