Easter Jeep Safari 2000
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Story by George Jessup

Easter Jeep Safari 2000

Day5 - Heldorado

On this day some ascended into the heavens where the sky's glowed warmth and beauty all around. Others ascended into hell where the skies baked into your very being and the walls around you closed in on your soul. I, for one, was in hell. The Heldardo trail. It actually was not that bad but it sounded good as it stumbled off of my fingertips and onto the keyboard.

Anyway, I had, again linked up with Dave Hickman and Mr. Ed for an adventure. This time, we had also linked up with the Great Mean Green Machine from Rosburg, OR. Cool! We were practically neighbors. Unfortunately, the GMGM, shortly into the trail, inverted a shackle. This machine had just received new springs and the shackle perches just did not sit in quite the right place, thus, Twip-pop, and in the wrong spot it would go.

Well, like before, the Big Daddy Dogs where into it knee-deep trying to do field repairs. Man am I glad Ed carries every spare nut and bolt that is not attached to his rig. To make a long story short, after much winching, jacking, prying and many the "ings," we come up with a make-shift shackle limiting strap and were off.

A ways up the trail, the strap had started to stretch so Twip-pop, and in the wrong spot it went again. This time we had the system down and had it repositioned. With a new limiting strap- AKA winch cable - we were off.

This trail is not offered as a main course in the Easter Jeep Safari because it is a trail of carnage. Some of the toughest trails are not offered. These you must trek on your own, and like us brave adventurers who see potential carnage as a challenge to overcome. Hmmm what category does that fit in? Man VS Nature? or Man VS Himself? Maybe both.

During the field repairs, some other near neighbors packed in behind us. We now had another Ed and his kids from Sacramento area in a real world CJ that later proved to be vary capable. ALso with him was Mike Shaffer w/ Shaffer's Offroad in Carson City NV in a very impressive Samurai with his own designed and built coil-over suspension.

Also in the group was Martin in a nicely prepared streetable Samurai.

After many squeezes, climbs, scrapes, diff. snags, and no-choice rock-stacking, we are thru the Lower Helderado.

The map given to us by 4 Wheel of Moab aimed us to Upper Helderado or other alternative trails. Upper Helderado is now considered a trail of impossibilities and carnage. I walked up it and new my rig could not get through it. Ed's and Dave's could, though, and maybe the coiled Samurai, as well.

With Dave having just prepped his rig for selling, he declined and Ed, though he would love to, stood back with Dave. The only taker was the coiled Samuari, who made it with little damage and a winching at the waterfall at it's end. The pictures of this trail say far more than my words can relay.

The day ended as myself and my extended neighbors straitened my flimsy steering arm. So far it is the only true weak link I have. Tomorrow FREE triall tires. (only for the remainder of the week.)

 

Day 5 Photo Album

 

INDEX | Day 6




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