Trail Report - Member's Ride to Jack Frost Big Boulder

    The Blue Mountain Jeep Alliance and Delaware Jeep Association held a members only trail ride as a pre-run for the Poconos Jeep Jamboree USA event. It was held on the grounds of Jack Frost and Big Boulder ski resorts in the Poconos.


    I would guesstimate that there were maybe 60 jeeps there, much fewer than in recent years. We had maybe 12 from DeJA in attendance.


    The largest ride was on the modified trails, and I hope someone can post a report from each of the modified reports. There was also a small stocker ride (more guides than participants!), and James can add his report on that trail.


    Orange Crush and BlueJ took to the harder level trails. I can't really call them hardcore trails, as they weren't particularly difficult. For the other seven jeeps in the group, though, they were difficult enough. It seemed like most of those drivers had more money than brains, with beautifully built up rigs and no clue how to use them. There was a lot of stacking and winching for them yesterday. The spotting also needed some work. I mostly ignored the spotters' advice, and never got stuck anywhere. The trails didn't seem nearly as difficult as I remembered them from 2 years ago - of course I was on 33's unlocked at that time!


    We stopped for lunch at the top of the ski slope, looking down the hill and staring off into the fog banks. It was cool and moist, and my jeep was still drenched from wheeling on Saturday in the rain at Paragon, so it wasn't the most comfortable of rides. But, a day wheeling is still pretty good.


    And Orange Crush and BlueJ both ended the day with no breakage (although I did bend in a fender and scrape the windshield frame on Saturday on Undertaker).


    For those who didn't know about this ride, I apologise for not posting in the Trail Rides forum, but the ride organizers asked me not to. This was posted in the Member's Forum and via e-mail to registered members.


    Thanks to all who attended, and we'll see you next week at the monthly meeting or in two weeks at our Paragon weekend.


    Andrew
    :rollsmile: :rollsmile: :rollsmile:



    In attendance for DeJA:
    [list]James - James Orr
    JeepSahara - Chris Hall
    Ken - Ken Springer
    2000Sahara - Ed Kostic
    I.N.M.Tom - Tom Wagner
    Solomi - Sal Giglia
    Tugboat - Tom Hickey
    jeepers - Greg Boyer
    clendianiel - Ian Clendaniel (riding in salvageXJ's XJ)
    pmr99v6 - Paul Myhre
    OrangeCrush and NikkiJY - Tom and Nikki Sample sharing the CJ's driver's seat
    BlueJ - Andrew Lesser [/list:u]

    Hey,


    I'd like to say that it was a pretty fun day. The modifided group wasn't that difficult and we ended up waiting a lot for others, but it was still worth going, never been on those trails before and it was very cheap. It was a lot of fun with the club too.


    Salvatore Giglia

    Tom atually let me drive his jeep on the trails!!! There's a first time for everything. It was fun and hard. I never realized how hard it is to frive that CJ. Clutch is messed up so reverse is hard to hit, tranny is messed up so 1st is hard to hit, so I spent more time fighting to get it into gear than anything. Oh well, it was a good day, can't complain to much when it was free. Can't wait for the 19th.

    It was definitely a fun day...I started riding shotgun in DJ's (salvageXJ) XJ sporting its new gears/lockers and 36" swampers. DJ, Paul (prm99v6), and Tugboat were the only DEJA Jeeps in our group of 15. Paul was gracious enough to offer me the opportunity to pilot his rig after lunch, most likely so I'd stop moaning about my MJ still being down. :sniffle: The ride wasn't exceptionally difficult...there was a _lot_ of very tight maneuvering between trees (enough so that I was almost glad I didn't bring my LWB MJ), a couple small rock gardens, and a few hill climbs/descents. With the exception of a couple muddy hill climbs there wasn't much stopping progress. I have to say Paul's XJ performed admirably despite its bald hand-me-down swampers. It made it through everything but two of the hill climbs without complaint. The second climb would've happened on the first attempt had I not slid it into a tree. :laughing: Hey...it was _my_ bumper on the front anyway! I had a great time and look forward to doing it again soon.


