It was a rainy day in Moab and AREA BFE was wet and muddy. A completely crazy group decided to venture out based on the weather report that the rain was ending. The plan was the GateKeeper, Minor Threat, EZ Squeezy, and Green Day. The Upper Helldorado Gate Keeper remains easy, still filled in from a flood.

Jim makes his way into the obstacle in Chief 9.

Then it was up rained out Minor Threat. No photos as it was too wet. So heres a couple from EZ Squeezy.

Gary and Jim have no trouble with the obstacle.

But I did. Redroxx was in about the same position, bound up on the driver’s side against the rock when Jeff noticed that my Kingpin bearing was coming out of the axle. So, it was decided to go home and come back on a nicer day. By the way, I was able to find a repair kit and get the axle repaired. Both the upper and lower sections were broken on the driver’s side. Oh well……let’s move on to Sunday and a last minute schedule addition of Hell’s Revenge with some fence fixing….

It started out as one of those pristine desert days where the weather is cooler and the views are spectacular.

Rick decided to lead the way.

Hell’s Gate was fun and much easier in the daylight.

My Dad and Godfather were along on the trail and they both enjoyed the Gate.

Ber decided to show off by climbing too high to the right but by the time I got there with the camera, he had corrected himself. Everyone wants a blog photo……

The Big Hot tub was full of greasy mud, defeating all attempts.

The Escalator was fun though. Rick continues to learn the line for Flipper.

Chief 9 climbs through easily with wider axles.

Some folks in a rental Jeep came through and gave an interesting show.

All in all it was a nice trail day. We were no sooner finished when the rain set in and it was an absolute down pour!

Since I was not in attendance, I have two trail reports attached. The first is from Dee and the second is from Ber. They each sent me 2 photos. Hope you enjoy our guest bloggers!

Hey Melissa!  Hope you and Gary are well and enjoying this awesome weather.
Ber and I were the only ones at the cinema by 8:07 so we headed out to Castle Valley.  Matt and Jake and Rick were there.  We decided to do Rose Garden Hill to Top of the World and made our way to the Onion Crk trailhead.  Signs there told us the road was closed (no surprise considering all the washouts we saw on 128 between 191 and that point).  We headed to Dewey Bridge and decided to do Powerline Rim trail to the overlook of the river.  It was a good trail with one interesting double ledge, but everyone got up it without any trouble.  From the overlook we went back out to the main road and on up to Top of the World.  The trail is definitely showing more erosion but was passable without excitement.  We had lunch at the top, Rick drove RokDawg out onto the projecting rock and got some pictures thanks to Matt, and then we started back out.  Ber took us on an alternate trail that’s part of the Kokopelli called Little Cottonwood Canyon (I think), but about a mile in it was washed out too badly and we had to turn around.  We figured maybe three feet of road surface was missing in places at the washout.  Back out on the county rd, Ber decided he wanted to go look at the Dolores ford on another trail, so he and Rick did that while Matt and I continued to Dewey Bridge, aired up, and came back.  I don’t know if you need any of this info for the blog, but anyway, here it is.  We were off Top of the World and our adventure in Little C by 3:00.

 
Oh, and we didn’t see another soul the whole time we were offroad!
Cheers!
Dee

Up and over the Big Ugly. I’m not used to doing this hill without snow and ice and it certainly is easier.

It was nice, dry, and rocky today but still fun to drive over.

Installing more signs to mark the turn off of the county road……

Down in the wash area, entering Area BFE. This is a fun squeeze to drive over. Choose the boulder you want to drive over.

Larry was out again. His tie rod has been fixed and he seemed more rested than last week!

Susan was out as well and couldn’t avoid posing for the paparazzi. She hasn’t been a blog star for awhile and thought this one might give her a spot.  A big wheel lift and we’re not even to the Britney Spears trail yet. Of course, the star of that one is yet to be revealed.

I always like this sandy section of the trail, very scenic.

