GO WEST WITH VIC AND PAULA: Chile Challenge 2012 - Day #4 Powder Puff Run in the Dona Ana Mtns.

Vic suggested that I sign up for the Powder Puff Run on the final day.

He said I should earn my tee-shirt.

The gal on the left in the pink shirt is married to the fellow in the matching pink shirt and camo skirt. Yep, that's a skirt. She told him if he was going to accompany her, he had to dress the part.

What a hoot!

At the air down area we got lesson #1 from our leader Sandy.

She had us get down and look under our vehicles.

She showed each of us where our differentials are and what we should do when there is the need to pass over a rock larger than a basketball.

This was a valuable lesson.

The Dona Ana Mountains are full of roads with steep pitches

- up and down -

scenic and challenging.

Our leader shows the way

This baby is steep!

Upon reaching the very top, the only view is sky.

Looking out the side window is my only reference.

Oh, my.

Look what's next.

Sandy got a call from her hubby who was leading a group on a much more challenging trail that same day.

He needed help in the form of a tool that she had on board her Jeep.

He had broken an axle.

We went up a wash to the base of the hill where he was broken down.

Vic drove the needed tool up to him

as there was no way I was going to try this hill.

Sandy's poor hubby -

he may never live down being rescued by the powder puff gals.

Our lunch stop was in a canyon right by petroglyphs.

Sandy told us that these are particularly old ones - in the 2,000 to 3,000 year old range.

The designs/pictures were originally scratched into the desert varnish on the rocks.

With the passage of time newer desert varnish has started to form in the design area indicating the passage of a great period of time since the original work was done.

Sandy, our fearless leader.

Vic spotted the first two California poppies we've seen this year.

Naturally there was a breeze blowing and they would not be still.

This formation is referred to as "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly".

Sandy is going up "The Good".

The fellow spotting for her also drove up.

Turning left at the top is off camber - not a good feeling.

I would surely do the wrong thing and tumble to the bottom.

The Bad is in the center and The Ugly is far left.

No one in our group tried those.

Sandy said she has seen rock buggies have trouble on the middle slope.

This is where as she continues to turn the off camber begins.

Here I am.

I managed to get all four wheels on "The Good" for the photo op.

This is far steeper than it appears.

Another gal gets her wheels on it before backing down.

Well named, don't you think?

This was the final challenge.

We had the choice of following Sandy's example or taking the optional road around which avoids the really steep, long hill and the crevice at the top.