I managed to forget all my cameras, only got a few crappy cellphone pics.
After turning back and helping BoringDave out with his fan issue, we got back on the trail and chased the rest of the group for most of the morning.
With barely a working CB between the both of us, we were navigating by dumb luck and the occasional snippett of a CB transmission. We heard something about Firebreak 5, so we made our way there after a trip out on the wrong side of Saddle Mt Rd.
Making our way down over to Hogsback, as that seems to be the popular route on NWC runs, we heard a few more familiar voices come over the CB, ...we had to be getting closer.
By the time we made it down rocky uphill we had finally caught up to the rest of the group.
With just enough time to scarf down a sammich and snap a couple pics, we were back on our way.
There was a drive by from Torx, sporting some familiar artwork from one of our other members.
Up over archers, and on to waterfall. By the time we got there, the clunking noise from my front end was bothering me pretty bad. I was thinking it was coming from the diff, it sounded low like that, and was only happening under power, uphill.... With an assist from Specfab, we narrowed it down to my motor mounts. I hadn't even considered them to be the culprit, as they're less than a year old. Live and learn...
By that time, several rigs had come by including this behemoth.... it was fairly unique, so I snapped a couple pics of it.
The filter to waterfall was pretty slick, and was making all who tried work for it. Yet it seems most were doing pretty well on their way up the trail, I think partly due to what sounded like some good spotting from Nick over the CB.
By the time I made it up and around (bypassing the obstacle for obvious mechanical reasons) Curtis was giving it a go. It looked like he was in a great position, and had the line, but just couldn't get his XJ to hook up.
A resounding *pop* was heard, and much noise came from his front end, with a snapped carrier, there was not much else to do, but pull cable.
That pretty much concluded the run, at the top the decision was made to call it a day, and head back to horse camp.
Once back, .....well you guys are aware of what happened next.
All I can say, is next time, ....lets try to Tread Lightly guys.