We finished our Strike Ravine work and made our way to Area BFE trail around lunchtime and after we had dined, Gary Lee led the way up the trail. Could he be the star in Britney’s eye? MAY—BEEE!

Hey, Jim is back out on the trail too! What could he be thinking as he watches Gary Lee start up Britney?

a. Are we going to see Gary Lee take his first flop?

b. Don’t make me come up there and rescue you!

c. I wonder why they call his truck Over EZ?

d. I’d better not be late for church!

e. All of the above…….(hint! hint!)

There are a couple of really nice ledges as you approach the boulders that make up the upper section of Britney Spears. This spur trail is nothing but carnage and the entire loop is probably a quarter of a mile long, if that.

This ledgy, boulder section really defies all attempts considering our trucks have fender flares.

Gary Lee tried every angle. First up the boulder way driver but that makes you fall over passenger into another boulder.

Here’s Gary Lee with the rock coming in to visit. Believe it or not, this is just a lean and although Gary Lee rested here for a few minutes, he was able to drive out of this situation.

He was SOOOO proud as he backed off the obstacle but didn’t realize that he wasn’t square dropping off of the ledge.

Yikes!  He IS stuck at this point. The funniest part was that no sooner had they turned his truck over and unhooked him that he backed up about 2 feet and flopped over again! “Oops he did it again!” (It’s a Britney Spears song if you’re wondering….sheesh!)

Might as well check out the underside while you have good light. How are the t-case mounts?

Time to hook up the winch and pull her back Over……EZ…….

Here’s Jim in the recovery truck Chief 9.

Now it’s Jeff’s turn.

This ledge and boulders are crazy! Jeff worked every angle too and wound up almost flopping. He took a winch line down as well and avoided the flop.

The rest of the crew decided to come back and fight another day. No one broke anything, no one was hurt. Over EZ just needs a little bit of black spray paint and she’ll be good as new. Good job to Gary Lee on his first and second flop! Let’s see, it must be Redroxx’s turn next!

Another great day on the trail!

Melissa

Well, up to the last minute, we thought the trail was going to be a rain-out. But, about a half hour before  we met at the cinema, the sun came out and a group of 6 rigs met at the trail head. This is our annual night trail and hell’s revenge sounded extra scary at night.

Wow, the sunset is fantabulous!

Some nice twilight shots of the slickrock fins.

It’s getting steadily darker.

Can you guess where this shot is or who it is? Me neither……actually it is Dee coming up along the abyss.

Here she is trying the tough route up. Due to the recent rains, this ledge was sandy and slippery but everyone made it.

Working our way up to Hell’s Gate is Gary Lee.

Here’s a shot of Larry playing on the boulders.

Susan was having headlight troubles and used a flashlight on her head as a substitute. Because of this, she bypassed Hell’s Gate. No one else did though. Here is a video of Gary Lee going up the obstacle.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Yes, I would say that Dee is on her side in Hell’s gate. After some stabilization with a winch line and lots of pushing, we got her back over on her tires.

Remarkably little damage. Rick did more damage tip toeing through Green Day. She had a few scuffs on the flares and the soft top and a tiny bit of lost paint but no dents or broken things. Dee keeps her good attitude and gives a big thumbs up.

Next comes Larry up Hell’s Gate. We realized that spotting in the darkness is impossible so everyone had to do their own driving, very hard to see at night.

After all the adventures, we decided to bypass the hot tubs (which would likely be full of water with the rains) and went directly to the Escalator.

Kind of looks like a lunar landscape. Escalator was easy today as the only thing you could focus on is our tell-tale scrape that gives us our line. Everything else was darkness. It was dad gum spooky.

Larry’s truck looks like its breathing fire but not for long. Soon, it gave up the ghost, just past tip over challenge.

Rather, it gave up the tie-rod. A bad break as it was sheared in half, making a field repair daunting. So, a group of us stayed with Larry and the truck while Jeff, Gary, and Susan went out for some metal bracing that could be welding in place to make a support.

