Pritchett Canyon....

WayneXJ

grocery getter driver
Location
So. Jordan
IMG_1255.jpg
 

Cody

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Supporting Member
Location
Gastown
Before or after where we pulled Ross out? Or same spot...

you pulled ross out at the very beginning....like 4 inches in. This is probably 1/2- 2/3 mile in.

It used to be one of those "closer to danger further from harm" hills where you would just hug the right side. For one reason or another, the right side has become washed out or eroded or dug out from people not knowing how to pick a line. Moral is, now you have to take a little different line. That little climb is really similar to the first little drop in of Cliffhanger right after you turn off of Kane Creek Road.

If you know your rig well enough, you should be able to "feel" your way up without any problems. Otherwise, a spotter not named Helen Keller could do the trick.

Honestly, the sketchiest parts of the trail for the ZJ guys are the little drop off right before the hill pictured, and the hill immediately prior to Rock Pile.

To answer the question about SWB guys, they do just fine. Most of the trail they probably do a little easier but the line on Rocker Knocker is a little tricker and RP is basically impossible SWB guys. The ONLY SWB I've ever seen do RP unassisted was Kevin Hawkins in the old Curry Fire Ant and it took him about 45 minutes of trying before he got it to go. I think his WB was like 94" or something.
 

Cody

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Location
Gastown
back when you were in elementary school jr. It would have been 10 years ago I would say because I was only 17.

I miss those ledges at the beginning. I thought they were a good challenge and a fitting intimidation factor for douche canoe's that want to get in over their head. You have to learn your lesson somehow.
 

Brett

Meat-Hippy
back when you were in elementary school jr. It would have been 10 years ago I would say because I was only 17.

I miss those ledges at the beginning. I thought they were a good challenge and a fitting intimidation factor for douche canoe's that want to get in over their head. You have to learn your lesson somehow.

Long time now......

The ledges were fun.....cept for Ross, since he left the next day afer that. :rofl:
 

Cody

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Location
Gastown
where there is a will there is a way

We just wouldn't be the fastest group on the trail, but if we avoid busy weekends we'll be the only group on the trail so it won't matter much.
 

Cody

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Location
Gastown
hmmm, I don't remember it being a paved road per se any time in the last decade :confused:
 

rondo

rondo
Location
Boise Idaho
I just depends on what you drive, and your level of experience and/or threshold for risk. Pritchett isn't the hardest trail around you know. really? I didn't know that...i thought it was:rolleyes:

In my old rig, it was a walk in the park. I could go from the parking area, to the top of Yellow Hill in 30 minutes without any problems or even spinning a tire (ok, actually I spun lots of tires on that one but only because I was hauling ass ;) ) i would have to see it to believe it, sorry

In lots of other rigs, it would be challenging and could get your adrenaline up. I think driving a rig that you don't want to destory and/or you have to drive home would probably make it a little more stressful. In Meat's case, the world would be a better place if that abortion took a tumble into the bottom of the canyon and was unsalvagable so I'm sure he wasn't too worried about what could potentially happen to his rig on that trail.

Also, think of it like this. Some people are desensitized towards hard terrain. I remember the first time I went to Moab I was scared shitless of the tip-toe around Hells Revenge---and absolutley terrified of Dump Bump. A few years later I just laugh at myself. Don't you think that people that have run pritchet 50-200 times, and have also been involved in competitive rockcrawling for years, might not find that trail particularly adrenaline inspiring? look, i've seen a 1/2 dozen buggies on Pritchett blow thru it like it was nothing. An incredible vehicle makes things look easy. No sh@# that Walker Evans wouldn't get his adrenalin up...my bad. But i was talking about the average wheeler. And the average wheeler doesn't go on Pritchett btw, and really are there that many people competing in rockcrawling? I think i only know 2..:D


FWIW, my Dad has been wheelin for 40 years, and I took him on PSM in my buggy and he almost had a heart atack. I don't really care how long you've been wheelin, it's all relative to the type of wheelin and the types of rigs you've had. it's all fun.
of course you're right here, this canyon is much scarier in my Frontier because of it's center of gravity.
 

