Weeling March 9th
- Thread starter jamarquardt22
- Start date
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Was craziness! Cleaning up bed sheets ect and kitty walks right up behind me and starts.... What an efing night.And still up, now it's thetoo
Did Theo eat the cat food?
caz
Keystone Cruisers
Everyone fare ok yesterday?
- Thread starter
- #48
Sliding down black trails in large land cruisers, winching over 100 ft up ice covered hill climbs, watching jeeps brake axles, little trucks. What's not to like?
Wow yeah, it was quite the day at AAOA. Different than any other wheeling I've ever done in an offroad park. Seven inches of snow, and most trails we were on we were making the first tracks in the snow!I won't remember all the names (as usual!) but it was a pretty good crew. ElDahs was there in his pickup along with James and Mark (I think) in capable pickups. I rode with Greg and daughter in his 80, Vince was in his Lexus with passenger and co-pilot Andy. A young guy named Gerard showed up with an SOA Toyota pickup and he and his dad in a Jeep Cherokee tagged along with us.
Once we passed the pipeling on the main road we were in virgin snow, and the ice on the puddles Greg was breaking through had to be 3" thick. White snow and black coal dirt water what a mix! We went all the way out past trail 9 then turned up trail 50 and up the hill past lower anthracite and upper anthracite. Turned down into the top of upper anthracite and slid right down almost into the creek! It was deep snow with a lot of ice underneath. We managed to get down UA driving through the creek most of the way. At the end of the trail Greg was stuck at the bottom of the exit. It was glare ice under the snow and we had to winch him up. Actually had to use a long sling as an extension as Greg didn't have enough winch cable to safely reach the tree we were pulling against. I can tell you dragging 100 feet of cable up a slippery snow covered hill isn't easy!
After Greg got up we winched Vince up. Then Gerard took a banzai run, made it about three quarters of the way but got stuck. Backed all the way down and really gave it a banzai effort, I think he made it all the way by himself but his engine was really working. His dad in the Cherokee then tried a banzai run, was bounced off rocks like a pinball- then we heard a crack and some other bad noises. He had snapped the passenger axle off in the front axle. Winched him up and got a spot cleared in the snow for he and his son to be able to remove the broken axle. He drove the rest of the day (not easily) with three wheel drive. Ended up winching everyone les up the exit hill, while the jeep was being repaired we had a bit to eat.
Once the jeep was ready to go (???) we headed down lower anthracite. What a thrill ride heading down that steep entrance! It was as icy as the hill we had just winched everyone up! Thought for sure Greg was gonna hit a tree, two times, but we missed everything and got down to the creek intact. In fact all seven trucks got down the hill without serious incident. Was quite the time getting everyone down the creek bed, needed winching in a few places and the jeep especially had some trouble getting through the trail. It ain't an easy trail even on a nice fall day! The snow really made it interesting. Once we got everyone down through LA Greg and I and Vince decided we had had enough it was about 3PM. For the record Andy piloted Vince's Lexus through lower anthracite! The jeep and Gerard in the Toy truck also rode out to the staging area with us and we all aired up together. Greg, James, and Mark stayed for more fun and I'll be anxious to hear what they did after we booked.
While eating we talked about how difficult the Beeline trail would be in snow. All agreed it was interesting enough when we did it last year in good weather and that the end of it, the downhill section, would be downright scary and dangerous in snow and ice. The entrance to it was untouched snow, as were both UA and LA before we hit them. All in all it was quite the interesting and different type of wheeling. The weather was great it was in the lower forties by noontime and the sky was clear.
And it's ironic, Rick Beringer has a blurb here on the club site that got around to discussing recovery gear, who carries what and Rick said he didn't know if anyone would want him using their gear. I can tell you pretty much everyone who wheeled yesterday contributed a tree saver, a tow strap, D-rings or those rope type shackles. We sorted out whose stuff was what at the bottom of lower anthracite. As it usually happens, everyone was willing to help and share in whatever way they could. And it was good fortune that all seven trucks had working winches! Would have been a lot more difficult had even one guy not been so equipped. Hope to see some pictures posted soon!!!! So much for another monthly trail ride for the Keystone Cruisers!!!!!
Once we passed the pipeling on the main road we were in virgin snow, and the ice on the puddles Greg was breaking through had to be 3" thick. White snow and black coal dirt water what a mix! We went all the way out past trail 9 then turned up trail 50 and up the hill past lower anthracite and upper anthracite. Turned down into the top of upper anthracite and slid right down almost into the creek! It was deep snow with a lot of ice underneath. We managed to get down UA driving through the creek most of the way. At the end of the trail Greg was stuck at the bottom of the exit. It was glare ice under the snow and we had to winch him up. Actually had to use a long sling as an extension as Greg didn't have enough winch cable to safely reach the tree we were pulling against. I can tell you dragging 100 feet of cable up a slippery snow covered hill isn't easy!
