SubaCool on Yankee Hill

[SubaCool]

Since nobody has showed up in Idaho Springs this morning, we've decided to go ahead and do the run anyways. We've waited til 10:16am (minute over!) and headed out by ourselves. We drove up the Oh My God road (pretty) to Russell Gulch.

http://inlinethumb36.webshots.com/42083/2471250910101960247S500x500Q85.jpg


-Btw, before I go any further. My buddy Mike (yellow FJC, wrecked) let me use his Garmin Nuvi 350. What a piece of "equipment" that is. Kept trying to get us lost all day, good thing I've only used it for way-points.- OK, rant over.

In Russell Gulch, we've taken a shortcut up Roy Smith rd to Bald Mountain rd. It winds up the hill around some private properties, including mines. The structures were cool.

http://inlinethumb29.webshots.com/44444/2341975420101960247S500x500Q85.jpg

http://inlinethumb52.webshots.com/39219/2939248440101960247S500x500Q85.jpg


Once we got onto Bald Mountain rd, the Nuvi led us up to a gated residence that had bunch of yellow sign warnings all over the place. Basically, we were just asking to get shot, so decided to wisely retreat and ignore the dumb Nuvi. Roy Smith rd put us just a short distance from Yankee Hill turn off (towards the cemetery, WP#8 in Wells book). We took that to the intersection with Alpine way. Got a little confused with the directions again and took Hamlin Gulch trail instead of 175.1 to YH. After a mile or two, we got suspicious that we're on a wrong trail heading downhill, so we've backtracked and got our headings again.
Back on 175.1 we came to the little rock obstacle that we remembered from a trip with Smash and decided to copy his pose:

http://inlinethumb63.webshots.com/36478/2158704130101960247S500x500Q85.jpg


Lisa has talked me out of attempting to rip plastic parts off the car, so I've only posed for pictures, but after she got back in the car, she said it looked like it was doable. From respect to her I didn't run it, but we both knew we'll be back another day.
On we went towards YH when we came to the "play area" before the big intersection. Looks like the FS is flattening the fun rut and doing some extra work there.

http://inlinethumb02.webshots.com/46017/2081016070101960247S500x500Q85.jpg


We took the rocky shortcut on the left (175.3B) which we've struggled with due to some new drainage channels. I remembered it being a lot easier back when we were there with Smash in July. But, we managed to get up that way and onto the intersection where we had lunch.

http://inlinethumb59.webshots.com/10746/2130155270101960247S500x500Q85.jpg

....

[SubaCool]

After lunch, I was a bit concerned with how icy the hill looked, but decided to give it a go.

http://inlinethumb21.webshots.com/45972/2801529280101960247S500x500Q85.jpg


Aired down to 25psi (36 street) and the mighty Subie crawled right up the ice no problem.

http://inlinethumb09.webshots.com/45256/2734249470101960247S500x500Q85.jpg


It was having issues with the rocks above it, but that was mainly from me trying direct approach, and not the Subie approved lines. I took it out on a rock (made the rock pay, SUCKA!!):

http://inlinethumb47.webshots.com/37166/2460340180101960247S500x500Q85.jpg




The rest of Yankee Hill was uneventful.

http://inlinethumb14.webshots.com/973/2721508670101960247S500x500Q85.jpg


We've reached the intersection with Cumberland Gulch and since it was already 3pm, we've decided to drive down it instead of checking out YH and then coming back to CG. And good thing. We came up to a small innocent looking snow drift on CG. I've walked it and it felt like it was frozen solid, but it wasn't. I drove into it slowly and sank in. We've spent the next 3hrs digging out:

http://inlinethumb03.webshots.com/46402/2738434410101960247S500x500Q85.jpg

http://inlinethumb63.webshots.com/44222/2147734250101960247S500x500Q85.jpg
....

[SubaCool]

Poor Lisa was getting freaked out because it was getting dark, but we've had recovery gear (a shovel! and some other things, but not a winch) and were able to get out on our own.

http://inlinethumb59.webshots.com/45946/2059491090101960247S500x500Q85.jpg

http://inlinethumb52.webshots.com/45363/2525105200101960247S500x500Q85.jpg


"Funny" thing was, right before we got stuck I said to Lisa: We should stay up here another hour to see the sunset! I guess I didn't realize I was making a wish:

http://inlinethumb02.webshots.com/43521/2927952340101960247S500x500Q85.jpg




We got out about an hour after it got dark, but I was getting ready to call it and settle in for the night if we didn't get out within the next hour or so. We've had extra clothes and food and other necessities, so spending the night wouldn't have been that bad, just inconvenient. But we were relieved we were able to get out. The last two miles in the dark was a lot of fun, just wished we had some extra lights.

http://inlinethumb28.webshots.com/45915/2478031430101960247S500x500Q85.jpg

http://inlinethumb14.webshots.com/44749/2297928950101960247S500x500Q85.jpg

http://inlinethumb52.webshots.com/45043/2350773820101960247S500x500Q85.jpg


It was a long and busy day, but we've made it and have another adventure behind us! YAY! Oh, and NO CARNAGE!

