Shasta Snow Trip
The 2012 Shasta Snow Trip will be held February 2nd-5th, 2012!
OK, who's ready for Shasta 2012?
Drivers Beware
I'm pleased to have you investigating the trip this year, however, you must assume
the risks in the adventure before you. While participating, you may crash and kill
everyone in your bus. This adventure is an exclusively pre-1967 VW Bus journey from
lower Mendocino County to Mt. Shasta City via up to 350 miles of dirt and paved
back roads. The trip's "off the grid" routes have reduced -not eliminated- the probability
of a fatal accident involving another car with it's remoteness, however, it brings
fast to the forefront numerous other, more exciting ways to die, like: flying off
cliffs, hitting trees, live stock, or being run over. If someone does hit another
car, it's going to be a head- on; reduce this serious risk by skirting the right
ditch or cliff around blind turns. You'll have from roughly 4:30am to midnight to
reach Shasta, and traversing half a dozen mountain passes, sometimes dozens of streams
and miles of fire roads will mandate solid driving skill, mechanical ability, and
the longevity to keep a brisk pace. This trip is so fun because in the course of
the weekend's events, the dangers are not just limited to vehicular accidents. Merrily,
we all -by willfully coming along- invite injury and death by way of burning, asphyxiation,
drowning, animal attack, heart attack and… hypothermia –if not by the elements,
by way of our OEM heating -to name a few. Threats to you and your vehicle shall
be based on your own judgment and ability to drive, not the passable roads over
which you shall willingly travel. Participation in this trip is at your own physical,
psychological and mechanical risk.
Background and Concept
The Mount Shasta Snow Trip was initially conceived from the 2000 mid- winter, solo-crossing
of Mendocino Pass from Willows to Covelo via the very snowed-in Hwy 162 in a stock,
6 volt 1965 VW single cab. Being programmed for survival by, and recently separated
from the US Marine Corps had me looking at this trek militarily. Ready for my own
personal war, I prepared. Before setting out on this trip, I inspected and practiced
installing the old style chains I was to use and had confidence in them. If I broke
a chain, I had repair links. If I tossed a set of chain rubbers, I had a second
set and trucker's bungee cords. If I punctured a tire, I had plugs and a full air
tank. If I blew a tire, I had a spare, and another one just in case. If the six-volt
battery went dead, I had an auxiliary twelve-volt and cables to jump with. If I
got struck for some reason, I had a fifty-foot cable and a come-along. Additionally,
I carried a floor jack, my full tool box, ten gallons of gas, a fire extinguisher,
three quarts of 20/50, food for a week, warm clothing including gloves, good rain
gear, military mummy bag, two flashlights, propane lantern, comprehensive first
aid kit, camera, HAM radio, cellular phone and most importantly, a Delorme Atlas
and Gazetteer. If all my contingency planning wasn't enough and the truck got thoroughly
stuck, I still had either of two dirt bikes in back I could ride out on. It turned
out to be a war too, an amazing, completely crazy adventure that left me both exhausted
and invigorated at the same time. When it was all done, I decided that others should
be able to experience something like this; to enjoy these most remote and amazing
back roads and the related contingency planning not ordinarily required in normal
driving. Fortunately, you'll not likely experience all the insanity, problems and
emotions I did with this "out of the box" type adventure, but that you're here,
reading this now, is near-proof that I have succeeded in making a little of this
chaos and fun more available to the people. Thank you for showing interest, the
weekend's challenges should offer memories for a lifetime. Stay focused, remain
vigilant, obey logic and be good to one another. I really hope you can make it.
Brian Piercy
Eeeej's Words of Wisdom for Shasta Prep
"I don't practice what I preach, because I'm not the kind of person I'm preaching to" -J.R. 'Bob' Dobbs
This, as I see it, is what a Shasta-ready bus is.
1. Brakes. Good linings, hoses and cylinders. No leaks. E-brake cables well adjusted.
2. Bearings. Greased and correctly adjusted. No play, no noise.
3. Wheels. Fairly straight and matched. Lug bolts torqued correctly.
4. Tires. Matched, correct pressure, no obvious damage. Spare that matches, at least for size, and holds air for at least a week.
