billings and 21road [now with video]

[fatwreck]

A huge thank you goes out to wally for being a great host all weekend. :thumbsup:

Chris and I drove out friday night and stayed in edwards. We then pushed on to GJ saturday morning with the intention of running Billings Canyon. After an unexpected breakfast and removing the doors off our rigs, we headed to the trail. There were a bunch of other people from this board that we thought we would run into, but they were all slow.....so, we didn't see them until about halfway through....and by then they had some problems of their own.....so, we moved on.

I was a little apprehensive about running this trail, but everything worked out fine. I took out one rear flare and a minor scratch near the tail gate. I don't think chris really got any damage (besides the fire :eek: ).....and who cares about wally.

Video link (right click, save target as) 13 Mb:
http://www.randylangstraat.com/fatwreck/21road4.wmv

Pics:
http://www.projectxj.com/images/trail.runs/10.22.05-billings/images/IMG_6924.jpg

http://www.projectxj.com/images/trail.runs/10.22.05-billings/images/IMG_6927.jpg

http://www.projectxj.com/images/trail.runs/10.22.05-billings/images/IMG_6931.jpg

http://www.projectxj.com/images/trail.runs/10.22.05-billings/images/IMG_6937.jpg

http://www.projectxj.com/images/trail.runs/10.22.05-billings/images/IMG_6940.jpg

So, about 3/4 of the way through the trail....chris hits his bumper on a rock pretty hard. That pinched the power cable for his winch between the bumper and the body....grounding it out. That in turn caused a fire! We luckily got it put out fairly quickly.....only for it to start up again when we couldn't locate the source. Fortunatly, I don't think too much damage was done. It took us about an hour or two to get it back up and running again after we fixed the damaged wires and undid a lot of the electrical stuff that he didn't need.

http://www.projectxj.com/images/trail.runs/10.22.05-billings/images/IMG_6944.jpg

[fatwreck]

21 road was a lot of fun as always. It's just a HUGE playground that changes every time I'm there. We dropped in every now and then to hit the fun obstacles, but with wally screwing around so much....it kept us from making it all the way to the end. We stopped right at carnage corner because 3 of us had to drive back to denver that night.

http://www.projectxj.com/images/trail.runs/10.23.05-21road/images/IMG_6945.jpg

http://www.projectxj.com/images/trail.runs/10.23.05-21road/images/IMG_6949.jpg

http://www.projectxj.com/images/trail.runs/10.23.05-21road/images/IMG_6950.jpg

http://www.projectxj.com/images/trail.runs/10.23.05-21road/images/IMG_6953.jpg

Wally taking a HUGE line:
http://www.projectxj.com/images/trail.runs/10.23.05-21road/images/IMG_6959.jpg

Winch cable so he wouldn't endo:
http://www.projectxj.com/images/trail.runs/10.23.05-21road/images/IMG_6962.jpg

Look at how little air pressure was in this tire:
http://www.projectxj.com/images/trail.runs/10.23.05-21road/images/IMG_6963.jpg

Which resulted in this shortly thereafter:
http://www.projectxj.com/images/trail.runs/10.23.05-21road/images/IMG_6967.jpg

[fatwreck]

It never stops amazing me to see this....

http://www.projectxj.com/images/trail.runs/10.23.05-21road/images/IMG_6966.jpg

At this point in the trail, I was fairly tired of filming....but wally LOVES the camera. So, he gets on the CB and says, "hey, you want to film this...it's a pretty flexy section." And I respond with, "alright, I guess....but I really don't want to." I can't wait to post this up on video, but you'll have to live with the pics for now.

He started to climb the rock and right away the rear tire lifted off the ground. Then the front fell in the water and a fairly deep hole. It started to go over....and wally wasn't sure if he should go forward or backwards, but it was too late....as he reached for the shifter to back up....it was already going over. There was no chance for me to catch him.....so I just kept filming. :D As he yelled to get him back over quickly....I ran to my rig to get the camera for these pics. :D

http://www.projectxj.com/images/trail.runs/10.23.05-21road/images/IMG_6972.jpg

http://www.projectxj.com/images/trail.runs/10.23.05-21road/images/IMG_6973.jpg

I then winched him back over and all was good.

