Goler Gulch Feb 2009

More Photos at Smugmug http://netshumo.smugmug.com/gallery/7498289_BXS5S/1/484009926_uoxcW

We took a trip with SCLR to Goler Gulch and Government Peak. The trip was great, and the weather couldn't have been better.

We started at the Red Rock Canyon trail head. First stop was the Old Dutch Cleanser mine. This was/is a Talc mine and is amazing to see. Inside is are Swiss-cheese tunnels with enough taken out, but enough left behind to keep the mountain from caving in. Very cool.






From there we ran the back way to Burro Schmidt Tunnel and had lunch. Schmidt dug this tunnel (2000+ feet) though solid rock and did it all by himself by hand (one jack hammer and dynamite).

We ate lunch after exploring the mine.

Next we headed over to Goler Gulch and found a fun rock obstacle.



One of the members (Mark) brought along a short piece of wood (4x4x14) and by placing it under the "frame" on the newer Land Rovers and lowering the suspension, it makes the computer believe it is high-centered (sea-sawing on top of a rock) and it then super extends the air suspension another 2+ inches higher than the highest setting you can select on the dial. If you then push the highest setting on the dial, it then goes another 2+ inches above that!

Pretty cool to get an extra 4+ inches of lift if you need it.

Next we crossed the valley and up to Government Peak just before dark. The trip down the other side in the dark was a lot of fun with just enough fear-factor. At one point we drove up an incline and with my headlights pointing pretty much straight up, I thought they had actually failed since I couldn't even see if we were at the peak. Times like this I wish I had a "front view camera" pointing down from the bumper (future project?).