For the full slideshow, go see http://good-times.webshots.com/slideshow/575488350JGCZHI

Got some videos, but way too tired to do anything with those right now. Besides, I still owe you guys a few more from Ironclads, so these will have to get in line as well.

[Brody]

Wish I could've gone! I finally had a little work to do, a deck rebuild, pressure wash and stain, so I had to stay on it and get it done. Work (and $$) seem to be in very short supply these days....

Glad that you got out OK. Always nice knowing that you can spend the night out if you have to with nothing more than being inconvenienced...

[Mporter]

Yeah I wish I didnt have school :(

But it looks like your subi should follow randy's suit and get http://www.warn.com/truck/winches/src/165ti_winch.shtml
:lol:

[SubaCool]

But it looks like your subi should follow randy's suit and get http://www.warn.com/truck/winches/src/165ti_winch.shtml
:lol:
I don't have a weight problem :p Can you imagine that on the front though? I'd be doing stoppies at the red lights :lol:

I would compare that snow drift to this one, just on a smaller scale:

http://inlinethumb19.webshots.com/43730/2265965650101960247S500x500Q85.jpg


Those that were there know how deep and packed ^that^ was. I got high centered with the opposite tires unloaded, spinning freely. I then dug a hole under the right rear tire and had it off the ground about 6-8 inches. Jacked it up higher (with the OEM scissor jack under the hitch) and slid some rocks under it and was then able to rock it back and forth, but it slid sideways into the snow again and we had to do it all over again. Winch or a second vehicle would have been nicer, but it worked ;)
I've gotta say, it was a "good" experience. Learned quite a bit from that. We're sore today :cool:

[Smash]

You might want to consider getting a cable puller! It would help for sure. Nice shots! The only time I've ever called in backup was a similar situation, but at about 1am by the time I called. We could've stayed overnight, but I had some friends with me that had to be at work the next morning. So, called my friend's brother with his excursion with AT tires, he managed to get stuck too!! Thankfully he had a winch, so he winched himself out, then got me out. Whew!

[Funrover]

Nice pics, looks like a fun day! Glad to see you are out enjoying the high country!

[ShutUpHippie]

Sweet pictures! Glad you made it out too.

[SubaCool]

Sweet pictures! Glad you made it out too.
So I've got some questions; how far up from the YH/CG intersection was that big open area with the huge snow field? and what route did everybody take coming back/getting out from Yankee Hill?


YH/CG intersection:
http://inlinethumb28.webshots.com/45787/2540463960101960247S500x500Q85.jpg

[JeffX]

Good job! I'm glad you got out.

[SubaCool]

You might want to consider getting a cable puller! It would help for sure. Nice shots! The only time I've ever called in backup was a similar situation, but at about 1am by the time I called. We could've stayed overnight, but I had some friends with me that had to be at work the next morning. So, called my friend's brother with his excursion with AT tires, he managed to get stuck too!! Thankfully he had a winch, so he winched himself out, then got me out. Whew!
There were some traces of old ATV tracks on that trail, but the drift had covered them. I bet even a higher 4x4 would have gotten stuck on there. If I had plowed through it at speed instead of crawling through, I probably would have had floated right over it. I just didn't want to risk plowing through it at speed and finding a burried boulder :thunb: Just watched the video and you can see the nose taking a sudden dive as I've creeped through (I will post in a day or two). I didn't care about any boulders when I was rocking it back and forth after 3hrs. I just floored it as soon as I've felt it budge :rolleyes:

[Mporter]

There were some traces of old ATV tracks on that trail, but the drift had covered them. I bet even a higher 4x4 would have gotten stuck on there. If I had plowed through it at speed instead of crawling through, I probably would have had floated right over it. I just didn't want to risk plowing through it at speed and finding a burried boulder :thunb: Just watched the video and you can see the nose taking a sudden dive as I've creeped through (I will post in a day or two). I didn't care about any boulders when I was rocking it back and forth after 3hrs. I just floored it as soon as I've felt it budge :rolleyes:

If you read the report/view the pics of the Stock run on Yankee Hill last sunday I believe it shows/talks about people getting stuck in that drift and needing a chain out.

Just a thought.

[SubaCool]

If you read the report/view the pics of the Stock run on Yankee Hill last sunday I believe it shows/talks about people getting stuck in that drift and needing a chain out.

Just a thought.
They were getting stuck on the snow field in the big open area on YH. I have turned off of YH trail onto Cumberland Gulch trail before we got to the snow field and got stuck on a snow drift that hasn't been driven through.