After they returned, Gary Lee pulled the wheel into position.

Then Jeff began the welding job, which took some time to make sure the tie-rod would hold on the bumpy road out. Since Jim wasn’t along on this trip (he had a midnight church service to attend), let’s have the “what could Larry possibly be thinking?”

a. It’s after 1:00am, I need my blankey and my binky, go nite-nite.

b. I drove all the way over from Denver today for this?

c. At least I didn’t flop!

d. I wonder how much beer this is going to cost me?

e. I’m sure thankful for good friends who didn’t abandon me on the trail…..even if they wanted to.

Another great trail day (I mean night). Thanks all and see ya on the trail.

Melissa

Everyone give a warm welcome to the newest member of the Samurai family. After months of hard work, sweat, and investment, Jim debuts Chief 9. This truck started out as a freebie that Gene brought over from Colorado. The axle housings were from the Blazer we recovered off of Kane Creek trail well over a year ago. From that start, Jeff & Jim built a beauty of a rig with too many fancies to list…..Atlas t-case, hybrid shocks with coils, a V6 engine, heated seat (for the driver anyway), beadlocks, MadDog tires, etc., etc. I think Chief 9 comes in at 106″ long and 84″ or so wide. A very stable size for Moab challenges.

So, the first trail is Metal Masher. This is a great first trail to try because the obstacles are optional and if things aren’t going so smoothly, well, easy enough to bypass or turn back. 8 rigs were out in total and this lovely hot day in July.

Okay, it’s been a while. What could Jim POSSIBLY be thinking on such a day!

a. I hope Chief 9 can climb Widowmaker! It’d be a shame to roll her on the first day!

b. Is my seat heater stuck in the “ON” position or is it really that hot in Moab?

c. Oh NO! My new truck is all dirty now.

d. With this V6 engine, I can definitely make it to church on time! Eat my rooster tails!

Rock Chucker was fun today and very easy, everyone in the group made it without much if any difficulty. Here’s Susan going up.

And a special guest appearance by Larry!

Here’s a couple shots of the Chief!

Looks sweet!

Here comes Rick.

Then it was through Mirror Gulch and up the switch back to Misty’s thumb. More shots of the new rig. By the way, it’s not orange, it’s cinnamon.

Up to the overlook. We looked over but it was still too early for lunch so it was off to Widowmaker.

Up the dugway to Widowmaker. The road construction is holding together nicely, making the approach nice and easy.

Jeff was the first one up. We were expecting a fairly easy time today but surprise! Widowmaker was not in a good mood at all. No one flipped or flopped but not everyone made it today.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Davon was next and really unloaded. He elected to take a strap too.

Then came Gary Lee who always seems to do well on this obstacle.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

A great trail day and a nice break-in (instead of a break-down) for Chief 9.

Melissa

Day #2 had us going north of I-70, crossing under through this nifty tunnel……once on the other side, we stopped to look at this famous rock art said to be over 3000 years old.

Rick and Gary Lee try to do a “What could Jim possibly be thinking?”

Then we stopped by Dutchman’s Arch or is it Dutchmen’s Arch….can’t remember. Anyway a few of us climbed to the top and took some photos.

Next stop was the Devil’s Racetrack.

Just like the sign says….

This trail has some beautiful views…..

and was a bit more challenging than the day before which is fun! Does your Jeep feel tippy Dee?

We came to one rocky challenge and worked a bit to find the “open” line. Once Susan made it up, the rest of us were determined to drive it open as well and did so without much trouble.

More scenery. I believe this one is called the Twin Priests.

And I think this one is Lady Slipper Arch?

And I’m pretty sure this one is called Joe and his dog.

When the group stopped for lunch, Melanie, Gary Lee, and I turned off north and headed back to Salt Lake City. The rest of the group worked their way back south towards I-70 using the Eva Conover Trail.

