Hanging Tree trail, July 5th 2015

TurboMinivan

Still plays with cars
Location
Lehi, UT
This won't be a trip report so much as a brief summary. Simply put, there is no way I can expound on all the details of the adventure--and it was an adventure, to be sure--because it would take me a full week of typing just to cover it all. To explain it with one word, it was epic.

We ended up as a group of five vehicles:

-My TJ (35s, dual lockers)
-omgbecki: TJ (33s, dual lockers)
-YROC FAB: buggy (bald tires and maybe 80 HP, but that didn't matter since he apparently has 200:1 axle gears)
-Kyle: TJ (33s, rear locker)
-Chris: JK Unlimited Sahara (35s, open/open)

Were you alarmed by the above list? If not, you should be. I had run this trail before, so I figured I would be fine. I knew that omgbecki and YROC FAB had both seen it also, so I figured they would be okay as well. I had never 'wheeled with Kyle before, but he told me all about how he has done Fordyce Creek multiple times so I figured he would make it through.

That leaves Chris. Last week, I told Chris all about Hanging Tree and its vehicular requirements; I even explained why they were crucial. He said he wanted to run it. I asked if he was locked. He put on this huge goofy smile and said no. I thought he was kidding--after all, I just explained it all to him. As we were unloading and airing down, I found out he wasn't kidding--he is open/open. In a barely lifted 3.8L JKU. With stock gears. :eek:

This was going to be a challenge.

On the plus side, everybody had a winch. Throughout the day, we would use at least four of them (some more often than others). Lots of straps got used, also... sometimes two or three at a time.

I brought a Jeepless passenger along, my co-worker Cole. Cole has never done any sort of "real" Jeeping in his life. I was hoping to make some sort of impression so that he might want to go out and buy a Jeep of his own. I don't know if he'll ever buy a Jeep, but he swears to me I made quite an impression.

Kudos to hardline90 because he totally called it in my other thread. For those of you who think you know this trail, think again. All the rainfall we've had this spring caused lots of erosion along the trail. LOTS of washout. In many places, the low spot of the trail was now at least a foot lower than it used to be relative to the terrain immediately next to it. In other words, there were many places where what used to be a two-foot-high rock was now a three-foot-high rock instead. For most of us, we just dealt with it and managed to find a way...

... except for our low-rider JKU. He drug, smacked, banged and got high-centered on damn near everything. At least he took it all in stride. Seriously, he kept damaging more and more of his poor Jeep and all he would do is smile and say things like, "well, that gives me an excuse to upgrade!" Then he'd laugh. Speaking of damage, how bad was it? For starters, he managed to cave in the right rear door...

11232897_10207004846190386_6571059253091663044_n.jpg


Later he would get a rock gouge all the way down both passenger side doors. He chewed up all four formerly-virgin wheel flares, then he ripped the right rear one clean off the vehicle (and it took the wheelwell liner with it). He cut one valve stem early on. He crushed his muffler and tailpipe. He destroyed his alignment; his steering wheel is now about 80 degrees off. He also scraped up his hard top but thankfully didn't completely break or crack it.

Shortly after buying his JK, Chris bought a take-off set of OEM Rubicon rocker guards and bolted them on. They worked fabulously in that they never flinched under the pressure; he sometimes kept grinding on them as he would maneuver forward-back-forward-back and they took it like a champ. However, they weren't enough; he needs sliders with tubing that sticks out from the body to give him some more clearance.


A few random photos...

YROC FAB doing what buggies do:
11709600_10207004799469218_9083978606257372960_n.jpg


Chris grinding his way up the 4-ft ledge via winch power:
11692556_10207004854710599_2026776902760583486_n.jpg


Kyle managing to turn a non-obstacle into a near-major disaster:
11698657_10207004845670373_3877701817813834206_n.jpg


Me planning out exactly how I'll blame my spotter if I tip over here:
11038641_10207004790028982_4464353114069492184_n.jpg


omgbecki quietly gettin' it done:
11692685_10207004788828952_8715460802069778543_n.jpg



We had pulled away from our trailers at around 10:15am. Once we got back, loaded up, and returned to the Maverik it was 8:50pm. It was a very long day.
 
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Tonkaman

Well-Known Member
Location
West Jordan
Wow! I think it's safe to say Chris is either a putting his jeep up for sale today or you just converted him for life! That looks like one heck of a hard day
 

YROC FAB.

BUGGY TIME
Vendor
Location
Richfield, UT.
It was a damn long hot day. No one broke any parts all day. The JK guy tore a valve stem early and swap on the spare. I think it important to point out that the JK guy, and OMGBecki drove to and from the trail that day. The red TJ was flat towed and me and turbo mini trailered our junk in.
 

TurboMinivan

Still plays with cars
Location
Lehi, UT
No one broke any parts all day.

Yeah, this was a miracle. Actually, that's not true; the mere fact that we got the JKU through the trail at all was a total miracle. That we managed to do it all with the only required repair stop being to change a tire was extremely fortunate.
 

Jinx

when in doubt, upgrade!
Location
So Jordan, Utah
Ok, I am known to say what's on my mind. (good or bad)

Is there nice way to pass on a trail ride (or uninvited someone) when someone shows up unprepared?
 

jeeper

I live my life 1 dumpster at a time
Location
So Jo, Ut
Great report! Looks like a ton of fun.

Has any one run this trail on a dirtbike? would it be worth trying?
 

sixstringsteve

Well-Known Member
Location
UT
those pics look rather fun -- need to get my "Jeep" back together and get on it

I ran it with GAR. I was on my trials bike and he was on his 525 (talk about a difference in bikes). I had a blast. It started raining and hailing on us, and involved a few 3' jumps up some ledges, but it was a blast.
 

jeeper

I live my life 1 dumpster at a time
Location
So Jo, Ut
Amount of work completed today: None.
Amount of time spent researching this trail and surrounding camping options: 3 hours...
 

TurboMinivan

Still plays with cars
Location
Lehi, UT
Is there nice way to pass on a trail ride (or uninvited someone) when someone shows up unprepared?

That's a fair question, and I'd be lying if I said that exact thought didn't cross my mind when I found out he really is open/open.

Yep, tell em their rig ain't up for it, but offer them a seat in one that is.

This would have been my reaction, but there were two problems:

1. I had no empty seats in my vehicle, period.
2. Even among the other three 'capable' rigs, there weren't enough empty seats to accommodate everybody in the JKU. Chris brought his wife and all three kids (ages 6 and under).

Was "Chris: JK Unlimited Sahara (35s, open/open)" married before this trip?

Yes, and I gotta hand it to Lynann--I never heard her utter one single negative word about all the carnage. Not a peep.

Pretty sure James (Rockreligious) has run it multiple times on his bike.

Yes, and he still runs it regularly on his bike. He mentioned it during one of our phone calls last week.

Amount of work completed today: None.
Amount of time spent researching this trail and surrounding camping options: 3 hours...

It is such a fun trail. The first time I ran it, Steve found a camp site just east of Manti that worked very well. I'm told there are others in the area. I've heard people say they have camped right there near the trailhead (where we park our trailers, I presume) but that's private property so I don't think I'd do that without specific permission. YMMV

If any of you think this trail looks like a good time, I encourage you to run it. Just make sure your rig is capable. ;)
 
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Skylinerider

Wandering the desert
Location
Ephraim
If you want to camp, let me know. I can point you to some amazing spots on the West mountain, or up Ephraim canyon. I'll even come show you personally.
 
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