Metberry Gulch Trail Run April 18

[LCPilot]

The Calendar shows the next trail run to be led by Chuck. Meeting time and place is Western gas station on Rt 24 just before Woodland Park at 8:30 AM, leave at 9:00 AM.

Supposed to be a nice trail. Scenic and not very hard.
TrailDamage.com - Metberry Gulch

Sign me up, I've never seen it before.

4/18 Metberry Gulch 8:30/9:00@West Chuck W.



David M

[PPFJ60]

I am ready for a trail run for sure. I have invited a couple of new people over the past couple of weeks. Both of them drive FJ60's so I hope they make it on this run.

[black95]

I'll be there with my trusty "red rust rocket" '88 pickup. The wife showed interest in bringing her cherokee, and might have another friend in a wrangler. All depending on the snow I suppose.

Metberry is pretty steep on the bottom end, anyone ever wheeled this trail in the snow? The thought of sliding sidways on those slopes doesn't excite me. Guess I'll go check the forcast.

[black95]

30% chance of snow! that should make things interesting!

[Goslow]

I wheeled it in the snow many years ago during my pre-locker days. Put chains on the rear and had no problems, even on the steep hill. The hill was moguled out, too.

[MountainRam]

I have videos taken about 10 years ago when the club was there and had about 6" of snow. Fun times.

This is also about the time we learned about how to find out which tires are your "traction" tires and to put the chains on those 2 tires. Who needs lockers?

Be sure to ask Goslow, Norm, Andy or me about this technique!

Darryl

[black95]

<------has no chains for his '88 pickup. ha ha. heard more weather reports, sounds like it's supposed to snow pretty good either friday night or saturday sometime. unfortunately, that probably rules out my '88 making the trip......might have to catch a ride with justin.

[PPFJ60]

Oh come on Luke, I have a new winch that has not yet been used. I need to try out some of the different winching techniques.

[PPFJ60]

Now this sounds like fun.

7-Day Forecast for Latitude 38.94°N and Longitude 105.17°W (Elev. 9161 ft)

[black95]

I'll most likely show up. Not like I have to worry about rocket's paint job and body panels. I just know I won't be able to get moving again if the group stops. Might just turn around at the power lines or something.

It's really frustrating that I bought chains this year specifically for a trail run like this, and now my rig is down on the only day of the year I would have needed them. Hmmmm, I wonder how much sawzall work is required to get 35's on an '88 toyota with no lift??? Oh well, off to the garage to do more work on the new motor!!!

[minisrule]

I think I am actually going to make a ... wait... don't want to jinx it!

[black95]

I'm thinking maybe we need to postpone this trip till next weekend........It's well over twelve inches here in woodland park, can't even guess how deep metberry is.

[PPFJ60]

It doesn't bother me if the snow rubs on my axles?

[black95]

Been out on Rampart tonight, the snow is more than knee deep in a lot of places......Bring it on!!!! I'm not scared to bury my ride on the snow.......

[PPFJ60]

Just helped the neighbor get unstuck from in front of my house. The table on the deck has two feet or more. Oh ya it's still snowing. I will definitely be snow wheeling in the morning.

[EricG]

I'd love to make it tomorrow - though not sure the gulch is the best idea! But threw a CEL on the way home :( If I could find a damn paperclip ...

[EricG]

Originally Posted by EricG

I'd love to make it tomorrow - though not sure the gulch is the best idea! But threw a CEL on the way home :( If I could find a damn paperclip ...

It's throwing code 25 (lean) and 26 (rich). What the hell does that mean??

Thread in the 80 forum: http://forum.ih8mud.com/80-series-te...ml#post4350349

[minisrule]

I don't know Eric, that's a good one!

[PPFJ60]

Eric,

Are you going to make it this morning?

If we decide Metberry is not a good trail to run today we can find something else to run. I wouldn't be surprised to find out that there is much less snow at the gulches though.

[black95]

Well, Chuck, my daughter Claire, and I were the lone warriors on the April club run. Though I'm not sure how many rigs you need to have to call it a club run, I think two might have fallen a little short.

Chuck and I met up at the Autozone after no one showed at the normal meeting spot, I was there buying a set of chains to fit my otherwise bald 31 inch tires. We talked about whether or not there might be too much snow out toward metberry, but decided it was worth a shot to see how far we could get.

When we got to the beginning of FSR 360, we stopped so chuck could air down and I could strap on my chains. We had an ATV with a snowplow come up on us, and since we were blocking the road, they tried to go around us in the deeper shoulder of the trail. The end result was the ATV being high centered, and chuck getting to use his strap for the first time of the day.

The snow on FSR 360 was rather deep, but with chuck breaking the trail, my '88 pickup somehow was able to keep up--most of the time pushing a wall of snow up in front of it. We were the first 4x4's to make tracks, and I have to say the scenery was spectacular. I was pretty amazed it was still snowing, filling in our tracks as we left them behind.

