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Introducing Bumble, our new Jeep. Bumble is a 2023 Sport S with a V6/Automatic. After many years of driving Barbie, we decided an upgrade was due, so we made the change. We already have the Mopar 2 inch lift installed and will be buying tires soon. We named it Bumble after the snow man from the Rudolph cartoon. We are already having fun with the name. A Rubicon style name graphic is on order for the hood and the graphics shown below will go on the windows. No big plans for modifications. We will add or change what is needed to continue doing the trails we have done in Barbie. I am impressed with how high the jeep sits with the Mopar lift. It is supposed to be 2.5, it feels like more.

Starting to do some mods to get Bumble Trail ready. Installed larger, wider off road tires today. Went from 31 to 33 inch. They sales guy at Discount tire talked me into wider rims and I am glad he did. These are about 1.5 inches wider and have a more positive offset, helping to visually fill wheel wells. Plus, I am VERY happy with how the new rims look. When we brought it home: New Tires and rims Installed Seat covers on the front seats. We always cover the seats in any vehicle we buy. This protects them from my butt sliding across the cushion on the way in and out. Removed the rear seats so we can maximize the room for camping gear. Lots of room back here! Next up, Rock sliders. We are leaning towards the LoD brand.

I sure hope I got the maneuver that was Rita's demise out of my system!

Jack got her lift. 3.5 inch Metal Cloak. Installed by Valley Spring. Went with the Fox 2.0 thanks for the recommendations!

i spent Sunday removing the rear storage system temporarily in order to do some re-wiring for a new project... while it was empty, i added a third L-track anchor point in the middle of the platform above the drawer:

Barbie had to sit out in the storm last night. Bumble is nice and dry. 😁 You may notice she is a bit too tall for the barn door. My morning view of Mingus Mtn, the Black hills and Jerome.

Last week we replaced the awful Milestar Patagonia tires that had turned into square tires! We are loving the new BFG KO2s. We are using this more for an around town vehicle and we have snow up here so went for a slightly smaller all terrain tire. We are throwing a lot less mud coming home on our dirt road and can actually drive 70mph without rattling our spines and internal organs!! What a change! I have to be careful not to speed through town now!

Washed a bunch of Jeeps this week and decided that I should do a family photo shoot while all the Jeeps are still here. L-R 81 Wagoneer, 77 Cherokee " The Chief", 23 Wrangler "Bumble" and 97 TJ "Barbie" 😁

We are sticking with the tent and cots. I'm a bit too tall to fit comfortably in the back of the jeep.

The gang and I completed our KOFA Run this morning. It was good to see some familiar faces, even Louie the dog was along for the ride. Over the three days we were there we only saw 3 other people, we essentially had the place to ourselves. The weather was perfect, nights were a little colder than I expected but not a big deal. This was my first trip using a tent so I may have felt the cold a little more. Still awesome weather everyday. We ran the trails noted in the original post and added a part of the Hodoo Trail down to the cabin. Those in attendance were: @gearhead (Co-Lead and Tailgunner) @Ken Ford @Mick Bowers @Rawhyd Day 1- We covered approximately 25 miles to camp in the shadow of Polaris Mountain. We took King Road to Polaris Mountain road to where it J hooked an ended at an epic camp spot that had views for days. We set up camp, relaxed and took in the scenery. The trails were easy and in good shape. Day 2- 46 Miles- We woke up to a beautiful morning and broke camp with a goal of making it to the Hovatter Homestead by days end. We made our way back to King Road then went and explored the Polaris/North Star Mine, this area is pretty darn cool. The trail to Polaris Rd. is easy, Polaris Rd. itself is a short moderate trail. We visited the old cabin then hiked the old road to the mining area. Not much has changed here which is impressive. We explored the mines with core samples and the other debris on the trail to the big mine. After exploring we made our way out the KOFA cemetery where we stopped and paid our respects. The rest of the day's trails were easy to moderate with no significant challenges. Mild off camber spots, rocky terrain, ruts, some steep climbs and epic scenery sum it up nicely. This time I did not let the Hoodoo Wash beat me, I remembered where I got sideways last year and corrected my mistake. We made our way down to check out the Hodoo Cabin this year. It is a pretty cool cabin, however, there is a warning about Africanized Bee's under the bathroom so that's kinda scary. We arrived at the Hovatter Homestead a little before 3 for another relaxing evening under the stars. I visited the family graves, payed my respects the to Hovatter's again and thanked Mr. Hovatter for his hospitality. (I am weird like that) We had the entire place to ourselves until it got dark, then the coyotes started making a bunch of noise. They kept the noise up overnight doing whatever coyotes do at night. Day 3- 29 Miles- We woke to another beautiful but colder morning. We took our time breaking camp then made our way out Hovatter Road to the Pilot on Vicksburg Rd. The trail was just as bumpy and rocky as I remember from last year for the first portion then it evened out and was easy all the way up. The views on the way were just as awesome as l remember. Thanks again to everyone that came along for the ride, I had a good time and hope you did too. I did not take many pictures myself this time and am looking forward to seeing everyone's pics. I did get this pic from @Mick Bowers.

