how's the road?

[dustonian]

Jimmy Hoctor, human whoopie-cushion...

[Climbike1]

Any update for the road conditions down to Drive-By and/or the Gallery?
We will be in the Red by the end of next week and wondering which car we should take. Subaru impreza or normal passenger car? Would it make any difference or is it mainly a clearance issue? We made it last year pretty easily to the Gallery in mid April with a std passenger car...
Does the first gravel hill get nasty when it rains? We plan on climbing at Motherload on rainy days... Always went there in dry conditions...

Thanks for the input!

[Climbike1]

???

[Cocoapuffs1000]

The hill by the motherlode is not too bad for low clearance cars, as long as you drive carefully in the rutted section. The road past the turn off for Drive By, etc is pretty bad especially if it's still muddy. Unless you're okay with abusing your car I would park at the lode.

[Yasmeen]

The road to the Sore Heel parking lot looked like this on Saturday 3/16:

(and yes, Big Foot is blurry)

I'd still want a 4WD to drive past the top of the Motherlode Hill, but that's just me.

The road to the Coal Bank parking lot is scheduled to be repaired within the next few weeks - the weather's been a little wet recently for getting dump trucks and gravel back there.

[dustonian]

Awesome... thanks guys!!! Looks great.

[One-Fall]

The road does look good. Who deserves a pat on the back?

[dustonian]

Just curious, was dense grade aggregate used this time around, or just more gravel on top of the mud?

[Climbike1]

thanks for the update. We might come with the subaru just in case...

[Jeff]

If you plan on hitting the PMRP, the Subaru should be a given. The small cars are usually what do the most road damage from spinning tires on the hills.

[woodchuck008]

My cars have never been able to do the Motherlode hill without a crash and firey death. What is the status of parking atop the hill along side the road, or up on slope, away from the oil pumper? Still off limits? I used to park up there in a small pull out with no problems years ago, but then there were the break ins for a few years too. What's up with top of the hill parking opportunities for 2014?

[DriskellHR]

Brief answer is its in the works but is by far NOT GARUNTEED. As for now parking is officially discouraged, parking there could result in your vehicle being towed. Especially next to the oil rigs/tanks. We are looking into, and working on the possibility's of top of the road parking. A reminder that bald rock rd is a county road and is maintained by the county crew. However with recent weather road conditions have deteriorated everywhere and crews are inundated with work and bald rock is low on the list. It is rough but passable. I put in a call to the county road foreman and I was assured it was on their list. Remember to thank those fellers if you seem em.

[Savage]

Driskell, How bad are we talking? When you say bald rock, are you talking near 498 or more about the hill to the Lode and along the road to Driveby? I am heading down this weekend, just curious what to expect and if my TDi can make it (not AWD). I usually dont have too much issue there, I have lots of low-end torque to creep up the hill without too much incident, provided there arent massive dips and mounds. I wish I had an SUV sometimes.

[DriskellHR]

You should be good. But honestly my info is second hand, Weather has been too shitty for me to make it down. From all accounts you should be fine on the hill n such. I too am heading down, and I will try to get in early sat morn and post an update. best I can do man, sorry.

[Savage]

I will see if anyone has better info.