Sat, Dec 8, 2018

PCA-SDR Cayenne/Macan Off-Road Adventure Tour

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

About this event

                    
 

December 8th, 2018

Cayenne/Macan Off-road Adventure Tour

This December the PCA-SDR's Cayenne/Macan Off-Road Adventure Tour will explore some more challenging and VERY scenic trails in the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.  The Tour's plan is to enjoy a half day of off-road driving along a route that consists of varying terrain of mostly single car-width dirt and rock roads with some wider sand washes.  The trails may require very low speeds to manage due to the tight turns, uneven surfaces, steep grades, and slippery rocks or deep dirt/sand.  There are a couple parts of the trail where speeds are higher through the sand wash regions which will let you truly experience the off-road capabilities of your Porsche SUV at speeds higher than usual.  Bring the whole family along to enjoy the off-pavement roads where you can all experience the very capable off-road abilities of the Cayenne or Macan as well as to learn to carefully proceed through varied types of terrain.  

This tour provides the driver with the adventure and challenges of careful off-road driving while providing an experience to travel along roads that cars cannot traverse but the Porsche SUV's can expertly handle.  The Borrego area is full of desert and mountain vegetation and interesting rock formations and Native American Indian history where family members of all ages can enjoy the ride and scenery.  If you joined us on the last off-road drive, this event's route should be more challenging and technical and will be certain to put the Porsche traction control wizardry to work.  There will be a few stops along the way for pictures and to enjoy the natural surroundings with stops at elevated viewpoints as well as an incredible view of the amazing Borrego Badlands.  The event will have about 2 hours of off-road driving for the first part of the trip which has all kinds of varied terrain for some real off-road driving fun, along with a viewpoint stop and an Indian historic site stop.  Then after a short twisty pavement drive we will arrive at the second part of the off-road tour which is an exciting, higher speed sandy wash drive up to an amazing viewpoint for a bring-your-own picnic lunch.  

Required equipment should include at a minimum all-season tires with plenty of tread, as low profile high-performance street tires pose a greater risk of wheel damage or a flat tire from hitting sharp rocks.  The roads are primarily gravelly dirt roads with ruts (some quite deep!) and areas of deep loose dirt and sand.  Portions of the trails will have steep elevations with protruding rocks that will require more precise vehicle placement to ensure proper clearance.  In two of the technical regions there are bypasses for those concerned with their vehicle's clearance.  If rains have preceded the event there may be areas of mud which can often be avoided if desired.  The trails are not overly difficult especially thanks to Porsche's Traction Control programming, but an attentive driver is still necessary to avoid obstacles that could be of harm like protruding big rocks or thick paint-scratching twigs.  Staying centered on the trail should avoid scratches in the body and wheel paintwork.  Vehicles equipped with air suspension and higher profile tires should have an easier time making the drive versus those with steel spring suspensions and limited ride height as those vehicles will need to be more careful.  If all goes favorably, at the end of the route, a healthy car wash session or two should be all that is needed to return your Porsche SUV to its garage queen status and remove any evidence of its off-roading adventures, with only your pictures and memory of the experience remaining!  


The event is rain or shine, but if heavy rains have been occurring in the days leading up to the event the trails may get very muddy and may limit passage of vehicles with limited ground clearance and street/road focused tires and wheels.  If you have equipment concerns about your Cayenne or Macan, please contact the event organizer to discuss any possible issues.

 

If you are coming from out of town or out of CA, staying in the town of Borrego Springs would put you closest to the start and finish of the event.  Other close by hotels would be in the towns of Julian and Ramona.

 

Saturday December 8 2018 Planned Schedule: 

8:00AM meet at Dudley’s Bakery ( http://www.dudleysbakery.com ) in Santa Ysabel outside of Ramona off Old Julian Highway 78 for coffee and drinks, to buy sandwiches to bring for lunch, and to use the restroom!  Address: 30218 CA-78 (Julian Rd), Santa Ysabel, CA 92070.  

Please get everything organized and be ready to depart before the briefing starts at 8:15 SHARP.

8:15AM SHARP-8:30AM Tour briefing and waiver signing in parking lot on the West side of the building.  Radio checks to be performed as well.  Set your FRS Radios using channel 11, privacy code 01.

