So i have a story for you all.
I orginally wanted to go out to JV for the BBQ on Saturday, but things came up & i couldnt make it. But i did head out Sunday.
I met Ken just as he was leaving & let me know that all had left. But i decided to go for a little drive to check some things out, as i had never been to JV before.
I had done some research on the place & found out that Aftershock was the mildest of the trails. So after finding the entrance to Aftershock i walked up the trail & little way to see what it was about. It looked like there were a few small challenging obstacles ( for 33's & truetracs ) in the first 1/2 mile. I walked back to my rig & started to head back to the lake
bed, as i wouldnt dare to wheel alone.
Half way back i met 5 rigs heading towards me. We stopped & they told me they were going to run aftershock. The group was made up of a Yota on 35's locked, a weird rangerover/buggy thing on 35's,a slightly lifted landrover???, an XJ on 31's with a rear locker only & a TJ locked in the back.
The guys in the XJ said they had run it before, and i thought if they can make it so could i. So i asked if i could run it with them.................let the fun/drama begin!
After the first few obstacles it became apparent that the rigs without traction devices bothends were really struggling. Many a highlift and tow stap were used in the first half a mile. Only the Yota, myself & the weird rangerover/buggy thingy were getting through clean. We spent ALOT of time waiting!!!
The trail became slowly more difficult as i progressed up the wash, and we were moving at a very slow pace. The landrover snapped its tie-rod & came to a halt. After a couple of hours repair making a tie-rod out of highlift handle, and only being able to turn to the right, they decided to leave the vehicle and come back the following day to salvage it.
Now it was starting to get late & as the yota and i rounded a corner near the end, i was able to witness why they called this trail Aftershock. You get to this point (0.3mile) from the end & there infront of me was a large pile of bolders reaching upward with only a faint sign of where the trail went, the AFTERSHOCK. I really didint think that my rig was capable of climing the series of large bolders & ledges. And the thought of having to drive back the way we came ,in the swiftly vanishing light was unnerving.
By the time everyone was at the base of this obstacle it was dark. The yota went up first & only strugged slightly in a couple of sections. I was next & with the help of some great spotting, great flashlight control, & lucky driving i managed to get up this thing. My XJ really amazed & impressed me.
Only the Yota and i made it up & the others turned back for their long drive out. I was relieved to make it up & over the last few obstacles in the dark.
So 6 hours after we started (yes 6 hours, i know those of you with more experience & bigger rigs are chuckeling now) 2 of us finally made the exit.
This was the easiest trail in JV and now i have experienced a new level of wheeling, and so has my XJ. The once shiney smooth doors, now have scars to remind me of my adventure & just a glance at any other part under my jeep looks like it was in a fight with a buzz saw.
I have new found respect for those of you that drive the real trails in JV (the hammers) & i'll end up spending more money on my junk to make it more capable for when i return. (with experienced
drivers in capable rigs).
Just thought i'd share it with you.:conceited