Route sharing, Toyota talk, and random vehicles for sale

[Mike NXP]

This may be old news but if you're looking to test your skills the route over yogo peak left me needing a clean pair of undies. This is just beyond dry wolf cabin in the lewis and Clark forest . I don't take many pics but I was rolling the GoPro. Don't let the pics fool you , I wasn't taking pics in the scary stuff

>> The disclaimer here is this trail is seriously sketchy and not easy by any means. I suppose looking back the ( very well maintained ) cruiser made light work of it but being alone with my wife and dog got really scary the steeper we went. The loose gravel and steep cliffs could be a recipe for disaster. There was pretty much no turning back either it was too tight. We had to push forward

The red line was the worst, ten miles took 2 hours. I've got a lot of experience on mountain passes, I'd say this was second scariest Ive ever done, maybe easy for some folks but idk it was a doozie

 

[Mike NXP]

I appreciated how there wasn't even like the slightest hint of what was ahead. Just like hey, share the road

Also this is the route Google map told us to take, so we had to do it.

There was a few camp spots up that way also but there is no way I'm ever go back there again lol....been there , **** that

 

[ttFJC]

I like sketchy stuff I wanna check this out now

 

[Mike NXP]

I like sketchy stuff I wanna check this out now

Lol yeh you do....I suspect your rig would tackle the bigger obstacles a bit easier.

I'm only running stock size K02s. I didn't bottom out at all but it took a bit of careful line selection and building up some trail in some spots.


I'll try to slap some GoPro footage together to share some video of the route. Was too windy for the drone=


The majority of the trail was just bigger rocks and slow going but nothing too daunting. Coming from the east will lead to a steeper climb , coming from the west youl be headed downhill in the loose rock section. Which may have actually been a bit easier idk .


I'll post more route details once I'm up at the computer

 

[REZARF]

Sounds like every shale road in colorado. They are spooky as it always seems like the trail is going to slide out from under you. Which it can do. Glad you had an adventure and made it okay

 

[Mike NXP]

Sounds like every shale road in colorado. They are spooky as it always seems like the trail is going to slide out from under you. Which it can do. Glad you had an adventure and made it okay

Crazy, yeah feeling of the ground shift underneath is scary. I was impressed with how well the cruiser did. The tire sidewalls took a beating as they slid around and scraped down rocks.

Bigger tires and buddy to tag along would make this trail more manageable. I'm never going back there again though lol proceed with caution to those who decide to do it.

Coming from the west will be a downhill decent in the sketchy part. Coming from the east will be a climb. Choose wisely, it was some really amazing scenery and solitude up there.

 

[Mike NXP]

For those interested in going over the pass, paw through the (soundless) video below.

Final thoughts on the trail

• The red line was the hardest. 10 miles took 2 hours
• The purple line was more manageable, 8 miles took 40 minutes
• I marked a few camp spots , there was some solid potential up there just prepare for wind and weather . No way in hell a trailer or sprinter is getting up here but I suspect side by sides like to play up there
  
  
• Coming from the east you'll need to prepare for a steeper climb up the sketchy section, seen in the video
• Coming from the west will be a climb up the purple line and then dropping down the red section
  >>> I always wondered what was easier or if it was just preference. I sort of like going down and letting gravity do the work on hard roads. Guess it just depends on the mood.
  
  
  
• The trail was a fun one all around but that loose rock section is no joke. Luckily the drop off wasn't just a sheer drop and it tended to roll off. A buddy with a winch nearby would have made the white knuckle ride a little less daunting.
  
  
• 4 low 1st gear almost the entire red section with occasional dips into second to cool her down.
• Definitely need good tires, my side walls took a beating. I'll also admit I'm not one to air down, honestly idgaf and never really bother to do so....... On this trail I did indeed air down from my 45-50psi down to 30 all around lol....... It certainly helped on this rocky loose terrain.
• Had to build up the trail in some areas or else I would have bashed something
  

 

[geo5]

For those interested in going over the pass, paw through the (soundless) video below.

Final thoughts on the trail

• The red line was the hardest. 10 miles took 2 hours
• The purple line was more manageable, 8 miles took 40 minutes
• I marked a few camp spots , there was some solid potential up there just prepare for wind and weather . No way in hell a trailer or sprinter is getting up here but I suspect side by sides like to play up there
  
  
• Coming from the east you'll need to prepare for a steeper climb up the sketchy section, seen in the video
• Coming from the west will be a climb up the purple line and then dropping down the red section
  >>> I always wondered what was easier or if it was just preference. I sort of like going down and letting gravity do the work on hard roads. Guess it just depends on the mood.
  
  
  
• The trail was a fun one all around but that loose rock section is no joke. Luckily the drop off wasn't just a sheer drop and it tended to roll off. A buddy with a winch nearby would have made the white knuckle ride a little less daunting.
  
  
• 4 low 1st gear almost the entire red section with occasional dips into second to cool her down.
• Definitely need good tires, my side walls took a beating. I'll also admit I'm not one to air down, honestly idgaf and never really bother to do so....... On this trail I did indeed air down from my 45-50psi down to 30 all around lol....... It certainly helped on this rocky loose terrain.
• Had to build up the trail in some areas or else I would have bashed something

View attachment 3408182

This sounds awesome! Nice write up @Mike NXP

September club run @ttFJC ? Head over there after BB cookout and run it Sunday 9/17?

