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Rob
November 15th, 2009, 08:58 PM
I guess I'll start.

Seven rigs: Charlie, Josh, Brian (back from Florida), Joe (Greenramp), me in the FJ40, a guy named Seth in a Suburban and another guy named Hugo in a Jeep (not sure what kind). Did I miss anyone?

Easy trail until we got to Five Points. We bypassed Big Mother Hill. I don't think we'd have gotten up it in the snow. Fireman Hill also seemed like too much. Charlie and Josh pointed out that 286 to the Squeeze had an off-camber spot with no trees to catch you if you slid off the trail. So we took 286E, which is rated "most difficult" on the Boulder Ranger District map of the area. And it was most difficult, but a heck of a lot of fun. Some of us had chains and we had lots of straps, which got a workout. Crazy as it sounds, not one rig had a winch. A winch or two would have been nice.

The first steep hill took a while to get up, what with the snow, ice, mud, rocks, moguls and holes.

Here's what it looked like:

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Brian needed a little help at the top. Seth pulled him over the last hump, but it was tricky because the top was at a 90-degree, off-camber turn. We ended up running the strap through a D-ring attached to a metal fence post.
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Hugo
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Joe
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Josh
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Rob
November 15th, 2009, 09:07 PM
More pics.

Here's Joe at the first small obstacle. It was trickier than it looks in this pic, thanks to the snow.

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Early switchback

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It was a lovely day

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Turnoff to Big Mother Hill. It'll be there another day.
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Charlie! Stop! Don't turn around there! :lol:
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Brian was very happy to be at the top of that hill.
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Rob
November 15th, 2009, 09:16 PM
Ya'll want more pics?

Josh on the first obstacle.
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Here's the pole we used to get Brian up the hill.
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This one's just for Smash. Seth has a sweet Burb.
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Hugo's Jeep rocked all day long. Did a great job getting Brian through a couple of rough spots, too. (Brian: Get some good tires and chains. :lol:)
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Joe and Hugo.
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It was dark long before we got off the hill. But the ride downhill was a lot faster than the ride uphill.
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greenramp
November 15th, 2009, 09:17 PM
Great times and good to meet those of you whom I have not met! Nothing like some wheeling in the snow and getting stuck where it looks like you shouldn't.

Rob
November 15th, 2009, 09:21 PM
I almost forgot to mention that this was Joe's $400 Sammy's first off-road venture. Why can't I find deals like that?

I decided to go on this at the last minute. And I almost brought the FJC because it has a winch. But the 40 did great again (with chains on the rear tires) and I had visions of carnage with the Cruiser.

Excellent day (and night). Nice to meet new folks again, too.

ShutUpHippie
November 15th, 2009, 09:29 PM
Nice pics. I would like to try that trail sometime. Does it close for the season in the winter??

Rob
November 15th, 2009, 09:29 PM
Dang, I was hoping no one got a pic of me getting pulled over that spot. You can't tell in the photo, but there's a fairly deep hole in front of me with rocks and roots in front of it. On the first try, I got my right rear tire in the hole and didn't have enough flex to get any traction. Backing out of it was a white-knuckle adventure, as I slid sideways going backward and almost kissed a tree. I was able to take the harder line while strapped to Charlie's Jeep and avoided the hole. That was a fun one. :D

Rob
November 15th, 2009, 09:32 PM
Nice pics. I would like to try that trail sometime. Does it close for the season in the winter??

It does not close. It's often the only trail available up this way in the winter. You'd like it. Just wait till summer to try Big Mother Hill, Fireman Hill and the Squeeze.

Also, when you get to the top of the trail (we didn't go that far today, for obvious reasons) you can take Castle Gulch back down to the asphalt. That's a trail I'd like to do again sometime. But I'd like to run it uphill next time.

Medic-5150
November 15th, 2009, 09:34 PM
Looks like you guys had a blast! Wish I coulda made it

Medic-5150
November 15th, 2009, 09:35 PM
Side note: Welcome to the 500+ club Dr Unit!!!!!!!!!! I'm not in it, but welcome!

Rob
November 15th, 2009, 09:37 PM
Side note: Welcome to the 500+ club Dr Unit!!!!!!!!!! I'm not in it, but welcome!

Damn, and I wanted to post something really profound for my 500th post. Well, that bell can't be unrung. My real goal is to become a 2 percenter one day. :thunb:

ShutUpHippie
November 15th, 2009, 09:37 PM
I'm not gonna lie... it's pretty awesome :D

WINKY
November 15th, 2009, 09:52 PM
man looks like it was fun and cold! i would have needed chains on that for sure.

Rob
November 15th, 2009, 09:55 PM
man looks like it was fun and cold! i would have needed chains on that for sure.

And your winch. And three Jeeps. :eek:

Seriously, I think it might have been a little more challenging than the Ironclads snow run a couple of weeks ago.

