TjMike
September 22nd, 2023, 12:36 PM
With Jim running tour guide, we tackled Kelly Flats on Thursday. The trail was deserted of other vehicles but provided plenty of sunshine and luckily the rain held off. This was also the first time I've run the trail. The two obstacles that interest us most were Heart Attack Hill and The Chutes but the trail offered a lot of other fun terrain with varying degree difficulty and fantastic scenery.
We stopped at the bottom of Heart Attack Hill to discuss then commenced our climb. Both Jim and I made it to the top without much fuss and took in the views. We then decided to head back down Heart Attack Hill and run the bypass as it had some fun areas to play on. To be honest the decent from the top had the pucker factor a lot more than the climb itself. The bypass is worth running with several obstacles and hill climbs for you to navigate through.
Once back on top, the trail smooths out significantly for several miles until you reach the Chutes. This short 300ft optional trail basically wedges your rig in between several very large granite boulders. Jim decided not to attempt the this part as he still had his Jerry Cans attached to either side of his Jeep. After discussing various possible lines I was able to make it through two times using different lines. Was a lot of fun playing in the large boulders. From there, the trail winds it's way back down the mountain to the main road. This part of the trail had several rutted and large wash out areas which Jim said were recent.
All in all a fun trail that didnt disappoint and had a great mix of terrain. Big Thanks go Jim for going along and even pointing out some hidden camping spots :)
Im horrible at taking photos but here are some from the trip. Hopefully Jim can add a few of his own.
We stopped at the bottom of Heart Attack Hill to discuss then commenced our climb. Both Jim and I made it to the top without much fuss and took in the views. We then decided to head back down Heart Attack Hill and run the bypass as it had some fun areas to play on. To be honest the decent from the top had the pucker factor a lot more than the climb itself. The bypass is worth running with several obstacles and hill climbs for you to navigate through.
Once back on top, the trail smooths out significantly for several miles until you reach the Chutes. This short 300ft optional trail basically wedges your rig in between several very large granite boulders. Jim decided not to attempt the this part as he still had his Jerry Cans attached to either side of his Jeep. After discussing various possible lines I was able to make it through two times using different lines. Was a lot of fun playing in the large boulders. From there, the trail winds it's way back down the mountain to the main road. This part of the trail had several rutted and large wash out areas which Jim said were recent.
All in all a fun trail that didnt disappoint and had a great mix of terrain. Big Thanks go Jim for going along and even pointing out some hidden camping spots :)
Im horrible at taking photos but here are some from the trip. Hopefully Jim can add a few of his own.