Stone Canyon 'Crawling

During the late 1800s, Panamint Valley and Death Valley were hotbeds of mining and exploration, which later gave rise to the famous Death Valley Days radio and TV program. In the early days, covered wagons creaked across Death Valley and up the narrow canyons to mining sites. Those wood-wheeled wagons are but a memory, and 4x4s now creak into old mining areas during the Panamint Valley Days, a 12-year-old event hosted by the California Association of Four Wheel Drive Clubs. The most famous trail open during the event is Surprise Canyon, which requires front-mounted winches to drag your ride up a series of waterfalls to the former mining town of Panamint, high atop the Panamint Range. Of course, the idea is to drive up the falls, but few 4x4s prove capable of completing even one without the hook.

We've featured Surprise for a number of years-it's a killer trail, and we even used it for our controversial "Winch Shootout" in the Nov. '97 issue. But as radical as Surprise Canyon is, there's much more going on during Panamint Valley Days. There are other trails ranging from easy sightseeing to rough-and-tumble rockcrawling. We decided to take advantage of the other offerings this year by trying the Stone Canyon run, which is situated across the valley from the Panamint Range.

Stone Canyon consists of a series of dry waterfalls that grind up the canyon, similar in difficulty to Surprise Canyon but without the water. Originally, the Stone Canyon Trail consisted of nine waterfalls, but because of the S-21 desert closure bill the top six falls are now within a wilderness area and can't be legally traversed.

Regardless of your vehicle or skill level, Panamint Valley Days has something to offer just about everyone. The event is held in the beginning of November, which brings cool nights and warm days to the desert, although the overnight run to Panamint City has had snowfall in the past. If you want to be part of the excitement of future Panamint Valley Days, write to the California Association of Four Wheel Drive Clubs at 3104 O St. #313, Sacramento, CA 95816, or call 800/4X4-FUNN. If you're interested in the Surprise Canyon overnighter, remember that lockers, tall tires, and a winch are required, and the number of vehicles allowed on that run is limited.

Too much speed at the first waterfall can bounce you backward, as Steve Boyle found out in his '86 CJ-7. The spring-over conversion allows Steve to run 35-inch BFG Mud-Terrains, and the factory Dana 44 rear and Dana 30 front axle are filled with ARB Air Lockers for maximum traction. Only half the rigs on this run made it to the top of the waterfall without the aid of a winch, and broken axles and bent driveshafts were not uncommon.
Too much speed at the first waterfall can bounce you backward, as Steve Boyle found out in
A regular on Southern California trails is Earl Rahder, who usually drives his '68 CJ-6. But Stone Canyon caused Earl to break out his '95 Wrangler, which has a Ford 9-inch frontend that runs a Detroit Locker and a Dana 44 rear axle with another Detroit, both with 5.38 gears. The stock 4.0L engine simply moved the 35x12.50-15 BFG All-Terrains along either fast or slow, whichever Earl felt like doing.
A regular on Southern California trails is Earl Rahder, who usually drives his '68 CJ-6. B
The first waterfall on Stone Canyon proved to be a challenge not to be taken lightly, and even experienced rockcrawlers had to resort to powering up the short cliff. This '88 Cherokee had a Lock-Right in the rear axle, and the custom Off Road General Store lift helped it slip and slide the 31-inch BFG Mud-Terrains up and over the top of the fall.
The first waterfall on Stone Canyon proved to be a challenge not to be taken lightly, and

Eric Lund of Sun Performance was on hand to show how easy the climb can be with the right line. Eric's '80 CJ-7 sports 33x12.50-15 BFG Mud-Terrains spun by 4.56 gears and a Detroit rear and E-Z Locker front. Even with a carburetor that's on its last legs, the six-cylinder kept sputtering away up every obstacle.
Eric Lund of Sun Performance was on hand to show how easy the climb can be with the right
The road to Stone Canyon winds through numerous washes and boulder patches, although a direct route on gravel and dirt can be had. But the Victor Valley Four Wheelers preferred to play in the rocks and led the group on some warm-up obstacles before the Canyon was traversed. Even our guide Paul "Fuzzy" Winters found himself perched on a boulder, which appeared out of nowhere and meant that trail assistance was required to extricate the rig.
The road to Stone Canyon winds through numerous washes and boulder patches, although a dir
Fuzzy's '84 CJ-7 runs a '92 4.0L H.O. six-banger, the stock juice tranny, and a Dana 300 transfer case. With 4.56 gears spinning the rear Detroit Locker and the Lock-Right front locker, the 33x12.50-15 Dunlops found traction when they were on the ground. Paul also gets the big thank you for hauling our junk around the trail, allowing us to concentrate on photography instead of logistics.
Fuzzy's '84 CJ-7 runs a '92 4.0L H.O. six-banger, the stock juice tranny, and a Dana 300 t