After Greg got up we winched Vince up. Then Gerard took a banzai run, made it about three quarters of the way but got stuck. Backed all the way down and really gave it a banzai effort, I think he made it all the way by himself but his engine was really working. His dad in the Cherokee then tried a banzai run, was bounced off rocks like a pinball- then we heard a crack and some other bad noises. He had snapped the passenger axle off in the front axle. Winched him up and got a spot cleared in the snow for he and his son to be able to remove the broken axle. He drove the rest of the day (not easily) with three wheel drive. Ended up winching everyone les up the exit hill, while the jeep was being repaired we had a bit to eat.
Once the jeep was ready to go (???) we headed down lower anthracite. What a thrill ride heading down that steep entrance! It was as icy as the hill we had just winched everyone up! Thought for sure Greg was gonna hit a tree, two times, but we missed everything and got down to the creek intact. In fact all seven trucks got down the hill without serious incident. Was quite the time getting everyone down the creek bed, needed winching in a few places and the jeep especially had some trouble getting through the trail. It ain't an easy trail even on a nice fall day! The snow really made it interesting. Once we got everyone down through LA Greg and I and Vince decided we had had enough it was about 3PM. For the record Andy piloted Vince's Lexus through lower anthracite! The jeep and Gerard in the Toy truck also rode out to the staging area with us and we all aired up together. Greg, James, and Mark stayed for more fun and I'll be anxious to hear what they did after we booked.
While eating we talked about how difficult the Beeline trail would be in snow. All agreed it was interesting enough when we did it last year in good weather and that the end of it, the downhill section, would be downright scary and dangerous in snow and ice. The entrance to it was untouched snow, as were both UA and LA before we hit them. All in all it was quite the interesting and different type of wheeling. The weather was great it was in the lower forties by noontime and the sky was clear.
And it's ironic, Rick Beringer has a blurb here on the club site that got around to discussing recovery gear, who carries what and Rick said he didn't know if anyone would want him using their gear. I can tell you pretty much everyone who wheeled yesterday contributed a tree saver, a tow strap, D-rings or those rope type shackles. We sorted out whose stuff was what at the bottom of lower anthracite. As it usually happens, everyone was willing to help and share in whatever way they could. And it was good fortune that all seven trucks had working winches! Would have been a lot more difficult had even one guy not been so equipped. Hope to see some pictures posted soon!!!! So much for another monthly trail ride for the Keystone Cruisers!!!!!
Hey Gary,
Sounds like an intense run! Thanks for pointing me over here. Didn’t mean for it to sound like I thought nobody would lend gear (I’m sure they would) was more that I don’t want to be “that guy” who shows up with nothing to contribute! I know I’d share gear if need be to get someone out - I’m just still trying to work out what “gear” looks like (since an 8274 isn’t in my immediate future). I’d rather have the equipment on hand if I brake something and have you guys show me how to use it!
Funny, I was reading up on Toyota axles vs Dana 33’s, 44’s and 60’s the other night - I never realized just how overbuilt Toyota axles are by comparison. I’ve been helping a friend of mine bring his TJ back from the dead and I have to say - looking at the D33 - I’m glad I bought a 40!
Sounds like an intense run! Thanks for pointing me over here. Didn’t mean for it to sound like I thought nobody would lend gear (I’m sure they would) was more that I don’t want to be “that guy” who shows up with nothing to contribute! I know I’d share gear if need be to get someone out - I’m just still trying to work out what “gear” looks like (since an 8274 isn’t in my immediate future). I’d rather have the equipment on hand if I brake something and have you guys show me how to use it!
Funny, I was reading up on Toyota axles vs Dana 33’s, 44’s and 60’s the other night - I never realized just how overbuilt Toyota axles are by comparison. I’ve been helping a friend of mine bring his TJ back from the dead and I have to say - looking at the D33 - I’m glad I bought a 40!
Aaron glad Theo is doing well, you'll be OK soon I hope. And I am really glad to weren't with us in the 200. I probably would have cried trying to get a 200 through those trails!!!!!
fireball
SILVER Star
Thanks for the write up Gary! Sounds like fun times.
It was definitely fun times. Usually snow adds a whole difficulty level to a trail, but snow + ice sends it out of sight. And outside of the trucks, Yaktrax were definitely on order.
