Hanging Tree Trail run July 4th, 2014

[TurboMinivan]

I made it up in my lil' XJ but other really built rigs (like in these videos) don't make it every time.

Yeah, HTT is always a surprise in one way or another. It would be easy for me to be embarrassed about my troubles at that one obstacle (especially considering I've made it through unscathed in the past). But when I compare my vehicle to the others that were with me and I realize I drove everywhere they did, I don't feel so bad.

As for Gordy's Launch, I don't have the slightest problem with not giving it an attempt. I'm just running a stock Dana30 up front, and this Jeep is pretty much my daily driver at this point... so I am not that proud. I appreciated the strap from Ryan, though I would have been just as happy to fire up my M8000 and pull myself up if that had been required.

 

[N-Smooth]

Yeah, HTT is always a surprise in one way or another. It would be easy for me to be embarrassed about my troubles at that one obstacle (especially considering I've made it through unscathed in the past). But when I compare my vehicle to the others that were with me and I realize I drove everywhere they did, I don't feel so bad.

As for Gordy's Launch, I don't have the slightest problem with not giving it an attempt. I'm just running a stock Dana30 up front, and this Jeep is pretty much my daily driver at this point... so I am not that proud. I appreciated the strap from Ryan, though I would have been just as happy to fire up my M8000 and pull myself up if that had been required.

There's nothing wrong with knowing your limits. I love being on the trail with more built rigs and being surprised where my rig performs better and worse than their rigs. That's a big part of what wheeling is about for me. I can't wait to get out and run HTT again. I'd like to get out there in the fall.

 

[jinxspot]

Yeah, HTT is always a surprise in one way or another. It would be easy for me to be embarrassed about my troubles at that one obstacle (especially considering I've made it through unscathed in the past). But when I compare my vehicle to the others that were with me and I realize I drove everywhere they did, I don't feel so bad.

As for Gordy's Launch, I don't have the slightest problem with not giving it an attempt. I'm just running a stock Dana30 up front, and this Jeep is pretty much my daily driver at this point... so I am not that proud. I appreciated the strap from Ryan, though I would have been just as happy to fire up my M8000 and pull myself up if that had been required.

My motto is to keep the rig together and live to wheel another day! Knowing your limits of your rig is a really good trait to have in this sport and even when you do decide give an obstacle a romp, knowing when to throw in the towel is another good one.

I feel like sometimes were way too biased, in the sense that our double locked rigs with big tires can go tons of gnarly places... So, when your in your element take a deep breath, look around and smile cause you our doing what you came out to do and enjoy it, don't dwell on going big or doing anything outside your comfort zone if ya don't want to.

 

[Bart]

On the way up. Shortly before the final (big) waterfall, there is an off camber one-step climb that crosses your path right before a tight left turn. It's the climb that is deceptively difficult; you often make it halfway up, start spinning your tires, then you slide back down (and to the left due to the curvature of the step's surface). At the far left of this climb is a tree hanging over the trail, so you have to watch your windshield if you slide over too far.

Do you recall this obstacle? I have video footage of it I will share after I upload it to YouTube.

I almost got into trouble on that obstacle on the way down last time. I was following a buggy and not paying attention and got too far right and close to the tree. My windshield wasn't going to clear so I had to back up only the rock behind me wouldn't allow much. I had to take it at an angle and got more tippy than I like but I cleared the windshield.

 

[TurboMinivan]

I almost got into trouble on that obstacle on the way down last time. I was following a buggy and not paying attention and got too far right and close to the tree.

Once in the past, I grazed that tree. This time around, the tree was about the only thing I didn't contact.

Oh, well.