8:30AM Pull out of Dudley’s on Hwy 79; 30 minutes to trailhead.

9:00AM Arrive at the first part of the Adventure Tour trailhead and start tour - engage that Off-road mode and enjoy the ride!  We'll stop a couple times along the path for 10-15 minutes for pictures and to hang out.

11:45AM: Reach Tamarisk Valley Campground after some action packed driving over technical sections, fast sections, rutted areas, and fast sandy washes.  This is the end of part 1; if you've had enough, you can head home from here...  but you'll miss our picnic at the most incredible viewpoint in Part 2 of this Adventure!  If needed, use the restrooms here before heading out for Part 2 of the Tour.

12:00PM Depart for the 20-25 minute drive to Part 2 trailhead.

12:30-12:45PM 15 minute fast-paced sand wash drive to picnic location.

 

Around 3 hours of Off-road driving is planned!

The above schedule and route may change depending on the weather and trail conditions - that's what makes this is an adventure!

Event requirements

Porsche Cayenne or Macan capable of off-pavement driving.  A full tank of gas should work for the entire day including the drive to and from home within in San Diego.  For reference, my Cayenne uses 5/8 tank of gas for the off-road drive plus my 1 hour drive to Dudley's, plus my 1.5 hour drive back home.

All-terrain tires on smaller diameter wheels are preferred for decreased puncture risks, but good condition all-season tires even on 20-inch diameter wheels will be adequate.  Old tires with little to no tread depth will likely get you stuck in the sandy wash portions of this drive!!  Tire inflation at the lower "partial load" setting is recommended as airing down to a setting lower than "partial load" should not be necessary for this event and will likely trigger recurrent TPMS warnings.  Low-profile summer street type tires and wheels 21" or larger in diameter with minimal sidewall protection will work if you are careful but they do have a higher risk of punctures or even wheel damage from the rocky terrain that we may encounter.  If it's muddy due to recent rains, summer street type tires have a pretty high chance of getting your vehicle stuck.

Off-road driving experience is not necessary as we hope to aid new drivers to help manage any situations that may be uncertain.  And thanks to the Porsche off-road programming and control systems, challenging terrain can usually be passed with little effort.  Overall the trails are not difficult and should be handled by any version of Cayenne or Macan that is carefully driven.

The driver should have a working knowledge of the Off-road programming features specified on your Cayenne or Macan.  The owner's manual is the best place to familiarize yourself on the suspension settings, Off-road programming settings, and other features like Porsche Hill Control/Hill Descent - read up before the event, or email the event organizer and ask any questions you might have.  Even better, a Porsche SUV Off-road Technology Education Session will be held on December 2nd at Porsche of San Diego which will familiarize you with the off-road technology and features of your Porsche Cayenne or Macan.  Signup link for the Tech Session is here: http://msreg/CayenneTech

A well-maintained vehicle is essential which includes:

  1. tires in good condition with tire pressures set at the lower partial load setting; the full load setting will work for traction, but will be less comfortable on the bumps and have a tendency to slide off or launch rocks; make sure valve stem caps are installed and if you have a full-sized spare, bring it!
  2. fluids at proper levels as steep grades will angle the vehicle and if fluids are low, may cause issues or warnings at a minimum
  3. no known suspension or chassis control faults: we will be utilizing the traction control wizardry of your Porsche so properly functioning vehicle systems are important
  4. due to the bumps and ruts, remove or restrain all loose items inside and outside!

If minors will be attending the event, which they are encouraged to do so, a Waiver for Minors must be signed by both parents.  If only one parent will be actually attending the event, download the waiver PDF, print it using a color printer, and have both parents sign the waiver, and bring it to be turned in at the 8:20am tour briefing at the Dudley's parking lot.

Entries (24)

GB
Greg Bartley
XS
Xavier Soler
JM
Jay Mims
MW
Mark Weatherup
MM
Mike Miller
PC
Peter Czajkowski
DC
David Czajkowski
BG
Benjamin Galdston

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

Ranchita, CA

Organizer

Off Road organized by

PCA - San Diego Region

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Event over!