The snow got quite a bit deeper in the valley just before the trailhead, usually resulting in my rig sliding into the washed out portion of the trail. I would stuff what's left of my toyota into the snow, plow it over the corner of the hood, and the little truck would just keep going. Claire thought this was particularly funny, and was egging me on to keep finding deeper snow.

We finally reached the trailhead and not suprisingly, the snow was a couple inches less than what we had been dealing with. The trail looks totally different covered in this amount of snow, and we ended up losing track for a minute. After figuring out which direction we needed to go, Chuck had a bit of trouble getting lined up and ended up in the bottom of a wash, giving him the perfect opportunity to try out his new milemarker winch. We had to move a downed tree to save pretty penny's paint job, and after that, Chuck was nice enough to make a second attempt at a better line so I could follow the ruts and would not end up stuck at the bottom behind him.

We made it all the way to the overhead power lines, just before the steeper part of the trail. It was very cool to see the snow and mist blowing over the rock outcroppings below. We stopped and ate lunch, and decided that the rest of the trail would probably be pretty tough to climb back out of. I think we would have done well, but it would have been at the expense of the landscape.

The way out was much of the same. I finally ended my streak and wound up stuck against a downed tree. Chuck pulled around me and poked fun about my parking job. The strap came out, but the little truck proved to be stuck pretty good, and the big FJ was spinning tires trying to move it. This required some work with a snow shovel, and once there was hard ground to grab, I was pulled back up on the road. I think I might have scratched my truck, but couldn't tell with all the rust.

We made our way out on FSR 360, the snow had almost filled our tracks in completely in places--and had gotten a couple inches deeper. Some unlucky fellow in a jeep wrangler had gotten himself buried in the middle of the road, and left it there abandoned. That might have been better as he didn't have to see us laughing as we drove around it.

All told it was a great day, I think we all had a good time. There was no damage, and we both only got stuck once!!

[PPFJ60]

First I want to thank the trail leader and the tail gunner for making sure everyone was safe and had a great time on the run. These guys did an awesome job!

The Red Rust Rocket did great. The locked rear with chains made all the difference in the world. At one point I started to turn down hill but the trail seemed to disappear so I thought the trail went straight ahead instead. I tried to run up hill but ended up sideways and efforts to move just slide me sideways down the hill towards a dead tree lying next to the trail. Luke wanted to pick up the dead tree and move it but I wanted to get my new winch out for the first time. I pulled myself forward with Pretty Penny out pacing the winch at times. Not a big test for the new winch but now it's a used winch. In the end Luke just moved the dead tree. The snow was 12"-18" at the top of the trail and about 8" at the power line. On the way back out, our tracks were covered in spots and a few drifts had formed that caused me to loose forward progress so I had to back up and take a second run at.

I don't know what the heeps problem was but he was stuck in the middle of the road in the tracks we made on the way in. I guess that's the heep thing that I wouldn't understand.

My guess is that this will be the last snow run of the season. We could make the same run next Saturday and see a totally different trail.

Not sure if it was the weather that kept other trucks from joining this run or not but I have to say they missed a great time. With the weather getting warmer maybe the fair weather 4x4's will come to play.

[black95]

quote [First I want to thank the trail leader and the tail gunner for making sure everyone was safe and had a great time on the run. These guys did an awesome job! ]




HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

[LCPilot]

I had planned to be there and see what my 60 would do with chains all around. I ended up moving stuff out of a rental storage shed that has another payment looming.

Thanks for the excellent report.

[CO_Hunter]

Sounds like a good time, sorry I missed it. I'm up for next weekend, I hope. I'll make another post in few days. I want to try out my new m416 trailer on a trail run.

[minisrule]

"Some unlucky fellow in a jeep wrangler had gotten himself buried in the middle of the road, and left it there abandoned. That might have been better as he didn't have to see us laughing as we drove around it."

LOVE IT!

Sounds like you guys had a good time! Wish I had made it. I am trying to get my truck trail worthy, or at least closer to it. I finally got the rear end fixed, and now I have something wrong in the front! Should have it ready for 21RD.

[black95]

I'd really like to see you get that thing together Andy, I've only been in the club since september of '08 but I still have not had a chance to wheel with you. Looking forward to seeing who you are on the trail.

Have to say I was a little dissapointed at the turnout this weekend, and I know life gets in the way, But I would like to think everyone needs a little downtime, especially this year.

I know I'm a relative newcomer, but if you know me, you guys know I live for 4x4's and live to be out wheeling......I go every weekend. We talk every meeting about how to expand the club and reach prospective members......and I think that needs to start within the already active membership. Let's have some good turnouts in '09......Try to make some trail runs. 21 road is a little far out, so some will not make it, and it seems like the June sangres trip is already doomed, so lets start having some suggestions, lets all get involved and make this a great year.

If anyone wants to have a do-over on the Metberry trip next weekend, I'm already in. Also heard the Ute Pass Iron Goats might be making a trip to china wall this weekend. If anyone wants to go somewhere and needs a tailgunner, the trusty '88 is always willing to sacrafice it's sheet metal for my amusement, let me know............

[PPFJ60]

I took a few pictures today. Bright sun, blue sky and the snow was amazing!