1st anual Jeep Jamboree Tillamook Oregon. 2015

WOW what an experience!

Welcome

David and I have never been to a Jeep Jamboree.  We got lucky enough to be friends with a man and his wife who have been to many and trail guide on several.  They decided they wanted to have a Jeep Jamboree in the Pacific Northwest and set out to make it happen.  And boy did it happen!   They invited David and me to be trail guides, I was beyond excited.

Day 1,  July 11

Bushwacker

Our long weekend started on Thursday at the Bushwhacker facility in N Portland Oregon.   They did an awesome job.  They had Donuts and coffee in the morning and BBQ pulled pork and beef for lunch.  Unfortunately we were not allowed to take photos on the tour. So I have none to offer. BUT it was really cool to see how they designed flares and then walk through the process from creating the mold to producing the final product.  I’m surprised by how much of it was still done by hand.  Not sure why but that gave me a comforting feeling. Bushwackers has been a sponsor for years, but this is the first time they have been able to host a factory tour. They were very excited about having us come and hang out with them. 

Air Down Station

 After the tour of Bushwackers, the trail guides headed to Tillamook Oregon to set up and prepare for the participants to arrive.  We had vehicle evaluations, registration and trail sign ups.  I ran the “Air Down Station”.  I had props and information on why airing down off road is a good idea.   When you can show someone the difference between the foot print of a full tire and that of a lower PSI it makes it more real to them.

On the The Trails, Day 2, July 12th

Friday Line up

We arrived at the fairgrounds around 6:30 am. No I was not fully awake! Heck I couldn't even figure out how to get off the elevator when someone wanted to get on after me getting off LOL. You had to be there, I was not fully awake at that point. 

We got everyone lined up for the trail they had chosen the night before, then off to breakfast. 

I have to say that the Tillamook Fairgrounds did an awesome job of feeding us.  I ate better there than I do at home. They provided hot breakfast, a sack lunch and dinners each day, the meals were fantastic. Friday night they did Tri Tip, OH MY! It melted in your mouth! David who mostly eats childlike foods thought it was wonderful. I was shocked. I give HUGE Props to the Tillamook County Fairgrounds staff and the 4H club for all their hard work. 

John has owned this Jeep for 38 years

 After Breakfast we headed out to the trails.  What an awesome line up of Jeeps we had. We had everything from a 1977 CJ7 all the way up to a 2015 JK. Each body style of wrangler between the two was represented by at least 1 rig. We even had an XJ. One of the Gentlemen in our group has been on 25 Jamborees.  One of the Cjs had a fuel issue  before we really got started so he had to head back to home base, but he was able to get it fixed and go out on Saturday.  The other CJ lost his water recovery cap on the trail. They thought they maybe out for the day too. BUT WAIT another participant found his cap on the trail. After a little duct tape and zipties he was back on the trail with us and was able to finish the day.

Fox Glove

The Green of Jones Creek Road

Our Group ran Jones Creek Rd, Truck Dent, Ample and Alluring, and Bates Rd. Not only was it a fun day of moderate trails, but the forest was in full bloom.  The Pacific Northwest is so Beautiful in the spring with all its fresh greens and colors of our wonderful wild flowers.

Beginning of Truck Dent

                                                       
The trail Truck Dent was featured in a  2012 Jeep
Wrangler Rubicon review video.  Click here to watch the video.  That makes it a special trail to drive for Jeep owners, and  especially during a Jeep event.  

Going back up the end of Truck Dent

Kris learned she could do more than she thought! way to go Girl!

We had a few newbies in our group on Friday. I love working with newbies.  My favorite thing to do as a trail guide is to teach someone they can do things they think they can't. As well as watch their self confidence grow by leaps and bounds throughout the day.  I got to see a lot of that on Friday.  Those smile at the end of the day just make the whole thing worth it to me.  Hearing things like "I had no idea my Jeep could do that" or "I almost didn't do that but I'm glad I did" thrill me to no end.

Day 3 July 13th 

At the fairgrounds waiting to leave

Day three started out a bit slower than Day 1 and 2.  The breakfast crowd dwindled in, instead of stampeding.  We still arrived at the fairgrounds around 6:30ish to make sure we were ready for the participants.

