we are packed and ready!
Shawn -
Have a great time - I know you will. I had also hoped to make it this year, but my schedule wasn't working out.
I'll be looking forward to the pictures and video.
Evan
Chile Challenge
- Thread starter SteveLCetc
- Start date
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Shawn -
Have a great time - I know you will. I had also hoped to make it this year, but my schedule wasn't working out.
I'll be looking forward to the pictures and video.
Evan
i should have pics by the end of the week. they aren't from my camera, but from 3 other people's cameras and i should get them all on one disc. that's why i have to wait for them.
trip report:
you gotta see the pics! i did all extreme trails the first 3 days. well, i didn't take my 40 on the third day. reccommendation #1- don't even think of taking a wagon on any extreme trail.
going UP these ledges will put your rear tires hanging in air (front tires and rear bumper being the only things on the ground). first day- Tobasco Twister. this was a long day. at least 20 trucks on the run. left at 8am, got into camp at 7:15pm, after dark. most of the trail isn't too bad, but there's at least 4 ledge climbs that were pretty big and 1 that was pure crazy. the first 2 i climbed with only a little rock stacking. the second of which a tubed Toyota truck rolled on(taking a harder line). the 3rd i said "get me on it and hook up the winch!". most rigs took the winch up. it was over 10' tall and with 2 or 3 small ledges. just enough to get tires onto. with the winch (12k pounder) pulling and me nearly full throttle, the tires weren't even spinning, then finally it suddenly popped over. the next waterfall, i got up on it at the easy line and my driver rear dropped into a hole and i watched as the 40 started pitching over sideways and backward. i thought "well, here's my rollover!" 2 guys grabbed the front bumper and it stopped just before the point of no return. i was able to back out and try a different line. the harder one, but it matched my wheelbase better and i made it up w/o stacking rocks, only to go over a 3' diameter boulder at the top and land on the driver side frame...stuck. a strap pulled me off. then a strap on the next waterfall to get over and we were headed home. no damage to the rig!
Day 2- Rocotillo Rapids. this one was very short, with only 2 major waterfall/ledges. but the in between parts were much harder than the previous day. all kitchen chair and bigger sized rocks, non stop. i could count the # of times my tires touched dirt on my fingers. i tried 2 lines on the biggest fall climb and on #1, i put the driver rear tire into another hole with nearly the same result as the day before. this time nobody grabbed the bumper and it stopped on it's own, so not quite as bad, but it felt the same. Allyn (he lurks here) was riding along with me for both of these and never flinched either time. i was surprised he wanted to even ride with me after the first. the second line i slid sideways with the front and was in danger of rolling off the ledge, so they pulled my winch line out and i winched up. i drove out the rest of the way on my own, no problems.
Day3-we get a late start (not wanting to do what we were signed up for). oh, we weren't signed up for the the first 2 days trails either. we just jumped on the ones we wanted. the trail assignments were totally screwed up this year. we (the 2 unimogs i was with) tried to catch up to Habanero Falls, but i realized i forgot my air bottle in the hurry to leave and wouldn't have a front locker. we went back to camp and i dropped my cruiser off to ride along in the unimogs, hoping to do Patcuaro's Revenge (the hardest trail offered at the event). i got them to do it. at the opening obstacle i was glad i didn't have my 40. i would have turned around right there.
then i saw the second one. no way! a 15' near vertical waterfall. there were 2 broken rigs there from the official run. the rest were still there at the top. it was 3 hours after they left and they were less than 50 yards into the trail. mog #1 sustained heavy body damage on the opener. the second laid his on the exocage side and scraped up. the first unimog inched up onto the big fall and they hooked a slack strap to him as a safety line just in case. good thing. while trying to crawl up, the front tires slowly lifted off the face and he went over backward, only to stop after 3 feet as the strap caught him. we also discovered his front locker was broken. he winched up 1' and crawled the rest. a truly amazing vehicle. the other mog took a winch up. on the next major waterfall, we watched a monster jeep break a short side inner axle and took the bypass. then we did the end of Cayenne Crawler trail to get out to shorten our day.
trip report:
you gotta see the pics! i did all extreme trails the first 3 days. well, i didn't take my 40 on the third day. reccommendation #1- don't even think of taking a wagon on any extreme trail.
