Rollins Pass 2/26

[dmeis]

Eric and I decided to make quick trip up to Rollins Pass. I heard from Elk that there was a pretty big drift blocking the trail near the start. We had an afternoon window open. Soooo we thought we would go poke at it and see what would happen.

It was a hastey start to begin with. That should have been our first clue that we wern't going to get back on time. There were a few of us in hot water that night.

To start it off, Eric forgot his "winch bag" with his remote and his air down tools. He was at his usual 12 psi street pressure. Considering that the clock was ticking he went with it as is. I was in the middle of airing down to my usual 2-3 psi when I learned about the missing winch bag. I guess I figured I wouldnt get too serious either so I finished up and we were off.

Once we got to the drift Eric was hitting it pretty good and I kept pulling him out. He even tried taking a different approach to the drift. 30 feet was about all he could get. We went on like this for a bit and even kept the strap hooked up to save time. Finally I spoke up and got my chance at the front. I hit it about 85% and she busted over ontop. I went about 50 feet before I lost momentum. I was able to back up a bit before getting stuck so Eric pulled me out. I hit the drift again this time with everything. This time I got stopped half way through the drift. Or so I thought. I backed up a little ways again when Eric had to pull up to pull me out. We had to double up on the straps because I was way out there. We should have used three straps because now Eric gets stuck. Remember when I said he left his winch bag at home with his winch controller. All he can do is use my little folding shovel. :flipoff2: Now were both stuck in the drift. It's now time to go home and we aren't leaving anytime soon. Eric starts digging out and I try winching to the other side. I figure if I can get turned around I can winch Eric out and he can then back out through the mess.

After running the winch out and hooking up the tree strap in knee-to-crotch deep snow three times I was getting pretty tired. I decided it was time to air down some more. I had 3psi in both rears, 4 in the front drivers and 5 in the passenger tire. I dropped them all to 1-2 on the gauge. With the lower air pressure the Jeep tires just lifted out of the stuck holes I was in and drove clear to where I had my tree strap hooked up. I couldn't believe what a difference paying attention to your air pressure can do. :rant:

So I get turned around. Blast back over to where Eric is and try to tug him out but he has dug himself half way to China. After some tugging and winching he is finally free.

AND once we think we have it in the clear, we look down the trail towards the trucks and we find ourselves blocked in by a single stuck truck. No one else around. After a short delay of getting him tugged out we loaded up and headed home. Only two hours late.:hail:

Here are a few of the pics that my daughter took.
Eric is stuck pretty bad. I swear when he started out he was on top of that snow. :flipoff2:
http://www.colorado4x4.org/trails/rollins_pass/February_2006/HPIM0468.jpg

I made it to the other side. This pic is actually when I decided to air down to 1-2 psi.
http://www.colorado4x4.org/trails/rollins_pass/February_2006/HPIM0469.jpg

Moffet Tunnel below...
http://www.colorado4x4.org/trails/rollins_pass/February_2006/HPIM0476.jpg

Coming back for Eric.
http://www.colorado4x4.org/trails/rollins_pass/February_2006/HPIM0491.jpg

Did I mention he was on top of the snow when we started? hehe
http://www.colorado4x4.org/trails/rollins_pass/February_2006/HPIM0493.jpg

Getting ready to pull Eric out of the abyss...
http://www.colorado4x4.org/trails/rollins_pass/February_2006/HPIM0495.jpg

My daughter gets bored as a train comes out of the Moffet tunnel.
http://www.colorado4x4.org/trails/rollins_pass/February_2006/HPIM0501.jpg

I think his Jeep liked it in the hole...
http://www.colorado4x4.org/trails/rollins_pass/February_2006/HPIM0506.jpg

I think I can I think I can...
http://www.colorado4x4.org/trails/rollins_pass/February_2006/HPIM0515.jpg

Were out...almost. :P
http://www.colorado4x4.org/trails/rollins_pass/February_2006/HPIM0518.jpg

[bigun]

Thanks I used to go fishing at Yankee doodle lake up that road. The last time I went up was in July of 1990. While I was there some guys came up in a Toy. Pick up and packed the bed with snow they were going to go back to Denver and have a snow ball fight

[Blake Shepherd]

I saw you guys heading up as I was heading down.

We were planning to do some snowmobiling up there, but there wasn't enough snow at the beginning of the trail, so we never unloaded the sleds.

Are there a lot of dry spots on the road, or is the road snow packed once you get up there?

[dmeis]

I waved at you in your red truck in Nederland. You can't miss that big window sticker. Most of the south facing grade, from what I could see, was pretty well melted.

[fatwreck]

Awesome trip report and pictures.....even though you didn't get very far. :D

It looks like the sand hills were much more fun for you guys.

[Elk]

At least you got further than I did. I should have gone wheeling instead of trying to fix my seal. :D

[Eric]

DMeis also almost had a trailer flat on the way up there, so add that to the big list of things that went wrong :D I was disappointed because my negligence caused us to run late, and after watching Dmeis float on the snow at 1psi I knew we could have gotten much farther up the trail had I not forgotten all my OBA gear. I still had fun though despite the unplanned workout of digging halfway to china :thumbsup: It was a beautiful afternoon to be in the mountains.

[Wally]

I still had fun though despite the unplanned workout of digging halfway to china :thumbsup:

ahhhh you could stand a little work out anyways :flipoff2:

Looks like fun, hopefully eric will learn to drive by this summer so we won't have to wait on him anymore :D Thanks again Dmise for taking the time to show eric the basics of wheeling, sounds like he's making progress after the last attempt in the dunes a few weeks ago.

[dmeis]

:popcorn:

[Eric]

ahhhh you could stand a little work out anyways :flipoff2:

I'm not fat, I'm big boned!
http://www.colorado4x4.org/er/cartmanbeefcake.gif

Beefcake!!


Looks like fun, hopefully eric will learn to drive by this summer so we won't have to wait on him anymore :D Thanks again Dmise for taking the time to show eric the basics of wheeling, sounds like he's making progress after the last attempt in the dunes a few weeks ago.

So are you suggesting that going snowbashing without a shovel, winch, or even airing down isn't a good idea? You little sissy, it's all about being "hardcore" man, hardcore!

Btw, do you even go out in the snow or are you waiting for the spring thaw???