model A'in down the road...

Sprinting for home on the last day

2011-03-25T23:47:00.000-07:00

We left Bakersfield this morning under broken, cloudy skies after a light rain overnight. Heading for Buttonwillow, we ran in light traffic to a brief stop at Blackwell Corners where James Dean terminated his short career in a twisted Porsche wreck. Hwy 33 took us through the state prison city of Avenal on to Coalinga, where we stopped for a quick lunch before heading out through the countryside along Hwy 198.
As we approached the Hwy 25 junction, the Meneelys did a driver change and we took over the lead, promptly missing the turnoff completely. After a quick U-turn, we were back on the right track, running through the San Benito valley cattle country on to Hollister. The Bratts experienced a flat tire along the way.
We were very lucky to avoid the forecasted bad weather as we re-fueled in Hollister. Bill Nicholson discovered that his radiator fan was wobbling so badly on the water pump, that we decided the best idea was to remove the fan belt for his last 50 miles home.
It would probably be easier to list the travelers who didn't have mechanical problems on the trip, but why dwell on the negative!
We discovered Death Valley in our Model As, we had some good dinners, we spent time with friends, and we didn't lose a car...they all came home. One way or another...
Thanks for coming along with us!
The glad-to-be-home-again-gang-who-conquered- Death Valley

Day 6, The end of the road in sight

2011-03-24T22:13:00.000-07:00

Walker Pass- Ridgecrest to Bakersfield

We left Stovepipe Wells for the last time this morning, heading back up the Towne Pass at nearly 5000 feet. We fairly crawled up the Panamint range at a conservative rate, mindful of all the mechanical woes we've experienced over the last few days. There were some hiccups along the way, but we managed to herd our group over the top, down to Panamint Springs with a turn on 178 skirting the the China Lake Naval Center. Once again, we travelled through Trona...one of the most woebegone towns I've ever seen on the way to Ridgecrest. Bob Meneely flagged down a car coming off the pass, and learned that the Walker Pass (6250 feet) was open without chain requirements, so we started the climb up. Snow still clung to the ground at the higher elevations, but the roadway was dry.

Snow on the trunk- Eldertons phaeton

We re-grouped at the top for the long winding descent through the south end of the Sequoia National Forest, finally landing in Bakersfield around 3:30 this afternoon. The Eldertons effected a radiator repair along the way, and the Pollands (on aflat bed) arrived at La Quinta soon after us. The Griffins' car ran well all day, and the Beamans are in the running as well. Our pickup is beginning to sound like a loose bag of bolts, but I think we have one good day left in us, which should get us home tomorrow.

Had a great feed at the historic Noriega Basque Restaurant this evening...when in the area, you gotta try it!

We definitely are a battle-scarred group heading home, but the experience was once-in-a-lifetime good.
And a lot of that can be attributed to the hours of groundwork and research done by our friends, Patti and Bob Meneely. Let's do it again real soon...well, maybe not too soon.
The Bakersfield-in-your-rearview-mirror Group

Kern River and Canyon

Happy Birthday Lee Del Canto times 3

Five Days Out--- March 23

2011-03-23T20:18:00.000-07:00

Ever optimistic, our group set out this morning to yet again explore Death Valley. We visited the Mesquite Sand Dunes, and trod some of the finest-grained sand on the planet...took another group photo, then hopped on to the next attraction, Stovepipe Well, which was the only water source between Furnace Creek and Skidoo. To mark the location, someone stuck a stove pipe in the ground a long time ago. The road out to this singular attraction was forty odd miles of washboard dirt strewn with boulders waiting to break a wheel. We proceeded on to the Ubehebe Crater for a look at an old volcano, while the gale-force winds nearly tipped over people and cars...small children and assorted pets could be seen floating off into the desert from the lip of the crater.

Please note at this point that there have been no mechanical disasters or mishaps of any sort! We reached Scotty's Castle about 11:30 and found that their snack shack consisted of a little box with one mud pie and and a stale pretzel. There was no lunch at the castle for us Model a-ers...which was too bad 'cause we travel on our stomachs. I think Chuck bought the mud pie. The castle tour was well worth the price ($9 senior) and we left for Stovepipe mentally if not gustatorially satisfied.

The Beamans arrived back from Parrump (I dunno that spelling) with a repaired radiator, and stories to tell. A friendly radiator guy took them in literally (put them up for the night at his place) and soldered the injured radiator back together...Bob and Mary came in a little ragged, but they are safely back!

The Griffins look like they are ready to make the trip back, and the only unsolved problem at the moment is with the Polland A...the cylinder head is stuck fast, and needs more removal work than we can perform on the road...they will go home in style on the back of a flatbed tow.

The weather looks awful for the return trip...snow over the Tehachipi, lots of rain, and, of course, our nemisis...the damned wind. Keep a good thought for us storm-tossed souls as we crawl back, battered, but undaunted.

The Death Valley-in-the-rearview-mirror-Gang

What a Day

2011-03-22T22:32:00.000-07:00

Sunrise over Death Valley

Pup Fish

Sunrise came through a notch in the Panamint range around 7 this morning, and we left for parts unknown at 9. We drove to the Salt Creek area to look at little Pup Fish about as long as your knuckle, and took a group shot of the all us happy A-ers. Climbing into the Amargosa range, we stopped at Hells Gate for a short breather, to discover that the Wildman's had turned back for Stovepipe after some mechanical problems. A lot of hoods were up as we assessed the next part of the trip, and the Pollands decided to head back with a possible headgasket casualty. Rolling on into the higher elevations, Roger and Norene began to experience some severe overheating issues due to a blown headgasket in their vehicle. We nursed their car down into Beatty, Nevada, where we all took a lunch break.

John and Lizanne Polland out of luck...

Afterward, we headed to Rhyolite to visit the abandoned town, and discovered that the Griffin car had to be loaded on a flatbed for the return trip to Stovepipe. We were losing cars left and right, all of a sudden, so we proceeded back to Hells Gate and nervously did a head count, to discover that the Beamons' water pump shaft had failed, sending the fan blade fatally into the heart of their radiator. We realized that we were losing cars at an alarming rate, so the Kafers went back to the breakdown site, while a majority of the group decided to stop at Furnace Creek (where there is cell service) to learn the fate of the Beamons. A few of us went on back to Stovepipe Wells to see after the other casualties.

So far, we have been able to put the Griffin car back in operation, the Polland A is a question mark, and Wildmans can always trailer theirs home. Beamons are in Paraumph (I can never spell that town) where they have found a sympathetic radiator shop that will do the repairs quickly...so we may see them back here in Stovepipe sometime tomorrow.

From one that is still ready to go....
John and Judy and a couple more A's

'splorin the valley

2011-03-21T22:52:00.000-07:00

Some rain fell overnight, but we awoke to fairly clear skies with a near-full moon palely hanging over the mountains, that were lightly dusted with snow. We left for Bad Water at 9 AM, circling out of Stovepipe around the Mesquite Sand Dunes and on into the desert waste, passing the old Harmony Borax Works and into the next settlement of any size, Furnace Creek, before heading on to Badwater, our ultimate destination.
By then, we were nearly 200 feet below sea level.
We walked out on the salt flat...some went farther than others. Then we walked back, and drove to Natural Bridge, which was a subtle way for the Meneelys to test just how much washboard dirt road we could stand...seemed like forty miles of the worst dirt I ever drove. Around this time, the Wildman car started to act funny, and we attempted to diagnose the problem, and decided it might be a headgasket. We thought we could limp the car back to Furnace Creek, and we were nearly there, when the sedan coughed, staggered, and gave up the ghost. Nicholson towed the car the last mile into Furnace Creek, and Christensen took Glenn back to Stovepipe to pick up the trailer. By 4PM we were doing major surgery on the Wildman car, and after taking the head off, discovered a stuck valve on #4. Many innovations later, we sewed her up and started the engine around 9 PM.
It was a long day, but the rain skirted around us while we worked on the car, so we were lucky...the last hour or so, we worked by flashlight to get it done. I bet we have a better day tomorrow, I really do.
from a couple of tired puppies in Death Valley...

soggy miles to Stovepipe Wells

2011-03-20T21:20:00.000-07:00

The wind blew hard all last night. Will and Karla broke their Model A going to dinner, and we all woke to a howling windstorm this morning. We were tossed and soaked as we climbed the Tehachipi Pass in the chilly morning air, but Bob had scheduled an unforgettable stop to overlook the Tehachipi Loop...an ingenious complete train track circle designed by Southern Pacific to enable the long freights in climbing the grade over the mountains. We were lucky enough to catch a freight train approching from the Bakersfield direction, pulling a mile of cars with three engines in front, and another two in the middle. As it entered the loop, this collection of cars completed a full circle of squeeling cars passing itself before heading east.

We made another stop at the Boron plant to see the enormous canyon they've created over the years, and then we made a sharp left on Hwy 395 to pick up a good tailwind for the first time as we headed for lunch in Ridgecrest on the edge of China Lake. All the while, we were pounded by the rain. It's hard to drive without a windshield wiper with your hands frozen to the steering wheel, while the wind is trying to blow you into oncoming traffic.

But Bob had one more treat in store for us...namely, Towne Pass. About 28 miles outside of Stovepipe, just when you think you're nearly home free, this monster looms up out of the swirling mists and challenges you to climb and climb and climb. The Polland Coupe needed a little attitude adjustment before confronting this monolith, but we all eventually crept up and over this last obstacle to collapse at Stovepipe Village where the accomodations are elegant and the food is... Well.

Unfortunately, the Kafers' A doesn't want to play anymore on this trip, so they are sending it home. We didn't have a flat today. And gas across the street here at the Chevron bandit is going for $5 something.

Someone from London comandeered our pickup this afternoon for some cheese cake photos...I'll see if I can get some of the juicy ones...
John & Judy and others, too

A Damp Tramp to Death Valley

2011-03-19T20:33:00.000-07:00

By 9 AM this morning we had accumulated 14 Model As and a few more modern conveyances to begin the trip down to Death Valley. As we departed the WalMart parking lot it commenced raining and more or less continued to do so for the rest of the day. Our first stop was at our old friend, Tiffany Ford in Hollister, where we were treated to hot coffee and fresh donuts. We made sure to fill up before leaving town, since the next services available were about 90 miles down the road. It continued to precipitate, and to make the experience more fun, the wind came up and blew us all over the road mercilessly.

To top off the experience, we blew a rear tire about forty miles outside of town, placing us somewhere in the middle of nowhere. Glenn and Vicky stopped to help us, and we were on the road again in a few minutes, after a good soaking, and light basting in country mud.

Next stop...Coalinga for lunch and more gas. We visited a 1934 restored Richfield service station in the middle of town, then struck out for Bakersfield, running through a seemingly endless field of oil rigs pumping for Chevron, Exxon, etc.

Cutting left to Buttonwillow, we crossed I-5 and sprinted for Bakersfield and a warm room at La Quinta. But the Pollands found their room to be a deep freeze (no heat)...so they are going to plan B...you'll have to ask THEM what that is...
And just as a footnote...we dug a horseshoe nail out of the flat tire, which was good, because we know why it went flat, but bad because it caused the flat. Damn horse.
First day in the bag.
John & Judy and a buncha other good Model A folks

Death Valley Bob's Tour

2011-03-04T21:16:00.000-08:00

Death Valley Tour

We'd love to hear from all of you...so see how we're progressing on a daily basis, as long as D.V has internet access...
So join us vicariously on our five-day exploration of Death Valley, officially titled "Death Valley Bob's Tour".

John and Judy