Hi everyone, I finally got the Mammoth trip video from last April published! I am so sorry it took me this long! This year, I am going to work hard to try and get caught up, somehow~ I am 12 videos behind. HAHA... This was such an amazing trip! Thanks everyone for letting us join the adventure and film~

this is what victory looks like!

Jack got a 3.5 inch Metal Cloak lift, Fox 2.0 shocks, Teraflex rzeppa high angle joint, Metal Cloak evap canister and power steering relocation brackets installed. She's ready for a shake down run!

random updates... lead most of Asbestos Mine trail but ran into deep snow near the top and had to turn around. cool shot of gadget coming back down by @4x4tographer: driver side door handle broke inside, got a new one installed pretty quickly (Mopar part # 68059175AA). ran up to Mingus Mountain on Sunday to play in the snow a bit. i also recently added an inverter to my auxiliary battery area...

Have a great bday

That feeling when it breaks loose is magic.

She has already been kicked out of her parking spot, so Yes, she is Jealous. :)

Scout route GPX uploads are supposed to meet the same quality standards as normal write-up GPX files. Scouts uploading trails are on contract and are paid by the mile (uploaded). Scout Route GPX files and write-ups are also reviewed by senior TOR personal before being published. I can tell you the person reviewing AZ uploads (Wade) is "fussy" about the GPX quality, and rightfully so. The main point of TOR (regular or scout routes) is that each trail has been driven, as presented very near to the date published, to ensure accuracy and currency. And speaking for myself, route GPX files I upload have been carefully cleaned (edited) prior to uploading to remove "parking drift" and side trails (or missed turns) not pertinent to the route being described. I personally also use two independent GPS devices to record and validate the primary against the secondary recorded route to ensure best accuracy. ====== If anyone is interested in learning how I edit so you can build your own clean GPX files for whatever purpose, as a TOR scout, or just to hand out GPX files to friends and such, I am happy to show you. Overview: I use Garmin Basecamp. I have OSM map files downloaded into Basecamp so the software solution is completely free ($$). I then import my recorded GPX files from both GPS devices (Gaia on an IPad, Garmin Montana 700i). I will take the higher resolution recording (Gaia usually) and duplicate it for editing (keeping the original untouched) I will then use the Basecamp detailed GPX viewer to remove any excess trail lead-in and excess follow out I then begin to closely inspect the path for instances of parking drift. Places where I stopped and the GPS recorded multiple "points" but due to natural GPS drift, may appear to having my traveling and a tight circle I use the GPX viewer to selectively remove the excess recorded points I will then edit out any side trails (eg: exploring camping options), missed turns, backups, etc... GPX viewer to remove excess data points I will then visually (re)validate the edited route as true to both of the original recordings I do NOT validate that the recording follows trails as shown on the map as map data may be outdated or plain incorrect. I may use map data to split a single recording into multiple named trails TRO is changing their standards to record each named road/trail by itself instead of arbitrary complex routes The trails I upload are true to the path you need to travel to successfully complete the route. This is the intended outcome of TOR