Originally we only had 3 Jeeps signed up for the day, by the time we rolled out we had 8 participants plus the 3 of us trail guides.  

The driver's meeting went a bit faster on this day. Everyone had been on the trails now, and the newbies were not such newbies anymore, they had graduated to novice.  They didn't need as much help getting ready as well as on the trails. Places we did a lot of spotting the day before we didn't have to on Saturday. We ran about an hour ahead of schedule all day. Even though this group was a bit quieter than the day before we still had a lot of fun.

Day two's group.

On Saturday we had the pleasure of the Bushwacker team joining use. We had Ken and Dan from Bushwacker and from GA,  James with Lund International the parent company of Bushwackers. 

Dan and the Bushwacker Jeep

James  had never been off road before so Ken let him drive the Jeep. I think we have created another monster. He seemed to really enjoy himself. 

We got done about an hour earlier than we planned, but it worked out. Everyone took off and hit the Ice Creamery before dinner.


It is hard to put this experience into words. It was so cool seeing the people that have been into Jeeping for many years, welcome all the newbies into the lifestyle. The comradery is unbelievable. 


I want to thank Mark and Terry for all the effort they put in to make this a wonderful event! I don't think it would have been the same without them. 

2013 Oregon Trophy Challenge

The Oregon Trophy Challenge, which was once known as the Team Trophy Challenge is back for its second consecutive year.  The organizers of the original Team Trophy Challenge took a break a few years ago.  Teresa and her team of volunteers decided to bring it back as the Oregon Trophy Challenge. It was a HUGE success during its first year back and this year it is will be held on September 21^st and 22^nd

The Oregon Trophy Challenge is not your everyday off-road event. This two day, one night event, that is made up of teams of 2 rigs and 4 people, will challenge your skills in and out of your rig.  Using a map and your thinking skills, you will navigate a course that is pre-determined with check points. Each check point will test your skills in different areas. Anything from basic off-roading skills to just down-right fun challenges. This is an elimination event; the Top four Teams will compete for the Grand Prize on the second day.  

Do you work well with others? Do you have three buddies that will have your back? Are you ready to prove you got what it takes to make it through this event?  Then get on over to the sign up page and get your registration in.  Click here to register

Mom’s chat with Teresa:

MOM: Did you ever run in the original Team Trophy Challenge?

TERESA: The original Team Trophy Challenge was put on by Doug Shipman. Unfortunately, I did not have the privilege of running the event. I had not heard of it in until the last year it was held.


MOM: How did you get the idea to bring back the Trophy Challenge?

TERESA: Really it was the disappointment that I had missed it when it was still going on. I thought it sounded like a fun event and was sad that I did not get to experience it. Since I couldn’t compete in it, I wanted to bring it back for others.


MOM: Tell the readers how you got into off-roading. Is it something you have done all your life, or is it a sport you took up as an adult?

TERESA: I started working in the parts department of Gresham Chrysler Jeep in 1997. One of the technicians had a really nice CJ5. He signed up for a Flat Broke n 4 wheelin’ poker run and needed a co-pilot. He invited me and the parts manager. We found out after we were all there that neither of us was good at reading in a moving vehicle, LOL. That was my first trip to the Tillamook State Forest. I found myself in need of a new vehicle the next year and bought from the dealership the 1990 Wrangler that I still have. I began driving it off road in 2000 and learned and grew slowly with my rig.

MOM: Who was your biggest influence in learning to off-road?

TERESA: Originally, Shane Fay, the Jeep tech from my dealership taught me quite a lot. My husband and I have really taught ourselves a lot. Driving is a learning experience. You find out what doesn’t work and change it till it does. We decided to drive to White River to camp out one year. The connecting road 43, is not plowed for snow and was still very full of it. We had just barely left the pavement when my husband sank in and got stuck. We hooked up a strap and I gave him a tug. Of course that buried my rig with the strap tight between us. That was our first learning experience of ‘airing down in the snow’.


MOM: What is your favorite type of terrain to off-road on?

