Four Wheeling Into History - Part V...The El Paso Mountains...

Driving another three miles, we came to the top of a very steep, rocky down grade.  The soil here is a coppery reddish color, and there is an abundance of plant life.  Water flows under ground here, and during the winter months, additional water from melting snow flows down to the bottom of the hill.  This results in a little stream that crosses the trail.  A mini water-crossing, if you will. 

I once came across a prospector, who, using a "wet/dry" vacuum (powered by a generator) was panning for gold here.

The following video was shot during an earlier trip to the area; I apologize for the poor quality, as I was using my BlackBerry to create the video, while driving.  Obviously, driving the vehicle comes first.

On trip depicted in the footage, we had entered the El Paso's from the other side, and we are climbing the hill here.

To attempt what we have done here requires four wheel drive with "low-range" gearing, as well as off-road driving experience.  It is also best to have at least one other vehicle along, in case you do run into difficulty.