The rule on Stone is two tries and then the winch cable comes out. Many participants decided that once was enough before calling for the hook. Others hammered it twice; some got turned sideways and others simply broke important parts. The Victor Valley Four Wheelers (of Fun in the Desert and Sledgehammer fame) manned the winches and hauled a good portion of the vehicles up the dry, rocky waterfalls.
The rule on Stone is two tries and then the winch cable comes out. Many participants decid
Most unique of the long-wheelbase members was Craig Donalson's Mohave Limo. Starting with a '51 M38, Craig stretched it 24 inches to fit a '72 CJ-6 frame. In standard Victor Valley tradition, the limo runs dual Dana 44 axles with Detroit Lockers and 5.38 gears. Even with the 231 odd-fire Buick V-6, the longsome monster churned 35-inch Dunlop Mud Terrains, and the Warn winch up front pulled many others up the waterfalls.
Most unique of the long-wheelbase members was Craig Donalson's Mohave Limo. Starting with
The second waterfall is not as glamorous as the first, but it can roll your rig over into the canyon wall if you attempt the wrong line. This CJ-7 nearly hit the wall with its fender, but after it altered its attack angle it was able to scoot more gracefully over the rock pile.
The second waterfall is not as glamorous as the first, but it can roll your rig over into

Long-wheelbased 4x4s, such as this '85 4Runner, picked up a tire or two on the tight turns but were still nimble enough to cruise on through. Guy Jaaskelainen runs Marlin Crawler low-range gears in his 4Runner's stock transfer case, with 4.88 axle gears and ARB Air Lockers handling traction.
Long-wheelbased 4x4s, such as this '85 4Runner, picked up a tire or two on the tight turns
The bottom side of the waterfall proves how narrow it really is and how tight the turn is before you can exit at the top. This CJ-7 sported 33x14 Super Swamper Boggers, which eliminated the question of traction while it crawled up the canyon.
The bottom side of the waterfall proves how narrow it really is and how tight the turn is
The driving-elegance award went to Julio Monroy in his '61 CJ-5. The 225 odd-fire Buick V-6 kept plugging away, despite the fact that 80 pounds of cylinder pressure was all the worn-in mill could muster. A T18 four-speed and a Dana 18 transfer case equipped with a Warn overdrive kept the CJ going and going. Back at camp, Julio's ride even maxed out the ramp set up by the Inland Empire Four Wheelers and scored an impressive RTI of 1,210 with worn-in springs.
The driving-elegance award went to Julio Monroy in his '61 CJ-5. The 225 odd-fire Buick V-

The loose and rubbly surface of the first waterfall caused all sorts of excitement for each participant. While no one actually crawled up the steep cliff, some drivers were far more tactful in their attempts than others.
The loose and rubbly surface of the first waterfall caused all sorts of excitement for eac
Even TJs got into the act, especially the highly modified ones. This example, owned by Russ Bennett, sports a Dana 44 front axle and a Lock-Right, while the rear end is the stock Dana 44 filled with a Detroit Locker and 4.88 gears. The real trick stuff is the NV4500 five-speed transmission mated to the Advance Adapters Atlas transfer case for superior gear reduction.
Even TJs got into the act, especially the highly modified ones. This example, owned by Rus
The final waterfall on the abbreviated Stone Canyon run is this nice-looking slab that requires an off-camber left turn at the top. Anthony Capstick of the Riverside Ruff Riders took his '77 Bronco up the slab with nary a slip, thanks to Detroit Lockers in both axles and 35-inch BFG Mud-Terrains gripping the rocks. Since the closure of the rest of Stone Canyon, individuals and organizations have been working with the BLM to reopen the full trail, especially since a road exists and a cabin still remains at the top.
The final waterfall on the abbreviated Stone Canyon run is this nice-looking slab that req