Which trail is your bane?

[Hypoid]

Of all the trails I've driven, only Jenny Creek has caused my wife's station wagon any carnage. The first time, I drove it downhill. It was dark, the suspension was sagged one inch under stock. We dinged a rocker. The following year, we did a Thanksgiving run through snow and ice. I wound up side slipping down to the nearest tree. That damage was minimal, a little paint flaked off the flare. The year after that, I put a sizeable dent in the rocker, again.

Jenny Creek isn't that hard. My Jeep is not that big, it is not a toy that I can trash without consequence. I am a conservative driver.

I've managed to squeek through Eagle Rock without a scratch, or a strap. That is the most off camber I've been, ever.

I ran MSV/Coney Flats with another XJ. His had the same size tire, more lift, and armor. I went everywhere he did, and learned much about this little XJ's capabilities. No carnage that day.

My worst stuck was on Bill Moore. A shelf road, layered with ice and windblown snow, can get pretty exciting. That took teamwork, every strap we had, a shovel, and Warrlord to save the freakin' day! :D Again, no carnage.

Which trail is your bane? What experiences give it that honor?

[gm4x4lover]

and Warrlord to save the freakin' day!

Larry is good for that. Thanks again Larry.

[Heather]

I'm a total noob, so this will surely change - but the stupid spur on Miller Rock. Chris thinks I should have this urge to go back and conquer it (I freaked and he had to drive this one 10' section) but I never want to see it again, ever.

[Cr33p3r]

was on Bill Moore

I remember that day all too well, that section of the road was a major PITA to get back up, I remember I was the last one to make it up before you guys all got stuck down at the bottom and it took me 4 tries to make it up sliding backwards down that hill with the tires spinning forward.

As for me it seems that Pickle Gulch is my nemesis trail. So for I have encountered $2000 worth of damages to the IFS on the rock out cropping and further up is where I got my 1st carnage to the passenger rocker panel and door with a 3 foot tall tree trunk that was hiding under another tree and was not visible while doing a 185* turn down the trail.

Was not even on a trail when truck got hit by not 1 but 2 rocks falling on the canyon road going up to Blackhawk, one on the hood and one on the roof of the cab right over the passenger sea t(scared the crapola out of dad too).

Other than that no damages on any other trails other than Colorado pin striping.

[jesse05lj]

I almost rolled my LJ in Johnson Vally California just messing around on some rock beds, my spotter stoped me before I drove of a 3 foot drop on my passenger side that i did not see that would have caused some dammage for sure sure glad he was paying attention

[Funrover]

Slaughter House. Every time I try to do the trail something happens. Family injuries, blown transmission lines, etc etc. I have never once made it to the trail even.

Saran Wrap - caused most body damage

OCG - 1 taillight, 2 sets of spider gears over the years.

[Fordguy77]

Slaughter House. Every time I try to do the trail something happens. Family injuries, blown transmission lines, etc etc. I have never once made it to the trail even.

Saran Wrap - caused most body damage

OCG - 1 taillight, 2 sets of spider gears over the years.

X2 on slaughter house. Except I always make it there, only to loose a transmission pump, or a rod bearing, or even better oil pumps.

Sent from my T-Mobile myTouch 3G Slide using Tapatalk

[SCRubicon]

My bane? Rose Garden Hill in Utah. It's in the MFN and the actual hill was way too much for my current configuration. It is the first trail I've been on and said, "No way, F' this!"

[Brody]

I'm a total noob, so this will surely change - but the stupid spur on Miller Rock. Chris thinks I should have this urge to go back and conquer it (I freaked and he had to drive this one 10' section) but I never want to see it again, ever.

That may change or may not. Just listen to your head.

I have more rock and ice climbs than I do trails that can be considered a nemesis. Some I have gone back and done, some I haven't. Some were dumb and dangerous, and I backed off them because they were dumb and dangerous, only to do them at a future date KNOWING they were dumb and dangerous...Well, hell, I never said I was smart, did I? I vaguely remember a climbing friend saying something along the lines of "The next time you decide to commit ******* suicide, don't ask me to come along!" after one of these sketchy climbing jaunts. I don't remember having to twist his arm too hard to get him to come along. Maybe that's my memory.....

I have managed to break crap of one kind or another driving all sorts of different rigs on a lot of trails. What I have seemed to do, is to find (with some consistency, I might add) the exact same mud hole at Slaughterhouse, summer or winter, in the mud pits just before they closed. I have probably gotten stuck in that same hole at least 6 times. The last time, I was just tooling right along and I hear LaDawn go, "Wait! Isn't there a huge h...." Crash. "...ole there?" Back tires up in the air, front tires off the ground, everything suspended on the buried stinger. Driver error...yup...not dimness or stupidity...a simple error in judgement...uh huh. I do have to give LaDawn a lot of credit for remaining in good spirits and keeping a smile even when the IQ of her SO (me) can be seriously called into question...

