Twin Cone 8-18-09

[4Runninfun]

Since the gulches run didn't happen today i decided to go and check out Twin Cone it's been on my to-do list for a while. Left work at 06:00 and was on the trail by 8 at the top by 10 pretty quick little trail with amazing views at the top. Didn't have any difficulties except for the STEEP hill. I'm pretty sure i took a couple thousand miles off my clutch getting up that hill. what a PITA! i think next time i go back up that way i'll make sure i've regeared my diffs. After wards i went down the south side of Kenosha Pass and decided to go and explore elkhorn road. links 285 and 24 on the east side of Hartzel. Pretty cool road. ran into some pretty nasty lightning and hail but no damage so all good. Afterward i cruised china wall just for fun, took a nap down by the river. headed home the usual mt herman way. All in all a good day. Pics....

Airing Down

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b367/4runninfun/Twin%20Cone%208-18-09/Airingdown.jpg

Some good rocks at the start

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b367/4runninfun/Twin%20Cone%208-18-09/goodrocks.jpg

PITA hill

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b367/4runninfun/Twin%20Cone%208-18-09/PITAhill.jpg

Summit

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b367/4runninfun/Twin%20Cone%208-18-09/towardsparkcounty.jpg

Tower

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b367/4runninfun/Twin%20Cone%208-18-09/siluette.jpg

[4Runninfun]

Coming back down

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b367/4runninfun/Twin%20Cone%208-18-09/commingbackdown.jpg

Elkhorn road

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b367/4runninfun/Twin%20Cone%208-18-09/elkhornroad.jpg

[colomil]

I looked like the mountains were getting tons of rain today. It doesn't look that bad from your pics though.

I will try to make more of the Sept runs.

[Funrover]

YOU BUM!! Glad you had a good time man!

[Haku]

heheee........I was gonna complain that you didn't post this up as a run....but then realized it was because the Longwater trip fell through and you mentioned that you were gonna go on your own. Glad you found some wheeling. I totally would have come along today, but had to work and had a doctors appointment. Twin Cones a good one, definitely want to get up on it again soon.

JH

[Andrew]

The Twin Cone trail has really changed. I ran it in July. They took some heavy equipment up there and smoothed out a ton more of the road until the first rock obstacle. After that it isn't much different than I remember from a year ago.

[Roostercruiser]

nice pics . i really wanted to go on the gulches run but not enough time between runs. glad you had fun anyways.

[Brody]

Yeah, that hill is a real fooler! You look at it or at the pictures and think"No big deal", then start up it only to find that you are having some real issues about 3/4 of the way.

Last time I did it, everyone had problems with it, even me, and Randy ended up taking the bypass. Josh took a few miles off his Sammi's clutch going up it, too.

Cool trail. I ran it a bunch when I was working up in Jefferson as it was only 20 minutes from the jobsite.

Thanks for the pictures, Jon! Sorry to have had to bail on the Gulches! I just got the parts to fix my heap yesterday afternoon...

[WINKY]

yeah i dont like that hill. i think if i had lowered tire pressure and had an automatic i wouldnt have lost power or momentum going up it. but now i can probably try it in 3rd gear, stomp the throttle and use the 400hp 800tq and power up that *******.

[Brody]

yeah i dont like that hill. i think if i had lowered tire pressure

Key words....makes for a softer ride, too...

[4Runninfun]

did both of you have trouble on the bypass? I tried the far right line first. got maybe 1/4 way up. and then on the bypass i still barely made it up. i guess something about a motor that isn't putting out what it should combined with stock gears and very tall 33's.
if both you guys had trouble on the bypass i'd be surprised. randy just has ungodly amounts of torque, and pete with your doublers i'd think you'd be able to set it and go.

Randy you don't lower your tire pressure normally? if not, wow how do you have a spine left?

Pete no worries these things happen, we both know i've spent more than a little bit of time fixing my junk and missing runs.

andrew i noticed that too. although i had never been up there before i could see all the plow trailings. as i drove further and further up with nothing but a mildly bumpy ride i was starting to wonder if they had graded the whole road down like that.

