Huge credit to Frank Whiston and the crew that helped get our signs in place down at Gordy's. It helped me learn my way around down there much better and put me in places I'd never been before - getting eyes on trails that made me want to go play! So here we go, more rock crawling down at Gordy's!
We will start early, due to the likelihood of recovery time required to move rigs through these trails.
We will use the gatekeeper on Hidden Valley to make sure all rigs on the run are good to go for the day. We will then do Yeehaw. We will run Cat Scratch last. We got eyes on more of Cat Scratch yesterday on Doug Elkins' run - it's an uphill boulder garden that will require sliders, skid plates, and solid use of rear lockers. Once you're on the trail, there's not a break until you reach the end of the climb, and no bypasses. (It reminds me Iron Chest, outside Salida, CO.) Due to overgrowth, we will be crawling over vegetation as much as we are boulders. Everyone signed up as of Jan. 25th should be good to go, in terms of rig-capability.
We walked more of Yeehaw yesterday on Doug Elkins' run - enough to discover one obstacle that is more than any of us want to tackle, well into L8 territory, and we're thinking Yeehaw might be a buggy trail nowadays. On this run, we can walk everyone up to that spot and let the group decide. There are plenty of crawling trails down at Gordy's and we can substitute another trail for Yeehaw.
Neither Yeehaw nor Cat Scratch have made it onto TrailsOffRoad yet and none of us have run them in a while. I don't have videos to share with you. I've never run them before, so it will be fun to explore new territory. They should be comparable to Bad Hair Day, Doug's Dilemma, Fred's Shortcut, and Hidden Valley. These are all Level 6 - 7 trails.
On a recent run in the area, we walked the first part of Cat Scratch and it is VERY overgrown. We need tracks on it to open it back up. The sign labels it a 6, and from what we saw, I would say a hard 6. What we got eyes on was a fun-looking but gnarly uphill boulder garden with ledges and a turn thrown in. It's in a very narrow little canyon, so you basically take the line you see; there aren't many options and no bypasses. I have no idea what's after that, but I want to find out!
Equipment requirements for Rock Crawling @ Gordy's:
Minimum 2" suspension lift; 3" or higher strongly recommended
Minimum 35" tires; 37's or larger strongly recommended
Dual lockers req'd
Winch/tow straps/soft shackles req'd - winch controllers and soft shackles must be within arms reach, tow straps easily accesible
Tow points front & rear
Skid plates/sliders strongly recommended
While things break on the trail, rigs must be in good mechanical condition prior to heading out; please do not attempt these trails with known mechanical issues.
Fire extinguisher & first aid kit
GMRS radio
This run will be not be suitable for stock rigs, for overlanders, or for full-size trucks.
This run is suitable only for purpose-built rock crawlers.
Pin-stripping guaranteed, body damage possible, undercarriage damage possible.
While these trails are great for building veteran driver skills, these trails are not suitable for novice drivers. Drivers must have experience with climbing & descending 2-4' ledges, navigating boulder gardens, and managing high-degree off-camber sections. Drivers must understand how to use torque vs horsepower. Drivers must understand how to use recovery gear and be able to assist in winching themselves and others, as needed. Drivers must be able to follow instructions given by spotters.
Equipment requirements above are somewhat negotiable, if the driver has significant off-road experience and is comfortable with the build of their rig. If you have questions about your driver skills or the build of your rig, please contact me prior to the run.
Please check the NM4W Trail Ratings document for more information about our Moderate & Hard ratings.
We will stop for lunch along the way, so bring whatever you need: food, water, chairs.
We will depart the meet point about 8:15 - 8:20.
We will air down at the kiosk, and have a short driver's meeting before heading out, by about 9:15.
Due to trail difficulty, capacity is limited to 10 rigs for this run.
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While I normally love having fur babies along, please do not bring dogs. We will almost certainly be in and out of rigs often, needing to focus on spotting or recovery. Safety of humans comes first, so please leave the fur babies home for the day.
Children welcome; parents/guardians responsible for safety.
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Please contact me with questions about this run. You can email me at the above link. Within the last 24 hours of the run, please text me for fastest response. Contact info on my Member Profile.
Let's go crawl!
:-)mary
For more information on this Ride use the
link above to contact Mary with any questions.If you wish to go, be sure to fill out an Application Form to add youself as a potential NM4W member.
Be sure to have a look at our Trail Ratings information to know what you are in for.
You can also use our Photo Gallery to Search for photos from prior rides to this area.
NOTE: NM4W requires all ride attendees, including passengers, to sign a 'Release of Liability' waiver.
After you submit an Application Form, you can e-sign the waiver online before the ride.