March Madness, Kingman AZ Photos

[dzJeepChic 1,878]

I'm finally finding time to go through photos from March Madness in Kingman, 3/17 - 3/22/2018. I have to save some for JPFreek, but here's a few I can share here so far.

 

Day 1 - Candy Ass Trail - 18 rigs in attendance.

 

Wayne our trail leader giving the driver's meeting at the Kingman Visitor Center

 



Quick stop on the way to the trail to regroup after an axle broke on the way out!

 



A meeting of the minds?

 



ChrisD & Kermit on Candy Ass Trail

 



The approach to the 'Z-Turn' on Candy Ass Trail

 



ChrisD on the 'Z-Turn' on Candy Ass Trail

 

ChrisD took this video of George in Clifford on the 'Z-Turn'. It's from facebook, but you don't need a facebook account to view it.

 

 

On down the trail...

 

Wayne leading the way

 



Nearing the end of the trail

 



After exiting the wash, a look back at the rest of the group making their way to the end

[stockjeep 0]

great pictures Diane, that was a fun day

[ChrisD 23]

Cool pictures, Diane ! This was a great trail run. Once I am back in D, I will add pictures and movies. I have also a couple of movies from Clifford, which I have to work on first.

[dzJeepChic 1,878]

Day 2 - Twister & Wayne's World Trails - 13 vehicles in attendance

 

Photos by Diane and Ric Swats

 

Diane's google photos album

 

On the way to Twister with a train in the background

 



Aptly named Twister trail follows a rocky canyon offering lots of rocky obstacles

 



The yellow Jeeps offered a nice splash of color to my photos

 



Pretty Jeeps all in a row!!

 



Out here from Illinois and happened to see the trail ride on facebook. He signed up here, hope he sees this pic!

 



Bullhead 4 Wheeler taking the harder line

 



At the beginning of Wayne's World

 



Wayne on Wayne's World (always wanted to say that...)

 



One of the obstacles on Wayne's World trail

 



Somebody looking over Clifford's shoulder

 

 

 

[dzJeepChic 1,878]

Day 3 - Home Court Trail - 9 vehicles in attendance

 

Photos by Diane & Ric Swats

 

Click here to see entire album

 

Ric caught this awesome shot at airdown with the train in the background:

 

 

Long steep descent to the canyon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[dzJeepChic 1,878]

Day 4 - Cow Creek Trail - 8 vehicles in attendance

 

View entire album click here

 

When the trail head is close to the giant golf ball house, you gotta stop for a group shot!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[dzJeepChic 1,878]

Day 5 - The Wedges Trail - 17 vehicles in attendance

 

View entire album from the day here.

 

Two trails were originally planned on Day 5; The Wedges and Serendipity, but The Wedges Trail became a vehicle recovery effort that ended up taking too long. The Wedges is by far the hardest trail of the event. Like most of the trails in the area, it's in a wash that features some impressive rock walls, rock crevices (wedges), and rock waterfalls. Big group that day! A bunch of Bullhead 4x4 were there including Joan Beck in her CJ7; this Jeep was featured in a magazine back when we were newbies, so it was pretty cool to see it in person, and to see she's still wheeling it!

 

Airing down

 

 

Kind-of a celeb Jeep

 

 

Queue 'Charge of the Light Brigade'

 

 

Rock pile

 

 

 

 

 

Lichen, I found lichen!

 

 

 

 

Arriving at the main obstacle; a wedge with no by-pass

 

 

 

Pretty tricky!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ric Swats took this great shot from a distance of our new friend Bruce in the wedge

 

 

 

 

Elkpkr getting a little air in the wedge

 

 

Riding the passenger side wall

 

 

This was a tricky spot right before the waterfall that lots of folks had trouble with

 

 

 

Day 5 Continued

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[dzJeepChic 1,878]

After many other rocks we came to this other main obstacle; a waterfall with a super off-camber by-pass. Lots of people tried the waterfall but were denied and had to take the go-around.

 

 

By-pass

 

 

 

 

 

The guy in the white Jeep broke a front axle shaft on that tricky spot right before the waterfall, so Joan tugged him up to a level spot where he removed it, and continued in 2 wheel drive. That went okay until we got to the next rock garden, where he broke a rear axle shaft and rear drive shaft. From there everybody just jumped in to help get the broken Jeep through the rest of the trail to a graded road that runs alongside at the end. G came up with a plan to winch the broken Jeep out of the wash by doubling the line and anchoring to the International Scout that was part of the group. That part of the recovery went off without a hitch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was a long day and everybody was tired. Good thing day 6 was planned to be a mellow, easy day!

[theksmith 2,937]

nice trip report so far... it just never looks as bad in the photos as in real life!

 

did Christian make the waterfall in his beast? what about ole Clifford?!?

 

nice to hear that everyone pitched in for the broken guy - sounds like it just wasn't his day. what did you mean by doubling the line? did you use a snatch block to lessen the load on the line or did you mean you needed to add another strap to extend the length?

[dzJeepChic 1,878]

nice trip report so far... it just never looks as bad in the photos as in real life!

 

did Christian make the waterfall in his beast? what about ole Clifford?!?

 

nice to hear that everyone pitched in for the broken guy - sounds like it just wasn't his day. what did you mean by doubling the line? did you use a snatch block to lessen the load on the line or did you mean you needed to add another strap to extend the length?

 

Thanks, and I know, right? That wedge didn't look like squat...

 

No, Christian didn't make the waterfall, and Clifford didn't even attempt it since we'd be screwed if we broke something; we had to drive home in a few days.

 

Doubled the line by using a snatch block.