TERESA: I really like trails with a combination of rocks, a little mud, and trees. Something that takes a little skill is always a good challenge. I live near Mt. Hood, so I see some snow. It can be fun to have to ‘four wheel’ to get to work. I can drive in the sand only once a year and be perfectly happy. I don’t care for it getting into seals and chewing things up.


MOM: What do you drive most often when you are off-roading? Give us all the dirty details of your ride year, make, model and modifications. And Name if it has one.

TERESA: Between my husband and I, we have three Jeeps and one early Bronco. My favorite and most often driven is my 90 Wrangler. Being what I learned on, it is the most comfortable for me. I would say that I drive by braille. I like to feel what I am stuck on. I can’t do that as well in my coil sprung JK. It started out stock with a 2.5L.

• It now has a built (by Shane Fay) 4.0L

• on board air

• Tera-low 4:1 t-case

• Dana 44 front and rear with ARB’s and 4.88’s

• Sprung over with reverse shackles and buggy springs

• Locking hubs

• 35” Goodyear MTR’s

• ‘good luck mud’ on the inside of the windshield.

I have never given my Jeep a ‘name’ but my license plate is JP CHIC. :-)

Teresa and her YJ getting it on.

Play Safe and Tread Lightly
A  4 Wheeling Mom

Relay for Life 4x4 Run pre-run

This Saturday June 15th will be the 1st Annual Relay for life 4x4 Run.  It will be a great day to support a great cause. All proceeds will go to the American Cancer Society. It should be lots of fun, with lots of cool prizes from some awesome sponsors. Click here to see sponsors and raffle prizes.




This evening I hit the trails with one of the Trail Guides for the event to pre-run a couple trails. It was a much needed break from finals week!

We started with Stick in the Nose. 

The view of the rock crawl 

We ended our night on Bates Road trail. No photos of that trail. I don't have enough hands to hold a camera and navigate a hill climb LOL 

Play Safe and Tread Lightly! 

A 4 Wheeling Mom

Mom's first outing in a long time

The day started out like any other normal wheeling trip. I had not been on the trail in about 4 months. I was itching to go big time!  We headed to the Tillamook State Forest to a trail I had ridden on but never driven.

We stopped at the view point at the pass for a few photo's :-)  We had never stopped there before but I thought with the snow it would make for a nice holiday photo :-)

We kept on going over the pass and down the other side.We stopped at the  Diamond Mill day use area to use the last actual bathroom before hitting the trail we had set out to drive. The day use area was a winter wonderland.

We headed up Fox Creek Ridge Road and explored for a bit. 

After playing on Fox Creek Ridge road for a while we headed back over to Jordan Creek Road and  for Stick in the Nose, trail number 37. 

 The rock garden was fun. The only other  time I was on the trail I was the designated photographer so I didn't get to drive it. 

Most of Stick in the Nose is steep, narrow and off camber. Not a difficult trail but just enough tilt in area's to make it fun.  But when you add snow and ice to a trail that slopes one way or the other and is not much wider than a Jeep it can make for some interesting trail riding. 

At some point along our journey my ass end decided it wanted to go one way while the front went the other, and the harder I tried to get straight the more I slipped sideways to the trail. *disclaimer the photo's of our mishaps do not do justice to the steepness of the trail nor the depth of the ditches or hill sides. 

This photo doesn't show the 4 foot hole behind me filled with icy water. My son who has never been off-roading got a crash course in winching and recovery.  We finally got Baby Doll parallel to the road again and off we went up the hill to see what other kinds of trouble we could get in to.

We were driving along enjoying the view of the snowy countryside. I look up just as Dad and the boy go around a bend in he trail and all of a sudden I see them again as they are sliding off the hillside toward the canyon below. Then just as suddenly as they came in to my view they stopped in mid slide. I seriously thought they were about to start barrel rolling down the mountain! To our luck the ODF had placed some logs in the area to prevent drivers from creating an unauthorized trail and the top one was dug into the side of the hill well enough it stopped Dad's slide.