It didn't really feel cold till the sun went down. Then it was COLD.

white collar redneck dad
November 15th, 2009, 09:58 PM
What a fun Sunday afternoon snow / night wheelin run!! I truly enjoyed leading the pack upto 5 pts then breaking first tracks from 5 points on (see 5th pic) (other than atv tracks).

Rob got a great pic of me getting sideways (between the guardrails,,yikes). After that scare,,,trying to wheel uphill on snow, ice, mud, tree roots and wet, snow covered rocks...and getting no where while running 4,000 plus rpm..we put on my "chicken feet" chains on the front wheels...What a difference of traction!! Even got to pull up a Toyota on the first shown obstacle with two little D'rings...:lol:

More pics to come...

white collar redneck dad
November 15th, 2009, 10:04 PM
more pics

Rob
November 15th, 2009, 10:15 PM
Here's a vid that shows somewhat what it was like out there in the snow. This was the first small challenge. It got tougher from there.

http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq295/robsp222/th_Sethonhill.jpg (http://s457.photobucket.com/albums/qq295/robsp222/?action=view&current=Sethonhill.flv)


http://s457.photobucket.com/albums/qq295/robsp222/?action=view&current=Sethonhill.flv

Haku
November 15th, 2009, 10:16 PM
I had a great time on this run, though I was certainly white knuckleing it like I haven't for a long time. Some of those switch backs coming down scared the crap out of me. Note to self, don't go on a snow run where there are steep switchbacks and nothing to stop you from sliding down except luck and trees. Going up wasn't to bad though, and I had fun doing some stuff that I would have been yawning up during summer time. I did leave it two wheel drive for almost the whole way up to Five Points though, which certainly upped the difficulty level a bit. Might need to get some chains for my rig sooner then later if I'm gonna keep doing runs all winter long. It was ok for most of it, but there were few times where I started to slide backwards and wasn't much I could do about it till I found some traction. Just got lucky that it wasn't in place that was dangerous. I will say that I am fairly impressed with my BFG MT KM's. Thought they were gonna be way worse then they are in the snow. Good times.

Sorry, I totally spaced bringing my camera again, but remember it next time I promise.

JH

white collar redneck dad
November 15th, 2009, 10:17 PM
more pics -- we all had fun on the first main obstacle -- looking down at this obstacle does not do it justice....Hopefully Seth (suburban) and Hugo (black wrangler) will join our group soon. Seth and I met on MSV by the creek crossing this summer...Hugo and I met at my old apartment complex several years ago...

look carefully at the second pic -- d'rings are so small you can hardly unscrew them with gloves on..

white collar redneck dad
November 15th, 2009, 10:26 PM
more pics -- great flex josh -- brian had sooo much fun on the first obstacle -- as did we all --

white collar redneck dad
November 15th, 2009, 10:30 PM
final good photo -- lets do this trail again!!

WINKY
November 15th, 2009, 10:39 PM
And your winch. And three Jeeps. :eek:

Seriously, I think it might have been a little more challenging than the Ironclads snow run a couple of weeks ago.

It didn't really feel cold till the sun went down. Then it was COLD.


with chains and new batteries i think i would have been fine. but who knows:confused:

Rob
November 15th, 2009, 10:55 PM
with chains and new batteries i think i would have been fine. but who knows:confused:

You would have. Chains make a big difference. I got real chains for the 40 before the Yankee Hill run but didn't use them on that one. I'm glad I used them on this one.

white collar redneck dad
November 15th, 2009, 11:11 PM
Robs near kiss with a tree!!! Great save Rob:thunb:


On the first try, I got my right rear tire in the hole and didn't have enough flex to get any traction. Backing out of it was a white-knuckle adventure, as I slid sideways going backward and almost kissed a tree. I was able to take the harder line while strapped to Charlie's Jeep and avoided the hole. That was a fun one. :D

Rob
November 15th, 2009, 11:13 PM
Wow. I didn't realize I was that close. Snow must have been obscuring my vision. What's left of it. :D

KnuckleHead
November 15th, 2009, 11:45 PM
WOW very nice pics... glad everyone had a good time... good thing you guys had straps as there was not a winch there...

brian pleasant
November 16th, 2009, 12:39 AM
What a trail!..first time wheeled in snow..mud..ice. I sure do need chains! Got
Stuck pretty often..thanks to everyone helped me to pull thru all those times
That I got stuck ...also was scary experience for me...sliding downhill even I apply
The brakes..rob has been great sport about this. Great to see charlie, rob. Also
Meet new faces...hugo has been handful with me at downhill part..gotta get those
Chains!! Florida boy wheeling in snow!

