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Thread: Pennsylvania Gulch/Switzerland Trail 2/6/22

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    Default Pennsylvania Gulch/Switzerland Trail 2/6/22



    What a great day! We had 8 vehicles show up, including some full sized trucks, a Lexus, and the G-Wagen. There was a fair amount of traffic on the trails, and even some built up trucks getting stuck in the snow. We probably spent more time getting unstuck than wheeling, but that's all part of the fun. We even had to rescue the recovery truck (that's the difference between a 2 door Wrangler and a Gladiator). There were a few new people and that is always great to have more friends to wheel with.

    I apologize that I should have stated some rules of the road when before we got started, but sometimes the best way to learn is to make a mistake. I'm hoping to see everyone out again, and please post any pics/vids here.

    Thanks!
         

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    Default 2/6/2022 Switzerland Trail



    Had great fun on the trail today. There were a bunch of us 9 vehicles total counting JB joining in the rescue truck I showed up intending to sweep but it was decided that I should lead since I brought the icebreaker. Once I took over lead I dropped the ball a bit, didn't give the wait for people behind you talk even though we had new members (sorry about that everyone) so we did end up getting separated and I didn't figure it out until we got to the parking lot halfway through the trail and noticed we had dropped 4 vehicles. I turned and headed back once I realized we had dropped some members, hooked up a rope to Mike in his Jeep, then Brian in his Tundra and we were back on the move.

    Once we got back to the parking lot half the group broke off and went home while Josh, Jayson and his wife, Nick who was riding with me in my G and JB whom we picked up at the parking lot went further down Switzerland and headed down to the tractor again where we had a great time trying to climb back out. At once point JB had a strap hooked up to Josh's Jeep on the front end and a rear mounted winch to swing the back of his Gladiator uphill a little more which was super fun to watch.

    I'll post a few pictures/videos later of the action but I was having so much fun at the wheel that I mostly didn't take any pictures today.

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    Default Re: 2/6/2022 Switzerland Trail



    Once we hit the bottom of Penn Gulch Jason and his wife peeled off to head back home leaving JB, Josh, Nick, and me. When we hit Gold Hill road JB turned to head back home as well, leaving me and Nick in my G and Josh in his Jeep to go see what we could do on Cliffhanger 2.0. The snow always gets deep on that side and today was no different, when we got almost to the bottom of Cliffhanger there is a section where you can either go on top of a hill, or drive through a short little V where the snow likes to gather. I chose the low road looking for some challenge and found it. I made it 75% of the way through and just as I start to come out the other side I see about 10 other rigs out there hanging out (they had been highmarking Cliffhanger), and I start to dig in and get stuck. Usually I can at least rock back and forth and get out, but now I'm sitting here with everyone staring at my G stuck and they must have been thinking why did that idiot go in there? Nick hops out to see how Josh is doing (turns out he followed me and got stuck a little ways behind me in the same little gulley). Just when I'm thinking crap, what now, it dawns on me, I never locked my axles. Oops. Locked 'em up, floored it and I pulled right out, giving quite the show to the onlookers, then I came around the high road and pulled Josh out real quick before we headed up to Cliffhanger. Josh waited a bit while one of the Jeeps already there tried a few times to make it up to the starting point of the Cliffhanger climb, then he made it up first try. Those KM3's he was running are pretty impressive in the snow. He had enough fun at that point so told me if I wanted to make a few runs at Cliffhanger he would go video me. To thank him, I showered him with snow, what a pal right?


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    Default Re: 2/6/2022 Switzerland Trail



    I wasn't even close to getting up Cliffhanger, but had a ton of fun in the failed attempt.

    Here is JB winching the back of his Gladiator uphill to get lined up on the trail better, while Josh is keeping the front from moving by holding it with his Jeep.


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    Default Re: 2/6/2022 Switzerland Trail



    Here is JB making it up the switchback in the end. When I went down this trail I made fresh tracks, so you can get an idea of how many attempts were made by how churned up the snow is.

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    Default Re: 2/6/2022 Switzerland Trail



    Here is me giving it another go. I don't get any further but you do get to hear the sweet sound of that AMG again so that's nice.

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    Default Re: Pennsylvania Gulch/Switzerland Trail 2/6/22



    What a great introduction to the group!
    Looking forward to the next meet up.