 

[Mike NXP]

If you guys find yourself passing through White Sulfur Springs.. Jesse Peppers smoke shack had some really good food.


Dry Wolf Cabin smelled like something died inside of it, we opened the door and promptly closed and locked it back up. Calf Creek cabin to the west of this trail was nice. Clean inside and plenty of privacy / space.

Other options for camp would be the boat launch area by sheep creek. You can sneak off to the side and fit a few rigs.


Very little traffic and shoobies in this neck of the woods, lets try to keep it that way.

 

[REZARF]

Great looking trail. Thanks for the video. There aren't too many shelf roads like that up here. Looked like the views were epic.

I'd like to run it!

 

[Mike NXP]

Great looking trail. Thanks for the video. There aren't too many shelf roads like that up here. Looked like the views were epic.

Totally, I've been on a few in Idaho like this. Definitely a nice pay off when reaching the summit .

Better built rigs may make light work of this but definitely some challenges along the way

 

[406Camper]

Great looking trail. Thanks for the video. There aren't too many shelf roads like that up here. Looked like the views were epic.

I'd like to run it!

@Mike NXP, Added to my list, Thanks! Fairly close for me since it is in the Little Belts. Drew (@REZARF), let me know when you want to run it. Could add it to a Judith River or Jellison Jeep Trail run (2nd day).

 

[ttFJC]

September is tricky cuz bird season but keep me in the loop and I’m game

 

[rc51kid]

Sounds like every shale road in colorado. They are spooky as it always seems like the trail is going to slide out from under you. Which it can do. Glad you had an adventure and made it okay

One of the worst "stuck" situations i ever had was on a shale road up in Sunlight Basin. I went up solo and got stuck. Everything was shifting below me even triple locked and the angle just kept sliding to the edge. It took me about 4 hours of winching off rocks and eventually going down backwards to get out. Really sucked.

I had to winch off of a large rock on the side of the trail. It eventually pulled the boulder free and into the trail. I would pile smaller rocks ontothe large rock to add weight to it. When I would winch it would drag the rock two feet to me and me one foot forward. Eventually the rock was in my way. And i couldnt move forward. I had to split the rock with a hammer and chisle i had so i could move it out of the way using my hilift handle as lever.

After all this i got everything straight enought in the trail that i could back down the shelf road some.

When you are along and miles from cell coverage you get creative.

 

[Mike NXP]

Hey 406 crew, just wanted to share another route that some folks with bigger balls ( and tires ) than me may be interested in.

I haven't met any of you folks yet but a little background on my adventures. They mostly involved myself + wife and dog in our generally stock 100 series solo cruising into some of the most remote places and 4x4 trails that I can find on the map..... I don't have social media and i'm not really of fan of every hidden location being plastered on youtube, but I do like sharing on these forums to fellow off roaders.

So anyway for those who like to go 4 low straight up boulders , the trail to Darkhorse Lake is right up your alley. Should get you over 9k feet and within reach of an old mining site....... This is along the continental divide , west of Jackson.

The first leg is pretty straight forward but it did have some tough lines to pick . Once you start climbing it gets harder, all sorta big loose boulders with not much room for mistakes or turn arounds....I made it in a ways until it got really steep and I chickened out..i was able to make a sketchy little K turn on the hill. .... I suspect I could have kept pushing forward but sometimes adventure takes a back seat to not rolling the truck and dying . Also my wife was terrified lol. Steep inclines really do add another level of danger to consider.


The dots are camp sites, plenty in this forest and some right by running water...... Skinner meadows, big hole valley, and this entire area has a lot of history from when the Nez Perce roamed free... Respect the land

Orange line took about 1 hour and could be considered fairly easy / fun trail. The red X is where I turned back.

First leg looks a lot like this and wasn't too bad for stock tire size...... I didn't get any pictures of the big hill

Have fun out there and stay safe.
PS - Ajax lake just bit further north is less extreme and can bring you up to the divide too. I also hear the next line to the south can bring you up and over into Idaho.

 

[thetoyotaman]

Sounds like a future club run weekend!

 

[Mike NXP]

Sounds like a future club run weekend!

For sure , you'd have a blast . A spotter would have made life a bit easier but idk something about that climb, and no real way to chicken out if i kept pushing, scared me away ..I bet a handful of you folks would make light work of this trail but dont underestimate it, a bad line might leave you in a sticky spot

Oh also there was a handful of scratchers along the trail, if you like your paint this one may not be for you

 

[thetoyotaman]

One thing to keep in mind as you go out on more and harder trails is that what once may have seemed daunting somehow turns into fun and you're ready to increase the challenge!

 

[Mike NXP]

One thing to keep in mind as you go out on more and harder trails is that what once may have seemed daunting somehow turns into fun and you're ready to increase the challenge!

Totally ....After we chickened out and were driving back down my wife said , huh , doesn't seem so bad anymore haha.....I was really impressed with the 100 series on this trail. It didn't bottom out once and traction control was nice for the loose trail..,.. I thought for sure I was going to hit something undeeneath at times but it was good to go.....pretty nimble for a 7k lb whale of a truck

 

[Mike NXP]

Does anyone have some tips for places to head if we cross the border and head north / north west into Canada? Looks like lots of potential up there but can only get so far with a few days off from work.