Strawberry Pass Trail Pics

Inc · **Posted:** Sat Jul 26, 2008 11:23 pm

What a great trail. A little hairy in spots but that made it that much better. We (me, gastip, bthomas and Neal) at the Strawberry in Lodge at 9 and had a nice breakfast. By an almost unanimous vote :wink:

, Ben (bthomas) was chosen as our trail boss for the ride. He was the only one of us that had done any of the trail before as well. The trail was mostly just dirt road with ups and downs but the technical sections of the trail went from manageable to extreme damage and carnage possible. We ran into the "painted rock" obstacle and Ben took off up it and made it through. He did have to turn his locker on but looking back, there would have been no way to do it otherwise. We got his KJ over the obstacle and a group of 8 Jeeps and 1 Toyota FJ Cruiser pulled up and were kind of rude about letting them go first, which we were glad to do. They assured us they would all drive right over the obstacle and we could have at it since "it would take us all day" they said. So the first 2 jeep fly through it, an LJ and a CJ 7 both locked front and rear with 35s. Then ups comes the FJ.

uh... not so much. He almost made it up but had to be winched. Then a CJ 5 tries its luck only to break its linkage and limp back down to have it fixed and then make it over. Then TJ makes it to the top and got high centered and was going no where, and this TJ had 35s as well. :lol:

A few other TJs try and fail, break out the winch again :roll:

and finally the last two extremely built rigs make it up easily. The whole thing took them over 90 minutes while we sat and waited as they struggled and struggled. So much for we'll drive right over this. :roll:

Well, they took off and we helped some people get over the obstacle on ATVs and then it was finally our turn again. I gave it a go and made it to the top and high centered like the TJ on 35s and had to be strapped. Then Neal, same story and finally gastip, also same story. Well the point is that or little mall crawler KJs outperformed an FJ cruiser with a rear locker on 35s (295/80/17), a TJ on 35s and another TJ on 31s. I'd say we represented our LOST family pretty well. The trail was a blast and I can't wait to get out with our NorCal group again.

Here are my really crappy pics. None of these pics do the trail justice. Hopefully everyone else posts their pics too.

bassman · **Posted:** Sat Jul 26, 2008 11:43 pm

Awesome trip - looks beautiful there.

jsc7002 · **Posted:** Sun Jul 27, 2008 12:13 am

it does look like a fun trip, that last pic has some amazing senery

Neal · **Posted:** Sun Jul 27, 2008 12:45 am

Great trip, will post pics later

rangerd77 · **Joined:** Sat May 03, 2008 10:48 am **Posts:** 512

the 2nd KJ in the 1st pic looks like mine with no rack, meaning great

riptricket · **Posted:** Sun Jul 27, 2008 12:48 pm

god i love the look of that Sundance Customs front bumper!!! just wish he was around here to make more of them!
great lookin' ride there all!

JJsTJ · **Posted:** Sun Jul 27, 2008 1:01 pm

Awesome looking trip! Another on my to-do list.

At this rate I don't know if I will be able to afford leaving the state to wheel since adding several Northern Cali trips to my list recently.....

Inc · **Posted:** Sun Jul 27, 2008 2:58 pm

Here are Neal's pics he sent me to post. The majority of them are of the toughest obstacle of the day. Like I mentioned before, bthomas made it up first and then strapped the other three of us after we all got stuck on that big honking rock. Tons of fun! :twisted:

Me getting to the top.

Me again.

Neal getting to the top

Neal right before the big rock on top that got most of us stuck.

Me guiding Neal to the top.

And here is that big honking rock I mentioned. Neal with it wedged against his subframe.

Here is gastip on the top and riding high on his rock rail.

Still stuck

Spirits were never dampened though.

View from the top of the pass

This was one of if not the best trail rides I have been on that I can remember. :wink:

htkrph · **Posted:** Sun Jul 27, 2008 8:37 pm

that looked like fun. here is another story that i read about an FJ cruiser not standing up to its name and its price tag. anyways, its funny cause my friends where bad mouthing my kj (he drives a rav4) and was saying to his wife how the fj cruiser is so READY for offroad. it made me mad.

CD · **Posted:** Sun Jul 27, 2008 11:04 pm

WOW, what a great trip. Love the landscape, I'm sure the pic's don't do it justice.

CaKJFreedom · **Posted:** Mon Jul 28, 2008 12:55 pm

Gorgeous pictures! Looks like a great time.

Inc · **Posted:** Mon Jul 28, 2008 12:58 pm

CaKJFreedom wrote:

Gorgeous pictures! Looks like a great time.

You gotta join us on the next go around! :wink:

KJ 119 · **Posted:** Mon Jul 28, 2008 3:36 pm

rangerd77 wrote:

the 2nd KJ in the 1st pic looks like mine with no rack, meaning great

Thought it was you,with all that meat hanging out the side.

Inc · **Posted:** Mon Jul 28, 2008 3:39 pm

KJ 119 wrote:

rangerd77 wrote:

the 2nd KJ in the 1st pic looks like mine with no rack, meaning great

Thought it was you,with all that meat hanging out the side.

Nope, just little old me.

lionseye640 · **Posted:** Tue Jul 29, 2008 11:54 am

Wish there was that kind of scenery here in Illinois! Glad to hear about the FJ falling short of all its hype!

JL Rockies · **Posted:** Tue Jul 29, 2008 12:01 pm

Looks like Neal could use a set of rock rails. :shock:

Inc · **Posted:** Tue Jul 29, 2008 12:25 pm

JL Rockies wrote:

Looks like Neal could use a set of rock rails. :shock:

Yeah, he is in the market now. He has a wanted post for some. He's having trouble getting a hold of Heather and or Marty to talk to them about it.

KJ 119 · **Posted:** Tue Jul 29, 2008 10:20 pm

lionseye640 wrote:

Glad to hear about the FJ falling short of all its hype!

You might not've met any FJ drivers with a real set of cahoneys.
At the Jeep Jamboree in St.Francisville,FJ'sFJ got lifted with BFG muds,and
in my opinion outdid every jeep in our crew.

jason thompson · **Posted:** Tue Jul 29, 2008 10:39 pm

KJ 119 wrote:

lionseye640 wrote:

Glad to hear about the FJ falling short of all its hype!

You might not've met any FJ drivers with a real set of cahoneys.
At the Jeep Jamboree in St.Francisville,FJ'sFJ got lifted with BFG muds,and
in my opinion outdid every jeep in our crew.

That was the pre Jamboree he was at
and IIRC he did not follow my Jeep through every obstacle
That small back loop that went down at about a 75* angle then up and over all those roots
The one that got the hunk of root stuck in my hitch that is still there?

OH and then there is the guy who came out so Sicily with me
FJ on 34" LTB's ,now he too tried to follow the Jeeps
and he learned that there is a reason why I tell people "I would not take my rig up that if I were you because chances are real good you will get body damage" "however I am not you and what can a little more damage hurt at this point?"

Inc · **Posted:** Tue Jul 29, 2008 10:49 pm

The FJ had 35" MTs with a rear locker. Didn't get as far as Ben with some AT 245/75s (I think). The guy had plenty of cahoneys, but his rig didn't.

Strawberry Pass Trail Pics

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