Just wanted to throw in a short little clip I put together to share before the full video I will put together maybe months down the road. 😅

Photo courtesy of @4x4tographer I am borrowing information from @4x4tographer with his blessing. He helped me get my hands on the permit for this run, thanks dude! 🙂 Join my wife and I for a day trip on the famous Casner Mountain Trail! The USFS only allots 22 permits per year to help keep this trail in good shape. Each permit limited to 10 vehicles/25 people, that means getting there and running the trail is a special treat. This trail will take us high above the city of Sedona along a series of serious switchbacks where we will gain 2,000 ft of elevation in just under 2 miles. At the top, we will ride the ridge-back of the mountains with beautiful views of the Red Rock Secret Mountain Wilderness to the right and Sycamore Canyon to the left. As we climb, the landscape will transform from scrub brush and junipers to the tall and shady Ponderosa pines. We'll cruise through the Coconino National Forest and end up just outside of the city of Flagstaff near the I-17. When & Where: Saturday: July 1, 2023 @ 8:30 A.M. Air down and depart NLT 9:00 A.M.- Please arrive fueled up and ready to go. Location: Dirt lot near the intersection of 89A and Loy Butte Road (FR 525) 34.815120577231774, -111.9052835271499 Trail Rating: Moderate We will be running the trail from South to North, dropping us off near Flagstaff. This trail is not very technical- based on past experience it is well maintained. There are very steep inclines with tight turns (in the switchbacks on the way up and along the saddle), moderate off-camber and narrow shelf roads. Because of the steep , off-camber and very tight switchbacks Full-sized trucks are not recommended. Also, if your rig is a manual I ask that you be very comfortable with it when climbing uphill. Great trail resources: TrailsOffroad: https://www.trailsoffroad.com/trails/1460-casner-mountain-trail A great trip report and photos from @4x4tographer Vehicle Requirements: High clearance, 4x4 with low range, aggressive A/T or M/T tires are required. GMRS or ham radio in good working order. Most stock 4x4 vehicles with low range will do great. Rear lockers/limited slip recommended.(Not required) Communications: GMRS Channel 20 (462.675mhz) Additional Items: Dress for the weather Bring a chair! Bring snacks, a lunch and plenty of water Recovery gear/traction aid Emergency supplies / Med kit Sunscreen! Don't forget that camera - you're going to want it Bring a positive attitude! 🤘 Sign-Up: Per the permit: 10 vehicles MAX and 25 people MAX. When you sign up, please tell me how many are in your party. Anyone above the 10 vehicle max will be added to the standby list. Don't worry if you end up on stand-by; people drop out as plans change and you may end up getting a spot! Attending: @shellback91 & Mrs. shellback91(Lead) @MzPriss +1 @AZRNintheJeep242 @LaZorraRoja +1 @Jbjr +1 @Sputternutz +1 @Dcoleaz +1 @snoopy61 @REDROCK TONIHAWK +1 @camas Harris +1

I can attest to this! When I ran the trail, I had to keep stopping because the folks in front of me were taking pictures. Starting out again on that steep grade with a manual was challenging! The views were worth it though!

This is what happens on a winters night... Before, after and what could be considered logic in some circles

I see your bear and raise you...

We replaced our factory ball joints on our 2021 JLUR with new rebuildable Dynatrac HD Ball Joints today! It was not too hard except that the knuckle was stuck and took a lot of effort to get out of the old ball joints.

Replaced cabin air filters, did a fluid check and inspection of miscellaneous nuts, bolts and things.

