AF Canyon Saturday Sept 22nd

[TurboMinivan]

I have a '95 Ram 1500. I've never been to Mineral Basin. If you guys think my truck could do it, I'd be down to join if you guy are accepting?

Your gearing is certainly sufficient for this trail, so overall you have the capability to make it up there. My main question is this: would the trip be a total disaster if you got body damage? I'm only going off your tiny avatar picture, but I don't see any armor on there at all... and, even worse, you've got a pair of rock magnets installed. The odds of you running to MB and back while keeping those step tubes intact are virtually nil.

 

[TROKITA]

Hey guys! I'm new to the forum, and I'm always looking for new people to ride with. I have a '95 Ram 1500. I've never been to Mineral Basin. If you guys think my truck could do it, I'd be down to join if you guy are accepting?

its different every year from what i have heard but look for yourself. How much clearance do you have ????
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4IjbA_3vxU

 

[sixstringsteve]

its different every year from what i have heard but look for yourself. How much clearance do you have ????
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4IjbA_3vxU

the section at 10:03 is the sketchy section. I've never seen a full-size up there unless it was on 37 or bigger tires. If you don't have experienced crawling your rig over boulders the size of beach-balls and basketballs, I'd stay away. Can it be done? I think so, with a very skilled driver. Should it be done? I wouldn't want to do it....

Here's a video from our trip a month ago. 3:41 is the nasty part.
[youtube]H66flcfX0IE[/youtube]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H66flcfX0IE

 

[jeep-N-montero]

Hey guys! I'm new to the forum, and I'm always looking for new people to ride with. I have a '95 Ram 1500. I've never been to Mineral Basin. If you guys think my truck could do it, I'd be down to join if you guy are accepting?

You can catch one of the newbie runs that they organize several times a year, but I wouldn't bring a mostly stock Ram up there. I don't think any of our rigs are even heavy enough to pull you over things.

 

[sixstringsteve]

FYI, the noob runs are now called the "quarterly training day", and they're great for noobs, but they're aimed at all wheelers, not just noobs.

 

[TurboMinivan]

I don't think any of our rigs are even heavy enough to pull you over things.

Somewhere I have VHS video footage of a former co-worker who went wheeling in his RegCab Ram 1500 with my friend Mark and I. He managed to get properly high centered on a rock, so I grabbed my strap and hooked him up to my (then) XJ 4.0L. I couldn't make him budge, so then Mark also hooked up to him with his YJ 4.0L. With both of us pulling simultaneously, he still didn't move; our two Jeeps just kept digging holes into the dirt. In the end, we had to jack him up and shove rocks under his tires until he was freed.

 

[Maverick]

Weird, my reply just vaporized.

I would think a solid axle 1500 would be ok but it's not my party. What size tires?

I've taken full sized blazers, pickups and suburbans up every trail in AF canyon except Pittsburgh Lake (Jeep only on that one). Even a 2wd 3/4 ton chev up Forest Lake before the bottom got chewed up.

If you end up not going up AF, bring your truck out to the Tintic Mountains that day for a service project.

 

[jeep-N-montero]

Weird, my reply just vaporized.

I would think a solid axle 1500 would be ok but it's not my party. What size tires?

I've taken full sized blazers, pickups and suburbans up every trail in AF canyon except Pittsburgh Lake (Jeep only on that one). Even a 2wd 3/4 ton chev up Forest Lake before the bottom got chewed up.

That's great, but that was likely before the trail changed from last year's heavy runoff. And I like the chewed up part of Forest Lake.

 

[Maverick]

That's great, but that was likely before the trail changed from last year's heavy runoff.

That's great! LOL...yes it was before last years runoff. It was before and after many runoffs.

Mineral Basin (and the others) has changed so much over the last 25 years that I've been driving up there. In some places it's harder, but in many ways it's a highway now compared to before many of the boulders came out and the Snowbird trackhoe came through and we went back up with them to move as many rocks back as possible.(10 years ago?)

