About this event
PCA SDR Off-road Tour
Alabama Hills in Lone Pine, CA
September 20-22, 2024
sponsored by:
This September, the PCA SDR is holding an Off-Road Adventure at the Alabama Hills Recreation Area which has such a unique landscape that more than 400 movies and countless commercials have used this area as their backdrop. The rock formations, arches, and towering Mount Whitney, the tallest mountain in the contiguous 48 states, makes for an incredible sight seeing adventure.
The purpose of this off-road drive is to enjoy a scenic road trip to the Eastern side of the Sierras, and then explore the wilderness areas at the base of Mount Whitney on the numerous dirt roads where the Porsche SUVs are just as at home on the dirt, as they are on the pavement. The drive is meant to give you a chance to explore the off-road abilities of your Porsche with no intention of harming it beyond getting a lot dustier than it may have ever been before, and having its fair share of bugs splattered on the bumper. Following the event, if you want someone else to bring your Porsche back to its garage queen status, or give it a make-over, please hit up our event sponsor One of One in San Diego - they can help!
WHO: This is an event for Porsches only: Cayennes and Macan SUVs, and any off-road capable Porsches may attend. That's right, if you have a "safari 911" that you want to get out into the dirt to explore with us on the mild maintained trails, come join in the fun. For those driving Cayennes that also have a full sized spare tire, there will be chances to drive rougher and more technical trails in the area.
PLAN: Saturday, September 21, is the designated day of off-road driving as a group at the Alabama Hills Recreational area in Lone Pine, CA. Since this area is about 300 miles and 5+ hours away, participants can plan to leave on Friday, September 20th, to reach the city of Lone Pine, CA. We will stay nearby the off-road location in a local hotel on Friday night where a room block has been established for the group.
On Saturday morning after breakfast, the group will depart for about 3 hours of off-road driving exploring the Alabama Hills Recreational Area. We will drive along the maintained dirt Movie Road at the base of Mt. Whitney, which passes by all of the popular movie sites. Part way we will stop for a short 0.6 mile hike along Mobius Arch Loop Trail, to see this interesting arch formed by years of erosion. The Saturday morning off-road driving will be on maintained dirt roads that are appropriately handled by Cayennes, Macans, and any other road Porsches that don't mind driving on rutted, bumpy, dirt roads with occasional rocks.
Following the morning of exploring the famous Movie Road which consists of non-technical maintained dirt roads, we will meet for lunch at a throw-back diner in the town of Lone Pine. Then after lunch, participants have options depending on whether they've had enough dirt and want to head back to San Diego, or are eager for more off-road driving. For those who want more, the group will head back into the Alabama Hills area to explore some more of the vast network of trails that give different perspectives of the incredible desert below Mt. Whitney.
The afternoon drive will be exploring more technical rocky trails with the intention of reaching the Manzanar War Relocation Center National Historic Site. The rockier trails for the Saturday afternoon drive are only appropriate for Cayennes that have increased clearance AND have a full sized spare tire. The rocky terrain on the smaller trails easily eats standard street tires and can require increased clearance beyond what even a Macan offers. So unless you have one or two full sized spare tires with you, only those with Cayennes with a full sized spare tire and more off-road oriented tires, should attempt the afternoon off-road drive. Remember that we will be 300 miles from home, which means if you get a flat you would be getting towed back home at significant expense, or trying to make the drive home on a donut spare tire that is limited to 50mph - definitely two situations to be avoided. For those that will sit out the afternoon off-road drive, an alternate paved route to reach the Manzanar National Historic Site can be taken to still meet up with the group and visit the Historic Site, or a group can explore the paved Mount Whitney Portal Road to a lookout that is part way up the mountain, reaching an elevation of 8,360 ft.
Following the afternoon drive, participants can then head back home to San Diego if they desire to make it home before too late, or stay another night at their hotel so they can head home for San Diego the next morning on Sunday, September 22.
Event requirements
A nonrefundable $50 registration fee will be charged for this event.
Details regarding the hotel room block will be provided upon event registration.
Primary requirements:
1: A road-trip ready Porsche with no mechanical issues is essential as we will be 300+ miles from home, far from any Porsche service centers or independent shops.
2: Appropriate tires in good condition are one of the most important pieces of equipment for this event, as the primary source of a mechanical issue would be a flat tire. We will be driving 300 miles to reach the off-road driving area, where 20-30 miles of off-road driving is planned. Because of the long drive, unless you can mechanically support your own vehicle, ensure your road side assistance coverage is in effect. The temperatures can be high, and on the road trip portion of the drive, the speeds can be high as well, which means old tires with minimal tread depth are a liability! The optional, more technical off-road trails in the area can be rocky, which makes getting a flat tire in the middle of nowhere an elevated risk. Therefore, having a spare tire and having off-road oriented tires are a requirement if you are going to explore off the maintained dirt roads.
3: Off-road driving experience is not necessary! The purpose of the event is to get exposure to the off-road abilities of your Porsche, and experience those capabilities while enjoying some unique wilderness scenery. There will be plenty of time to learn about the off-road programming features of your Porsche and enthusiasts to share knowledge with.
4: We will be using FRS Radios during the drive. Be sure to purchase a radio so you can fully take part in the experience.
5: A well-maintained vehicle is essential, which includes:
- Tires in good condition with tire pressures set to the lower partial load setting; the full load setting may work, but will be less comfortable on the bumps and have a tendency to slide off or launch rocks, and would have reduced traction compared to lower pressure setting of the partial load range. Make sure valve stem caps are installed, and if you have a full-sized spare, please bring it, as the collapsible spare is not off-road capable. And confirm you have the security wheel lock key, if needed to remove a wheel!
- Ensure fluids are at proper levels as steep grades will angle the vehicle, and if fluids are low, it may cause issues, or warnings at a minimum.
- No known suspension or chassis control faults should exist: we will be utilizing the traction control functions of your Porsche, so properly functioning vehicle systems are necessary.
- Due to the bumpy terrain and ruts, remove or restrain all loose items inside and outside.
6: Waivers: This is a special kind of PCA SDR event since the whole family can come along for the drive. All adults in attendance, driver or not, will need to sign the paper waiver at the drivers meeting held before departing on Saturday morning. Please note, only the main registrant needs to register for the event; when registering, please indicate the number of people that will be in your vehicle. Everyone in a car needs to sign the waiver the morning of the event.
If minors will be attending the event, which they are absolutely encouraged to do, 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, and have both parents sign the waiver, and bring it to be turned in at the morning tour briefing. Both parents need to sign the waiver for any minors in attendance.
Once you register for the event, you will get a confirmation email with information about reserving a hotel room for 1 or two nights, and links to download the Self-Inspection Checklist, and a link to the Minor Waiver. Then during the week prior to the event, you will get an email from the event organizer with detailed information of the meetup location, and time, as well as car preparation info.