Apache Maid Area Exploration- Camping At Buckhorn Cabin Saturday June 3rd & Sunday June 4th Primitive Tent Camping | No Facilities Join me for 2 days of easy low mileage exploration on this overland style run. I expect this to be a low key, low effort run before the weather gets too warm. (Trails are colored Teal below) Saturday we will start on Stoneman Lake Road which is approximately 6 miles east of I-17. We will make stops and check out anything interesting along the way this day. We will take Stoneman Lake Road east to Rocky Gulch Ridge then south to a small piece of Apache Maid Trail. We will pick up Cedar Flat Road and turn south until we find 00081A. From there we will snake our way down about 4 miles to the Buckhorn Ranch and cabin where we will camp and check out that area. Sunday morning we will work our way back to Cedar Flat Road then over to the Beaver Creek trail and then southward towards Camp Verde. Meetup,Air-Down and Departure When: June 3rd @ 9:30 A.M, departing no later than 10:00 A.M.. We are only covering about 35-40 miles Saturday so we should make the cabin mid afternoon. Subject to change. Where: Stoneman Lake Road Trailhead. (Where the paved section of Stoneman Lake Road from I-17 ends) Fuel up in Camp Verde if coming from the valley. Please arrived fueled up. Requirements A high clearance 4x4 truck or SUV with a low range transfer case option, suitable front & rear recovery point, aggressive A/T or M/T tires While not required, aftermarket skid plates, rock rails, and sway-bar disconnects are suggested. Rigs & drivers must meet all the typical state/federal legal requirements for on-highway vehicles (license, insurance, registration, seat belts, lights, etc.) Vehicle should be mechanically sound and safe to drive Drivers of varying experience should be fine on this trip PRIMITIVE CAMPING Camping stuff (tent, sleeping bag, chair, stove, etc.) Other Important Details Bring 2 lunches, 1 dinner, 1 breakfast, snacks MORE water than you need Camping (PRIMITIVE) Please bring appropriate clothing and bedding. Radio Comms Primary - GMRS channel 20 (462.675 MHz) Recovery gear, first aid kit, fire extinguisher Folding chair, camera Adult beverages are allowed and must be enjoyed responsibly. Absolutely No Drinking and Driving Is Allowed. Subject to cancellation or postponement due to weather, WW3, plague, the rapture, natural disasters or lack of interest. Sign-Ups Rig limit: Going to limit to 8 rigs because I am not sure how space is available at the cabin. After that, I'll place you on standby. Do not hesitate to sign up as peoples schedules sometimes change and you may be able to go. Attending: @shellback91 (Leading) @Curly & Devon @AZRNintheJeep242 @MzPriss @Bradywgn71 @Jbjr @gearhead @gman Standby Crew: @mbuckner @Eugene @OffroadFun @Rawhyd

Worth noting, Metalcloak has unparalleled customer service. I had initially emailed them to ask about clearance with their tie rod and my stock wheels. They told me up front that I’d have some issues. They recommended putting a few washers onto the steering stops on the knuckles - but said long term that spacers/new wheels were the final answer. All that to say, maybe give them a call/email and see if the same is true for the JK. Dimensionally we’re a little different, but they’re an honest bunch out there. Last note, I knew going into it that I was lifting, wheels/tires, new HD steering… so the domino effect was anticipated in my case :) There may be some aftermarket tie rod options out there that work with OEM wheels, but in generally I found Metalclock to be the most budget-friendly HD option on the market.

Great trip, Marty. Thank you for planning and leading it!

Hopefully the tribe will do a future permit type system and open it up to small groups. So frustrating how we lose acess because of irresponsible idiots!

finally added a small pure sine wave inverter to this system. this Giandel 1200 watt unit had good reviews and was thin enough at 3" to fit between the wall and fridge. FYI, it seems to go on-sale on Amazon for about 30% off every few weeks. it was a quick install since i'd already wired in an extra fuse holder when i first setup this whole auxiliary battery system. i ran a 3 outlet extension up to the passenger side of my rear FrontRunner cargo area shelf to have better access to plug things in when needed. the inverter also has a remote turn-on button, but i left that off since it's easy enough to just reach behind the fridge and push the on button when needed. gave it test run with this small electric kettle and everything seemed to work as expected!

