Reiter July 2016

I wanted to make a run to Reiter Foothills ORV park to explore some of the trails that we have not been on yet. I also wanted to get my engine builder back up there so he could see what the “New Reiter” was all about. He had extensive knowledge of the “Old Reiter” and was also curious as to what was up there.We arranged a very small group consisting of Josh Tourney and his spotter Pete, Casey would have the engine builder Patrick riding with her and I would be providing ride for Patrick’s friend Mike. We met up at the lower staging area at 10am. The weather was overcast with a slight dew or dampness in the air. I saw a new map on the kiosk and it gave a nice layout to all the 4×4 trails, so I took a picture of it with my camera. After we all got aired down, unloaded and bsing we got into the trail.

20160719 Reiter Map

I had been on the G11 trail before but made the tiny loop before, due to time restrictions, and I saw it went further and possibly even more rugged. This was my main goal to see what this was and how far it went. So into the trail we go and sure enough I passed the trail and made our first tamer turn of the day. Oops. LOL

Ok so up into the trail and G11 is as I remembered not too bad but still rocky and a challenge even for a slightly lifted rig with 33’s and one locker. We quickly made our way up to the first loop and the turnaround spot. Continuing straight thru that area I could see our first obstacle dead ahead. A big log across with rocks strategically placed in front of it. With the slight amount of moisture in the air it would prove to be a factor in our crawling abilities. I figured I could crawl on the right hand side along a smaller log get into some rock then up and over the big log…. NOT!!!! Ok then maybe through the middle and bump it a little… NOT!!! Dang it.. let’s try the far left with an off camber that was making my seat cushions get tighter…. Once again… NOT!!!!! Tow fee!!

I figured Casey was next and with her longer wheel base she should be able to crawl over it. Once again it just wouldn’t let us grip and she too had to winch up and over. Now was Joshs turn and I know this jeep is well built and thought maybe he could find the traction needed to get over.. He too got a tow fee to get over that point. The trail was rugged and the rocks were big, probably about 24 to 36 inch rocks and with them laid out strategically and picking the right path we all made it to the next intersection that we could go straight towards the tight n twisty or hang a left up into the beginners trail. We walked up to the tight n twisty entrance which is heavily guarded by log posts that one must navigate thru to insure they are of suggested length of no more than 100 inches. We decided to stick with tamer edicate and follow instructions even though Casey was only 4 inches over the suggested wheelbase length.

So up into the beginners trail. Casey and I were the only ones that had done this trail of our group so it was new to the others and they saw it truly wasn’t too bad with only some tight turns here and there. As we got close to the end we saw a couple guys on foot and one with a radio. Up a bit further we saw a red truck with a quad in the back that just looked official. I figured it was either DNR or some other official and got on radio to tell everyone it is good to see them out patrolling. We made it back to the lower staging area and took a quick break for lunch, as I headed into the porta potty I guess someone thought it would be fun to block the door so I couldn’t get out.. I could hear and engine and also heard some laughing and didn’t give it a second thought till I try to exit.. Hehe I could only the door an inch or two and heard everyone laughing, within 30 seconds the vehicle bacjed away and let me out.. Hehehe funny guys… I am just grateful they didn’t rock the potty and get anything splashing about.. LOL

Josh had wanted to do the water fall/loop are the last time he was there but didn’t get the chance. So now we headed that way. Off to the G-9 trail and made our way through the gatekeeper and crawled through the big rocks, twisting, crawling up and over and around. There it is… This is a spot with rocks at the bottom that kind of “float” around on a surface that let them move from time to time. As one rigs goes through they can move and be in a different spot that the last time. There is also a little gatekeeper right before you descend into the “floating rock” are that my little Samurai get stuck in every time. This time I take a different line going way to the right.. up and ove—– um not quite. I get a spotter and they tell me I have to go left more…. Yea I know this line….. Maybe just a little ummmph to keep me from turtling… Hit the gas and what do you know… all four tires in the air spinning. Crap not again.
Josh puts his weight into it but im turtled up pretty good.. Tow Feeee!!!!! By now Patrick the engine builder is riding with me. They put us together cause we talked too much at lunch.. LOL