I get on the CB and ask if they are ok, and my son tells me simply "NO",  at the time I didn't know he just meant they were not on the trail any more so I panicked. I yanked on the e-brake and took my foot of the clutch killing Baby Doll.  I was about 2 blocks behind them down the hill. I rushed up the hill in the snow and ice as quickly as my little feet and hiking boots would let me.  As I tried to catch my breath and assess the situation my son dropped out of the passenger door and Dad unzips his window and starts talking as if he parks like this all the time. OY!  He asks me to get his recovery stuff out of the back of his jeep. Yeah that's not gonna work, the tail gate opens to the passenger side that is on the down hill side. All I could think about is the weight of it would shift the Jeep enough that it would push them on over the log.

Again this doesn't show the steepness of the trail. We are NOT on flat ground here.  I went back and got Baby Doll and inched past Dad, we tied Baby Doll off to a stump, then chalked my rear tires.  We then used her as an anchor point for The Ugly Duckling, and very slowly winched her up off the side of the mountain. I have to say, there is something very disconcerting about watching your husband and oldest child sliding, and you have no control over what is about to happen. Scarred the ever living hell out of me!

After talking for a bit about what had lead to them sliding off the trail, we realized Dad was not wearing his glasses at that time. He had taken them off to defog and dry them, and had forgotten to put them back on before we started out again. Now Dad has no depth perception with out his glasses. So when he had touch the bank on the drivers side and corrected to prevent rubbing again he went to far to the right.

We got the Ugly Duckling back on the trail and she showed no damage from her experience. We decided to travel up the trail a bit farther to a place Dad knows is wide enough to turn around. So we can go back down as we have decided that even though the snow is not deep it is slick enough we are done for the day.

I got about 50 feet up the hill and my ass deiced it wants to go off the trail again. OY! my nerves are rattled from the last 2 incidents. This time the ditch is about 6 or so feet deep. I would not have gone over the mountain at this point as there was a large wall built up, but I would have done some damage and been stuck hard core if I had slid into it.  After winching me up and up and to the left to get the Jeep away from the right side of the trail and gave me more wiggle/ slide room.We took a break and talked about our best course of action.  I actually broke down and handed the control's over to Dad. I have NEVER given up on a trail and had someone else get me out of a stuck, but I just couldn't do it this time.

We decided instead of continuing up we would just take our time and turn around there on the trail. We did just that. Our boy was a spotter on one side of the trail and I spotted the other and we got the Jeeps turned around with out indecent. Gravity and ice played a large part in the turn around. As we headed back down the trail we had no further issues. Thank goodness I may have had to walk  home from there haha




On our way home as we crested the top of the pass and started down, we saw a little car high centered on the snow that the plow had pushed off the highway.  He was in such a spot that we didn't want to use the winch to get him out as we would have been sitting on the freeway in a curve. So we decided to do a little digging and had him rock back and forth until he was able to break free and hit dry pavement.

It kind of pisses me off that he had been sitting there with his 4 way blinkers on and not one person had stopped to see if he and his daughter where ok. It was dark, wet and cold out. Even if they could not have helped get him free they could have offered to call for help as we where in a dead cell zone.  Please take the time to make sure people are ok. Not everyone is an expert in all driving conditions.

Play safe and Tread Lightly! 
A 4 Wheeling Mom

Helping on The Tail

I love that the off road community helps each other out. I have received help in the past and have given it.

Today while taking a break , two motorcyclist past us. Nothing unusual there we are in an OHV park after all.  A few minutes later a loan rider returned. He asked if we had any tools with us. His friend had popped the bead on his rear tire.  After a bit of talking, and trying to figure out what tools he would need we decided just to drive up to where he was.

We had what he needed to get his tire back on and re-inflated. They both where thankful as they where on the opposite side of the park as their camp and tools. Would have been a long walk.  Their thank yous where more than enough payment for our help. I was glad to be able to pay it forward so to speak.

As I was putting stuff away in the back of my rig and Dad was in the back of his, one of the kids yelled  from where he was something about my drink. I figured he was telling me not to forget it as it was on the fender of  Dad's Jeep. When I walked up there, they had placed a $5 bill under my cup. I grabbed it and said Oh no you don't need to pay us. As I walked forward to hand it back they both speed off so I could not give it back.  Those little stinkers!!!