This was such a great trip! Thanks for sharing the video. I see you caught my good side momentarily. 😆

Congrats!! This should be a lot more comfortable for those long trips!

No quick disconnects on the kit, but they are part of my future upgrade plan. I like the ones you have on your jeep.

Happy birthday dude!

Hope you have a chill day K-dude!!

Happy b-day Mr K! Remember that it's not the years, it's the milage.

Happy B-day Kris!

Happy Birthday Kris

I built my own 4-tire harness out of Amazon sourced parts. Observations: I don't use it to deflate because I already have field tunable deflators that are fairly easy and quick. in this case the harness neither saved time nor made it significantly easier I do use the harness to inflate using a 14CFM dual output portable compressor, it doesn't really save time for inflation strictly speaking, but I have freedom to roam and chat or do other post ride stuff on the Jeep while inflating. Using the four tire harness satisfies my OCD about having the same pressure in each tire on pavement. If anyone else needs an inflate, having them pull up to the front of my rig makes their inflation go super fast after I finish mine. My pump has a 100% duty cycle as compared to most portables that have 33% duty cycles. Design: It is actually composed of two independent two-tire harnesses, so I can use only half the system at once if I need to (say a damaged chuck or split hose) The split system also takes advantage of my main pump's dual output plenum for maximum CFM out 3/8" hose for high airflow Each leg can go from the nose of the vehicle where the pump is likely to sit to the rear tire of a Gladiator with a safe amount of slack I have three jeeps I move this back and forth between, including a Gladiator. Normally closed chucks incase on pops off a valve stem Each half harness has a source-end shutoff valve to allow for connecting to tires before the pump, or for deflation usage. Each half has a port for the other half to plug-in in case I need to use a single output compressor This also is how I intended to support 4-tire balanced deflation Each half has a built-in air gauge, one half has a digital (easy, precision quick read), the other an analog (in case of a dead battery) I have adaptors for common single output air compressors, male, female, 1/4, 3/8 I have three portable pumps in my collection and none of them have the same output port Also useful if my pump blows up in the field and I need to borrow someone else's I actually built two separate split harnesses (4 two-tire legs) for around $100-ish each in hose related parts I spent more buying some custom tools I did not already have Two total setups because the best value in 3/8 hose at the time was more than twice as much hose as I required for one harness. And I was only a few part short of the second full setup when I finished the first. Doesn't include the cost of the four bags each leg is stored in. Why yes I am an OVER Engineer. What made you ask? If you don't have the tools (nor time), the costs of a pre-built kit is not a huge amount more and generally worth it. As long as it is designed to meet your specific needs. But to have the flexibility I have, they will nickel and dime you to death, split usage, dual output air pump support, various size and gender adaptors, digital/analog gauge redundancy and such. I do recommend paying attention to the core hose size and the flow size of any harness plenums. It kinds sucks to have a distribution system can can't distribute the maximum air flow your 4 valve stems could all take at once. I like to make sure the valve stems are the limiting factor. At some point I am going to build an air harness into the vehicle frame, at least the core distribution system to each wheel/corner. Mainly because I am lazy, and this is easier even if I continue to use a portable pump. But if you truly want to save time, this is the only way to go. Getting the full harness out and putting it away kills any time you same in being able to pump once.