We get over that area and into the “floating rocks”, not bad today and we make a three point turn and get lined up for the wall to crawl out. Casey is spotting me and suggests a line I have had her take in the past. But from where I sit it looks better to the left, which is the line she always likes to try when she drives. Sure enough I can’t get up onto the first step.. so I back down and go up her line and bingo I am up the first step. I follow her instructions to get to the next step and she has us vertical. Patrick even notated we are freaking vertical. Casey assures us we are not going over backwards but that Samurai sure was straight up from inside the cab… LOL. We can’t quite get traction and spin and bounce a bit. So we back up a little and try moving over to the right… ok we are making progress only now we are off camber and vertical. I kept hearing my spotter Casey… you’re alright keep going.. crawling up and up.. then the front right side drops,, Bang into a tree…But we made it and with a new proud dent in my hood we fist bump an awesome climb inside the cab.

As we get back down to spot the area I see Josh up and over the gatekeeper that I always get stuck on and same with Casey, dang it! Casey is next  up the wall or water fall, and I spot her, she basically climbs up that hill with little trouble and I think she had to back up and align once to get straight and she is up and over. Josh is next and he too just climbed up the first step. Getting up the second step was a bit of a struggle for him. He is almost vetrtical like I was was and feeling it.. He got a good line but traction just aint letting him climb up… I noticed we had gotten a couple of spectators now and realize they were the same guys we saw earlier. I yelled over and asked if he was DNR and if he was new to area. Yep he was. As Josh wwas in good hands I went over to talk with Jacob the DNR guy as we watched Josh maneuver his jeep over a bit to the right back up and then a bit over..too far.. noo not the tree.. back over and then band perfect line good traction and he was up and out.

I had a lil bit of conversation with Jacob the DNR guy and found he was the once who posted the map maybe a week or so ago? Good job. We agreed to meet out at the parking staging area to continue our conversation and get contact info for future dealings. Onward to the rock garden area. This looked so much different than before.. the area to the right had been logged and it just made it look different. But then I saw the lines and also the end that has eaten drivelines, axles and got plenty rigs stuck. Damn…. Follow the right on the log as long as possible and then plop I feel off… Up and over the rocks to the exit.. I crawl up and skid plate and rock rails scraping I tilt over and down and out. I know the only way I could do that is cause im so short wheel base. And as Josh gets into the garden and through he tries to get up and over that same area.. And stuck he got. He got soo wedged into that spot it bent his rock rails like they we made from aluminum pop can. I am pretty sure his tub didn’t see any damage but his rails are not the same anymore. At one point I saw some spraks from his rear driveline…whoa wait wait…. We threw stuff down under his tires and even then ended up having to winch him out. His winch worked too he was wedged in pretty tight.

Once he got thru it was Casey’s turn. Thru the garden twisting up and articulating over until we got her to the end.. with a big root now placed where her tires should go I figured we had it… Nope she too got wedged in tight against that tree. “Son of a bitch” I think were the words I used more than once. Again we tried placing things under her tires and this and that and finally get the winch rope out. She started to winch and trying to keep the driveline safe we just had her winching only no driving of wheels. You could hear the wood slipping screeching along her rock rails making a fingernails on chaulk board noise,,then “BANG”. The winch rope broke. What the he!!….”Son of a Bitch” I knew we didn’t take the best care of that rope but it really isn’t that old.. Well we tied it back up and with help from drivetrain we managed to get her up and over that spot… whew…. “Son of a Bitch” LOL

Patrick had some friend of his show up in a stock land rover so we beat feet it out of woods to hook up with him and before we got out to parking lot, this land rover had found a trail and gotten stuck… Rescue Mission….. Not really. We found were he was within about 15 minutes and he was not stuck or had gotten himself out. We lead the way out and from there it was a little bit of showing the new guy and his family the main line first easy trail and some of the easier trails. It was getting late and the DNR guy Jacob was locking the gate at 7pm sharp. We got loaded up and said our good byes and ended a good day of wheeling in t Reiter Foothills ORV park with minimal damage to vehicle’s.

Gary