At I-70, most of the group headed back to Moab while Ber & Charlotte, Davon & Marlene, and their grandkids went on to the Eagle Canyon route.

Another great trail day.

A group of 9 Jeeps showed up at the meeting spot near Goblin Valley State Park for a 2 day trail run and camp-out in the San Rafael Swell area. Ber Knight was the noble leader. He and Charlotte elected not to camp, instead making the journey out and back to Moab on both days (2 hrs. each way)

Not being too familiar with the area, I’m going to struggle in naming all the different sites but I did try to include some trail sign photos for those of you who are familiar with the San Rafael Swell.

Very cool balanced rock feature!

The scenery was great and an all Jeep line-up including a CJ, a YJ, lots of TJ’s, and a JK. The sammy’s all stayed home but we may see the premier of Chief 9 as soon as this weekend….

Lots of old mines and mining equipment in the area.

Beautiful views as we approach the Behind the Reef trail…….as the sign says……

Climbing up the shelf was a bit scrabbly……Short and Squatty…..Short and Squatty……stuck on a rock…..etc.

Moab TJ was fine for this trail. Gary Lee and I rode together.

We found some of the little wild horses coming out of Upper Little Wild horse canyon.

Watch for abandoned explosives as well as potato cannons powered by hairspray.

A nice view of Hondoo Arch with the remnant of the storm behind it. Although we only had a light sprinkle, it sure must have rained somewhere.

The stormy weather really cooled things down. We had 100+ temperatures and after the clouds passed, it cooled down to the 80’s with a breeze and was much more tolerable.

When we drove through the wash, we had a bit of a flash flood, not very deep but it sure was fun to drive through.

More wild horses.

We made it to camp near Swasey’s cabin about 6:00pm and the skies started to clear with a very nice rainbow.

We got a fire going and everyone prepared dinner with lots of s’mores for dessert.

This is the end of day 1. Stay tuned for more.

It was a hot and clear day and everyone was excited to get going.

Ber led us up and over the waterfall with Gary Lee close behind.

Gary Lee decided to show off a bit in the wedgy, driving in and backing all the way down and then up again with a wheel lift and a thumbs-up!

Here’s a shot of Gary & Lance on the top of Poison Spider Mesa.

We headed off for Pig Rock, first for the snout and later for the Pig’s butt, also known as Barney’s overlook.

A stop at Poison Spider Arch to take in the view and for some to hike across it.

Then up to Barney’s overlook which indeed overlooks…..Moab and the Colorado river. It started getting very windy while we were up here.

Everyone formed a human chain to prevent anyone from being blown over the side. Hang on everybody!

Whew! After getting off the overlook, we wound our way along the trail.

Then we arrived at the Sand Dunes where Lance turned on the speed in order to climb the hill.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Then we all lined up for the drive down the Wedgy and were off the trail in the early afternoon before it got too hot.

Another nice trail day!

Then it was up the slickrock fins and over to the Abyss. This is a nice warm up obstacle and Rick in Flipper makes it look easy!

We quickly worked our way past the Hummer tour and made a stop at the Overlook and got ready to run Hell’s Gate.

Ber shows us how the Gate should be driven. Perfect line!

Click here to view the embedded video.

After everyone was done at Hell’s Gate, we began working our way up to the hot tub section of the trail. Gary Lee had some recent modifications to his anti-squat thanks to Dirt Squirrel Motors, LLC and he decided to test the Big Hot tub one more time. He removed his spare tire and storage rack with tools to lighten the vehicle weight. After a couple of attempts to warm the tires, he put Over EZ into second gear and had a successful climb!

Congratulations Gary Lee!!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Then he decided to try it again a second time to confirm that he had the line. It looked even easier the second time.

Click here to view the embedded video.

So, then I had to go back into this hole, recently named the Devil’s sphincter by one club member. When you’re WAAAAAYYYY down in there, it seems like a better name than the Big Hot tub.

Click here to view the embedded video.