When I stopped to think about it, that is a testament to the fine young men they must be, and to their parents for raising such thoughtful children.  The thought of payment for our help NEVER crossed my mind, If they had asked I would have told them to pay it forward to someone else on the trails. I don't help others for payment of any kind, well ok a thank you is nice to hear :-) but I do it because it's the right thing to do, and I know I appreciate it so much with others help us.

I just had to share this story of these 2 young men so if they ever see this, I want to thank them for being so thoughtful and appreciative of our help.




Play Safe and Tread Lightly
A 4 Wheeling Mom

Mom and Dads first experience with Browns Camp

Adventures have been few and far between for Mom and Dad. Well, unless you count the approaching end of winter term in school. Dad in panicking about finals, Mom is in denial that they are coming up. So here I sit typing a blog instead of studying or doing house work.

If you have not noticed I have added a slide show at the top of the page. I'm going to try and change it out periodically.

I figured to fill in on my lack of adventures and interviews. ( I am waiting on several interviews to come in) I would share some of our adventures from last year with you guys and gals.


Our very first tip out  was to Browns camp but before we met any other  off roaders in person . One of the guys on Wranglerforum.com told us about the Powerline Trail at Browns camp. He told us it was a nice easy drive and a great place to have a picnic lunch. So we packed up our lunch and our SAR trained son and his girlfriend ( Mom was a bit worried about getting lost)  Both the boy and  his gal pal are proficient at reading maps and wilderness survival. Mom was afraid dad's skills at SAR and wilderness survival where a bit outdated and rusty. Shhhhhh Don't tell him that!

We knew nothing about sway bars and disconnecting them.  Ok we had read about them but where not confident enough to play with them the first time out with no one else with us.  YES, yes shame on Mom and Dad for going out in one vehicle alone. I had no idea just how much difference there was in  being disconnected in ride quality and flex. I disconnect and air down now just on gravels roads LOL oh the ride is so much nicers!  And yes I did learn first hand why we reconnect before hitting the freeway at high speeds LOL can you say body rollllllllll

Baby Dolls first photo off road. AWW how young  she looks there.

This is where I learned what I missed most about the F-250 I traded in for Baby Doll. THE TAIL GATE!   We have had trucks for so many years I took for granted I had a built in table for picnics
We now have a small roll up table we carry with us or we use the hood.

Mom panicked and made Dad leave before it got completely dark. Now  we hardly ever get out of there before dark. Oh how quickly things change when you have fun LOL
I did make the kids double check each others mapping though. They did as I asked even if they did roll their eyes at me every time I asked! Dad just ignored me after 20 years he is use to it :-)




We all have to start somewhere!
Play Safe and Tread Lightly
Mom

Newbie run to TSF

What an awesome trip! total 180 degrees  from the last trip you can read about it here "Epic Adventure: The Trails Bit Back"  We ended up with about 24 Wranglers.  We split into four groups. This group went off to play on the what I like to call the Big Boy trails. They headed out first. From all reports they had a really good day except for the run in with a group of less then desirable wheelers. But they didn't let it ruin their day.


The other three groups where made up of beginners, novices and experiences drivers.  We picked 3 moderate trails to use to break the newbies in. I was put outside my comfort zone. Dad and I have never been split up on a trail before. If I lead, which i don't do often, Dad is tail gunner if Dad leads someone is tail gunner, but frequently it is me. LOL Group one was headed up by yours truly, group two was headed up by Dad, and Group 3 was headed up by Jeff.

I led a small rag tag group in to the forest. Hoping against hope that I would not loose anyone. Oh wait to late! I left one at the meet up point! Crud there goes my perfect record. BUT you can't blame me. I was leading like 24 jeeps at 55mph. How could I keep track of them all?? At least I didn't leave her in the woods :-)  She had a small family emergency and had to cut out. But I didn't find this out until later. I worried about her but I did console myself with the fact I lost her in town and not on the trail. Next time Shannon.

