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The weather was not so great but the group of eight trucks was still able to have a great time running Carnage Hill in New Hampshire on Saturday, July 28. We started out the morning very wet as we arrived at the campground where we left our trailers and met up with Scott Hatch from the National Association of 4WD Clubs, who was going to lead us through some of the off-shoot trails.
The trail started off fairly mild and we were going great until Big Mark broke his tie rod. While Matt was fixing Mark’s tie rod Garrett was helping Scott Hatch change a flat. Once finished with the trail repair we continued on to what seemed to be the first major obstacle. Scott hatch and Garrett made it through with no problems. Then it was John and James in the 07 FJ, they made it through with some maneuvering and scrapping but no major damage. Bob B. followed the FJ without any problems. Next was Matt in the CJ, he chose to go the harder way and in the beginning breaking a front hub in the process. As he continued through the obstacle he broke his rear 14 bolt axle proving that they were not indestructible. Being that he did not have a spare axle we had to rig up a something to hold the tire on. With a log some ratchet straps and the handle to his high-lift the tire and axle was secured. Mark, Abe, and I made it through without any problems.
After bringing Matt back up to the main trail we left his truck and he and his brother in-law rode with other people. This time in we went a more difficult way. Going through the first obstacle we had no problems except Abe missing the turn for the obstacle and continuing the wrong way down the trail. Then the trail got harder. There was the FJ winching from tree to tree in the front and us winching from tree to tree in the back. Once catching up to the rest group and finding out that the FJ had broke his front axle and that the trail was only going to get harder we took the bail out and than met back up with the group. The FJ was winched out through the woods then helped back to where we left Matt’s CJ by some guys from New England 4 Wheelers, also a NEA club.
Meeting up with Scott we went back to the rest of group who were still on the tough part of the trail winching up the mud hill. What goes up must come down, and coming down meant turning sharply around a tight corner off camber. The Howler was too big for the corner so Bob took this cut through that was less off camber. The rain made it very slippery and the Howler slid up against a tree making his turn tighter than we first thought. A winch cable was secured to keep the truck from possibly rolling down the hill. With a couple moves and a broken side tool box the Howler was on its way. Mark decided to go the same way and wound up the same way. A strap to a roll bar and around a tree was used for safety.
It was getting late and we were getting hungry so we called it a day headed out. Since Bobby C. was not there Bob decided to fill in and hit the mud pit on the trail out. It sunk to the frame and had to be winched out. The Toyota made it back to the hotel on its own and Matt’s jeep went on Mark’s trailer.
Carnage Hill it was, one broken tie rod, one hub, and two axles. Once home Garrett took his jeep off the trailer to find a broken u-joint and stub shaft.
