2021-09-18 - Kelly Flats - the Bypass - Shane's new portals

[Jim]

Trent, with Mike riding shotgun, Shane and I met at 3p for the Kelly Flats trail. The parking lot had one pickup with trailer - fantastically void of people!

We checked out a couple camping spurs on the way to HAH. All of us had tall wheel waves on the first obstacle hill before HAH. Trent had an odd, slip-into-a-dip that a quick pull back tended. The three of us made quick work of the hill. At the top we jumped down the bypass, with a check of one of the spurs. At the end of the bypass - at the base of HAH - we said - let's do the bypass again and skip the hill. I enjoy the bypass nicely - some good scenery along with different obstacles (the middle braid perhaps the most difficult with loose grapefruit rocks).

With dry conditions and no traffic I gave the chutes a try. The up the middle / typical found me wanting more traction so I tried the driver's side high on the rock face - no joy there - it kept dropping - perhaps I should have tried higher. Up the middle got the job done. I turned back with the thought of going down the rock slab but decided it'd be wise to not try it - so I just went down the way I came up. From there we headed to the west end.

Trent and Mike were camping off of Pingree Park Road and Shane and I decided to head back via either Old Flowers Road or 44H. I missed the turn for OFR so 44H it was.

Overall, a fun visit to Kelly Flats!

I took a bunch of pictures of Shane's portal-lifted Mercedes...

Highlight photos here with a full set at this link:
www.JimWilliamson.net/automobile/2021-09-18--trail--kelly-flats-with-bypass/ (http://www.JimWilliamson.net/automobile/2021-09-18--trail--kelly-flats-with-bypass/)


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[open_circuit]

https://youtu.be/4QX5tphxCTg


https://youtu.be/gXi9R80jvvI


https://youtu.be/i3yzpw68Ygg

[open_circuit]

Jim trying the high line on the chutes

https://youtu.be/LessMM8jdUg

Jim succeeding on the low line on the chutes

https://youtu.be/jpS7ELPH_tc

[RockyMtRebel]

Awesome! Nice job Jim….
looks like you guys had some fun 😎

[speedkills]

I got some good pics of Trent. I thought I was getting g some good pics of Jim then realized my camera was dead. Oops.

https://imgur.com/a/OBGtv5O

[speedkills]

This was my first time getting to see someone make it through the chutes, thanks for the show Jim.

[TDash]

Jim looked so close to getting it on the first video, would have been cool to see the view from the back for more perspective as to what was going on


clearance on the G-Wagen looks great!

[Jim]

Seeing that rock face in the video I can see where the face is wiped clean by tires - maybe I should have put the driver's side even higher on that face.

I sent those vids to family and friends. Many comments of me being crazy (and the jeep being capable) came back. :rolleyes:

Tire pressure was 11psi. I wonder how I would have done with 6psi... (the lowest I've run - these are not beadlocks)

[open_circuit]

Seeing that rock face in the video I can see where the face is wiped clean by tires - maybe I should have put the driver's side even higher on that face.

I sent those vids to family and friends. Many comments of me being crazy (and the jeep being capable) came back. :rolleyes:

Tire pressure was 11psi. I wonder how I would have done with 6psi... (the lowest I've run - these are not beadlocks)

Get newracer out there to spot you up the proper line and I'm sure you'd make the high line. I've seen him expertly guide others through that before.

[open_circuit]

I sent those vids to family and friends. Many comments of me being crazy (and the jeep being capable) came back. :rolleyes:

My brother in law - who has seriously injured himself racing motocross before - commented that it's weird to him that no one wears helmets while driving obstacles like this.

[newracer]

Seeing that rock face in the video I can see where the face is wiped clean by tires - maybe I should have put the driver's side even higher on that face.

I sent those vids to family and friends. Many comments of me being crazy (and the jeep being capable) came back. :rolleyes:

Tire pressure was 11psi. I wonder how I would have done with 6psi... (the lowest I've run - these are not beadlocks)


Get newracer out there to spot you up the proper line and I'm sure you'd make the high line. I've seen him expertly guide others through that before.

Sometimes it can be very hard to stay on that line. I think it really depends on the side lugs of the tire and pressure. On your last attempt if you would have been slightly higher it may have stayed as your passenger side would have fallen down in a hole wedging you in. You also have to keep turning driver as you go up, which it looked like you were doing pretty well at.

I wish I could have made this trip, looks like you guys had a fun time.

[Jim]

Sometimes it can be very hard to stay on that line.

Do you think I would have fared better if my rear end was more passenger?

[newracer]

Do you think I would have fared better if my rear end was more passenger?

Probably, it would help keep thew whole rig from moving away from the rock face,