MOAB!
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WEDNESDAY, April 8

Muddy
One of the biggest draws in Moab is the Golden Crack. It'll suck you in quick if you're not careful about chosing your line. Better have a good, strong rig, too.

TX
There are a few tricks to crossing the crack. One is to pick a nice, 45 degree angle so you go one wheel at a time.

Steve
Steve walked across pretty easily, too. He's got an ARB in the rear, only and 35's.

Muddy
Just before the Golden Wall, there is a large step to get up. It was a bit wet and slick.

Muddy
Tim picked a good line, but the Voodoo's open diffs. did him no good and sat on the crack spinning tires. Eventually, though, with a little help from the crowd, he made it over.

TX
You stuff your front left tire hard and those of us with lockers, pull across nice and slow. It's a lot of strain on the axles, though. The Mad Cow made it across nice and easy.

Steve
One of the last major obstacles on Golden Spike is the Golden Wall. Here's Steve gettin' up it.

Muddy
Tim hits the wall.

Now those of you who've been following along, are probably asking what happened from here, right? Here's the story.

After most of the group went up the wall, I ran back to my TJ to make it myself. Well, I got to the first big step and slid a little bit. I slammed down the rear end and POW!!! We rolled the Jeep a few feet and next thing we knew, the rear right wheel was sticking out a foot and a half! You got it...busted axle!

Well, we jacked it up and thankfully had a cell phone. We located a used axle in town and figured out the plan. Rick and Matius would stay with the TJ and Steve, Kevin, Tim, and Lesbo would take me into town for parts and fluids and bring me back up the trail.

It was almost a 2 hour trip to the bottom of the trail, but we made it and went to town. By the time we returned part way of Gold Bar Rim trail, it was dark. We eventually found our way back in the dark, to the broken Jeep. Without the use of our Garmin GPS 12XL we would have never found our way.

Rick and Matius had sat through rain and snow while waiting for us. It was very dark and cold, but there was work to be done. We spent the next few hours removing the axle and opening up the ARB. Not an easy task...even in the daytime. We completed the job and buried the spilled oil.

Golden Spike is a 4+ trail in the day time. I wonder what it is at night? We headed back out and not far was a broken Cherokee that someone from ARB had left at the bottom of Double Whammy. We weren't the only ones to break today.

It was 3:30pm when we broke and 2:30am when we hit the street. I can't say enough about the guys who helped out. Rick, Steve, Kevin, Matius, Tim and Lesbo are Class A guys all the way. Nobody ever had second thoughts about leaving me there and everyone lent a hand in the axle swap. It was extremely cold on the trail, too. Guys...thanks so much!

MORE PHOTOS JUST CAME IN (APRIL 13th)

TX
As soon as we got the wheel off, we stuffed the axle to prevent any more dirt from getting in and put the tire under the Jeep in case the Hi-Lifts fell.

Spare Tire
While we were gone this Toyota hit the Golden Wall and jarred their spare tire loose. Rick said it came flying down the hill at light speed, aiming right for the Project TJ!

Goons Freezing
Rick and Matius take a self-portrait while waiting in the TJ. Next time you get stranded in the freezing cold, remember to wear your ROCKCRAWLER hat to keep warm!

TX
The Mad Cow waits in the dark, rain, and snow for us to return from town with the new axle.

Spare Tire
Luckily it stopped just in time!

TX
Freezing cold and I'm still smiling while closing up the axle housing. Must be the altitude and lack of oxygen!


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