Yankee Hill this weekend!

[cewtwo]

I really wanted to go on a trail ride to Slaughterhouse Gulch this weekend. However, we got Winter conditions again. The trail ride was Saturday, but with the snow we opted not to go. We would hold out for Sunday and do it then.

Woke up Sunday and the snow was even worse. As I am headed for Moab on Saturday, I wanted some experience for the Ford 8.8 rear axle and the ARB locker in it. Tom (a friend of mine) and I headed up to check the Yankee Hill trail.

The highway was an experience in snow and fog. We kept going, though. We took the "Central City Parkway" to the Nevadaville road. At the top, we turned toward the cemetary. I looked back and saw a couple of Toyotas follow us in.

Conditions of the trail - Winter! Snow was falling. Snow on the ground was deep in places and was everywhere. We were going to turn around at the cemetary and head back out, but the Toyotas caught us then. As a group, we talked of taking the trail. Eventually testosterone took over and we decided to try it.

The rear locker test video -


The Toyotas -


We took the lead position. We did not get far. The trail was slick underneath and the camber effect was easily felt. We got a 1/2 mile along and the Black Toyota started to slide into a line of trees at the side of the trail.

Driving in snow does present and demand specific driving skills. We did not get stuck, but one of the Toyotas did. It can be difficult to fight that impulse to turn into the path of the slide. That is the mistake that the driver performed. If he had steered straight, he would have pulled right out. Turning hard to the driver's side, he presented 2 large sled-like devices (his tires) to increase his slide. He had to be winched out.

Ric's friend, Glen, started by trying to snatch him out from behind.


It didn't work so Ric tried to winch himself out


We ended up doing multiple winchings including the use of tree straps, snatch blocks on different points of contact. Eventually he was out. Surprise, surprise! We decided to turn around at this point.

Leading the pack -


Ric walking down the trail. Notice that there are only cross country ski tracks down the trail...


It was tedious and took a long time. We all had a great time, though.

	Locking Differential Provides even more traction than a limited-slip differential by “locking” the axle shafts together when the driver wants to do it. Locking differentials do not allow for wheel-speed differences and must not be used on dry, paved roads.

	Camber Camber angle is the angle made by the wheel of an automobile; specifically, it is the angle between the vertical axis of the wheel and the vertical axis of the vehicle when viewed from the front or rear. If the top of the wheel is further out than the bottom (that is, away from the axle), it is called positive camber; if the bottom of the wheel is further out than the top, it is called negative camber.

[redrooster]

Nice. We never get that kind of snow in AL. Hence the reason I have no top for the Jeep.

[cewtwo]

Geez. And we're trying to find good weather to switch out the top before next week's trip to Moab!

[Utah_jeepster]

Keep the top on Cewtwo....next week doesn't look good here either...were expecting snow Wednesday or Thursday

[cewtwo]

BTW - 4 days to Moab...

Yeah, I've been following the 10-day weather forecast on weather.com

We are having heavy winds here today. Our window cleaning crews had to cancel operations for the day. The sun is shining but the wind makes it cold.

I thought of keeping the hard top on, but it just tends to chap my hide. With projected temps in the upper 60's and low 70's, then wet weather predicted for Monday there, I just don't know...

[jfrabat]

Cewtwo,

VERY nice write up! I just wish I could join you guys! I'd give up the hot weather for a couple of trails! But then again, once I head back home, I'll have both... Hehehe!

Here's a couple of pictures of the scenery down there...









By the way, there are no official offroad trails there; but there are A LOT of roads to beautiful places like the ones above that are only accessible with 4WD vehicles, so they are as good as any trail, I guess! The down side is that during the winter, you get tons of rain, so there is quite a bit of mud for 9 months out of the year... BUT, on the other hand, the temperature is 80~100 degrees year round, so not that bad either!

Felipe

[laxpug19]

those are awesome pics! where is it?

[jfrabat]

Mine? Panama, Central America...

[cewtwo]

Very, very nice! So Green!

It seems that here in the Rocky Mountains, once you are past the wildflower part of Spring, everything turns brown again!

Very nice pictures, Felipe!