@Black798 (white 4Runner 3G)
@jtxterra (SAS Nissan)and I (FJC) ran this trail on Saturday June 2, 2018 and below is the pictures from the trip. I hope to have proper blog post and have a chance to make a highlight videos of the various videos but I am afraid i wouldn't have time to post before this run is scheduled so I am just posting the google drive photo dump I created. i Also have a GPS track with Geo-location linked photos of some of the obstacles and features. the route we took followed the trip that the club did last spring, starting from the Whitehall side and headed to the Ringing rocks the back way. We went on a couple of the side roads to explore around a bit. Ill try to post the GPS as soon as i can.
Ringing Rocks & Elkhorn skyline mine trails- June 2&3, 2018 - Google Drive
And i'm sorry if this adds to confusion but there is pictures from our failed trip to the skyline mine. If you see the Adam's Blue 5th gen 4r or Evan's Tacoma they are pictures from Skyline mine ride. If you see snow, that's from skyline.
These are the bits of advice I would give from running it this time.
1. There are some very narrow spots. the trees were cleared fairly well so that my FJC with the obnoxious amount of stuff on the roof could clear but there are some tight squeezes that someone who cares more about pinstripes might want to clear but overall it wasn't that big of and issue. Last year i know a couple 100's went though it without any problems, at least i didn't hear of any.
2. The big steep hill seemed less washed out the the previous year. (the spot where the rover went three wheeling). The easy side is nothing. super easy.
3. There is a fun downhill rocky section that last year my FJC did without much effort, although i did dent my muffler on one rock in a bad spot. That rock seems like its about 5 inches taller and this wash is much deeper then I remember. Phoenix was able to go up it and down it. BUT coming down it we got him in a tricky spot with him resting his gas tank skid and a very of camber lean. There's quite a few pictures showing this. On the way up (same spot same couple of rocks) he managed to slip off the rick and land on his driveshaft. The rear was digging and we had to winch him about 2 feet to get him off the rock nicely. He was able to drive up the remainder without to much effort. THERE IS AN EASY BYPASS FOR THIS SECTION. That's what I took
4. The water crossing is deeper then last year. There is no bypass. On the way to the Ringing rocks side, it was easily up to the bottom of the headlights. There are plenty of pictures. On the way back there's a crappy iPhone video of me having water coming up onto the hood. This was on the way back. when we were headed back there was a hole that we didn't hit in the other direction or at least it seemed a lot deeper in that direction. There's a picture of the 4R with both headlights submerged. We went slow but steady and neither of us got out air boxes wet. On the bright side you wont see much ATV traffic until after the water because i guess motorcycles are afraid of water. I don't know what the water would look like a week from now but it was high. We also did it after a very wet week.
I really hope I don't talk anyone out of doing this trail because its a fun one, pretty and easy going.