[Andrew]

FYI - on Twin Cone, the only LEGAL route up is the right side. The other two easier ways on the left are considered off trail. This coming from the BLM.

I went up the far right no troubles at all.

[white collar redneck dad]

Been talking with josh, dave, joe, randy and bill about planning twin cone / wheeler lake on 9/13, jenny creek on 9/6 and crystal / moody
On 9/27...josh and I spoke about adding old chinamen on 9/12.
Anyone game for some challenging trails? This coming from my blackberry..I can't post runs..Charlie

[Andrew]

I posted interest in Jenny Creek in the other thread.

Twin cone I wouldn't call challenging. I went up it when I was stock. However there are several places where you can make it more challenging by going the hard way of course.

[WINKY]

Randy you don't lower your tire pressure normally? if not, wow how do you have a spine left?


i got good hip action, i roll with the punches....LOL i let the truck do the bouncing and i just sway back and forth in the cab.... i dont feel anything really its like driving on a highway....:rolleyes:

[WINKY]

FYI - on Twin Cone, the only LEGAL route up is the right side. The other two easier ways on the left are considered off trail. This coming from the BLM.

I went up the far right no troubles at all.


i didnt know this. guess ill have to fling some rocks to get up it again, dont stay behind me!

[Haku]

did both of you have trouble on the bypass? I tried the far right line first. got maybe 1/4 way up. and then on the bypass i still barely made it up. i guess something about a motor that isn't putting out what it should combined with stock gears and very tall 33's.
if both you guys had trouble on the bypass i'd be surprised. randy just has ungodly amounts of torque, and pete with your doublers i'd think you'd be able to set it and go.

Randy you don't lower your tire pressure normally? if not, wow how do you have a spine left?

Pete no worries these things happen, we both know i've spent more than a little bit of time fixing my junk and missing runs.

andrew i noticed that too. although i had never been up there before i could see all the plow trailings. as i drove further and further up with nothing but a mildly bumpy ride i was starting to wonder if they had graded the whole road down like that.

For me and my Samurai, it took about 8 tries to get up it, and I had to rev the crap out of it (like 6k rpm the whole way) to keep the engine happy enough to get up it. I tried the rocky and rough side, and got up it fine. Probably should have gone up the smoother but steeper side, but it was still fun. I think we did it at the beginning of July too, and the first half of it was very very tame, and then the last half made up for it.

JH

[Andrew]

i didnt know this. guess ill have to fling some rocks to get up it again, dont stay behind me!

Yeah as well used as the other routes are, and no signage there to tell you, it's pretty much impossible to tell that it's off trail.

[Haku]

I very much agree. The far right side looks like it was torn into mith Mining equipment or something, as its all torn up and loose. On the other hand, the steeper left hill looks like a real trail and the proper way. If they are going to really inforce that, then they need to mark the trail or put barriers up of some sort (trees and rocks like most other places). There is another spot further up that is the same way. What would probably be considered the main trail is very loose and rocky and hard looking, and there is a nice smooth clearly laid out trail right next to it that actually looks like a trail. Wouldn't put it past them to give you a ticket for either trail though, pretty common practice for the rangers, if you ever see them (which I haven't, though I did see CSP up there bear the FS camp site last time).

JH

[Andrew]

They will. Thing is, they will tell you it is your responsability to check and know what the proper trail is.

[Roostercruiser]

hey Randy how would mine do in granny and 4 lo? it seems to climp almost anything with no problem as long as i got traction. :confused:

[WINKY]

you would need better tires, or at least lower the psi in them to get more traction to the ground, if your quick on the shift and have it in the powerband in 3rd gear you might be able to make it... i got half way up and was just diggin ruts... Although this was before i had the new fuel system and more power, plus my tires were not aired down. i think i was in 4 lo, speed is something that will help you carry over to the top on that hill