After all the fun and excitement, we proceeded on to Mickey’s hot tub where more folks decided to participate. Here’s Dee down in Mickey’s. Apparently she doesn’t need a front locker or perhaps forgot to turn it on? There are various stories out there but it surely is easier to switch on an electronic locker than it is to use a 5 point harness…..right? Everything goes out the window when you’re a bit nervous……

Click here to view the embedded video.

Lance decided to try Mickey’s with a leash as well and had a bit of a coil spring problem. Somewhere he heard if you break something on an obstacle they name it after you but I think Mickey broke here first…..

Lunch was called while the coil spring was relocated to its former, more functional position. Then off to the Escalator where there was all kinds of fun. The line was tricksy today except for Gary Lee who went twice just for good measure.

Jeff made it to just about this point when he missed the line and leaned into the wall. Trying to get back on the line, he snapped his front driver side outer axle shaft, requiring a Jeep rescue……

Rick struggled for a bit, flopped like a fish but didn’t flip! He found the right line for his narrower vehicle.

The Escalator was about 50/50 today for those in the group who tried it but was fun none the less. After Tip Over Challenge we worked our way to the exit of Hell’s Revenge. About a mile from the end, Gary Lee’s Over EZ refused to find a gear and needed a tug home (another Jeep rescue). Turns out that a new clutch is required…….at least it broke right at the end.

Another fun day on the trail with a few casualties but everyone made it back alive.

See ya on the trail!

Jeff, Jim, Gary Lee, Melissa, and guest Jeff went out to run the Pickle and Mashed Potato trail on Saturday. Boy, it is summertime now and we really felt the heat along with the biting gnats. The Pickle is always fun though and we were looking forward to it.

Look at this new rock that fell over the winter, partially blocking the left line of the first obstacle. There is another rock up at the top of the obstacle, partially blocking the road to the right. It’s amazing how much a wash trail can change when exposed to winter ice and water.

Guest Jeff and his family flex out their YJ in the Pickle obstacle.

Big ol’ Redroxx takes the higher line but it’s not as impressive on a wide Jeep as it is with the Sammi’s.

Rick is trying to make Flipper into flopper. Actually he was easily able to back out of this and back onto his tires. Pretty impressive though.

Gary Lee’s Over EZ does the same thing. Lots of laughs and yes, we are crazy!

Here’s Jim going up the last obstacle of the Pickle, making it look easy. Well the Pickle is short and although we had lots of fun, we only took about 45 minutes so it was off to the Mashed Potato trail.

This trail has some really neat sandstone features that look like lumps of Mashed Potatoes, hence the name. Jeff and his family tackled the first mound of taters only to hear the dreaded driveline snap.

Yep, there’s the broken u-joint and a shiny new driveline still with the name on it. There was also a problem with the shifter cable that required a length of Rick’s bulk wire and lots of zip ties.

We all had lunch while the repairs were made and then since we were near the county road, Jeff and his family decided to head back.

But wait, what’s this? What could Jim possibly be thinking?

a. Does church automatically begin when the temperatures reach 100 degrees? You betcha!

b. Why are we dressed alike? Competing with Davon and Marlene?

c. How does Gary Lee drive so well with just one leg?

d. Let’s quit horsing around and head off to the Gravy Boat!

Here’s Jim headed up the now gravy-free boat. Small tire lift as can typically happen in this obstacle.

Here I am in Redroxx making it to the top.

Here’s Rick getting twisted into position.

And, no problem, up he goes.

Here goes Gary Lee. This obstacle sure is easy today. But wait! What’s this?

Uh-oh, what’s going on here. Is Jeff just showing off, starting to give the Pirate 1 finger salute? OR……could he possibly, just possibly be having trouble.

Yup! Trouble. Jeff took a strap line with a couple of guys holding the front of Drtsqrl down while he got his truck into the proper position.

Oh well, it happens to the best of us and I’ll quit now before I get put on probation.

Another great but hot day on the trail!

Melissa