Hollister - April 11, 1998

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 We started off this very MUDDY, RAINY day of wheelin' in the creek, near Sycamore Camp. Here's Todd, flexes for the camera.

 We hadn't been there long when Chris got him self hung up on his box hitch, and needed a tug outta the creek.

 I couldn't resist going through the spot Chris was stuck in just after Todd pulled him out. (sorry Chris) :-)

 A friend of mine from SJSU, Andrew, was there with another group. Here he slipped in the mud and got a bit off camber. I've NEVER drivin' in mud as slick as we had to this day. We ended up having Andrew drive down the hill, and climb out straight. It took a few attempts, but he did a great job getting out of a very slippery situaion.

 Here Todd and I go throught he whoopdi's, which are a few feet deep with mud. I had trouble getting out, my second time through, and finally made it out with a little momentum. In the second shot a wheel lifts, as I struggle outta the hole.

 Here I'm playing on a normally easy trail near 5 Fingers, this day it was all I could do to keep the truck on the trail....and at the end of the trail I could not climb the hill because it was so slick, and ended up having to turn around. Just check out the mud on the back of the 'Runner...that was from the whoopdi's Todd and I went through.

 Chris put his TJ in the mud hole in the whoopdi's, and ended up needing a tug to get out. He also had overheating problems later in the day due to all the mud that had clogged his radiator. I also had to clean my radiator THOROUGHLY when I got home.

 Here's what happens when an inexperienced but gungho driver starts 4wheelin' without guidance. Thanks to the fella who had a winch on the front of his Toy, the Blazer was pulled out without too much commotion.

Later in the day, we came across this same Blazer, slidding off the edge of a several hundred foot drop. It seems he didn't learn from his trouble earlier in the day. We found that he was still at 35 lbs pressure in his 35" tires. We lowerd them down to 10 lbs, and gave the driver some good advice on how to get out of his predicament.....the driver lost his nerve though, and would not drive. Somehow he convinced his friend to drive the truck back onto the trail. The friend did a great job, and all came out unscathed. We mentioned the "4WD Safety Course" that Esprit de Four puts on twice a year, and the driver sounded interested. I hope the driver takes the time to attend the class...I'd hate to see him hurt one day.

 It took a few tries, but Chris finally walked the TJ right up the staircase.

 I had a good time crossing the crack near the stair case. We didn't get it on film, but one of the times through the crack, I took an especially hard line, and didn't come too far from rolling my 4Runner into Todd's truck. :-)  

Later in the day Todd captured the prize for closest roll over of the day when we were in the Quary. He followed me over the top of a rocky hill, and down a tricky drop on the othe side...but Todd took a much higher line than I did going down, and brought the trucks back corner WAAAAY up toward the sky. I radioed to him to hold that pose, but pucker got to him, and he brought all the wheels back down to earth (I don't blame him one bit!!) :-)

 Todd drove his truck through what I've nicknamed the "Body Panel Smasher" with out too much commotion. We had to high-lift the rear over a foot at one point to prevent 'excess' body damage. I've only see 5 trucks ever go through this, and Todd did a great job.

 Kevin walks his 4runner through the Frame Twister.

 I already knew I wanted a Marlin Crawler in my 4Runner someday, but when Todd made the offer to drive his Crawler equipped truck through the twister, I couldn't resist. As if I wasn't sold before....I want one more than ever now.

 Some shots of me going through the Frame Twister.

 Chris and Kevin with some 'wheel lifting' action!

 Todd had a good time crossing the rut as well!

 This picture doesn't do it much justice. This is one of the hardest sections to go through (down let alone UP!) in the Quary, and Kevin is making the decent, after he had just climbed it. Todd also made it up this section. I gave it a worth attempt, but without either a front locker, or more front wheel travel, it just wasn't gonna happen.