5. Engine. Healthy. Size is not critical, I prefer stock for reliability. It should be well tuned, not burning oil or knocking, and have at least a few hundred miles in which it has not changed.
6. Transaxle. Holds gears reliably, makes no funky noise. Good boots, full of lube, shift coupler in good shape, mounts undamaged. RGB's have correct oil level and bolts to springplates are tight.
7. Suspension and steering. No major play in tie rods, drag link or steering gear. King and links adjusted and well greased. Good shocks, bolts tight.
8. Charging system. Strong battery, very well tied down. Generator (or Alternator, if you don't mind that their reliability sucks) has good bearings and brushes. Belt correctly adjusted, and still adjustable, fan straight and hub nut tight. Strap and wiring tight. Regulator secure.
9. Heat. Must work at least well enough to keep windshield clear. Should be controllable so it can be turned off before creek crossings, lest ye steam your windshield opaque.
10. Wipers. Good blades, well attached to pivots. Stepdown resistors where needed. Rain-x ladled liberally onto windshield.
11. Lights. All brake and turn signals work. Headlights bright and clear, with good grounds. I prefer bulb style headlights since they have superior light output and the bulbs are a snap to change if they fail.
This is, in my opinion, the minimum condition a bus should be in before attempting this sortie. Upcoming essays will discuss Parts, Tools, Accessories, and some thoughts on CB radios.
Good luck.
Eeeeej
This is the gear required to succeed at this endeavor. Item marked with an ASS-terisk are optional.
1. CB radio. Well mounted with correctly tuned antenna. Remote speaker useful, but not imperative. I have a small diatribe on CB skills still to come.
2. Tow rope. Very strong rope or chain, already attached to your front axle beam, and slung around your bumper so it can be accessed when you're stuck in the creek, without crawling under your bus. Critical.
3. Chains. You know they fit and how to install them because you have already put them on these very tires on this very bus several times, and you now are so good at it that you can do it in the dark, while stuck in the mud. No mercy is shown to those who have not rehearsed this drill. If this takes more than 5 minutes per side, more practice is required. It's a snow trip. Be Ready.
4. Shovel. Can be big or small, folding or square or whatever.
5. Floor jack. Smaller is fine. A few boards, 2x8x12 or so to keep the jack from sinking into the mud.
6. Fuel. At least 5 gallons, in a leakproof, appropriate container. Most newts use the NATO style cans because they don't leak. At all.
7. Map and compass. The appropriate AAA or NorCal topo and a compass so you can find yourself. GPS is useful, but not mandatory.
8. Come-along. Or winch. At least one per Squadron to assist with extractions.
9. Red Greene Kit. Silicone, bailing wire, and the handyman's secret weapon: Duct tape. Self-explanatory.
10. Firewood. If everyone brings a small bundle, I won't have to blow $40 at the Riteaid buying it. That would be nice.
****The following are optional, but useful****
11. Cell phone
12. Camera
13. Auxiliary lighting. Fog, spot, off road, whatever.
14. California creeper. AKA a large piece of cardboard to lay on.
15. Chainsaw. At least one per Squadron
16. Firearm. In case we need to shoot back. Damn Hippies!
The CB radio is at once a fountain of knowledge, and the funniest thing you've ever heard. Once we get out on open roads and into smaller groups, the banter can be hilarious, but it must be stated at the outset, it is First and Foremost a TOOL OF COMMUNICATION and not open mic night at the comedy club. During darkness and high speed driving, keep the channel clear so the leader of your squadron can call out threats.
The CB operates on 10-codes, but we are concerned with only 2 of them; 10-4 which means 'I understand' and 10-9, which mean 'I do not understand, please repeat your last transmission'.