Dad led group number two. Poor Dad his Jeep decided it didn't need to start right away when we left the gathering place. She then stalled a few times during the trip. BUT he got home under his own power this trip! We are thinking fuel filter. OY! I'm not sure what we did to make the Ugly Duckling so mad at us, but we did it good! Dad also found a few roads with tree's fallen across them as it had been storming up there the last few days. So his group also got to take a nice little tour of the area.

Now Group 3 had the most adventurous day of all. First Jeff lost his tail gunner ( not his fault tail gunner left with the wrong group but had a wonderful day anyway). They then got chased down by Ranger. (OK not Jeff's fault one of his guys forgot to put his OHV permit on oops!) Then Jeff got directions from the Ranger to a trial. Either Jeff didn't catch all the directions or the Ranger didn't give him the correct directions because they never found the trail.

On their travels around Browns camp to find the trail they came upon a truck in distress. Jeff held a recovery class on the spot. None of the other newbie groups got that privileged. They get back on the road looking for trails and a group of unsavory type wheelers, crowd the road and push Jeff off in to the ditch. They now get to hold recovery class number two :-) Poor Jeff. In the end they got to play on snow covered roads, and did make it to a couple trails. Everyone had a good time.


All in all it was a great day with lots of lessons learned for all. I lowered my tire pressure lower than last trips and it made a world of difference in the snow!  Only time I really had any issues was because of my own miss handling of the situation LOL no slamming on brakes in the snow LOL  Well unless you want to LOL
Every one says  they had an awesome day and all left with a smile on their face.

I'm working on a slide show of all the photo's I have stolen errr I mean asked permission to use from all the participants. As soon as I get it done I will toss it up.  I had to make this post short and sweet as I have a tone of home work to catch up on since I spent the day playing :-)

Play Safe and Tread Lightly! Mom

Be Responsible On Your Adventures.

Part of what I want to do with my Blog and Facebook page is promote legal and ethical wheeling. The first step for people that want to play off road  and who use the great outdoors need to educate themselves and others about what is legal and ethical off roading. In general when I post about off roading I'm usually talking about 4x4 vehicles because that is what I know and what I do. But this topic is much bigger than that. We are talking Hikers, bikers, motorcycle riders, horseback riders,atv's and 4 wheel drive vehicles. If I missed anything It was not intentional.

The best way to learn is by research and talking to those in the business. Here are a couple places to start with.
Tread Lightly
BlueRibbon Coalition 

Also if you have any questions about the area's you use for your off road adventures please take the time to talk to the organization that oversee's it's use. I have contacted the BLM in the past to clarify use legality's.
The more we educate ourselves and other the less damage to our environment will happen and the less trail closure will  happen.

I sent an email off to Jahmaal Rebb OHV Specialist from the Tillamook State forest. He over sees Browns Camp where Dad and I do the majority of our playing. He was nice enough to answer some of the questions I had in regards to what he saw as the worst issues and what he would like to see more of. Here is what he had to say.



Mr. Rebb:  Being in the management side of the motorized recreation world I tend to see things a little different than those who are just out to recreate. There are two main aspects of managing motorized recreation on public land that become somewhat of a balancing act. On one side you have a very dedicated, passionate motorized community that values the opportunities we provide and the other there is the natural environmental resource that is our responsibility to manage appropriately. Having a good understanding of the nature of motorized recreation I feel the only way to have a successful OHV area is to have the support and commitment from the user community to recreate responsibly. We rely heavily on our local clubs, organizations, partners and individual volunteers to preserve and improve the motorized recreation opportunities that exist. Having said that, I feel everything revolves around respect. Respect for each other and respect for our environment.

Mom:  Some people may unknowingly do tings that can be harmful to the environment, or be destructive to the trails. Ultimately these actions could get trails closed down. What do you see as the number one thing that people do that they shouldn't?

Mr. Rebb: The number one thing that I see that could close trails is off- trail travel. Proper planning, design, and layout allows us to build trails in areas that are sustainable and can accommodate the use it is designated for. Off-trail travel results in activity in undesirable locations and can lead to serious environmental issues. Second to that I would say, littering is a big problem. When you find trash on trail, in campgrounds and along roads it reflects upon the people that recreate in that area and the respect that they have toward that area. Although it may only be a small percentage of the use community that litters it reflects on the public use as a whole.