Brody
November 16th, 2009, 04:52 AM
Thanks for all of the great pictures! I wish I could have gone! Looks you all had a bunch of fun and even managed to get in some night time wheeling...

Funrover
November 16th, 2009, 06:36 AM
Great pics, looks like a great slip n' slide time was had!

Brody
November 16th, 2009, 06:45 AM
Having been down those switchbacks when they are very icy, I can say from experience it gets very entertaining...

Mporter
November 16th, 2009, 06:48 AM
Nice pics. I would like to try that trail sometime. Does it close for the season in the winter??

Yeah it looks fun....maybe ill actually run with my rig this time :cool:

Smash
November 16th, 2009, 07:38 AM
Fantastic shots! That looks like a hoot. Sweet 'burb, I hope we get some new members!

JeffX
November 16th, 2009, 07:42 AM
Great pics! I wish I coulda made it.

Brody
November 16th, 2009, 08:03 AM
Originally Posted by ShutUpHippie http://www.frontrange4x4.com/forums/images/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://frontrange4x4.com/forums/showthread.php?p=71235#post71235)
Nice pics. I would like to try that trail sometime. Does it close for the season in the winter??

Since nobody else answered this, I will. Left Hand Canyon is one of the few Front Range 4x4 trails that actually stays open all year. Carnage was like that, too, before they closed it, and was one of the better hard winter trails close by. There are sections of Left Hand that obviously get real challenging in the snow and a couple that you want to avoid if it gets very icy. I have run Carnage and Left Hand probably close to 200 times over the years, mostly in the winter as it is a lot less crowded then...and more fun.

CR
November 16th, 2009, 08:28 AM
Great photos guys! Wish I could of made it. Did'nt get done plowin till 4 in the afternoon. Nothin like a little pucker wheelin to keep you on your toes. How much snow did they get up there? It was kind of hard to tell from the photos.

Patrolman
November 16th, 2009, 09:05 AM
What a great way to spend a day! Glad that you had a good time!

Rob
November 16th, 2009, 01:40 PM
Since nobody else answered this, I will.

Pete, see Post No. 8. :D


Great photos guys! Wish I could of made it. Did'nt get done plowin till 4 in the afternoon. Nothin like a little pucker wheelin to keep you on your toes. How much snow did they get up there? It was kind of hard to tell from the photos.

Yeah, the upholstery got a workout.

I'd say there was 6 to 8 inches of snow up higher, less at the start of the trail. The combination of mud, snow, ice and rocks made it a blast.

BLUE THUNDER
November 16th, 2009, 08:48 PM
Wow. I didn't realize I was that close. Snow must have been obscuring my vision. What's left of it. :D
Rob, Thats what you said about the tree you hit with the FJC last year. But there was no snow on the ground.

Rob
November 16th, 2009, 08:56 PM
Rob, Thats what you said about the tree you hit with the FJC last year. But there was no snow on the ground.

Thank for reminding me of the $600 episode, Joe.

That time it was dust obscuring my vision. :eek: Actually, not only did I not know how close the tree I hit on Ironclads last year, I didn't even know I'd hit anything till I got home that day.

It's always something. :thunb:

white collar redneck dad
November 17th, 2009, 01:18 AM
Ok..its 115 am,,,so much on the mind :rolleyes:...wondering...when are we going back to left hand again??? I keep looking at the pics over and over again..What a fun fun trip...Everyone in this forum --- 155 plus rigs -- should do at least one snow wheelin trip this season from Nov till Mid May..

Thanks again for an awesome wheelin trip!!
Cheers,:thunb:
Charlie

Haku
November 17th, 2009, 01:29 AM
I'm definitely up for another snow wheeling trip, but not sure I want to go on LHC with snow again. I had fun till we got to the first switchback going up towards the "squeeze" on 286E, then it just started to get scary and no fun for me. You could probably tell, cause I get kinda pushy and weird when I start getting nervous (reference my insistence about avoiding the main trail between 5 points and the Squeeze). I do appologize for that, but I had visions of bad things happening if we tried it. Maybe I'm just a scaredy cat, but there were times where I felt like I was very close to sliding off the trail coming down that switchback section, and had no control over it if did start to happen.

I guess what I'm saying is, I'd much rather stick to trails where the worst that could happen if you fall off the trail is you'll need bit of a tug, rather then sliding down a 50 degree slope with only trees to stop you i.e. Yankee Hill or Bunce School rather then LHC. I'm for sure up for hard stuff when its dry out, or even wet, but snow and ice adds a whole different perspective for me on that kind of trail.

Sorry to be a downer on this, and to reflect my nervousness on your good times. I did truly have a good time, but I scared myself pretty good coming down that trail, which hasn't happened in a while.

JH

WINKY
November 17th, 2009, 01:33 AM
ill agree with ya josh... in icy snowy conditions i would rather do predominantly flat level trails with minimal chance of death or severe damage as ice and snow dont discriminate.

and im sure the person behind me wouldnt want a 3.75ton rig sliding towards them looking for a means to stop...