Last couple:
http://www.projectxj.com/images/trail.runs/10.23.05-21road/images/IMG_6975.jpg

http://www.projectxj.com/images/trail.runs/10.23.05-21road/images/IMG_6970.jpg

[Wally]

Brain that was a BLAST this weekend, glad you, Chris and Terry could make it up. Sorry we missed everyone else all weekend long, sounds like there were about 15 rigs behind us on billings then the next day there were another 10 or so on 21 road. I have to admit the fire on billings was rather exciting, that's the first time i've had to use the fire extinguisher, glad i finally got one cause that could have turned UGLY really quick :eek:

[trailbuilt]

Nice pics...cant wait to run those trails!! Are those trails ok to run in the winter? Might run 21rd on the way home from Moab in 3 weeks.

[willyb]

Nice pics... Looks like a hella good time :D

-Will

[Blue Dodge]

How does one get to Billings Canyon from GJ?

Now that I think about it I don't even know how to get to 21 Road. I always I asumme I exit at whatever road is close and drive until I get there.

[fatwreck]

Getting to billings is a nightmare without a local showing you.

To get to 21road....exit the last GJ exit off of I70 (24road). Take a right at the light. Then run right on 21 road. Keep following that until you have to lock the hubs and start wheeling. :D

[Blue Dodge]

Getting to billings is a nightmare without a local showing you.

To get to 21road....exit the last GJ exit off of I70 (24road). Take a right at the light. Then run right on 21 road. Keep following that until you have to lock the hubs and start wheeling. :D

Yeah, I figured I could find 21 rd. :p Anyone with good directions to Billings? GPS Coords perhaps?

[MountainJeep]

Ha ha!!!!

looky who flopped on an easy obsticle!

sounds vaguely familiar....

[YJgirl]

:spit: bwaahahahaha! I haven't laughed that hard in a while. - thanks fatwreck for the pics - those are classic!





....now the question is fatwreck - are you turning in the damange to the insurance??? :confused: :P

[69commando]

Wally we almost caught up to you I laid it over just before you get to the rock garden on the curve were the pinyon tree is on the ground and you can try the harder line to the left. It almost took an hour to get it back on all four tires. Mark was hurt that you said tigger was ugly. I thought that was funnier than hell. He thinks that thing is the greatest buggies around. Sucks I was running late I would of loved to so see the the look on his face. I gave him crap about it all day. Well have to hook up next time

[MMIXJ]

props to wally all around... who knew the wheelie king could cook?
best homemade garlic mashed potatos i've ever eaten (and the tenderloin was mm-mmm-good). :)

also thanks for pointing me towards the locals favorite mtn bike trail-- lotsa fun and spectacular views.

and finally :beer: to your mad wheelin' skillz... our humble XJs could only watch as you attacked those insane lines.

later,

terry

[IntrepidXJ]

awesome pics guys....i can't wait to get back to CO next year :D

[Alpine Offroad]

If your going to start floppin' on flat ground you need to start doing it in the parking lot so you don't waste everyone elses time.
:D
LMFAO

[Alpine Offroad]

Get down here and lets start doing some good wheelin'

[MountainJeep]

Fires, beads blown, flops on the flats...gawddammit I think there is a new Circus in town

[cheepin]

It looks like you flopped in exactly the same spot as I did a few weeks ago!I went to high up on the left and got 3 wheeling.When I went to reverse the front right tire was on the sidewall so it slid into the hole between the rocks.
I really need to hit Billings!!Looks like a fun trail.

[MMIXJ]

in wally's defense, that "stuff" under his passenger tires was quicksand! wet, gooey, sandy...
once he got (too) high on that boulder, i think the other side just got sucked down in it and flopped him over.

pretty impressive recovery though-- wally stayed in the rig while we threw the cable around the cage and fatwreck had 'em back on all 4s in no time. 5 minutes later he was at it again.
:beer:

[ravencr]

Can't wait to see the video!