And I like the chewed up part of Forest Lake.

Me too!

 

[gertsch]

Mineral basin is a cake walk. It's only as difficult as you want to make it. Of course I've been wheeling awhile so I don't get overwhelmed like I didn't when I started wheeling. If I am well enough I'd be more then happy to help you through the trail.

 

[Ramboi92]

Wow! I should've just started a new thread for that question. I have a man 5-spd with 33 tires I believe. I'm more advanced on the strip than rocks. I've never been through many difficult courses. After watching the vids, I'll give it some time before I tackle MB. Body damage wouldn't be worth it, with a paint job coming its way in a few months.

 

[Kevin B.]

Wow! I should've just started a new thread for that question. I have a man 5-spd with 33 tires I believe. I'm more advanced on the strip than rocks. I've never been through many difficult courses. After watching the vids, I'll give it some time before I tackle MB. Body damage wouldn't be worth it, with a paint job coming its way in a few months.

Come to the NPLD service project in two weeks. There will be lots of folks splitting off to run trails after we're done - you could drive Forest Lake without much risk of body damage, and it has a rock garden you can play in a little to get a feel for your truck. Or catch a ride up Mineral Basin with somebody else and see it for yourself. I'll have a spare seat.

There's another service project on the same day out at 5 Mile Pass (with rumors of breakfast)... anything on 33s will have no trouble at all on Rattlesnake.

 

[TROKITA]

so the time when we meet that day mite be at 11:30AM trying to get as much info this week so you guys can be informed

 

[jeep-N-montero]

so the time when we meet that day mite be at 11:30AM trying to get as much info this week so you guys can be informed

We will already be up there camping, so keep me posted on what time your group will be arriving.

 

[TROKITA]

Attendees:
1) DrunknSloth
2) WW_FIREFIGHTER (Maybe)
3) TROKITA
4) jdk52 (Maybe)
5) Manlaan + 1 or 2
6) Twiostaco
7) Trowbocop
8) RedDragonTaco
9) Strautins
10) TacoLovR - Natalie For SURE
[FONT=verdana, geneva, lucida, lucida grande, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]11) Box Rocket[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana, geneva, lucida, lucida grande, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]
Alright looks like its a go for this weekend so far these are the ppl that are going minus the two maybes, hopefully there will be more but as for right now its looking really good Let me know if there's anybody from here that would like to join, just so we can wait for them, and do a head count.

Again we will be meeting at the chevron gas station closes to the mouth of AF canyon at 11:30AM, im not sure how long we will be waiting there so if your planning on joining, try to make it no later then 11:40 just to be safe.[/FONT]

 

[dbach]

any jeeps going with you guys ?

 

[jeep-N-montero]

any jeeps going with you guys ?

What do you think I drive?

 

[jeep-N-montero]

Attendees:
1) DrunknSloth
2) WW_FIREFIGHTER (Maybe)
3) TROKITA
4) jdk52 (Maybe)
5) Manlaan + 1 or 2
6) Twiostaco
7) Trowbocop
8) RedDragonTaco
9) Strautins
10) TacoLovR - Natalie For SURE
11) Box Rocket

Alright looks like its a go for this weekend so far these are the ppl that are going minus the two maybes, hopefully there will be more but as for right now its looking really good Let me know if there's anybody from here that would like to join, just so we can wait for them, and do a head count.

Again we will be meeting at the chevron gas station closes to the mouth of AF canyon at 11:30AM, im not sure how long we will be waiting there so if your planning on joining, try to make it no later then 11:40 just to be safe.

We decided to camp out another weekend but will likely head up earlier than the group to get some good pictures of the fall colors. So it sounds like it will be 12:30 or 1 when you guys get to the trail head, we will look for you guys. By the way, I will be in my tan colored Grand Cherokee and my name is Eric, so don't look for the black one.

 

[TROKITA]

ight sounds good

 

[jeep-N-montero]

We are running late but will catch up somewhere.