The leader of each Squadron is responsible for reporting threats. Identify where and what the threat is: 'ROCK ON RIGHT, REPEAT, ROCK ON RIGHT! It is unnecessary for each person down the line to repeat the warning! The last person in your Squadron might say 'Rock on right, copy'.
Other information is divided into several categories; 1. a situation(someone has to pee or a chunk of gear needs tied back down) in which case no assistance is needed. It sounds like this: 'Idaho Bosco, we have a situation, carry on' When it is resolved, we check in: 'Bosco, rollin'.
2. A crisis(something is broken or someone's puking) requiring immediate resolution. Ask for assistance as needed.
3. An Emergency(something that affects all of the group) such as a crash or a snowplow barreling down the road towards us. If someone declares an Emergency, stop at a convenient place and await more information. Keep the channel clear.
4. FULL STOP, meaning just that, stop as soon as safe to do so. These are usually issued when a bridge is out or an obstacle is identified. Do not pull up to the next bus, as they are very difficult to turn around when piled 36 deep. Full Stop usually means we are going to have to turn back, but await instructions before doing so.
We operate on Channel 2. If you want to have a chat about bumpers or shoes, just ask your buddy to go up to Channel 5 with you. Pay attention to the bus in front of you, since you are out of com with the leader. When you return to 2, indicate by saying 'Bosco on 2'
Once is a while, we will attempt contact with another squadron on a distant mountain far away. If you need to stay in communication with that party, such as if they have a crisis, stop right where you are so you do not lose the signal. Keep your message clear and concise; Location, Problem, Need. The strongest radio should be used, squelch turned all the way down.
If your radio is very powerful, you make have trouble with close in transmissions being garbled. If your radio has a problem, it may receive but not transmit. Flash headlights or brakelights at your nearest cohort-3 flashes means 'radio not functioning'. If you are still receiving, you can answer question with 1-yes and 2-no flashes.
In no case should your transmissions be longer than 5 seconds. If you need to break in to an ongoing chatter, say 'Break', someone will say,'Go, Break', and the channel is yours.
The CB is an awesome tool and a Comedy Jam, but keep in mind, it's primary function is INFORMATION!
These are organized in 3 Classes; A. stuff you should always have with you anyway, B.stuff designed just for the rigors of SST, and C. the truly excessive and hopefully unneeded. In most cases, known good used parts are just fine, and if traveling in a group, one per group may be enough.
1. Brakes. A-fluid. B-spare master and wheel cylinders(or at least rebuild kits), a pair of used shoes for each axle, one front and one rear hose. One hard line repair splint. C-a rear drum.
2. Bearings. A-grease. B. one inner and outer front wheel bearing, 2 locktabs, and a seal. One set of used RGB bearings and a rear axle seal kit.
3. Fuel. A-hose, filters, clamps, a pump rebuild kit and a carb kit. B. a new fuel pump and a built and tuned carb.
4. Ignition. A-a few plugs, a couple of long wires, points, condensor, cap and rotor. B. a coil, and a complete, tuned and timed distributor with a clamp on it so it can be dropped in, bolted down, and away you go.
5. Controls. A-clutch and accelerator cables, with hardware.
6. Charging. A-brushes and bearings. One long battery cable. Regulator. B-complete generator with a fan, hub, pulley, shims and a strap. Wiring harness, gen to reg.
7. Engine. A-oil and a sump set. Fan belt. B-complete engine gasket set. Clutch disc. An oil cooler. C-engine. Yes, a turnkey engine.
8. Transaxle. A- gear oil, shift coupler and boot kit. B-crossshaft and throwout bearing. C-a transaxle. (we've needed one before...)
9. Electrical. A-bulbs (including headlight), fuses, tape and connectors. B-a chunk of used wiring harness. Spare switches (even toggle switches). one taillight housing and one headlight pigtail.
10. Miscellaneous crap-I like to carry things that get you from here to there, like 6 to 12 starter bushings, generator tin so any genny can go in any engine, etc. A bunch of loose nuts, bolts and washers. Zipties, sheetrock screws. Wiper arms, a pivot, and some blades. Rain-x.