Chris

[Hippie]

That winch cable on the back of Wally's looks vaguely familiar :D .

Isn't that the line Josh backed down :D

[Guammy]

Note to self..
NEVER follow Wally :D

Great pics and when is the next 21 Road Circus? Thanksgiving?

[Rex Ashton]

Great pics and really enjoyed the video:beer:

[1BADCJ8]

Nice Vid wreck... Gotta go for sure.

[crawlnjeep]

Billings was fun, except for the quick inconvenience of breaking the vacuum pump off the diesel, but Jbquik fixed that pretty quick. I'm pretty sure we started about 1 1/2 hrs later than Wally, and still ended up waiting for an electrically deficient cherokee:D The big waterfall was lots of fun watching everyone bounce up.

[crawlnjeep]

That winch cable on the back of Wally's looks vaguely familiar :D .

Isn't that the line Josh backed down :D

No, that's the one I somehow ended up backing down

[J Kimmel]

Billings was fun, except for the quick inconvenience of breaking the vacuum pump off the diesel, but Jbquik fixed that pretty quick. I'm pretty sure we started about 1 1/2 hrs later than Wally, and still ended up waiting for an electrically deficient cherokee:D The big waterfall was lots of fun watching everyone bounce up.


I just got a disk of pics, I'll put up some highlights later:)

[Jocko]

I never get tired of this stuff.

Nice video.

[josh]

we were taking our time trying not to catch up on billings. but I wish we could have caught up on 21 rd. we spent to much time playing on the lower obstacles. plus our 3hr late start

the coolest thing on 21 road was having a moose walk down the trail to us. I got no pics of that only have a few pics.. and the coolest ones are blurry :frown:

[J Kimmel]

I take it the first two are the can opener?

I've got a few much better versions of the third one:)

I'll put them up tomorrow when I get to work.

[josh]

I take it the first two are the can opener?



yep..
I tried to yell at ya guys to hang around and watch. but you you took off to fast. drive home must have sucked for ya wheeling/bikeing all weekend than 4hrs home

[J Kimmel]

yep..
I tried to yell at ya guys to hang around and watch. but you you took off to fast. drive home must have sucked for ya wheeling/bikeing all weekend than 4hrs home


I'll hit it next time:)

I was so over being stuck(uh wedged) for two hours I was ready to leave. If I would've stayed I would've run it and that could've kept me there after dark.


Here's one sequence I got, the first drop in.


http://home.comcast.net/~jkimmel14/jeremy_near_endo.JPG

[Joe Dillard]

SWEET! :thumbsup:

Wally, see ya' in December! Any chance a few of your CO buddies wouild want to join in on the AZ run?

[Wally]

Jeremy/Josh, those pics are SICK :thumbsup: I wish we could have run with ya on 21 road, we got an early start since we were all up and josh had no way of getting ahold of you, so we farted around for a while then hung out at the alcove around 1:00pmj eating lunch waiting for you guys, and by 2:00pm no one was around so we headed on up the trail :( Oh well another time.


Joe i'll get back to ya on roundign up some folks for the the AZ trip.....650 miles each way on swampers :eek:

[jamescj7]

HA HA WALLY BLEW A BEAD:flipoff2::flipoff2:

[Steve]

Nice pics guys, really wish I could have been there, but I was up in the mountains filling my elk tag! :D

[cheepin]

[QUOTE=Joe i'll get back to ya on roundign up some folks for the the AZ trip.....650 miles each way on swampers :eek:[/QUOTE]
You wouldn't have any tire left after that! :D

[Blue Dodge]

Did Billings Canyon yesterday, fun trail. Actually found it really easy to find, much easier then any of the Montrose stuff. The signs were great.

Was surprised by the last few hundred yards, didn't think it would be that hard, the Dodge did well, but we broke one of the rigs with us (Dana 44 rear axle) and spent a lot of time winching him out. Also had a D44 hub blow on another rig, but that wasn't a big deal to fix.

[fatwreck]

no pics?

[Blue Dodge]

will try to round them up, my camera wasn't working, and I haven't got them from my friends yet.