Hardcore Trail Report
Well Aaron, Andrew, Brian and myself met up at Wawa for the drive up to Paragon. Drive up when fairly uneventful, except for taking a minute to pick up Sean (BMJA member) and Brian hitting some venison with his trailer jack. Deer Jerky, yummm.
Well we unload from the trailers and quick check in, b/c as we were sitting there roughly 30 stock Hummer H2’s show up for a day of ‘wheeling’. We quick pack up and head down to the lower staging area to finish airing down and discuss the trails for the day. While airing down we noticed a puff of smoke from under Aarons hood. It turns out the wiring for his electric radiator fan had jiggled loose and the motor was overheating. After a couple of tense minutes it was determined everything was fine! While there we met up with Candy and her brother Randy who Aaron and I will be competing against next weekend. They decided to join us on our Adventures of M trail. Aaron let us there with the windshields down since the weather was so nice. Aaron heads up the first 400 yards of M before realizing he wasn’t even locked in the front. I drove my flattie for 100 yards and let Sean drive the rest so that I could practice spotting for Aaron. Andrew, Brian and Candy followed up the rear making it all look easy. Then Sean took off in my jeep and after 50 yards ripped off the drivers mirror. Oops, oh well, that’s a cheap fix.
Then Brian found out that those nice stout axles hang down low and got hung up for minute, but I give him credit he was able to drive out of his tough spot. By the time we got to the top of M trail the H2’s had taken the access road and watched us all traverse a rock hole and climb the slab. I believe they were impressed, but none wanted to attempt the same in there Hummers. Heading down we convince Aaron to take the hard line and was able to walk thru it without much of a scare. But Candy’s brother spotted her right into a horrible spot. She refused to go further until he grabbed the safety rope. Good thing she did. She moved 2 inches and she started to roll to the passenger side. Luckily 2 atv guys were standing near buy and helped pull her down before rolling. I then watched Brian and Andrew, cruising thru the lower section without much trouble or damage.
We stopped for lunch about 200 yards from the end of the trail.. Well about 100 yards from the end Sean got my flattie wedged in tight spot and proceeded to taco the draglink. Doh, all left no right turn.. not good. With some winching and strapping we got it off the trail. But we had to disconnect the draglink and let Brian steer my tires for me as I drove.. (a big Thank You). Well while we were extracting my rig I noticed to my left that Aaron had been playing on the rocks but then stopped after his right rear tire wasn’t pushing anymore.. Uhoh! Turns out the rear axle housing was an inch longer then it should be and roughly only a ¼ inch of splines were engaged which finally let go. At that point Aaron and my day were over so the rest took off to keep playing while we loaded on the trailer to head home and lick our wounds! I believe Brian’s wife may have some nice photos and video from the day, and hopefully everyone else will chime in with their recounts of what I missed.
Don
Breakage. Hardcore trails 