Tech

Mason/Brookline Trail

A couple years ago, I went 'wheeling with a friend of mine. It was just before Christmas, but we didn't have any snow yet. The weather was actually fairly warm and sunny. We had just gotten out of school early after taking a final, so we decided to have some fun. We took my YJ 'wheeling on a trail I had been on a few other times with no real problems (except for getting really, really stuck for multiple days, but we were going to avoid that spot!) For you locals, its Mason/Brookline in NH. At the time of the trip, the trail was still open; its now CLOSED.

We headed in alone (dumb move #1) without a winch (dumb move #2- I had taken it off to fix the cable after the stupid stuck previously mentioned, and I didn't put it back on because the police had given me a hard time). We were just going to play in the quarry on the trail, and we went in the bypass that comes out right near the quarry. We climbed the quarry on the ice without a problem, and were excited. (we were told it couldn't be done with 1/4 tread 33s, no lockers, and only 3" lift). Anyway, we were feeling cocky, and decided to head back to the road by way of the trail and pick up trash as we went (dumb move #3). There wasn't a problem until we came to one ledge that had an easy bypass. Anyone who knows me knows that I never take the easy way, even when I should. So...I decided to "make just one attempt" at the ledge. (dumb move #4. Do you see a pattern here?) I headed up it, and almost made it! What the hell, just one more try with just a tiny bit more throttle...SNAP!!! ummm...Houston, we have a problem...crawl under the Jeep, to find that the rear driveshaft was no longer there. Closer inspection showed that the rear axle flange had snapped. This is a bad thing. O.K., pick up the pieces, and come up with a plan. If I only had a bix wrench, I could try swapping flanges with the front axle or front output of the t-case. Oh well. Fire up the Jeep, cringing that we were going to lose the t-case fluid, but we had no choice. I tried heading up the bypass in front wheel drive, but no good. If only we had rear wheel drive. New plan...turn the Jeep around and go up backwards! No problem, we were going great for a while...UNTIL...we got to the water crossing from hell. It is actually pretty easy to get through in the summer, but this time there was a layer of ice on it. It was very clear, and looked like it was only about 1/4" thick...no problem, head right in (still backwards). Dumb move #5. The ice was more like 1-1 1/2" thick. Bad thing. We got half way through when we stopped moving. O.K., head forward so we can get more speed...uh oh...forward movement wasn't so easy thanks to only having front wheel drive. We made it a couple feet, then when we stopped moving, I headed backwards like crazy to break through the ice...and I made it about another 6". Not good.

To shorten the story, by the time we started walking, the Jeep had stopped running (for reasons to become apparent after getting it home), the clutch was slipping (same as above), and it was hopelessly stuck anyway. To make matters worse, 5 minutes after we started walking, it started raining. By the time we got out of the trail about an hour later, the rain had turned to icy snow. We walked to the nearby store to call for help. We managed to get hold of my friend, who only had one road worthy 4x4- his wife's daily driver stock Samurai. ummm...O.K., stuck friends take priority over the wife. Cool. Before he arrived, we had a cool volunteer who stopped at the store offer to try to get us out with a stock CJ-5. So, the two of us climb in the back (his wife/girlfriend whoever, had the passenger seat) with his pit bull. At least it was friendly. We left directions for my friend at the store ("Stick to the right of the main trail, its the easiest way in. Just keep going until you find a waterlogged Jeep") and headed into the trail. Things were getting very icy by now, and we had to push the Jeep up a couple of icy spots. The poor Jeep barely made it to mine. He took a look, then decided he bit off more than he could chew. While we were still looking at the situation, we heard an engine and saw headlights coming- my friend was on his way. He pulled up and I talked to him...he complained about the rocks in the trail. Come to find out, he missed the part about sticking to the right...he came all the way up the trail on the hard side, in a bone stock Samurai, with the trail covered in ice!

Well, he checked out the situation, and backed up to the mud hole. We hooked up the tow strap, and he gave it a good try, but the ground was too icy there and he couldn't get a good pull. He decided to pull from the other direction. But to get there, he had to head though a swampy area. I thought he was nuts, and I had even owned several Samurais! As it turned out, he made it without a problem. He pulled from the other side and got me out. At that point we tried starting my Jeep, which sort of ran, but badly. The clutch was still slipping badly. We tried letting it run to see if it would clean out, but it didn't...it stalled and wouldn't start again. hmmmm. O.K., leave the Jeep and get out before we die from the cold (we were in the rain about 4-5 hours at this point). We managed to get both vehicles back to the road, and headed home. I went back the next day to retrieve the tools I had left in the Jeep so they wouldn't walk away on their own. I made several phone calls and pleas for help over the next few days, and finally found a friend who runs a towing business, and happens to do some four wheeling. He said he would get it out and tow it home for $200. Hell yea I told him! I met him at his house, and we headed over with a Ford F-350 4x4 wrecker. I thought he was nuts...we went in the way I had, past the quarry. He managed to get the wrecker within a couple hundred yards of my Jeep! The rocks were starting to get big though, and his plow frame was hanging up. We turned around and headed home. I met him the next day, and we came over with his Bronco (on 36" Swampers) on the back of his ramp truck, with a trailer to put my Jeep on. he parked the ramp truck on the road, and we went in. The Bronco had no problem pulling me out, and all the way out of the trail. Phew! We got the Jeep home and parked somewhat safely in my driveway.

As it turned out, I had dented my gas tank so hard that the sending unit was pushed up, breaking the seal with the tank and letting water in. The clutch had grass in the pressure plate. The rear of my body was dented in from trying to break through the ice. I drained the tank, put in fresh gas, and it fired right up and ran great. I decided I needed a stronger rear axle, and more lift...and the YJ project was started. :-)