Have you ever turned around, either because you got stuck or were afraid of having problems?

Last Saturday I took an unplanned drive into the mountains NE of Seattle. I drove up the Sultan Basin road off of US 2, as far as Olney Pass (close to Spada Lake), where it is closed for the season. The last couple of miles are steep but smooth gravel, which the Element handles nicely. On the way back, I saw a Wrangler turn up a steep and rough side road. Figuring that it really went some place, I decided to see how the Element would do.

The first pitch was steep and rocky, but with no really rough spots the Element did fine. When it leveled off for a bit I noted a couple of wide spots suitable for turning around or passing. Part way up the next pitch there was a series of bumps and dips. Fearing I could not cross them without hitting something, I backed down to the nearest wide spot and turned around. Got to love the short turning circle of the Element.

I parked and walked back up to the dips. They were alternating right and left, with a pickup's wheelbase spacing. One trail desciption ascribes this sort of 'moguls' to the alternate wheel spinning of open differential trucks. There was no obvious way of crossing them without risking dropping a wheel into one or more, and hitting some exhaust or suspension component of the Element. The road beyond the dips looked passable.

After getting home I found the following map and description of the road.

Start of Blue Mtn Road at Olney Pass (http://mapserver.maptech.com/bp/mapserver/index.cfm?lat=47.9622&lon=-121.6697&scale=24000&zoom=100&type=1&icon=0&width=498&height=498&&scriptfile=http://mapserver.maptech.com/bp/mapserver/index.cfm&latlontype=DMS)
I got just to the north of the 'e' in 'Olney' on this topo map.

http://www.seattleastro.org/obsbluemtn.html

If it hadn't been on a steep slope I might have eased my way into the dips until I heard some thing hit, and then backed out. But on the slope I would be applying more power, and have less control.

Since this was an unplanned trip I did not have much recovery equipment with me, just an air compressor, a few tools, and a light duty towstrap under the spare. If I had gotten stuck, a hand winch might have worked to pull me back down hill, though I would have had the tough choice of anchoring to trees up the embankment above the road, or trees over the lower edge. 50' of low stretch line or chain would have been necessary.

The ground was solid enough that I might have been able to use the jack to lift a wheel, and slowly work dirt and rocks under it. But I hadn't brought along a shovel. A full size spade and pickax might have been needed to move much of this packed dirt and gravel. I need to see how far the stock jack lifts the car and wheel. In this situation a hillift jack with the new wheel attachment might have worked a lot better.

No real adventure in this drive, but some food for thought.

paulj

still sounds like a nice trip, and you did some logical thoughts while checking out the area.. so maybe next time.. so i guess youare not McGiver huh.. (grins).. anyhow that sounds like a nice path, that would be awesome to undertake..

let us know if you venture out again!!

Paul.

Sounds like you took it just far enough. There are so many roads like that around the area to explore. I enjoy the Olympic Peninsula, and some of the areas around Winthrop.

I enjoyed reading the thread regarding recovery equipment. I have not put much together yet. BTW, GI Joes in Issaquah has a Hi-Lift strapped to a roof basket on their Yakima display. The adapter might allow another way to connect it to the " E."

Making the right decision when the difficulties gradually get harder may be more difficult. Several years ago, while exploring the Sierras north of I80, I encountered late season snow drifts. I followed tracks through a number of them. As I got higher I found I had to apply a more power to plow through, until I tried to cross one too many. I was left high centered with 3 wheels spinning in the slush. Fortunately I wasn't digging for long before a lifted pickup came along, and pulled me on through. Then I had the task of working my way back out through the drift. This time I did some preparatiion work, and then worked my way through slowly, always making sure I could back out, before going forward too far. This was in a RAV4 with similar clearance and traction characteristics.

paulj

I have posted some pictures on the off-roading section of the HondaElement.org forum from this past weekend's camping trip. I encountered a number of snowy deadends, and pushed the Element's soft-road abilities on ranch roads in the hills west of Yakima, Washingtion. I'll write up a more detailed description shortly.

http://www.hondaelement.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=4910
http://www.hondaelement.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=4911

paulj

i forgot that while i was up in utah, i did a little off-on roading too.

i went out on some pretty washed out dirt roads with 4-6 inch potholes with no problems, even at speed (20-30mph). there was a 100-200 yard section of powder-fine dirt that i sank into about four inches that went up a ~10-15 degree slope, and near the top i could feel/hear the AWD kick in, but made it up and over the wash and hill no problem. the few sections with six foot long, foot deep (with sloped edges, not a drop) creek crossings (dry), the E pulled through them just fine at 5mph or so.

only in one section of a couple of miles of two inch stones on top of the dirt did i hear anything hit up underneath. i was going about 25mph, and it was a distinctly metal sound (i was thinking exhaust), rather than plastic-thud of gas tank.

subsequent inspection didn't reveal any visible dings to the underbody components.

With a dry creek crossing I'd be mainly worried about the curve at the top. If it was too sharp the Element could hit in the middle. If the road is just rough, with washboard and potholes, the Element should do as well as anything with its size of tire. It may even give a better ride than trucks and SUVs with stiffer and/or bouncier suspensions. On a trip last summer it handled a road with fine dust just fine. This trip the trails were more rocky than anything else.

paulj

A number of years ago when I passed through Moab with a 4wd pickup, I took a loop out past the potash plant and up Shafer canyon to Island in the Sky, and then back down Long Canyon. I'd love to see if the Element can handle it as well. I went into 4wd only for a brief rocky climb, and to get engine braking on the steep initial drop on Long Canyon.

paulj

http://www.stu-offroad.com/others/moab2000/3d-6.jpg
Limited clearance on Long Canyon road, Moab

"duck!"

-brendan

Pass
http://www.hondaelement.org/attachment.php?s=&postid=36166

no pass (probably)
http://www.hondaelement.org/attachment.php?s=&postid=36167

and another view of this 'no pass' mud

Last fall I explored the base of the Black Bear Pass road in Telluride CO. It zig zags down the cliff in middle of the large scale phote - down I say, because the upper part is one-way down. You can though drive part way up from the town. However, I decided not to risk hitting something on the bottom of my Element on this switchback. Do you think you could have done it?

paulj

I have also made the decision to 'turn back', though there wasn't enough space to turn around, I had to reverse out. It was at a construction site, and it was a muddy road, which just seemed deeper and deeper, and ahead were signs of more standing water with the mud. no supplies with me to help if I were to get stuck. I decided to give that one up and try again on a dryer day.

-gaz

Don't you just hate seeing access to untold miles of territory blocked because power-mad yahoos have chewed up the road with poor driving?

'Real' off-roaders don't wreck the terrain, they respect their playground...kinda makes one wish they'd make a law to limit people's horsepower to their IQ. 160 suits the average E owner nicely, wouldn't you agree? ;)

...kinda makes one wish they'd make a law to limit people's horsepower to their IQ...

Hey wait a minute...I used to drive a VW offroad!
:grin:

I wish we had places like that to explore. Texas has a few places, but nothing like that. Most of it is simply flat and hot as hell.

:roll:

Hey wait a minute...I used to drive a VW offroad!
:grin:

Quite so. I was out there too. We were young and brainless (nothing personal, it's a part of the human condition), and it was fun. But with only 40-50 h.p., we didn't wreck too much environment. And we never made a road impassible with 3-foot moguls.

Now that we're old(er) and wise(r), we can be trusted with the E's mighty 2.4L. On passing advanced skill tests, the brighter among us are even allowed to change our own gears.