A Short Narrative on a Trip to Hall Mountain by Jeep
By Douglas Johns
My brother Logan and I had planned this trip for about two months and had hoped there would be snow on the higher elevations but this year had been dryer than most and there was not any snow on the way up there.
Other Jeepers were to come along also but this drive was intended to be a snow run so everyone else opted out at the last moment. Since Logan was on vacation we were intent on going anyway and decided to go. My daughter Mae was excused from school for the day to enjoy the drive and to see the great outdoors at its finest.
The Jeep was loaded with provisions for the day and off we went to the gas station and fueled up the Jeep and jerry cans; just in case we got lost. The day before we hooked up our CB and antenna in hopes that we would get to talk to the other Jeepers on the trail but we were disappointed; but we were intent on having a good time and not let anything get us down so off we went.
The road to Potter Valley was uneventful until we started on the dirt road up to Lake Pillsbury and were able to see some deer and to Mae’s delight some ground squirrels scurrying about.
Past Pillsbury and up to Hall Mountain
The road began to get narrower and steeper. The air was getting crisper and thinner as we began to climb. The Jeep was running superbly and the Mickey Thompson Baja Claw tires were performing as designed. Almost to the summit; to everyone’s delight; we began to see snow, not much but some. On the last leg there was a small amount of what appeared to be snow but it wasn’t. I had become over confident in my Jeeps performance and her tires and went right into it. It wasn’t snow at all, it was very slick ice! The Jeep began to slip and slide backward to the left but as I looked out the driver’s window down a very steep incline of about 1500 feet I saw my life flash before my eyes then the Jeep stopped sliding and I was able to back it up. Luckily Logan and Mae were oblivious to what I was experiencing but they did not like the fact we were sliding! I was able to drive up the far right were the tires could grip the frozen dirt and we climbed to the crest of the mountain.
We got out a enjoyed the spectacular views and had a wonderful picnic lunch and then decided to drive back down to the lake after about an hour or so and take an alternate route over to Upper Lake and then back to Ukiah via Highway 20.
All in all it was a very delightful excursion into the great outdoors, Mendocino State Forest, Lake Pillsbury and Hall Mountain.
But next time I’m bringing tire chains and toilet paper!:lol:
By Douglas Johns
My brother Logan and I had planned this trip for about two months and had hoped there would be snow on the higher elevations but this year had been dryer than most and there was not any snow on the way up there.
Other Jeepers were to come along also but this drive was intended to be a snow run so everyone else opted out at the last moment. Since Logan was on vacation we were intent on going anyway and decided to go. My daughter Mae was excused from school for the day to enjoy the drive and to see the great outdoors at its finest.
The Jeep was loaded with provisions for the day and off we went to the gas station and fueled up the Jeep and jerry cans; just in case we got lost. The day before we hooked up our CB and antenna in hopes that we would get to talk to the other Jeepers on the trail but we were disappointed; but we were intent on having a good time and not let anything get us down so off we went.
The road to Potter Valley was uneventful until we started on the dirt road up to Lake Pillsbury and were able to see some deer and to Mae’s delight some ground squirrels scurrying about.
Past Pillsbury and up to Hall Mountain
The road began to get narrower and steeper. The air was getting crisper and thinner as we began to climb. The Jeep was running superbly and the Mickey Thompson Baja Claw tires were performing as designed. Almost to the summit; to everyone’s delight; we began to see snow, not much but some. On the last leg there was a small amount of what appeared to be snow but it wasn’t. I had become over confident in my Jeeps performance and her tires and went right into it. It wasn’t snow at all, it was very slick ice! The Jeep began to slip and slide backward to the left but as I looked out the driver’s window down a very steep incline of about 1500 feet I saw my life flash before my eyes then the Jeep stopped sliding and I was able to back it up. Luckily Logan and Mae were oblivious to what I was experiencing but they did not like the fact we were sliding! I was able to drive up the far right were the tires could grip the frozen dirt and we climbed to the crest of the mountain.
We got out a enjoyed the spectacular views and had a wonderful picnic lunch and then decided to drive back down to the lake after about an hour or so and take an alternate route over to Upper Lake and then back to Ukiah via Highway 20.
All in all it was a very delightful excursion into the great outdoors, Mendocino State Forest, Lake Pillsbury and Hall Mountain.
But next time I’m bringing tire chains and toilet paper!:lol:
