[bggrnchvy]

September is here and as a result another MOab trip has come and gone for NorCalOffRoad and representing members of the SoCal Club. With recent babies, jobs and inherent change of location, members going to UA, and the uncertain state of the conomy we didn't have the turnout we did last year and it was a shotgun trip to say the least. Brandi and I left Cupertino at 7 Tuesday night, stopped by PacFab on the way south to pick up an LS motor for ORD to be delivered to Moab and continued our short trip to Bakersfield to get a couple of hours of sleep at Este's house.

Ken showed up to Este's house at 5 the next morning and we fueled up on our way out of town and started the long leg of trip there. Unfortunately about 500 miles from Moab Ken lost 5th gear in the NV4500 in Jason's '03 3500. While it slowed us to ~55mph and forced a spike in fuel consumption for the Ken it still allowed us to get there late that evening around 11. The highest EGT's I saw were 1150 and coupled with the slow speed I was able to pull close to 14mpg for the 1100 mile trip out there with 11klbs behind me and a motor in the bed. We met the Crawler Nation crew when we got in that night and we all proceded to crash early.

The first day we ran Hell's Revenge much like last year. It's an easy trail with some more difficult obstacles you can option to hit.

Sadly at the trail head when I cracked open my CO2 bottle I found it was empty. Very odd considering I had just filled it with 20lbs before the Rubicon trip just 3 weeks ago. I assume I have a leak in my system that bleed off my pressure, that or the safety valve tripped when no one was around. As a result I had no front locker for the first day.

In any case we continued on our merry way over the slickrock stopping periodically for the camera crew to figure out exactly their plan of attack and letting them figure out how to do that.

Ken hanging out, enjoying his comfy seat.

Kenny driving with Ken riding shotgun and Chris holding up the back seat.

Rain and lightning moving towards us.

 

[bggrnchvy]

We stopped and parked on the lookout over the Colorado River and ate lunch.

I popped my hood to retrieve our manifold Hot Pockets to eat.

The Colorado River.

Right next to the lookout is Hell's Gate and we couldn't very well not do it.

Lauren with his Yota buggy and myself decended.

Once at the bottom obviously one has to come back up to be able to get out.

We got back on the trail for a bit and eventually came up to the hot tubs. I hadn't tried them last year and even without a front locker I thought I'd give it a try since they were dry at the bottom. Note to self, Chevy 26 gallon tanks don't enjoy 60* of angle with 13 gallons as it drains the pickup.

In any case I was unsuccesful in climbing out, no front locker was not helpful, though I did fall back hard enough to snap the ratchet strap holding the bed slider in making the ride backwards out a 4 person slow affair.

Lauren gave it a shot as well but without more wheel base or power he wasn't able to conquer it either.

With that done and the clouds rolling in we made a beeline for the highway and the trailers. We made it back ontot he trailers just as we got a nice hort down pour that was uprisingly refreshing. 95*F heat and being well watered is a nice combination.

 

[bggrnchvy]

Day 2 of wheeling we hooked up with the CK5 Blazer Bash group and ran Metal Masher with them. Este also showed up in the wee hours of the morning after having left Bakersfield around 4pm the day before.

Loaded up off the highway and ready to get to the trail head.

We arrived at the first optional tough obstacle and Este hit it with the truggy and eventually walked himself up it taking the line on the far left.

I tried but my approach angle just wasn't good enough to climb the wall and the only other line just didn't work with my wheelbase. I tried getting into it off angle, but not even my 2.5" bore ram could turn my tires once I got my truck wedged up behind it to try and go straight.

Back tire waving.

One of the guys out Vegas gave it a shot as well, I can't recall if he made it or not though.

All stopped up at the top:

One of the Blazer's in the group was running a 4BT Cummins over a parallel 4 link with 2.5 FOA's ressies and some air bumps. Really cool rig, I loved being able to smell some deisel smoke on the trail for once.

