johnh7
Senior Member
It was a nice sunny day and my wife asked me if my 38 pickup was ready for a short drive. I said yes and we took a drive from the central valley of California up into the North Western coast range. Using our GPS we drove up toward the Paskenta-Mendocino pass. Road signs said the road was closed to Covolo, a small city on the west side of the mountains. We had no intention of driving that far so we kept going to see where the road was closed/blocked.
We ended up on a small road marked M4. It was a nice narrow paved road so we kept going. On the west side of the mountains it changed to a well maintained dirt road so again, we kept going. We passed several places where the road had been blocked by fallen trees, but someone had cut them out with a chain saw.
The GPS kept us on M4 despite there being many side roads. It goes up over the coast range to the city of Covolo and there are even signs on the dirt road which way to go to Covolo. M4 changes to goat trail [poor narrow full of rocks, dirt road] and goes up to about 6 thousand feet in elevation. We found some unexpected snow where the road was shaded by the mountain, but we were able to get through the first few stretches with momentum. On the third and longer section of snow about 6 inches deep over a sheet of smooth ice with a turn in the middle I had to slow down to make the turn and I got to within 100 feet of clear ground and got stuck. That particular stretch was almost a quarter mile in length. I had no tools of any kind as this was meant to be a short drive into the foothills and back. However we were having fun and were curious about what was around the next bend so we ended up on the west side of the mountain at about 6 thousand feet stuck in the snow!
I had to let the air out of the back tires down to 15 pounds and build a track out of tree bark to get us out. It took many attempts. Like I said it took two hours, but we were finally on our way again. We found two more long uphill stretches of snow, but did not want to return the way we came as I did not think we would make it through the one we had been stuck in. I got a good run at them and with the tires aired down we made it through them. The trip to Covolo over the mountain on paved and dirt roads was about 89 miles.
In Covolo we gassed up at a small Indian Casino, then started the 180 mile trip home via paved roads. Hwy 162 to Hwy 101 to Hwy 20 to I-5 to home. We ate in Willits and then drove south on 101 to 20 east and went over the mountains past Clear Lake to I-5 north to home.
All in all it was a nice drive up over the mountain, but a much longer drive back. We will do the drive to Covolo over the mountains on M4 again later in the spring and summer. Next time I take a drive of any length I will take tools, both for possible repairs and to help get un-stuck!
I only took one picture as I did not intend this to be a trip, but a short drive. Next trip I will try to do like the Professor and take lots of pictures.
We ended up on a small road marked M4. It was a nice narrow paved road so we kept going. On the west side of the mountains it changed to a well maintained dirt road so again, we kept going. We passed several places where the road had been blocked by fallen trees, but someone had cut them out with a chain saw.
The GPS kept us on M4 despite there being many side roads. It goes up over the coast range to the city of Covolo and there are even signs on the dirt road which way to go to Covolo. M4 changes to goat trail [poor narrow full of rocks, dirt road] and goes up to about 6 thousand feet in elevation. We found some unexpected snow where the road was shaded by the mountain, but we were able to get through the first few stretches with momentum. On the third and longer section of snow about 6 inches deep over a sheet of smooth ice with a turn in the middle I had to slow down to make the turn and I got to within 100 feet of clear ground and got stuck. That particular stretch was almost a quarter mile in length. I had no tools of any kind as this was meant to be a short drive into the foothills and back. However we were having fun and were curious about what was around the next bend so we ended up on the west side of the mountain at about 6 thousand feet stuck in the snow!
I had to let the air out of the back tires down to 15 pounds and build a track out of tree bark to get us out. It took many attempts. Like I said it took two hours, but we were finally on our way again. We found two more long uphill stretches of snow, but did not want to return the way we came as I did not think we would make it through the one we had been stuck in. I got a good run at them and with the tires aired down we made it through them. The trip to Covolo over the mountain on paved and dirt roads was about 89 miles.
In Covolo we gassed up at a small Indian Casino, then started the 180 mile trip home via paved roads. Hwy 162 to Hwy 101 to Hwy 20 to I-5 to home. We ate in Willits and then drove south on 101 to 20 east and went over the mountains past Clear Lake to I-5 north to home.
All in all it was a nice drive up over the mountain, but a much longer drive back. We will do the drive to Covolo over the mountains on M4 again later in the spring and summer. Next time I take a drive of any length I will take tools, both for possible repairs and to help get un-stuck!
I only took one picture as I did not intend this to be a trip, but a short drive. Next trip I will try to do like the Professor and take lots of pictures.
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