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    JLWILLYS21 (February 7th, 2022)

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    Default Re: Pennsylvania Gulch/Switzerland Trail 2/6/22



    A great team effort! Had a great time on my 2nd ever run!! Thanks for having me in the group today! Winter wheeling is definitely a whole different ball game. Made my mistake and suffered the consequences of getting stuck. Went to 4LO so I could lock front and rear, however, no momentum in 4LO, duh! I knew as I started it was a mistake but I was already in too deep. Should have just kept the rear locked and kept momentum. Thanks Shane for coming to the rescue!
         

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    Default Re: Pennsylvania Gulch/Switzerland Trail 2/6/22



    hiimmike previously posted:
    "Winter wheeling is definitely a whole different ball game."

    You know it !! A whole bunch of fun too !!

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    JLWILLYS21 (February 7th, 2022)

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    Default Re: Pennsylvania Gulch/Switzerland Trail 2/6/22



    hiimmike previously posted:
    "A great team effort! Had a great time on my 2nd ever run!! Thanks for having me in the group today! Winter wheeling is definitely a whole different ball game. Made my mistake and suffered the consequences of getting stuck. Went to 4LO so I could lock front and rear, however, no momentum in 4LO, duh! I knew as I started it was a mistake but I was already in too deep. Should have just kept the rear locked and kept momentum. Thanks Shane for coming to the rescue!
    "

    I don't know about the JL jeeps per se, but on the previous TJ Rubicon models, there is a pretty easy modification that lets the locker switches activate in 4hi....and I think it also over rides that the rear must be locked before the front. It's been over 10 years, but it was on of the first mods a friend and I did to his TJ...think it took about 30min to reconnect a couple wires at the switch and fusebox.
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    Default Re: Pennsylvania Gulch/Switzerland Trail 2/6/22



    I've been meaning to do that mod to mine too. I think my low range is geared higher than the Jeeps and Toyotas though as I can do 60mph (although at 6k/rpm) in low range so I don't find it an issue but I think it was Brian who was saying he wanted to shift into 4 hi at about 20mph because he was really winding it out. I wish it were a bit lower, but I wouldn't want it so low that I had to shift in and out of low range on the trail, I like just setting it once when I leave pavement and just leaving it there.

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    Default Re: Pennsylvania Gulch/Switzerland Trail 2/6/22



    FINOCJ previously posted:
    "I don't know about the JL jeeps per se, but on the previous TJ Rubicon models, there is a pretty easy modification that lets the locker switches activate in 4hi....and I think it also over rides that the rear must be locked before the front. It's been over 10 years, but it was on of the first mods a friend and I did to his TJ...think it took about 30min to reconnect a couple wires at the switch and fusebox."

    Ah yes, this is a "hidden" feature on at least the '21 and '22 JL. In order to lock the rear in 4Hi, you hit the Offroad+ button (this turns off the traction control, the light gets lit up), then hold the traction control disable button for about 5 seconds until the gauge cluster says something like "Electronic stability control disabled" then you can lock the rear. I ran with the rear locked pretty much all day today. I don't mind an extra wheel spinning up some of those hills.

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    Default Re: Pennsylvania Gulch/Switzerland Trail 2/6/22



    Looks like a fun day!

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    Default Re: 2/6/2022 Switzerland Trail



    Awesome!

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    Default Re: Pennsylvania Gulch/Switzerland Trail 2/6/22



    looked like a really great time, thanks for sharing everyone

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    Default Re: Pennsylvania Gulch/Switzerland Trail 2/6/22



    Getting started
         

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    Default Re: Pennsylvania Gulch/Switzerland Trail 2/6/22



    A short video with some cool shots of the tight switchback going to see the old tractor


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    Default Re: Pennsylvania Gulch/Switzerland Trail 2/6/22



    Watching that video made me realize next time I want to drive past the turn, backup the wall, then turn down the final switchback.

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    Default Re: Pennsylvania Gulch/Switzerland Trail 2/6/22



    driving down I think I did pretty good (2 point turn), but on the way up, I gave up too quick going forward up the hill. I think if I was farther up the side, I could back down and get a better angle. Next time I might try backing up the hill then making a run at it

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    Default Re: Pennsylvania Gulch/Switzerland Trail 2/6/22



    Trent did the backup technique once there and it worked great.

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