rascole
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 2,830
- Location
- Bellflower, CA
Last weekend I knocked a few trails off my bucket list for the H3. The group I wheel with had there second annual Big Bear Ironman Challenge. The 4 hardest trails in BB in one day, 15.5 hours finished at 1:30am. The run includes Dishpan Springs, Holcomb Creek (hardest), Gold Mountain (easiest) and John Bull in that order. We started with @ 16 rigs and finished with 9.
Dishpan claimed the first victim, a '19 4Runner with LT kit broke an axle on the second waterfall with no spare, we had to tow him out the rest of the way due to traffic behind us. Him and his buddy bailed after that 4.5 hour event.
Holcomb Creek was next, West to East, considered the easier way only because on 1 boulder waterfall. I got turtled 40 feet into the gate keeper and need a tug taking a boulder with me and a large dent in my gas tank skid plate. There were a few other non trail related breakdowns and some rain to make it a little bit slippery, this trail was @ a 3 hour run and 4 other rigs called it quits after we finished.
Gold Mountain was next, @ 6pm and no rain, this was the fastest time we have ever run this trail. Normally a relaxed day of filming and lunch breaks turned into a mini version of KOH. No breakdowns or hang ups but my power steering started to get hot and steering was making some noise. At this point, this was the longest day of wheeling I and the H3 have done and it was showing. We decided to take a dinner and mental break, it was well needed.
John Bull was last on the list getting to the trail head @ 11pm. Here we lost another rig, a built 80's Bronco with a diesel started to leak from the PS box and didn't wat to risk a failure on the trail. JB considered to be the second hardest trail was no joke, adding to the difficulty was pitch black skies and cloud cover with washing machine size boulders most of the way. Half way through a built Ranger/buggy lost his clutch and shift linkage after a blast over a hard line. He was now stuck in double low 5th gear. He could mover under his own power but had to be pull started if he stalled it. A first gen 4Runner ripped a valve stem off and didn't realize it until after the tire side wall was shredded. He did limp the rest of the way off but the tire and rim are gone. I got hung up again towards the end after picking a bad line in the dark. We rolled back into camp @ 1:30am, which thankfully was half a mile from the trail exit by design. I was beat down and humbled after that run. The guys there that have done the Rubicon say that this challenge is about half of the Rubicon, if so, that is next on my bucket list.
I left with a few more scrapes and skid plate dents but nothing worth fixing until it is down for the LS swap. Bigger PS cooler will be on the list during the swap too. Can't wait to do the trails again but maybe not all in one day, unless I get tons and 40's, then it should be easier.
I'll post a link to the video when he posts it to Youtube.
Dishpan claimed the first victim, a '19 4Runner with LT kit broke an axle on the second waterfall with no spare, we had to tow him out the rest of the way due to traffic behind us. Him and his buddy bailed after that 4.5 hour event.
Holcomb Creek was next, West to East, considered the easier way only because on 1 boulder waterfall. I got turtled 40 feet into the gate keeper and need a tug taking a boulder with me and a large dent in my gas tank skid plate. There were a few other non trail related breakdowns and some rain to make it a little bit slippery, this trail was @ a 3 hour run and 4 other rigs called it quits after we finished.
Gold Mountain was next, @ 6pm and no rain, this was the fastest time we have ever run this trail. Normally a relaxed day of filming and lunch breaks turned into a mini version of KOH. No breakdowns or hang ups but my power steering started to get hot and steering was making some noise. At this point, this was the longest day of wheeling I and the H3 have done and it was showing. We decided to take a dinner and mental break, it was well needed.
John Bull was last on the list getting to the trail head @ 11pm. Here we lost another rig, a built 80's Bronco with a diesel started to leak from the PS box and didn't wat to risk a failure on the trail. JB considered to be the second hardest trail was no joke, adding to the difficulty was pitch black skies and cloud cover with washing machine size boulders most of the way. Half way through a built Ranger/buggy lost his clutch and shift linkage after a blast over a hard line. He was now stuck in double low 5th gear. He could mover under his own power but had to be pull started if he stalled it. A first gen 4Runner ripped a valve stem off and didn't realize it until after the tire side wall was shredded. He did limp the rest of the way off but the tire and rim are gone. I got hung up again towards the end after picking a bad line in the dark. We rolled back into camp @ 1:30am, which thankfully was half a mile from the trail exit by design. I was beat down and humbled after that run. The guys there that have done the Rubicon say that this challenge is about half of the Rubicon, if so, that is next on my bucket list.
I left with a few more scrapes and skid plate dents but nothing worth fixing until it is down for the LS swap. Bigger PS cooler will be on the list during the swap too. Can't wait to do the trails again but maybe not all in one day, unless I get tons and 40's, then it should be easier.
I'll post a link to the video when he posts it to Youtube.
