We had 4 rigs and 6 people (plus one canine who thinks he's a person).
View attachment 33299 The road in was a long slow dirt track but manageable for any vehicle with more clearance than a Prius. Unfortunately the weather was HOT (102 by my truck thermometer) so we didn't do pictures and tried to locate some shade. We talked the usual truck mods and discussed upcoming events (mountain rendezvous!) and how west coast overland expo is better than east coast overland expo
We broke out at 145 to head home. Our lone cyclist was defeated by the heat, loose dirt trail and fatigue so we wisely loaded the BMW into the back of a dodge eco-diesel. Better to put pride on the back burner and stay safe, especially 2 hours from assistance! We proved 4 motivated individuals can do it without a ramp and continued towards Ortega highway after giving some worn out hikers a refil of cold fridge water and gatorades. It was a bit dusty.
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Halfway back we noticed a dark smoke cloud building ahead. It grew constantly and dramatically until we could spot the water bombers and flames leaping into the sky from several miles away. Luckily the fire was on the other side of Ortega highway and we were able to air up and offload the bike without issues. An alarm came up on the closure of the road to the east so we all set off for home. The fire trucks and police passed us constantly on the way out and we passed a roadblock stopping traffic further down the mountain. Hats off to those guys heading up to fight the fire in this heat!
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If you havent been to Santiago Peak you should check it out, the views are spectacular. Just wait for a cooler day. And watch for the next meet and greet!