Our four rigs went up the easiest entrance and carefully stayed away from the Monster below us on the right. I know the trail so I led in Howler, a Jeep truck / Scout hybrid, followed by Shawn and Bryan in their built Rubicons and Mike's E-Jay. There were tracks at the entrance, but we were breaking fresh snow within 30 feet. Good snow with lots of traction, so the first hill was easy.
Having learned the hard way, I bypassed the water hole and we headed up to the first zigzag. I took what used to be the easy path, stay right then sharp left on the hill. This entire section is tamer now, or maybe the snow evened it out. So I motioned Shawn to try the trench and he climbed right through.
This put Shawn up front, on a unfamiliar trail, which he didn't like. He proved it by struggling on an icy step but got himself up. The rest of us, having seen that momentum is needed, bumped through easily. I regained the lead and then pulled over to let the team look at Garlan's Hump. Too much ice, I thought, but Bryan gave it a go. The Rubi's front tires climbed the four foot rock but hit ice just after the rears started to climb. He tried a few times, but no-go, too icy. Shawn looked at it, but decided to follow the crowd up the bypass.
We made great time, up the hills and through the rock gardens and vales. Even the off-camber turn and 2 close-spaced trees that always tortured Howler when she was all Scout didn't slow the Jeep train.
When we came to the plateau on the last downhill, I stopped to look over what seemed like a cliff. Big changes here. The drop-off is very rough and the large boulder is more exposed on the lower side. So much so that you have to stay left and keep in the gouges. Well maybe you don't have to stay as far left as I did. Howler pitched down off the edge and then tipped right. It felt like both left tires left the ground. She settled back a little, now on 3 wheels. Lucky for me, Bryan, standing behind me, was able to reach up and grab the rear bumper. Mike jumped on the left rear tire. Joan held her breath.
With the extra ballast holding us steady, I went around the turn slowly until most of the weight transferred onto the left front the tire and jammed it into the cab and made steering difficult. Eventually we got around the turn and down the hill.
The Rubicon's low gearing and traction were very impressive here. Of course they avoided the deepest hole and walked through. Mike's line gave us a little excitement, but those huge meats had good traction and he bumped through.
We circled the trucks for lunch at the very slick turn-around area at 11:30. After a leisurely lunch, E-Jay didn't want move from the ice. After the radio cackled the reminder '4WD' he moved off smartly, back the way we came.
We ignored the bypass, so that last hill is now the first. There used to be 2 lines here; climb and straddle a huge bolder on the right side or stay in the trench on the left. Half of the dirt uphill of the boulder is gone now so we charged up the trench. The trench leads to the gouges that stalled us on the way down and Howler stopped, barely able to spin the tires as the carb balked at the crazy angle. I winched up while the motor was still running.
Bryan took the same line and stopped a little further up. Lots of fight got it up a little more. A couple of rocks thrown into the holes gave him another chance and he made the most of it. The Rubicon powered through, after a couple of tipsy scares. Shawn and Mike took advantage of that little bit of road building and blasted up an' over too.
The rest of the return trip at MaBell is usually uneventful. This day, Bryan felt Garlan's Hump, bypassed earlier, calling to him. Going down a hill, even a sharp step, is usually easy. The ice made a perfect approach essential as even a little twist would send him on his side. He did it perfectly.
Shawn followed, with equal precision, and then, elated, tried backing up the hump. This worked the same a Bryan's earlier try; once the 2nd pair of tires started up the wall the traction disappeared.
The rest of the ride went smoothly, interrupted only by stopping to view a couple of snow-covered obstacles. They, like the Monster Rock, await us in Spring.