Another great annual trip on the Back Way to Crown King. One of my all-time favorite trails. We had a great group of people out for the trip, including @theksmith, @J2DXPLR, @K2man56, @Jbjr, and @d3lbort. A great mix of faces and rigs, both old and new! We met up at about 7am just outside of Lake Pleasant on Castle Hot Springs Rd. We were in for a gorgeous day of sun, fun, and challenges. Of course, no trip to CK can be complete without paying our respects to the CK Rock. The trail has seen better days in the past with our recent few years of wild monsoons and wildfires. However, we noticed that a good chunk of the trail had recently been bladed, likely ahead of the Jamboree in a few weeks. The road was still pretty rough though, despite the bulldozing. The trail has multiple optional challenges along the way ranging from mild to wild. The majority of the group did most of the obstacles - with a few attempting every one, including "The Escalator". From my annual snapshot perspective, all of the obstacles were a bit more tame this year than in years past (that or I'm just becoming desensitized!) Here are some snaps from obstacle 1. Obstacle 2 gives you 3 possible challenges - everyone walked right up the most difficult line! I also think this is the most photogenic obstacle on the entire trail. Look at that rig lineup! We trucked on, knocking over challenge by challenge. We only had 1 recovery up to this point where @d3lbort got a little high-centered on some soft dirt. Some repositioning and a tug from @theksmith and they popped free! Here are some more random photos from along the trail. The mine at Humbug Creek and Burro John has changed drastically - again. The operation really seems to have expanded. They had a number of earthmovers running as we drove through the re-re-re-re-redirected trail. We broke for lunch at about 11:15 just past the mine, right along a flowing Humbug Creek - a welcome site. I haven't seen it flowing since 2019. After lunch we started the last 1/3rd of the trail, which typically takes some time as due to the narrow nature of the trail (and SxS traffic) in addition to the ledges at Oro Belle Mine which always require from finesse and recovery. As we progressed deeper into the trail, the road became a nice slushy mess of snow and ice and mud, which I've not seen on the trail before. The Ledges: Some time between 2021 and 2022 someone created a bypass around the first ledge at Oro Belle. The ledge has gotten a lot worse since then. I used to be able to get over it in a stock Rubicon - not today on 2.5" lift and 35's. I was stuck pretty good, with my front passenger LCA bracket stuck on a dip in the ledge. @d3lbort attempted to pull me backwards off the ledge, but no dice. Out came the hi-lift jack and wheel lifter - stacking some rocks - another tug and BOOM - off the ledge. For a sense of scale on how torn up the ledge is now - the biggest member of the group (@theksmith) was defeated and he's on 37's and 5" of lift. Given a lot more time (and without a rabid pack of SXS's on our butts) we probably could have figured it out, but the ledge has become a real challenge. Here's @J2DXPLR from a distance giving it the old college try! The bypass isn't much better, complicated by running water, making for a slippery climb. As the crew was climbing, there was a lot of slippage to the driver-side with the possibility of smacking the boulder pictured below (far right). Once past the bypass, it was time for the 2nd ledge at Oro Belle. 2nd Ledge pictured in front of my Jeep We had to do another bit of recovery when @d3lbort got high-centered on an inconvenient boulder in the center of the ledge. Out popped the hi-lift, rock stacking, and a tug with a strap and she was free! Here's Jacq guiding Jeremy over the ledge. Note the rock face to the left and the 50ft drop to the right. A nerve-wracking spot for sure - and the snow didn't make it much better. @theksmith spanked it though - naturally! The last leg of the trail climbs up and up - with excellent views of where we'd been. We stopped in town for a well earned burger, fried zucchini, and the famous fudge from the CK General Store! Sorry, I didn't take any photos in town. On the way down Crown King Road to the I17, we stopped to "ooo and ahhh" over the views. We were aired up and on the highway by 6:15pm. A full day for sure of fun and challenges! Thanks again for everyone that could join us and make for such an excellent day. It was great seeing/meeting you all.

That's a cool video!

After poking around some here is what I am finding. Overall I am impressed and like it. I am sure they will be improving/updating as time goes on. I thought I'd share because why not. 🙂 I have it set as the base layer in these images. I only have The Gaia Overland in Feet and the MVUM layer on my map and I can see what I need to see. This is up north with the opacity all the way down on the Gaia and MVUM layers. Opacity on Gaia Overland all the way "up", MVUM opacity all the way "down". The brown "tabs/plates" over the road that show road/trail numbers are part of the Gaia Overland layer. There are more details and POI's for lack of a better word. This is with both layers opacity all the way "up". Notice how the MVUM now labels 00161B. I am sure some of the bugs, if that is what this is, will be worked out.