Cody

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Location
Gastown
Lol, sorry if I hit a soft spot. You made a statement in direct refute of one I agreed with, so I thought I would defend it. I guess you have to come to terms somehow that 33-35" tires and a locker are pretty routine these days, and really that’s all most rigs need to do Pritchett provided you have some experience. The days of a CJ7 on 33's and lockers being "extreme" are in the past.

Once you've done Pritchett, how hard does PSM seem? I mean, this isn't school on Sunday man, but somebody had to point out a simple logical answer to why Pritchett doesn't really blow some people's skirt up. Don't get mad at me for picking at your argument when it wasn't made properly, because trust me, I do it to everyone and it's never personal. If Pritchett still gives you that funny feeling down low like you just road Puff the Magic Dragon for the very first time, that’s awesome and there is neither harm nor shame in that. But don't feel slighted because I pointed out how and why some people don't get too worked up in their britches over Pritchett. It wasn't meant as a shot at you.

I'm not above saying that I may be the disillusioned however. I used to spend 75+ days a year down there (I'm down to about 50 days wheelin, but maybe only 60% of that is Moab these days) and other than the ZJ/WJ crowd the majority of the people I wheel with have/had buggies or some sort of advanced rig. I've witnessed first hand the volume of people that have rigs that are far and away more advanced than 10 years ago which I attribute 100% to the influence of competitive rockcrawling. You don't have to 'know' a competitor to see the influence competitive rockcrawling has had on our hobby/sport.....but again, school on sunday right?

As for the 30 minute Pritchett run, that’s no exaggeration. I have witnesses, and I had a copilot. I was running a steering box to Wally from GJ who broke his sector shaft on Rockpile. I ran out, trailered up, pulled the steering box myself from Moab Austin's very own YJ, and made it back to rockpile in 2.5 hours. Ok, so I exaggerated. It was just to RP. Add the 8 seconds it takes to drive RP and maybe another 60 seconds to get to the top of yellow hill ;) I could also do the 18 mile exit road in about 25 minutes with no traffic. I always wanted to try and go parking area to highway in under an hour, but it was always a PITA to shuttle a tow rig back to the exit point to pick up my rig so I would just turn around at the top of RP and head back.

But, I'm not tooting my own horn like I'm hardcore because I know I'm not. It was merely an event manufactured by circumstance and the fact that we wanted off the trail fast so we could go drink beer back at camp. I never leave anyone behind on a trail and I love beer. I had to help solve one problem so I could get started on my other. :D

Again, no personal attack intended. We all just want to wheel, and it doesn't matter what it is you wheel, or where you do it as long as it's safe, legal, and not manufactured by Suzuki.


edit: sorry for being so wordy. I get typing and forget that nobody really cares to read that junk. I guess I'm lucky I type fast or I'd waste my entire day being a jerk on the internets.
 
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SAMI

Formerly Beardy McGee
Location
SLC, UT
..... and not manufactured by Suzuki.

150 members of RME buried once again

rondo said:
And the average wheeler doesn't go on Pritchett btw

What a great generalization :-\

Can you really put a definition to "average wheeler"? I'm not special in my wheeling adventures by any means. I've done Pritchett twice and drove home, and i still enjoyed my jaunt through the Swell in 2wd as an unforgetable weekend of wheeling:)

I admit, when i drove the aforementioned(by Cody) crappy rig such as a samurai, i had only heard people tell me all about how hard Pritchett was, how it was an all day event. I had this image of leaving before the sun came up, and getting back by moonlight built up in my head. I never had the chance to run in the Zuk. But when i ran it in my 4runner, though i had a blast cause i was with a fun group and a new trail to me, i was a little let down cause it didn't meet my expectations of this insane trail that'd i'd heard so much about. I attribute most of that to how my rig is set up, and i think there's alot to be said about vehicle/driver capabilities in relation to how "hard" a trail is... it's all relative..
 
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