Easter trail ride

[6.2Blazer]

Easter trail ride w/ pics.......dial-up beware....

Just a few pictures from our trailride over Easter weekend in central Kentucky. The weather was in low-60's and sunny Friday and Saturday.

These pictures are from the "Widowmaker" trail, most of them show the first and most difficult obstacle. This is the only pure rock trail I've been on in the midwest.

The ugly gray Ford is a buddy of mine and it has a 460, C6, 205, 35-spline 60 front, D70-U rear, 1410s, Detroit front, welded rear, and 42" TSL's on 15x8 rims. My truck is obviously the red and black K5.

Only 3 out of 7 vehicles made it past this first obstacle. The third vehicle was a TJ with a long-arm suspension, 36 SX's, ARB's, 4:1 case, etc... The vehicle that got denied were a CJ-7, YJ, early Bronco, and a Sami........all were well set up with lockers front and rear.

 

[6.2Blazer]

BTW, everybody told us we were crazy for trying Widomaker in fullsize trucks, especially my buddy's longbed. Needless to say you better not care about body damage, though we both got through with minor damage...........my rockers are 3x3 3/16" tube, if not my doors wouldn't have opened afterwards.

Next up was "Rattlesnake". This is more of the typical Midwest trail, it follows a fairly steep uphill climb and becomes very rutted at the top and full of about 12" of snot. Here is a shot of the big Ford stuck after trying the huge V-notch right at the top. The "bypass" is to the right and what the YJ is attempting (34" LTB's and locked f&r......he had to winch). After I pulled the Ford backwards both of us made it up the bypass unassisted, and we were the only ones.

 

[6.2Blazer]

The first day turned out great, with the only casualities being a clutch linkage in the CJ and a worn out u-joint in the YJ, both of which were fixed in short order.

The second day we hit up "Slider", but unfortunately I don't have any good pics. It's a long hill climb full of muddy ruts and a few rock ledges which denied the three vehicles that tried it (myself, the Ford, and the YJ). I bent my front left 16" steel rim at about 4 places along the lip, including one that required some hammer work to stop leaking.

The next obstacle was "Last Chance", a short but steep climb composed of two large and near vertical rock ledges with about two truck lengths of rutted slime in between them. The 36" tired TJ tried but couldn't get over the first ledge. I went next and got over the first ledge during the first attempt, but couldn't even get to the second much larger rock ledge. I eventually knocked the left front tire off the rim and backed down. Some starting fluid and my buddy's OBA made short work of that issue. The Ford made it up the first ledge after a few tries, through the muddy ruts, but got stopped as soon as the front tires hit the second ledge.........just no traction.

 

[JK5]

Sweet!!!

When are you guys going there again...
Maybe by May..I'll be healthy enough to go.

 

[6.2Blazer]

The final major obstacle is called "Moonshine", and we waited until late in the last day to try it. This is another relatively short hill climb filled with large rock ledges, bowling ball size loose rocks, and filled with mud in between. It's difficult to walk up it and there are rock ledges along the sides as tall a my truck.

This hill claimed my right front Dana 60 30-spline stub shaft, but it was the last obstacle for the day and an easy drive back to camp. This hill also denied the big Ford, the early Bronco (36" Irok's, beadlocks, etc...) and the Sami.

 

[steve_kibbe]

looks like fun, too bad on the shaft breakage........

Is that trail on public property?

 

[6.2Blazer]

looks like fun, too bad on the shaft breakage........

Is that trail on public property?

Yes, they are pretty much all on public property and most are actually old public roads (unmaintained obviously). Your vehicle has to be licensed and registered or you will get a ticket from the rangers.

 

[6.2Blazer]

Sweet!!!

When are you guys going there again...
Maybe by May..I'll be healthy enough to go.

If at all possible I will go down there again late summer or fall, but that's completely up in the air.

 

[Bhintz]

you have directions to this place or anything

 

[Emmettology 101]

Looks like a good time and some nice trails!!

Keep me posted on the late summer/fall ride Brad!