To Hell and Back Moab 2017

[TexAZ]

That's the steps leading g down to the super sketchy rock pile turn at the bottom ledge

 

[kreiten]

That's the steps leading g down to the super sketchy rock pile turn at the bottom ledge

yep exactly, that rock pile was a bit sketchy forsure!

 

[kreiten]

That's the steps leading g down to the super sketchy rock pile turn at the bottom ledge

I'll post some more pics of that rock pile area tonight, love that trail!

 

[Canyonero]

Oh man, I keep coming back to this thread. What a trip!

 

[Canyonero]

I keep coming back to this thread - what a trip!

 

[Canyonero]

I keep coming back to this thread - what a trip!

 

[Markuson]

I keep coming back to this thread - what a trip!

You weren’t kidding! You just came back three times inside of two minutes!
(Triple-post! Haha)

 

[kreiten]

@TexAZ

 

[TonyP]

I want to jam out on that sand dune again.
Random ass sand dune in the middle of the trail.

 

[Canyonero]

It was our mini Dakar.

 

[Markuson]

I want to jam out on that sand dune again.
Random ass sand dune in the middle of the trail.

Are you talking about the figure-8 sand dune “track” on Ooison Spider?

 

[TonyP]

Are you talking about the figure-8 sand dune “track” on Ooison Spider?

Nope, this was after PS I think. It might technically be Golden Spike. It's an enormous mound of sand that makes you think you're lost. It could very well be a side-track. I took the dive and barely made it to a rocky part for traction. Then we found the proper path. Had some fun blasting around on the 'top' of the dune.

Edit: not sure what figure 8 you're talking about so maybe it is part of that?

 

[TexAZ]

It was a side track between spider and gold bar. We had that big pow wow when deciding to get to the crack and how to get there.

We missed it on the return trip to fetch the truck when we went back two days later

 

[TonyP]

I thought it was after the powpow which would mean golden spike? I could definitely be wrong. My memory is awful. But this is the route blue to red to black.

 

[Markuson]

This is the spot I’m talking about...
It ends up being a figure-8 “track” of sorts...down and to the left from where I enter this video frame...

@TonyP My phone automatically referred to the spot as “Poison Spider/Golden Spike” on its own.

Here is the exact spot on Google Maps

Google Maps

Benny Hill speed...

 

[TonyP]

Yup, that's it.

 

[BetoLC]

I love these pics - I need to put my LC through more!

I see some of the trucks have winches and some don’t. I was wondering if anybody who didn’t came away thinking “I really need to add a winch!” - even if done with a hidden plate rather than heavy bumper?

I’m trying to decide where best to spend $$$$. Most of the discussion seems to be oem vs. steel bumpers and ability to take a hit rather than winch vs. no winch.

Thanks very much for any thoughts or opinions! Greatly appreciated.

 

[TonyP]

I love these pics - I need to put my LC through more!

I see some of the trucks have winches and some don’t. I was wondering if anybody who didn’t came away thinking “I really need to add a winch!” - even if done with a hidden plate rather than heavy bumper?

I’m trying to decide where best to spend $$$$. Most of the discussion seems to be oem vs. steel bumpers and ability to take a hit rather than winch vs. no winch.

Thanks very much for any thoughts or opinions! Greatly appreciated.

Moab is very different than most other wheeling terrains so what you'll need there is very different than the east coast where MaxTrax can be used in many situations. Maxtrax won't help much in Moab aside from the sandy areas as the Moab rock is extremely grippy on it's own. Throwing down a maxtrax will do more harm than good.

For these Moab types of trails, my opinion;

Aside from personal knowledge of the vehicle and driving skills, the most important thing to bring is a spotter who knows what they're doing and understands how a vehicle behaves on terrain. Knowledge in 200 series is helpful since most people won't know how the axles, KDSS, traction, ect react. A Jeep guy may underestimate (or over-estimate in some cases), what the 200 can do and it's absurd articulation.

As long as at least one rig in your group has a winch, you're generally ok. Sure, there are circumstances where two or more would be helpful but you can ususally make-do with just one. If you're going solo into hairy stuff, I recommend one and know how to use it properly and safely. Or avoid sticky situations.

If you're ok bashing and scraping your stock plastic; save some cash and go with just a winch plate.
The biggest impact areas are the rear bumper corners. The approach (front bumper) is generally good enough that only minor scrapes happen.

At least that's what I observed. Ken or Patrick would know more as they've been on stock plastic for a while.

 

[Canyonero]

I love these pics - I need to put my LC through more!

I see some of the trucks have winches and some don’t. I was wondering if anybody who didn’t came away thinking “I really need to add a winch!” - even if done with a hidden plate rather than heavy bumper?

I’m trying to decide where best to spend $$$$. Most of the discussion seems to be oem vs. steel bumpers and ability to take a hit rather than winch vs. no winch.

Thanks very much for any thoughts or opinions! Greatly appreciated.

My $.02 is get a winch. It's the single best piece of recovery gear you can have. Stuck in the snow, sand, mud or rocks, a winch is your friend.

I would qualify that by adding to make sure you have experience using the winch in various pull scenarios.

Finally, I would just say that while most people who added a winch to their 200 are happy to help out their friends and wheeling buddies when they need help, it's also not ideal to be winching all the trucks in your group up multiple obstacles with all the wear and tear being on your winch and your line.

If a winch is in your budget, I highly recommend adding one.

 

[BetoLC]

Thanks for your thoughts - much appreciated.

As well as the $cost I am also thinking about weight - perhaps I’m kidding myself but have this idea I can build out my truck without getting too heavy: aluminum skid plates, no additional battery etc etc I did actually wonder if i could replace the oem hood with a cf one to offset some of the winch weight. A friend who makes dinghy parts thought he could knock one together...