His friends blazer was running the same suspension setup, but with 2.0 emulsions and no bumps.

 

[bggrnchvy]

All of the us watching the fun:

Derrick Trent of TrentFab fame met up with us and Crawler Nation that morning and spent the next couple of days wheeling as well in his wife's Jeep as his own bugy had a failure before he left.

Moab scenery never ceases to amaze.

The next obstacle was Rock Chucker. Definitely a challenge for a long wheel base rig. Este managed to claw the truggy up and over it after trying a couple lines, moving some rocks around with the tires and using the skinny pedal. I tried for a while myself but I just couldn't get quite enough traction and kept popping sideways off my line onto my rear diff. The shorter wheelbase rigs made us look ridiculous on the obstacle going up in one or two shots a peice.

We continued onto the lookout for Metal Masher without much incident but for a little tippage that required a couple guys pushing to fix and some rpm to clear the cylinders on the last optional.

After bumping up the ledge both the truggy and my rig had a moment of light feeling going over driver, but the shorter guys got more than just a feeling apparently.


We again stopped at the trail lookout for lunch looking down the edge onto I191 and the amazing veiw that is eastern Utah.
Leave it to Este to lunch in the shade, on a rock that's floating over a good couple thousand foot drop.

After lunch we got on our way and a couple of us went to Widow Maker which is the last optional on the trail. The route there is series of silty whoops filled turns for a mile or two that are lot of fun, I just wish I had more motor so I could get here over 40. We all went over the off camber climb that tips you towards a moderate 30ft fall and came to the 8-9ft ledge that was, apparently, Widow Maker.

 

[bggrnchvy]

Este and I both tried it and ended up making it up with some skinny pedal using the line on the left, but we both had a couple of shots that came up short and resulted in dusting off the tires.

Lauren gave it hell in his buggy getting the front tires off the top and pushing in the clutch to save it seemingly a dozen times but wasn't able to get up the face.

Este hooked up to everybody else and winched them up so we could jam back and make it to the Blazer Bash BBQ.

The next day was the Trifecta. We decided to run it Gold Bar first and planned to drive back out the way we came in for the sake of time.

Killer view:

Lined up the decent to Jason's Corner:

We spent a bit of time at the plaque, time spent remembering, missing and saying hello again.

Este brought the truggy back over to Jason:

In any case we made it to the lookout for the Trifecta when the camera died. There were alot more pictures and video taken of the trail to the golden Crack and our return on Rusty Nail and the hairy spots that existed there that I'll put up as it comes back.

I hope you enjoy the pictures, it was an awesome trip.

Brandi played camera operator the whole trip as well as spotter so all the images I've got were her doing not mine.

 

[Mudd Duk]

Some of those pictures are just awesome. Wish we had some stuff similar to that here on the right coast.

 

[Lifted99silvy]

awesome pictures man, looks like a good time.

 

[MaXXis85]

Great pics Kyle. One of these days i want to wheel that place with you guys! Maybe Moab 2010? Geoff mentioned it to me when he was in LA. Very tempting and these pictures are amazing, but do no justice of how hard/beautiful a place really is.

 

[Tiki]

Fabulous pictures man. Truly motivating to make a trail worthy vehicle. Far cry from the grid lock that my truck gets to see :blah: Sweet sweet sweetness!

 

[99CepekZ]

Great pics, I really hope to make it out there one day. Me and Travis (01jackedZ) are always talking about it lol.

 

[Chevy Dan]

Wow, great pics man.

 

[axisT6]

One thing I can't help but notice is that you all are like one huge family. It is a very nice thing to see.

 

[ohsobad_chevy]

Sweet pics.......that is one bad ass wheeler, man!!

 

[BigRed05]

Enjoyed the pics Kyle!! So whats the final verdict on the rockers? I was going to go with them but got a smokin deal on the SXIIs. And I agree with Marcus we need to come wheel with yall. I will be graduating this spring so 2010 seems very possible.

