Unsung offroad heros

[Taboma]

Hope Dave doesn't mind I'm posting this in the lounge, but I felt many might enjoy it and of course it's his house and he can move it if he wishes.
Since many of you don't do facebook, or probably wouldn't have found this group page of the Mohave 4wd Recovery Team even if you do, I wanted to share this particular recovery story.
Since this group page can be viewed by the public, I didn't feel it would be wrong, or they'd mind if I posted this story.
Also, this is in Havasu's backyard and an area many of you explore offroad. This fine group of talented volunteers live and work in the Kingman, Golden Valley, Hualapai mountain region and come together for one purpose, to rescue fellow offroaders, stranded motorists and vehicles and do not get paid for their often heroic efforts.
I felt this story in particular should be shared as it's about a very tricky rescue performed yesterday up in the higher elevations of the Hualapai mountains to recover a gentleman's Dodge Powerwagon.
The remainder of this story will be told with the pictures from their facebook group page.

I'll start with two screen grabs that tell the story --- awesome !!

 

[Taboma]

Now the recovery pics

 

[Taboma]

Recovery continued ---

 

[Taboma]

And they kept working it --- damn !!!

 

[Meaney77]

OOOOPS!!!

Nice work on the recovery!

 

[Taboma]

We've got this guys --- WOW, I'm impressed at the skill and especially dedication.

 

[kimbalee]

This is awesome. What were they anchored to up the hill in the first pic in post #4?

 

[Taboma]

This is awesome. What were they anchored to up the hill in the first pic in post #4?

From the commentary, it seems they were trying to use a high-jack wedged between rocks or boulders, but the rocks were fragile and it wouldn't hold. Seems later they widened the road with shovels and got a another vehicle with a winch in the middle for the side tie.

 

[brgrcru]

Taboma , if you haven't yet. You need to write a book on all your adventures, if not for the public . at least for your family . Always good reading .

 

[monkeyswrench]

That's cool! Good job I've been in the same situations, both ends of the yank strap. It's nerve wracking, you are trying not to do more damage, and not break a recovery vehicle as well. Everybody is kind of on edge. It is also done as you can be looking at drops like these, or sometimes worse. This group did a great job. Glad people are willing to lend a hand, and risk both property and harm to themselves, to help others!

 

[Taboma]

Taboma , if you haven't yet. You need to write a book on all your adventures, if not for the public . at least for your family . Always good reading .

I wish I could claim being part of this effort, but alas, I'm just sharing a story I thought worthy I found on my Facebook page. I joined and follow this group since I own a small ranch in the area. This is just one of many rescue stories they've posted, the way these guys come together to help perfect strangers in need, is truly amazing.
So I'm sharing their story, not mine.

 

[Taboma]

I'm going to add a footnote to my last post above. Thanks to the media we're bombarded with stories of mankind being unkind to each other. It starts to depress me, I find myself thinking fuck everybody and every man for him or herself, it's me against the world. I'm kinda getting older, old enough to recall when it wasn't or at least it didn't feel like this.
I thought this story deserved telling, because it's not about people with glorious toys and riches, it's just a bunch of really good hardworking people, most barely considered middle class by modern standards, who just go out there with great personal risk and help others.
Made me feel good and it's very indicative of the wonderful people I count as ranch neighbors. Real people still exist in this world, we just don't often hear about them.

 

[riverroyal]

awesome. great humans right there!!

 

[Taboma]

I'll PM Dave asking him to relocate this thread to the offroad section.

Figured I'd share another recovery these volunteers from Mohave 4WD Recovery Team were successful with this morning. Another truck just about took a tumble off Bull Mountain off Stockton Hills RD in Kingman. He got real lucky as the truck started to roll over but got jammed up against the driver door, wedging it in place.
Again, I'm just sharing their efforts, I was not a participant.

This is Bull Mountain, up there's a dirt road that loops up to the top to an old quarry, then returns down the other side with a series of switchbacks. This incident occurred while descending the switchbacks.

Bull Mountain

Thanks to a switchback, they were able to position another vehicle with a winch 120' above for a side pull. Of course that required a bit of effort to get the straps and cable down the mountain.

Another successful recovery, everybody made it off the mountain, including the truck and it's owner

 

[WhatExit?]

AWESOME work by the guys! Nothing sucks so much as getting into a predicament offroading. It's incredible fun until someone and/or their truck gets hurt. And being stranded is the worst - it's why NO ONE SHOULD EVER GO OFF ROADING ALONE (in 1 vehicle).

The guys I've wheeled with ALWAYS say, "no one gets left behind" and that applies to our group and anyone else we come across. We've always everything we had to do to make sure people and vehicles got out and back safely. We've even rescued motorcyclists stranded in heavy, late day snow in Death Valley.