Mom:  Some of us belong to groups that have adopted trails at Browns Camp OHV park. But not all those that play belong to groups that do such things. What would you like to see more of from independent drivers when they come to play?

Mr. Rebb: I would like to see all motorized users take a more responsible approach to their activity that they engage in, not only for their own actions but to stand up to those whose actions negatively impact the perception of motorized recreation.


Mom: When someone says "hey lets go wheeling this weekend" word tends to spread fast. Next thing you know the trip you think you planned for four or five buddies blooms into 20 rigs. ( this has happened to me a couple times) Is there a limit to the size of groups that run around together? Is it best to split larger groups like that up in to smaller groups?


Mr. Rebb: Group size has always been an issue that has an impact on the trail system in various ways. Congestion is one that affects user enjoyment and also can result in trail widening or (trail creep). Public trail opportunities are shared. Respect toward other groups and use types need to be honored to maintain a strong unified OHV community and ensure enjoyment. We prefer to see smaller groups rather than larger groups to minimize the potential conflicts with other trail users and through dispersion reduce trail tread impact.

Play Safe, Be Prepared and Tread Lightly! 

Mom

Epic Adventure: The Trails Bite Back

The day started out like any other day. A group of buddies get together to wheel. Thirteen started the day.

 I think this should have been an omen. There was carnage before the group even got there. Two of our buddies went up a couple hours before the rest of us sleepy heads. When we found them they were changing out both front axles. Yep you heard me right.  He took on the Little Rubicon while waiting for us. Rubicon 1 General 0. But he was back up in running in a short time. 

 While they fixed the axles the rest of us headed of to do a trail. We found more snow than any of us expected, but it was not to bad.

We came back and got the boys and off we went again. 

 We made up most of Cedar Tree trail with out much trouble

 Until I lost traction in the snow and my back tire slipped in to a culvert. It would not have been that big a deal except my tire got wedged between the bank of the ditch and the drainage pipe LOL Mom had to winch out. I can't complain it is the first time I have ever had to use the winch to get my self. :-) 

At the end of the trail the rest of the group waited for us last stragglers.  I felt my self start to slide a bit so I decided to  continue past everyone and park on the bank side of the road instead of the drop off side.  Dad on the other hand chose to park on the drop off side. Well he runs the same times Mom does. Guess what? Yep they sucked for him too :-) he tried to park on the flat, but once he started sliding he didn't stop until he was perched part way on the road and part way off.  The more he tired the farther he slipped down the side. He finally stopped when Mom screamed stop at the top of her lungs! Yes I admit it I was a bit panicked LOL I could only envision him tipping over then rolling.          

 They tried pulling just from the front. That didn't work he just kept slipping.So they used a snatch block and another winch from behind to keep him from slipping farther and he was able with their help to walk up the slop.  

After Dad and I were done with our winching fun, we all headed off 

to Fire Break 5. Mom was up for tackling her nemeses this day. I have only tried this trail one other time. I made it up but not with out a long struggle. This time Mom made it up in a fraction of the time! WOOHOOO I only killed the jeep twice and only got hung up once! WOOHOOO! So stinking proud of my self. 

Everyone saddled up and we headed up to the next section of FB5  Mom got stuck once backed up and relined a few times and off we went. The rest of this section was fairly quick. THEN!!!!

The third section.