going UP these ledges will put your rear tires hanging in air (front tires and rear bumper being the only things on the ground). first day- Tobasco Twister. this was a long day. at least 20 trucks on the run. left at 8am, got into camp at 7:15pm, after dark. most of the trail isn't too bad, but there's at least 4 ledge climbs that were pretty big and 1 that was pure crazy. the first 2 i climbed with only a little rock stacking. the second of which a tubed Toyota truck rolled on(taking a harder line). the 3rd i said "get me on it and hook up the winch!". most rigs took the winch up. it was over 10' tall and with 2 or 3 small ledges. just enough to get tires onto. with the winch (12k pounder) pulling and me nearly full throttle, the tires weren't even spinning, then finally it suddenly popped over. the next waterfall, i got up on it at the easy line and my driver rear dropped into a hole and i watched as the 40 started pitching over sideways and backward. i thought "well, here's my rollover!" 2 guys grabbed the front bumper and it stopped just before the point of no return. i was able to back out and try a different line. the harder one, but it matched my wheelbase better and i made it up w/o stacking rocks, only to go over a 3' diameter boulder at the top and land on the driver side frame...stuck. a strap pulled me off. then a strap on the next waterfall to get over and we were headed home. no damage to the rig!Day 2- Rocotillo Rapids. this one was very short, with only 2 major waterfall/ledges. but the in between parts were much harder than the previous day. all kitchen chair and bigger sized rocks, non stop. i could count the # of times my tires touched dirt on my fingers. i tried 2 lines on the biggest fall climb and on #1, i put the driver rear tire into another hole with nearly the same result as the day before. this time nobody grabbed the bumper and it stopped on it's own, so not quite as bad, but it felt the same. Allyn (he lurks here) was riding along with me for both of these and never flinched either time. i was surprised he wanted to even ride with me after the first.
the second line i slid sideways with the front and was in danger of rolling off the ledge, so they pulled my winch line out and i winched up. i drove out the rest of the way on my own, no problems.Day3-we get a late start (not wanting to do what we were signed up for). oh, we weren't signed up for the the first 2 days trails either. we just jumped on the ones we wanted. the trail assignments were totally screwed up this year. we (the 2 unimogs i was with) tried to catch up to Habanero Falls, but i realized i forgot my air bottle in the hurry to leave and wouldn't have a front locker. we went back to camp and i dropped my cruiser off to ride along in the unimogs, hoping to do Patcuaro's Revenge (the hardest trail offered at the event). i got them to do it. at the opening obstacle i was glad i didn't have my 40. i would have turned around right there.
then i saw the second one. no way! a 15' near vertical waterfall. there were 2 broken rigs there from the official run. the rest were still there at the top. it was 3 hours after they left and they were less than 50 yards into the trail. mog #1 sustained heavy body damage on the opener. the second laid his on the exocage side and scraped up. the first unimog inched up onto the big fall and they hooked a slack strap to him as a safety line just in case. good thing. while trying to crawl up, the front tires slowly lifted off the face and he went over backward, only to stop after 3 feet as the strap caught him. we also discovered his front locker was broken. he winched up 1' and crawled the rest. a truly amazing vehicle. the other mog took a winch up. on the next major waterfall, we watched a monster jeep break a short side inner axle and took the bypass. then we did the end of Cayenne Crawler trail to get out to shorten our day.
whew, this is getting long.
Day#4- Broad Canyon Hard, an easier day. Steve and Wendy are along in their 40, me and Allyn in my 40 and 1 unimog. it was a fun day with many play areas. you can pick your line to make it as hard or easy as you want. Steve took most of the hard lines and did very well. i had fun and we put the mog on some crazy lines. he did smash a door handle on 1 of them, but he didn't seem concerned. Steve got hung up on his rear diff at one point, but the hilift jack and some stacked rocks got him out. it was a very long drive on pavement and then on dirt to get out and back, but it was a fun trail.
this event was a good time, and i reccommend anyone try it out. wagons can do anything from easy to hard with armor. Steve ran all hard trails and did get some body rock rash and a bent front fender, so expect the possibility of that on the hard stuff. i think he was on hard lines for most of that, but he can tell the story.
Day#4- Broad Canyon Hard, an easier day. Steve and Wendy are along in their 40, me and Allyn in my 40 and 1 unimog. it was a fun day with many play areas. you can pick your line to make it as hard or easy as you want. Steve took most of the hard lines and did very well. i had fun and we put the mog on some crazy lines. he did smash a door handle on 1 of them, but he didn't seem concerned. Steve got hung up on his rear diff at one point, but the hilift jack and some stacked rocks got him out. it was a very long drive on pavement and then on dirt to get out and back, but it was a fun trail.
this event was a good time, and i reccommend anyone try it out. wagons can do anything from easy to hard with armor. Steve ran all hard trails and did get some body rock rash and a bent front fender, so expect the possibility of that on the hard stuff. i think he was on hard lines for most of that, but he can tell the story.
- Thread starter
- #24
*Definitely* recommended. A whole different experience from Moab. As far as wagons on the "hard" runs, I'd say that they could pretty much handle it - there are different lines on different obstacles so that different wheelbase/width rigs seem to have a larger variability in ability.