LaDawn might say that Wheeler Lake is her nemesis. That picture is of her right after flopping my heap and the very first accident she ever had.

[scout man]

Spring Creek. Never have made it off that trail under my own power. I beleive I have 3 failed attempts at this point. I have lost 1 rag joint, one tire, two driveshafts, and a transmission on that trail. Not to mention I almost rolled over backwards once.

[Rob]

So far, it's Red Elephant Hill, though not for carnage. In the FJC, on a flat section of trail, a skid plate grabbed a rock I couldn't see and pulled it out of the ground. The rock proceeded to lift the rear as I rolled over it. No major damage, but the gas tank skid shifted and I had some clanging that ended up being a bracket hitting the drive shaft. Took a bit to figure it out, though.

Then in the 40, I rolled over a flat rock that jumped up and got wedged between the right rear tire and the leaf springs. Again, no major damage, but it sure stopped the 40 dead in its tracks. A few hundred yards down the trail, my roll bar grabbed a leaning aspen and pulled it down onto the windshield (the 40 was topless that day, with just a bikini top on it). It took a couple of guys with a tree strap (how appropriate) to pull the tree off enough to get out from under it. The bikini top was toast and some of the stock padding on the roll bar was damaged; could have been worse.

[Jackie]

As for me it seems that Pickle Gulch is my nemesis trail.
This one surprises me as I consider myself a complete chicken:eek: and inexperienced newb:erm: and I have run Pickle Gulch 3 times without incedent.:smokin: I must have been very lucky all 3 times because I can't claim any expertise or superior vehicle or anything else. Just "lucky" I guess! And I'll do it again! From what I recall, you need a leader with good navigation skills or you'll be wandering for hours! :p And we wandered and wandered!!!

[Michael4rnr]

Slaughterhouse and given me trouble with hitting trees. The first time i did slaughter house i backed into a tree then the most recent time i hit a small tree while turning around to run the obstical again. Other then that ive havent had any carnage on any other trail.

[Beefy]

I guess for me this would be Spring Creek. Smashed my steering on more than one section trying to take the harder lines. I made the lines and finished the trail, but not without some damage. :D Whacked the tie rod (which thankfully was reinforced by Pete), bent the drag link, dented the steering stabilizer, bent the sway bar brackets, bent control arm brackets, etc. Honestly, I can't wait to go back, especially now that I have the Currie Steering installed. :D

[Cr33p3r]

good navigation skills or you'll be wandering for hours! And we wandered and wandered!!!

And yes you will be a lost wanderererer for a while, My GPS has gotten a lot of new trail markings from that area so now it has a good idea where I am at, plus I always take my several maps of the area too because so far not one single maps has had all the trails on it. Its a nice trail to run but I used to hit the skinny pedal a little harder than most people would. I have lead runs on that trail several times and seen folks get stuck (Mike and his Green Grand Cherokee) in the mud hole, tear stuff up, lose stuff on it and yes by no means is it a difficult trail.

[jesse05lj]

I have also blown my t-case in my 2001 dodge 1500 on slaughterhouse it had a NP231 in it. i had to get pulled out by my buddys rubicon

[Hypoid]

I remember discussing this with Pete, at one of Sean's BBQs. Everybody has that one trail that gets the better of them. It doesn't have to be a hard trail, but it's "the one!"

I've run Jenny Creek (I think) four times. Three of four trips inflicted carnage on my vehicle. Maybe I'll get up there again next year, improve my average. :rolleyes:


This one surprises me as I consider myself a complete chicken and inexperienced newb and I have run Pickle Gulch 3 times without incedent. I must have been very lucky all 3 times because I can't claim any expertise or superior vehicle or anything else. Just "lucky" I guess! And I'll do it again! Don't feel bad, I think more experienced drivers might get complacent on some of the easier trails.

My second trip on Jenny Creek I had a score to settle, I was mindful of the terrain. The third trip, the trail was covered with snow and ice, making my equipment inadequate for the conditions. The fourth trip, I took a chance. OOPS!

[Brody]

Don't feel bad, I think more experienced drivers might get complacent on some of the easier trails.

Very good point, Mike! I know that I have been known to. Almost dumped my heap coming down from Wheeler because I wasn't paying enough attention...

I have also taken some of my harder snowboarding falls simply because I wasn't paying enough attention. I have at least 20 friends who, although extremely good and hard climbers, have busted ankles on the easier climbing section of a hard route simply because they didn't stick in enough protection. More crap to hit on the easier stuff.... Got (er...had) more than a few friends who pancaked from falls on easier sections and another one who died on the approach slabs in a climb is Yosemite.

Pun intended-pride cometh before the fall...