Brody
November 17th, 2009, 06:25 AM
You could probably tell, cause I get kinda pushy and weird when I start getting nervous (reference my insistence about avoiding the main trail between 5 points and the Squeeze). I do apologize for that, but I had visions of bad things happening if we tried it. JH

No need for the apology. People need to listen to what their instincts tell them and not be pushed by peer pressure into doing what 'doesn't feel right'. I can't tell you how many times I have humped some massive amount of rock climbing crap up a huge hill, especially if I am going roped soloing, gotten to the base of the rock and decided that things 'didn't feel right' and not climbed that day...or been with a partner and backed off a climb in perfect weather because 'things didn't feel right'. Gotta listen to that ****...

Our prehistoric ancestors had this dialed in to a 'T' and the more civilized people have gotten, the harder it has become to 'listen'. Our ancestors just knew when they were walking down some trail somewhere that if something went "Don't walk past that large boulder at the turn of the trail up ahead" they just didn't and went another way. No questions about why or trying to rationalize it or find a reason. They simply didn't walk past the boulder at the turn...and lived to get home to their cozy little cave..Of course the ones that blew this off and went "Oh, bull****" probably became some large animal's dinner, but that is natural selection for you...

I probably have 15 or more people I know looking at grass from the wrong side who persisted in doing a climb when stuff wasn't feeling right. Same goes for wheeling....Sometimes you are in a spot where you have to do something when the feeling isn't good..no way around it...If it doesn't have a good feel to it, you just have to be very much on your toes. If I have the option when it isn't feeling right, I will always simply not do it. Probably why I have managed to live so long doing hard core rock and ice climbing, backcountry skiing and boarding and hard wheeling.

The phrase " There are no old bold climbers" can easily be applied to wheeling, too...So essentially piss on what other people think and listen and respond to how stuff feels for you...no need to apologize. People will either get it or not...

Roostercruiser
November 17th, 2009, 09:33 AM
looks like it was a blast but cold. ive came to a conclusion i really need bigger tires. summer cant come soon enough

Haku
November 17th, 2009, 09:33 AM
Thanks Brody, good to hear. I agree fully, and I do try to quell it to a level where I only get that way when its seriously hairy. I'm a relatively soft spoken dude, but when I get in those situations I get fairly vocal and repetitive. There were certainly a few times where I had to push through "that horrible feeling of doomeyness" on this trail on the way back down, and came though fine, though with some close calls that had the potential for a bad outcome. Nothing worse then having your nose pointed straight off the side of the road and starting to slide uncontrollably towards the brink. Certainly gets the heart pumping.

JH

Andrew
November 17th, 2009, 09:35 AM
Yeah by the looks of it I'd almost rather have deeper snow, but fresher powder. At least it doesn't send you as out of control as compacted snow/ice.

Haku
November 17th, 2009, 09:42 AM
Yeah by the looks of it I'd almost rather have deeper snow, but fresher powder. At least it doesn't send you as out of control as compacted snow/ice.

For sure. It was wet and dense snow, that packed down into a really slick compacted state. I was waay less nervous lasts year when we went up there with 18" of snow to keep you from sliding too far. On Sunday it was just enough to make it slippery and scary, but not enough to cover over the obstacles and smooth stuff out like Snow does sometimes. Made for some fun times coming up obstacles, but scary times when it started to get steeper and switchbacked.

JH

white collar redneck dad
November 17th, 2009, 12:06 PM
and im sure the person behind me wouldnt want a 3.75ton rig sliding towards them looking for a means to stop...


NO doubt Randy -- I do not wish to be attempting to pull your 3/4 ton diesel with 7,250 lbs of torque up hill in the snow, pushing my 50,000 lb d-rings:D,,,then you start to slide backwards,,,PULLING me with ALL FOUR tires chained up and THREE other jeeps with you!!:thunb::thunb:

Haku
November 17th, 2009, 02:29 PM
NO doubt Randy -- I do not wish to be attempting to pull your 3/4 ton diesel with 7,250 lbs of torque up hill in the snow, pushing my 50,000 lb d-rings:D,,,then you start to slide backwards,,,PULLING me with ALL FOUR tires chained up and THREE other jeeps with you!!:thunb::thunb:

Hehee......thats why you find a rock or a tree to strap to instead of rigs. Must have been funny to watch that happen.

JH

white collar redneck dad
January 7th, 2010, 12:07 PM
Anyone open for going back to Left Hand from Mid january to end of january?

Chris
January 7th, 2010, 09:30 PM
Anyone open for going back to Left Hand from Mid january to end of january?

Hey Charlie, better to post in Planning than an old report thread. ;)