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Well, it started off as a realy nice day for wheelin. Me, Randy in his newly 4-linked jeepster, and a friend Gene in Poco (vintage bronco). We are all veterans of this trail having run it many times.There were only three other jeeps up there and the usual bunch of snobby hikers and cool climbers. The first part went realy smooth no issues or over heating and was at Jaws 1 in less than an hour. Randy went first over the middle with no problems that 4-link is realy sweet! I was next and took my usual line of riding the fin with my driver. You get some realy cool air on that line. I motored right over it. Next up was Gene. For some reason he was realy hesitant to run it and we thought he was going to back out. He finaly took his line kind of in-between the other two. When his left front got about 6' off the ground he kind of panicked and turned away from the line but he made it over okay. The bronco was having holley issues after that and the three behind us stoped to help and showed him how to adjust the floats on the rig. Holley problem solved. We all kind of wound up running together for a while. Cool bunch of guys from Trinadad/Raton area. At Jaws 2 Randy popped right over with me spotting. I was up next and my spotter was a little off had me to far left. I felt the back end kick over before I had crested and all I could do was hit the gas and drive out of it. No pucker prints yet on this trip. Gene again was a little hesatant but made it right over. That bronc is pretty awsome as well. Randy hit the tippy section before the V-notch and got a little spooked but we all made it okay. At the v-notch Randy took the far left line with no problem. I took the middle line and went on over okay. Again my spotter was off. Gene took the inbetween line again and popped right over. We were at Jaws 3 in less than 2 hours as we had been motoring along pretty good.We told the Trinadad guys to go on up and we would be up before long. (They had us out built and out classed vehicle wise). Randy went first and after a couple of attempts got his tires wedged front and back on big rocks. He got some realy cool air a few times. After about 4 tries we decided to strap him up. Gene backed down and took the by pass up to strap him. I backed down and thought I had gone far enough as no one was watching me. I moved about a foot forward when I felt the front end go! I steered into it hoping to drive out of it but all it did was a nose dive. Hit the Right front corner first and I realized I was going over! Killed the fuel pump and engine in route to being on my top. Tried to lay across the seat. I had gone right to the edge of the bypass road and stopped. Good thing cause from there it is along ways down!!!
No one saw me roll but they heard it and came running from up above. I was already climbing out of my window but they couldn't see me cause I was on the other side on the edge. Randy was yelling for me and started to kick out my window but I walked around the front and told them I was okay. Un hurt un scratched!!Gotta love the protection of an FSJ.
After they all cussed me out for scaring them to death (they puckered more than me!) we proceeded to eat lunch and figure out how to get it back over. We chacked out the area to see what happened and saw that I had driven off a near vertical 8 foot drop. If I drank I would have an excuse but I don't! Man I felt so stupid!!! All we had were straps come alongs and hi-lift and bottle jacks. Thankfully there were 4 climbers commeing down and helped us turn it over. I am very grateful to them.
Checked all the fluids and replaced them hit the fuel pump and it fired right up! We cleaned up the glass and fluids. Then cause I couldn't turn around and Gene wouldn't back up the bypass I had to repeat my previos moves (while being spotted this time) to let Gene go by and go up the bypass to the top to turn around. I had almost no brakes so I went in the middle just in case. The trip down went okay till jaws one where once again my spotter was off and I got hi centered and had to take the strap. After Jaws 1 it was time for the lights and we drove on down in the dark. That's a trippy trail in the dark, but it is much easier to see the trail at night without a windshield. LOL. I actualy got a cell signal up there and some friends were on there way from Pueblo with another trailer. Made it down to Randy's trailer and loaded up. In the lights we saw a rabbit laying on the trailer. I got to looking at it and it had no head!! We went on down to the hiway and waited for the trailer to arive and found the rabbit head stuck under the windshield wiper. What kind of sick twisted fu*^#$ kills an animal cuts its head off and puts it front and back on your tow rig I'll never know!! We all made it back home safely and in one piece about 1:00 am Sunday morn. Frankenstien is pretty much totaled now. Time for another Chero so I can run this same trail next year! Can't wait! Fred Greenwood
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