 

[bggrnchvy]

Great pics Kyle. One of these days i want to wheel that place with you guys! Maybe Moab 2010? Geoff mentioned it to me when he was in LA. Very tempting and these pictures are amazing, but do no justice of how hard/beautiful a place really is.

'10 is going to be a big year so I hear. Usual suspects have all said they will do all to go and Cathy is even excited to bring baby Ryan out. Already looking forward to it.

I'm looking forward ot the pictures and video form Rusty Nail, it's a difficult trail for a Jeep or a Yota but it gets down right hairy in a wide fullsize considering proximity to the several hundred foot drop (tires sitting less than a couple inches from the edge).

Fabulous pictures man. Truly motivating to make a trail worthy vehicle. Far cry from the grid lock that my truck gets to see :blah: Sweet sweet sweetness!

Do eeet. I love the Chevy but I already want to do something else, I see exactly where Jason's train of thought went when he designed the buggy now.

One thing I can't help but notice is that you all are like one huge family. It is a very nice thing to see.

We're not like a family, we are a family. I hang out and go to gatherings with my wheeling brothers more than my actual family.

Enjoyed the pics Kyle!! So whats the final verdict on the rockers? I was going to go with them but got a smokin deal on the SXIIs. And I agree with Marcus we need to come wheel with yall. I will be graduating this spring so 2010 seems very possible.

Best tire evar!!! Well probably not, but for something that's going to wear well enough to be around for years to come I'm impressed. I run them with entirely too much pressure usually (12-18lbs) and they chirp a little here and there and spin with some bumpage but they hold on as well as a tire could be expected with how much the Chevy weighs. I'd love to have them down to 5-9 more regularly but I need my diffs up and that much resistance absolutely kills my motors ability to do anything that requires speed. I had her stuck at 4 grand for the better part of a half hour racing back forth between tow rigs and trail head and she topped out around 42mph with my foot burried. Now 4 tons sideways at 42 mph with 12lbs in the tires, that's entertainment.

I'm thinking LQ4 for Xmas:crazy:

 

[Cracker]

One of the guys out Vegas gave it a shot as well, I can't recall if he made it or not though.

Good ole Darrell. I shouldn't add much.

Specifically the step-son in the XJ.

Great pics Kyle. One of these days i want to wheel that place with you guys! Maybe Moab 2010? Geoff mentioned it to me when he was in LA. Very tempting and these pictures are amazing, but do no justice of how hard/beautiful a place really is.

Well that means you'll have to leave precious LA........if you want to come I'll be there fo' sho'. Wife is ready and waiting.....all I'll need is a baby-safe rig!
Dodge and trailer check check...Milly is beyond my control.

 

[Big Tires]

That looks like an awesome trip! I would love to go there some day. Nice pics

 

[Cracker]

That looks like an awesome trip! I would love to go there some day. Nice pics

Then go you SFA haver wannabe wheeler pussy.

Yep, I said it.

 

[Tiki]

Do eeet. I love the Chevy but I already want to do something else, I see exactly where Jason's train of thought went when he designed the buggy now.

I'd love to build a rig. I'm trying to be responsible :jester: Still in school, married, blah blah blah. I don't even have a spot to change my oil now (thanks be to apartment buildings). Plus I know if I started I'd want everything bling as chit (I just think portals are as necessary as gasoline). Plus the new desert racing/crawling and score racing have put alot of ideas in my mind.

We're not like a family, we are a family. I hang out and go to gatherings with my wheeling brothers more than my actual family.

One of the coolest things about wheelers :imo everyone helps wrench with everyone.




For now I'll stick to grid lock wheeling with my 33's and leather seats :jester: Some day :hmm:

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

Looks like fun, maybe someday when I can pay somebody to work the farm I'll make it out there.

Iand leather seats :jester: Some day :hmm:

I'm on the lookout for some cheapo/free leather seats for the wheeler, always nice to wheel in comfort and style. And they are much easier to dry than cloth. :crazy: