On to the next campsite. This is where we started to see some of the effects of the 1,000 year storm. At this point the majority of the roads we were travelling on were closed. Most of the highways had large amounts of sand and rocks on it. Other parts still had running water and/or standing water while the outside temperature was hovering around the high 90s to 100 degrees. The state had cleared at least one side of the road allowing for us to travel at a moderate speed. Some of the roads were completely washed away or covered by sand and rocks. The landscape was changed drastically in this part of the park. The pictures don't do it justice of how bad the roads were since it's hard to drive and take pictures at the same time while my drunk ass passenger can't get off his lazy ass and snap a few pics.

Warm Springs Camp/Resort. This camp is located on Mengel Pass. It's literally out in the middle of nowhere. Multiple structures and would say there are some modern amenities like: drywall, legitimate doors, insulation, electric light fixtures, hot water tanks, thermostats and pool. Unfortunately, the 1,000 year storm washed a bunch of mud and sand into the main structure burying the floor and ruining some of the walls and doors.

On to the geologist's cabin. This long, straight shot is a blast. Finally had a chance to test out my suspension. Made it all the way to the bottom and G-out at the end. Hit hard on something all the while laughing our asses off.

The next morning was rough but off we go. We stopped at Barker's Ranch for our last "safety meeting" before we headed home. This year to spice it up, we created a trophy. We voted on categories like: Most helpful, Best prepared, Most drunk, Biggest drama queen, Totally useless. We ended up with a wiener.

So crazy story. On day one of this trip, we attempted to drive this trail (Mengel Pass) from West to East but as we headed to the trail head a tranny came hauling ass towards us in a Toyota Tacoma. All by her/he/zhey self. All flustered and agitated. Zhey stopped at the front of our group and tell us not to go that way because there was an abandoned truck preventing passage. Zhey told us that the truck had a note on it saying that they ran out of gas and went to go find some. Zhey said they were going to the park rangers to have them look for this person and make sure they were alright. So heeding zhey's word, we changed course and figured by the time we came around this trail (on our last day) the truck would be removed. Nope. The truck was still there and like zhey said, there was a note saying they ran out of gas. We looked inside and all there was, was a sleeping bag. The truck was brand new and had a Kearny Mesa Ford (San Diego dealership) plate frame on it. Keep in mind the temperature was in the high 90s if not in the 100s. There is nowhere to get gas and the idea of driving a truck into a trail like this; low on fuel is idiotic and possibly suicidal. We ran into a ranger a little further down the trail and according to them, they were still looking for this person. To this day, we still haven't found out what happened to this person and it's still a mystery.

Dennis Burton’s Missing Person’s Case Page: https://namus.nij.ojp.gov/case/MP106133

On the way out, if you ever come across this wire on the side of this trail, stop and hit it with a hammer or shovel. The shock wave travels up and back hundreds of feet and hundreds of elevation in a cool and trippy fashion.