After Jennie took off with the trailer the 4x4 run began. The 50 mile run started out easy for about the first 40 miles with little to no obstacles. The group of 4 jeeps and the Rhino were able to do the 1st part of the run cruising at about 20 miles per hour. We stopped in a few different spots to admire the views and the wildlife (cattle and even a donkey). It rained on and off for the entire drive but the closer we got to the clouds in the mountains, the harder it rained. At one point on the mountain we were actually up above the clouds looking down. There were a few spots where some of the Jeeps tried to do a few more challenging side trails and at least one time had to be winched out of a sticky spot.
As we continued on the trail the rain got heavier and water began to puddle and run over the trail making it slippery and wet. We came across a few creek crossings with the deepest of which was 10-12 inches. Once the rain started pouring down we had to remove the windshield and someone in the group pulled out a tarp to strap onto the Rhino to help keep the boys and I a bit drier. We even had to cut a window in the back so that I could see out the back (very red neck).
The last 5-6 miles of the trail definitely became more difficult and the rain just added to it. There were 4-5 spots where I knew I would have difficulty with. These were steeper rock ledges and steep climbs that were made slippery by the rain. I ended up having to be tow strapped 3 times and had to be winched once (as well as some of the jeeps). I am proud to say that every where I was not the only one to get stuck. The last major challenge on the trail involved a 6 ft hill down into the bottom of a creek bed followed by a 15 ft climb up a hill (about a 40 deg slope) with several large boulders (this was my winch spot). The first Jeep that tried to cross this area got hung up on the large boulders on the hill and had to make several attempt to make it to the top of the hill. Only 1 of the jeeps was able to make it thru this area with no assistance. When I tried to make the climb the Rhino did not have enough ground clearance and power to make it on it's own. The last mile and a half was pretty easy and had beautiful views as we made our way into Crown King.
All in all this was definitely not a trail I could do on my own. But a great trip I would take again if I went with the right group.Since I was not able to get a hold of Jen I was quite surprised to see her climbing the hill to the restaurant after we had finished our meals. Too bad she did not get there before we ate :) We all were able to explore the tiny town of Crown King and after we trailered up the Rhino and headed down the hill I was even more impressed with Jennie and her braving the drive into Crown King.
(bloggers note: These pictures were taken by several different people who went on the run with us. I was unable to take any photos as I was driving most of the time. Thank you to Emma, Jason and Vinnie for taking such great photos. )
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