    --Ian

    Very tight trails!!!!


    Our modified group had about 20 or so jeeps in it with Brian Moyer leading. We ran two long trails with a short lunch between the two. We had lots of inexperienced, ill-prepared jeeps in the front of our line so it was stop and go all day. Mostly stop. Did I mention the trails were very tight. I think I must have made 50 three-point turns. And I did manage to bash in a flare. I was able to pop it back out with a hammer during one of our stops. It was a fun ride with no breakage, and it was free.


    I can't wait to get back up to Paragon though with some challenging trails and less trees.


    -Chris

    It was a good shakedown trip for my xj found a couple of problem i need to address but it did well. Our trails were very easy, it pretty much just idled right up most of the steep climbs. Then the last climb it came the strap jeep just pulled everyone right up. The trail was tight even tighter when we found the p/s pump doesn't have enough pressure at idle to turn my 36's at all. Being my first trailride with delaware jeep it was great. I'm ready for the next trip.


    DJ

    :flag: I have to say that I had a :spinrhead: BALL even Thu I only had 4 hours sleep sense :shh: Friday. We went with 15 Jeeps and I believe we went on the Eagle Ridge Trail it was over by Jack Frost there was 5 XJ's in our grope.


    On the first part of the trail their was a steep decent of about 30ft with a creek and a right turn at the bottom they told us not to use your brakes. I watched a few jeeps back wheels :shock: lift as they went down. I don't mind saying that I was :disturbed: nervous. The Irish Renegade performed a lot better then I thought it would.


    We stopped on the bank of the river in a rock field for lunch. I had a lot of mud in my Right Rear brake and it was hanging up so when we stopped for lunch I took a ride in the :hmm: river to wash them out.


    The second half of the trail had a little more mud. one TJ broke down he had a charging problem and they had to tow him off the trail.


    The last hill was cool. I was next to last just behind Paul's XJ and watched him smack :doh: the Tree. I thought I saw his front marker go :cry: flying but it turned out that it was only tree bark. Then it came to me I did not think that I would make it. :help: On my first try I started to hook toward the tree due to the ruts in the hill so I mad a second attempted. On this run when it hooked to the left toward the tree I turned right got off the throttle for a second then nailed it and she came right up without the tree jumping in front of me. I think Ian scared :maul: the tree.


    All in all it was a great day off the trail by 15:30 (3:30pm) and on the road home at 16:00. Had to make it home to see the Sopranos.
    :soapbox:
    :note: This run alone is a reason to pay you dues and be a full member. :lbulb:

    Quick and dirty trail report since the last itme I wrote a long one my computer crashed before I could post.


    Stockers split into two groups (Lehigh Geoge & Cabin Trail). Cabin Trail was said to be slightly more challenging than the other so I went on that one with only one other stocker. Our group consisted of 5 guide Jeeps and 2 stockers.


    The trails was beautiful with lush vegitation and and all of it wet and slippery.


    The first major obstacle was a mud crossing. There were two options. I chose the harder of the two and thrashed around in the mud for a little bit trying to get out and soaking half my face with mud. Ended up getting yanked as did the other stocker. The guides made it thru no problem (lockers & swampers).


    The next obstacle was a rock in the middle of the trail hidden by the ferns. The other stock jeep had about 29" tires and 3 ppl in it. It was low to the ground. They ended up pushing fender in try to get around it. I just powerd right thru the area (31"s & 1" lift). The guides say I barley missed catching my rear pumpkin.


    After that the other stocker had to bail for tine reasons.


    The final obstacle for the day was a minor rock garden. I attempted it and ended up breaking my clutch linkage. Had to get winched off the rocks and then but the linkage back together in the middle of the trail. After it was fixed I bugged out with two other guides back to the meeting area and further insoected and adjusted my linkage.


    Here are a couple of pix. Someone else in the group took a lot.


    http://www.ece.udel.edu/~orr/images/cj7/jjusa-prerun/


    It was a lot of fun and a pretty hard stock trail when soaking wet.

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