Again my tires showed just what crap they are in snow. I got stuck on an up hill tight left turn. My driver rear tire kept sliding in to a hole behind a root.  So Dad and I dug around in the snow until we found enough rocks and branches to give me some traction and height to get over the root.  I  started up the trail while Dad went back to get his Jeep.  I got stopped at the next curve. OY!  By this point a buddy has walked back down the trail to see how we are doing.  He tried his darnedest to get me up that curve.  By this time we realize something is not right with Dad's jeep.  So I back down with my buddy guiding me. Dad's Jeep won't start.  He is parked on that hill so we decided to get him to a flat spot around a curve to see if that helps. She sometimes she is cranky on a hill.  This doesn't work. So we have to trying get off the Mountain somehow. So our other buddy and Dad came up with the idea to pull the YJ far enough back to get the winch hooked to a tree so we can start pulling the front end around.  This worked to a point, we then got the come-along out and hooked it to the back end and a tree to pull it in the opposite direction.  This got us about 3/4 of the way around. We got it far enough we could hook him up to my jeep and pull his rear end facing the right direction. This part takes us about 2.5 to 3 hours to do. All the while we are working in about 18 inches of snow, mud and slush puddles. Oh and did I mention it is raining the whole time?  Got to love Oregon.  We all kept stepping in the same slush puddle oy!. Now Dad and our other buddy are facing the right way, but his Jeep is not heavy enough to pull Dad's. Buddy # 1 had gone up the trail recovered another buddy, and came around to help us. With effort he was able to pull Dad down the Mountain. Not without damage though. It was after dark, Dad had no lights, no power steering, or power breaks being towed by a strap.  

 

We can not complain to much the only damage sustained in this after dark venture was the loss of the passenger side mirror and the passenger side rear finder. And maybe a little pride. 

While we are struggling to get Dad turned around we can here the guys that had gone on without us struggling up the trail too. They ended up with more damage.  Some Bashed in doors and a couple stuck's. 

Now it is my turn to make a U-turn. I have backed a ways down this trail and around two curves.  For some reason I just can't stay on the trail going around this last curve. ( what I thought would be the last curve I had to back around LOL) So buddy # 2 and I get me winched up the trail again and I end up making a 6 point turn to get around it without sliding off the trail. I have one more curve to make it around. By this point I am so done for the day. I just want to go home and go to bed. I'm soaked to the bone as is everyone else in our little group. I'm covered in gritty dirty slushy crap.  Again the  road is curving to the left, and I keep sliding toward a tree. I'm trying my best not to rip off my driver's side fender flare. Eventually with the guiding of buddy #2 I go past with out damage and was able to back between a few tree's and get turned around! WOOHOOO no more backing down a narrow curvy trail in the dark!  So Buddy # 1 and Dad are ahead of us by about half an hour or so, but we are still able to keep in contact via CB. 

Buddy #2 and I are finally making some good time. Well as fast as you can go in the snow and dark when trying to avoid tree's in tight turns LOL  about 5 minutes down the the trail I see a tire on the side of the road. What the heck?? My first thought is it fell off  Dad's rig.  Maybe he hit a tree with it or something. I radio to Dad and buddy #1 and get no response so I keep going. If it had not been for the previous 3 or so hours I would have stopped and picked it up. Then another five or so minutes down the trail I notice buddy # 2 has a very shinny front tire. It took a second for it to sink in that his front passenger tire was missing! Yep his tire popped right off his rim. He never felt a thing. Although he did tell me, while we spend the next 45 minutes for so changing his tire, that he was wondering why his traction in the front was not as good as it had been. The tire doesn't appear to be damaged in any way, the rim it's self is in relative good shape too. I think if it had been on a trail not covered in snow and muddy slush his damage would have been worse. 

After buddy #2 and I figure out how to use a Hi-Lift together :-) neither one of us had actually used one. We have watched others but never done it ourselves. We got the front end up high enough to get his bottle jack under the axle so we could get it up high enough to get the tire on it. WOOHOOO that done we made pretty good time to the service road. I tell you what after that ordeal even those pot hole riddled roads felt like pavement! 

We had no cell service so we had to drive back down the Highway in my Jeep to find cell signal. Then only to be told it will be a 2 to 3 hour wait for a tow truck.  I think we waited about 1.5 hours so I'm not complaining to much. The poor guy was not dressed for the weather and was freezing his bum off. He was thankful for my over abundance of off road lighting. It made the job of taking the drive line off much easier. He was also thankful for the fact I carry tarps with us. He was able to get down under the Jeep with out getting all muddy and wet. 

So all in all it took us about 8 hours from time of stuck to time of entering our home. I have to say I learned a lot about recovery yesterday. As well as never skip taking that extra pair of socks! I will be adding a towel to my to-go bag as well. 

Buddy #1 and Buddy # 2 I owe you guys big time! Like I said dinner is on MOM!

See you on the Trails next time!