A motorcyclist came up behind us and told us the road was good after a tough 100-yard stretch, and then it was just two miles to paved road. He got back on his bike and left us standing there as we decided what to do.
I steered onto the left-hand bank, with a steep angle toward the washed-out roadside on the right. Twenty yards down the wash, the front passenger-side tire went up over a large rock, which blocked my view of water and mud on the opposite side. I shifted into reverse and, to my relief, our big Ford climbed back up out of the mud and rock.
Alternating between riding the brake and modulating the throttle, I bounced over the remaining obstacles and washouts. At the end of it, I was able to stop on a level spot in the road beyond the washout. Our truck did it.
The remaining two miles were simple. The road got wider and smoother as we drove down the mountain to the paved road in Lovell Canyon. Although the scenery was spectacular, we'd recommend checking with all the proper authorities about road conditions ahead of time.
Editor's Note: Mud or snow on your windshield give you chills? Four-wheeling your weekends away? Got a good story to tell about it? Send us all the gear-popping seatbelt-tightening dust-kicking details in 500 words or less, along with your best photos (color slides, preferably), and we'll pay $300. Send to Truck Trend, c/o "On the Road," 6420 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90048. We'll publish your adventures.