The one thing I would say about wagons is that they would have a difficult time on Off Broadway - seemed to be a pretty narrow run. I'll get some maps up, although my GPS seems to have outsmarted me again and lost two of the three days of runs - but I can recreate them.
Wednesday I couldn't make the run as I had a meeting I needed to go to. Thursday was Off Broadway, in which I (embarrassedly) drew first blood - well, sort of. I slid into a wall (which reminds me, where's a good source and a good type of beadlocks to get?).
http://hdcruisers.org/nmhemphills/steve scratches cc.jpg
It didn't compare with what happened next...
About 10 minutes after I scratched the 40, one of the heeps with us (actually most were heeps - probably 75%) bounced pretty good on a waterfall and cracked his transfer case *and* his rear diff - a Dana 44. Conjecture, later, had it that his driveshaft was too long. Trail leader towed him out... Then, about 5 minutes after that on another waterfall across the arroyo from the first breakage another heep bounced too hard and broke a Dana 35 (rear) axle shaft, *and* a front u-joint (cv joint?), and pulled a ball joint apart:
http://hdcruisers.org/nmhemphills/ball joint cc.jpg
Unfortunately, when the axle broke the end deformed enough that it jammed into the diff (with a lunchbox locker) so they had to entirely pull and disassemble the locker. We had a 3 hour training session (and lunch break).
A challenging run - as all were. I'm wondering if this is where some 80 guys from a couple of years ago lost some fender flares...
Friday was Doña Ana Hard, an interesting site seeing trip with mostly a lot of off camber stuff - I'd say the easiest day of the bunch (not counting the pucker part). The Ham radio came in handy - A fuel pump quit on the trail leader's rig, so he called his wife on the radio, gave her the part number, she went to NAPA and drove out with it - meeting him and a driver halfway. We were moving again in less than an hour. Here's a picture from "eye of the needle" up near the top:
http://hdcruisers.org/nmhemphills/eye of the needle cc.jpg
Saturday was Broad Canyon - a long drive, but worth it. Here are the 4 of us who registered together:
http://hdcruisers.org/nmhemphills/broad canyon cc.jpg
Here's a video of Shawn climbing a shelf at one of the play areas:
http://hdcruisers.org/nmhemphills/shawn bc shelf cc.wmv
This run had many lines on many the obstacles - Ryan Eklund and Brandon Roby (sp?) were also there with their solid axle pickups, as well as a third gen 4Runner.
http://hdcruisers.org/nmhemphills/ryan and brandon cc.jpg
Ryan's rig is the white pickup (will, with no bed) in the middle, and Brandon's is two vehicles ahead of Ryan.
Great trip!
The one thing I would say about wagons is that they would have a difficult time on Off Broadway - seemed to be a pretty narrow run. I'll get some maps up, although my GPS seems to have outsmarted me again and lost two of the three days of runs - but I can recreate them.
Wednesday I couldn't make the run as I had a meeting I needed to go to. Thursday was Off Broadway, in which I (embarrassedly) drew first blood - well, sort of. I slid into a wall (which reminds me, where's a good source and a good type of beadlocks to get?).
http://hdcruisers.org/nmhemphills/steve scratches cc.jpg
It didn't compare with what happened next...
About 10 minutes after I scratched the 40, one of the heeps with us (actually most were heeps - probably 75%) bounced pretty good on a waterfall and cracked his transfer case *and* his rear diff - a Dana 44. Conjecture, later, had it that his driveshaft was too long. Trail leader towed him out... Then, about 5 minutes after that on another waterfall across the arroyo from the first breakage another heep bounced too hard and broke a Dana 35 (rear) axle shaft, *and* a front u-joint (cv joint?), and pulled a ball joint apart:
http://hdcruisers.org/nmhemphills/ball joint cc.jpg
Unfortunately, when the axle broke the end deformed enough that it jammed into the diff (with a lunchbox locker) so they had to entirely pull and disassemble the locker. We had a 3 hour training session (and lunch break).
A challenging run - as all were. I'm wondering if this is where some 80 guys from a couple of years ago lost some fender flares...
