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Sunday, April 5, almost easy Lefthand

RangerRick

RangerRick

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Longmont, Colo.
I said I'd lead some easy trails, so here it is. Help from those with a few good trails under there belts would be welcomed. First off I'd like those going to have at least a tow point (front and rear), their batteries tided down and of course seat belts for all in the vehicle. There are three points (or more) that you may need to be strapped and more rough stuff that you'll need to be guided. We would cover most of Lefthand area and take 3 hrs or more to to due it in. It would cover Fireman Hill, stop at the soon to be open Rock Challenge, the new Fairveiw Peak loop overlook, Castle Gulch, visit 2 mines, and travel a vary long narrow ledge trail. This should take 3 hours or more. If it takes much longer, I'll show you another way out, cutting off the ledge trail. Anyone interested?
 
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Re: April 6, almost easy Lefthand

April 5, Sunday! My bad. Today was my 3rd day of pre running this group of trails and I put them all together. Well it took me 3hrs. to run the whole thing, traveling fast and taking 2 short stops. It measured 10 miles, pavement to pavement. So, I'd say it would take a group of 5 or more around at least 5 hrs. to do with a stop for lunch. Also, add a full size spare tire to the list of must haves. Skid plates would be nice as some spots get rocky. The ledge part of the trail has some over grown bushes. I ran the whole trail with open diffs. The Forest Service has just invested over $25,000 in grants to prep these trails and it shows. I think it will be a long time before we'll see this group of trails so doable by near stock or stock jeeps again. The trails would be fun even for the old pro's.
 
Re: April 6, almost easy Lefthand

Count me in, let me know where you are meeting and what time. Thanks for putting together a Northern run.:sunshine:
 
navyblue123 said:
I would be down except i don't have tow points I mean i don't get stuck offen and i dont mind strapping to my axle
Click to expand...
Just go to one the self-serve yards and pull a set with the brackets. The money and time you spend is repayed the first time you have to use them.
 
You're not old till you're much older that Old_Man. Some of this trail is steep with sharp turns. On Fireman Hill each switch back is different than the last. The right amount of power will take your XJ up and around the turns with no trouble. But if you don't make it, Oh boy! Crawling under a vehicle to attach a strap at a radical switch back on a shelf road is dangerous and not recommended. The other hang up area is up a steep hill with shattered rock and no by pass. After the shelf road and a squeeze, negotiating rocks and oncoming traffic will slow us down. Our travel speed will depend on the slowest vehicle. No whining.
 
Any suggestions for a meeting place? The Safeway at Iris and 28th comes to mind (or the sports store across the street), or the ideal market on balsam and Broadway. I don't get up to boulder much anymore and will also be down for post wheeling beer and wings at the dark horse. I would also suggest starting early before the hungover college punks get up there (I was one of them not so long ago).
-Nate
 
i think slaughterhouse and left hand are pretty comparable i personally like slaughterhouse more but for me left hand is closer so we go there alot to mess around i think left hand is a little easier personally as well even when carnage was open we had no problem getting stock xjs with bald street tires around that whole area i wish i had sundays off i would love to get out there and meet some of you guys and do some wheelin

overall its a pretty sweet trail and it does have a few spots depending on the line you take that have had me thinking in my head o sh!t
 
It was all those stock guys with bald tires running and creating bypasses on carnage, along with fluid spills, that got carnage closed. If they could not make it over the obstacles, they had no business being on that trail.
 
I sort of disagree, while that was part of it, I think certain groups winching rocks onto the trail, creating their own more difficult obstacles, and driving wherever they want largely contributed to the closure of the trail.
-Nate
 
Meeting spot will be at Buckingham Park parking lot, about 2 miles or so up Lefthand Canyon (west of Foothills Hwy, Hwy 36). I have a white 2Dr lifted 91 XJ. It would be nice to get an early start, so meet 8:30, then head for the trail at 9.

Last fall is when the Forest Service and the Trail Ridge Runners club finished most of the improvements up Fireman's Hill and on the Castle Gulch. Earlier last year the Fairveiw Loop was finished. The first half of Fireman's Hill is no longer a rutted up and down trail. It has been replaced with 6 or 8 switch backs. These switch backs can be easy with a Posi or with good flex. But, as I've seen in the past, as the big boy 4 wheelers try going up it in 2 wheel drive, they spin there tires, making ruts that will quickly turn the hill into a harder trail.

See you there, Rick
Ps; bald tires WILL NOT make it on these trails in a stock XJ!
 
I may have to come down for this one. I ran Carnage and Firemans before they closed but I have yet to run lefthand.
 
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