Raptor Run 7 - Sat April 16, 2011 - Anza-Borrego Desert State Park & Ocotillo Wells

We got out to Palm Canyon Campground in Borrego Springs just after midnight Friday night. Camp site 62. Shortly after arriving a black Raptor with custom front bumper cruised into the campground. I knew it was Rob headed to his campsite. The weather was great cool (but not cold) at night and the typical huge sky of stars and a soon-to-be-full-moon.

Saturday morning started warming up early - it was going to be a hot day. Chad from Las Vegas came to our campsite and we got caught up. Chad drove his nearly brand new white Super Crew about 4.5 hours to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.

At nine we headed over to the ABDSP Visitors Center where we met up with Rob and his crew of 2, Stu and Nick. I got a text from Brian who said he couldn't make it and another from Ryan (Bimota) who said he couldn't make it due to a back problem. I got one more text from Conner (OutlawRaptor) who said he was on his way. Conner and his passenger showed up and Raptor Run 7 was officially on.

We went into the Visitors Center and bought the $1.00 park map (http://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/638/files/ABDSPmap.pdf) showing the trails and then we headed out. Since none of the guys had really been to ABDSP before (it had been years since Conner had been there) we did a drive-by of the desert sculptures (http://www.galletameadows.com/news06302008.php).

Then it was on to the Texas Dip and onto the first trail - San Felipe Wash where the Raptor Run really began :bananalove:

An Ocotillo cactus with flowers and the answer to the question, Where does the name Ocotillo Wells come from?













Here we are at Shell Reef in Ocotillo Wells - this is where you usually will see a large number of dirt bikes, quads, some sand cars and pickups, etc. running up and down and all over the hills. Today we found a few bikes, a few trucks and two Rangers watching us.

Chad and Conner survey Shell Reef in Ocotillo Wells (where's the crowd?)





The Three Amigos? Nope, it's (L to R) Rob, Stu and Nick and after their visit to the beach store:







Rob and his crew terrorizing Shell Reef's hill in his Raptor:

The "Stuck Story" -

We ran lots of trails and mid-afternoon we ran back into town to get some gas and cold drinks.

Time for one more run. I took the guys out the Borrego-Salton Seaway, aka highway S22 and I turned off at Arroyo Salado wash. This is a great wash when the conditions are good. We've been on this wash many times before and each year the wash(es) change due to the rains and winds and vehicles driving on them. We did this wash last year and it was very rocky in the ABDSP area (Tim will remember this wash very well). Arroyo Salado wash on Saturday was great - ever changing terrain with narrow twisties throughout and the wash widens the further you go. Once you're into Ocotillo Wells, Arroyo Salado wash widens up and the speeds rise as the wash smooths out and gets wider.

We ran the wash quickly with speeds increasing as we approached the highway overpass (not a lot of clearance as we screamed under the highway "bridge"). We continued on and in the next section large brush (bushy trees) start appearing making for many different ways to travel the wash. In this area it's important to watch for dust as that will indicate someone is ahead of you either going your way or, coming towards you. We did encounter a bike traveling at a fast pace but he was watching and we were able to pass each other with a lot of space between us.

We cleared this area and we could see the Salton Sea approaching. As we got closer the boys started to split up and we were running 2-3 across. And that's when we found out how the surface was deceiving as it covered a muck that swallowed up Conner's Raptor. We stopped and took in the scene - his Raptor was pretty well stuck. And we looked over in the distance (closer to the Salton Sea) and there was Rob's Raptor showing signs of being stuck too.

We got Conner's Raptor out pretty quickly with Chad's monster Screwcab doing the towing.

Then we headed over to Rob's beast and is was stuck even better than Conner's. Deep, sticky, very stinky muck up to the A-arms in front and the diff in back. We all took turns digging. We gave it a shot with Chad's white Screw doing the towing but that area was treacherous as Chad's Raptor quickly showed signs of digging in and getting stuck. It took but a couple minutes to get Chad unstuck and then we went with Plan B.

We dug out Rob's Raptor - every shovel full seemed to weigh 10 pounds and only half of the muck would come off. We dug and dug and tied two tow straps together hooked them to Rob's and Conner's Raptor and then we used another tow strap to hook Conner's Raptor to Chad's white Raptor. After all that digging the Raptor Daisy Chain pulled Rob free.

Getting stuck at the end of the day is "best" because we ran the washes and getting stuck didn't ruin the day - it just made it longer. Plus it gave us all a story to tell.

We had a great Raptor Run - everyone enjoyed ABDSP and Ocotillo Wells. Even getting stuck wasn't so bad (not as bad as when we got stuck in the sand dunes in Afton Canyon).

Daisy Chain - $160,000 of Raptors connected together with $50 tow straps (two straps were used between Rob's very stuck Raptor and Conner's Raptor and another strap between Conner's and Chad's Screw monster Raptor at the front of the daisy chain. The result? Success! Rob's beast was free of the wet, heavy muck. No it wasn't red Georgia clay but it was just as heavy and difficult to dig and drive out of.

Dan - thanks for documenting! That was the best Saturday I've had in a while.

PS - next time we really should save our backs and let Sadie pull us out!!

Wow looks like it was an awesome time. I wish I could have made it. Great job sharing the info and pics with us. FFS

Thanks for the trip report, Dan!! Looks like ya'll had a good time.

MagicMtnDan said:

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That is a very dangerous way to attach a tow strap!! You can yank the ball right off which then becomes a projectile!! A receiver shackle or other tow point should be used instead!!