Friday was Doña Ana Hard, an interesting site seeing trip with mostly a lot of off camber stuff - I'd say the easiest day of the bunch (not counting the pucker part). The Ham radio came in handy - A fuel pump quit on the trail leader's rig, so he called his wife on the radio, gave her the part number, she went to NAPA and drove out with it - meeting him and a driver halfway. We were moving again in less than an hour. Here's a picture from "eye of the needle" up near the top:
http://hdcruisers.org/nmhemphills/eye of the needle cc.jpg
Saturday was Broad Canyon - a long drive, but worth it. Here are the 4 of us who registered together:
http://hdcruisers.org/nmhemphills/broad canyon cc.jpg
Here's a video of Shawn climbing a shelf at one of the play areas:
http://hdcruisers.org/nmhemphills/shawn bc shelf cc.wmv
This run had many lines on many the obstacles - Ryan Eklund and Brandon Roby (sp?) were also there with their solid axle pickups, as well as a third gen 4Runner.
http://hdcruisers.org/nmhemphills/ryan and brandon cc.jpg
Ryan's rig is the white pickup (will, with no bed) in the middle, and Brandon's is two vehicles ahead of Ryan.
Great trip!
i'll have to get that video from you. for some reason when i watch it, i get all the sound seamless and the video freezes, so i couldn't see it.
that spot was at "test rock". the sand was at least 6 feet higher than when i ran the trail 3 years ago. test rock itself only had 2 of the 8 vertical feet sticking out of the sand. but that made the canyon side walls available for "testing". the whole thing is a ridge of rock in the middle of the wash.
that spot was at "test rock". the sand was at least 6 feet higher than when i ran the trail 3 years ago. test rock itself only had 2 of the 8 vertical feet sticking out of the sand. but that made the canyon side walls available for "testing". the whole thing is a ridge of rock in the middle of the wash.
Nice pics Steve. The video of Shawn worked OK for me.
-Mike-
-Mike-
- Thread starter
- #27
Did you try saving it to your hard drive then watching it from there?
Sounds like a great trip, I know we enjoyed it a few years ago. I hope they keep it going so we can go again.
Not that it should weigh in on anything, but here's a newspaper poll about continuing the CC:
HOME - Las Cruces Sun-News
It's on the left side and ends 3/2
Steve, if you are willing to go alloy wheels, look at Walker Evans Racing beadlocks, they are awesome and priced in line with other alloys. If you want heavy steel, MRT and Allied both make some.
Not that it should weigh in on anything, but here's a newspaper poll about continuing the CC:
HOME - Las Cruces Sun-News
It's on the left side and ends 3/2
Steve, if you are willing to go alloy wheels, look at Walker Evans Racing beadlocks, they are awesome and priced in line with other alloys. If you want heavy steel, MRT and Allied both make some.
Steve -
Nice pics! Looks like you guys had a great time. The video worked OK for me too.
Evan
Nice pics! Looks like you guys had a great time. The video worked OK for me too.
Evan
- Thread starter
- #30
Current Votes:
To continue the Chile Challenge:
Yes
1855 Votes, or 94.93 %
No
77 Votes, or 3.940 %
I don't know
22 Votes, or 1.125 %
video worked for me at work. i suspect a newer, faster computer helped.
Steve,
when I saw you post that pic I was going to comment on its avatar qualities!
when I saw you post that pic I was going to comment on its avatar qualities!
- Thread starter
- #34
Thanks for the avatar comment!
This am of the last day, here is the tally on "Should the Chile Challenge continue?"
Yes
2892 Votes, or 94.50 %
No
134 Votes, or 4.379 %
I don't know
34 Votes, or 1.111 %
Granted, this is not a scientific poll, but you can bet knowledge of it was circulated around those not favoring it, and what is surprising is that they could only muster up 134 votes.
This am of the last day, here is the tally on "Should the Chile Challenge continue?"
Yes
2892 Votes, or 94.50 %
No
134 Votes, or 4.379 %
I don't know
34 Votes, or 1.111 %
Granted, this is not a scientific poll, but you can bet knowledge of it was circulated around those not favoring it, and what is surprising is that they could only muster up 134 votes.
- Thread starter
- #35
Here are a couple of Topo 6 gps files. I think. Do these work Ash?
http://hdcruisers.org/nmhemphills/broad canyon.gpl
http://hdcruisers.org/nmhemphills/dona ana mtn.gpl
Here's the jpeg:
Broad Canyon and Dona Ana Mtn
Note that the Dona Ana Mtn track (on the right) is incomplete - but it'll get you around there...
http://hdcruisers.org/nmhemphills/broad canyon.gpl
http://hdcruisers.org/nmhemphills/dona ana mtn.gpl
Here's the jpeg:
Broad Canyon and Dona Ana Mtn
Note that the Dona Ana Mtn track (on the right) is incomplete - but it'll get you around there...
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #36
Yup, they went right into my Topo 5.0. Thanks. This will make it easier for me, or anyone else, to go there in the future w/o a proper tour guide.
question:
Do you have the GPL for Off Broadway trail (#3 above)?
- Thread starter
- #38
That worked great. Can you give me the text files of the other two as well? They end up drawing nicer on the map.
Thanks bro.