we are wantin to hit south dakota in the next month for wheelin purposes. do the trails up there have lots of snow that will still be around in a few weeks? anyone who has run up there have any favorites that shouldnt be missed? thanks in advance for ANY info on this stuff----brad

BrianE should be able to tell you if there is any snow left. As far as trails, it depends on your rigs capabilities.

Erin

I doubt there will be any except down in the deep canyons. I had some dude email me last week about coming from Colorado with a few Crusiers and mini trucks. Are you with his group?? As for trails, like Erin said, it depends on your rigs. That dude had mentioned some of you are driving out. I would take it a little easier if I were you, just to make sure you will get back home. I would recomend Twisted, Hal John's, and Kong. These are better if you aren't used to wheelin' in the Black Hills. When are you coming?? I will be gone Memorial weekend for the UROC event. Any other weekend, and I can show you the really nasty secret stuff, but only if you are towing out. :D

Hey Brian,

I might be back in Rapid by the end of May. We should go run some trails after I get used to my Jeep again. It has been 4 mo since I drove it.

Erin

No problem as long as my truck is still rolling after UROC. It is still hurtin' from the Warn event. Which weekend are you gonna be home?? We can go run Rice Krispies:D

my brother and i wont be part of that co. group. we both have bobbed 4runners, dual cases and 35s and 38's. we'll be driving up there, but bring plenty of spare everythings. probably dont wanna do the baddest stuff ya'll got(heard its real sweet), but we run the hardest junk in colorado(we are cool, huh :rolleyes), so we still want a challenge. not too fraid of body damage....maybe as the time comes closer i'll pm one of ya guys for directions and what not. till then, thanks for any info on the trails :beer: --brad

You guys gotta get me some info on how to get hooked up with ya. Don't know if the gang will have all the rigs done by this summer though. I have WALKED up kong does that count!!! I just got my BDS springs today from Chimney Canyon. I am starting on the frame this weekend!

Just let me know when you will be here. If I am around I should be able to take you out and break your shit.:D We are really good at trashing the bodies on nice Toy's.


Look I'm not a newbie any more. That must mean I can wheel more better!! :rolleyes:

Originally posted by Brian E
We are really good at trashing the bodies on nice Toy's.


us too :rasta:
i'll get in touch wid ya as the time comes closer-thanks--

watch out for the buter brothers, they get it!!!:D

I think they want to go on Raspberry Ridge:D

Is it dry out there, or did you get enough snow this winter????

Snow update:

It's snowing in parts of the Hills right now.

edit: it's snowing in Rapid right now FWAK!!!!

I'll wait for Lame to come so he can lead you on Rasberry Ridge. He probably knows all of the tough lines that I won't be able to do.:flipoff2:


Lame,
There has been a fair amount of snow and rain, but it all depends on how hot the summer is. Lookin' good so far. Are you coming to the Challege this year?

I'm all signed up, but I need to get some OT in this summer to speed up the Willy's build up. Seems like everyone in our group is underconstruction, or has plans for lots of mods.....We just got back from Moab and Montrose a month ago

If my junk is done I want to go on some of the new stuff and trash it right away.

Show wheelin sucks, BTW:D

I'd love to get in on this run, but I know my scout won't be ready yet. Maybe later this summer.

It's only a few hrs drive for me. not too bad. :rolleyes:

We just bought a house in Rapid, so we will be there for a while. My dad just picked up a '53 CJ-3A for $1. We are gonna throw the running gear out of a Waggie that I got for $50 into it. 360, 727, 44's, a 231 and my old 36's. Should be a killer little rig for about $1500 or less. We are gonna try to have it done for the Challenge. I still have my CJ to wheel, so when are ready give me a call.

awright, we are driving to SD friday afternoon, wheelin sat, sun, mon. our main questions are:
what is the best area to base ourselves out of? rapid city?
where is there free camping(primitive) near town??
is there a shop in town where we can get trail info?
any of ya'll want to hit the trails with us this weekend?
thanks for the info as usual fellas---brad
:beer:

awright, we are driving to SD friday afternoon, wheelin sat, sun, mon. our main questions are:
what is the best area to base ourselves out of? rapid city?
where is there free camping(primitive) near town??
is there a shop in town where we can get trail info?
any of ya'll want to hit the trails with us this weekend?
thanks for the info as usual fellas---brad brbuter@yahoo.com
:beer:

Hey Erin, Make sure you got oil in it this time, huh? :flipoff2:

I couldn't find any shops in Rapid that had trail info. Looks like Brain would be your best bet. You could check out Twisted Customs as they might be able to give you so ideas.

There is just one problem with this weekend. I am in Las Vegas till next week, and Brian is in the UROC comp in Cedar City. Twisted Customs would be closed too because of the comp. Check out Chiminey Canyon on West Main in Rapid. They would be able to help you out. As far as free camping goes, I don't know what is open yet and what is not.

Sorry,

Erin

P.S. Weasal, my jeep has run flawlessly since I got the leak fixed. Can't wait to get back next weekend to drive it again.

Originally posted by willymutt
P.S. Weasal, my jeep has run flawlessly since I got the leak fixed. Can't wait to get back next weekend to drive it again.

That's cause it hasn't been running!!! :flipoff2: :flipoff2:


Chimney Canyon is a joke for trail help. I asked them once and they just gave a somewhat blank stare.

I AM NOT trying to flame anyone here, just stating a point. I ran A few trails last July with Scott Wrigglesworth. Before coming up he warned me that a group of "harcores" from CO were coming up. Said they wanted to wheel all the first day, all that night, then as much as possible the next day. They said they "did it all the time in CO." We started off with Hal Johns(of course:rolleyes: ), then did the whole fullsize-Crusher-Kong-down Kong-crusher-fullsize thing the first day. The CO boys wanted to call it a day already and it was only 8:00 PM. I was pissed and demanded we run TWISTED in the dark(and the rain:D ). We made it to the first big rock(the one that eats the passenger side out) and the CO boys turned white and managed to turn all 4 trucks around and headed back out. They also managed to take out one of Scotts straps, some of my tools, and all of my spare U-joints. Never seen them again. I broke a U-joint and since I had no spares, spent a long ass night winching in the rain up Twisted. Scott broke a few windows and shoved a $500 header through both sides of his front SX! Cool. Sure would have been nice to have a little help.
So, make sure you Colorado guys understand how tight the trails up here are. CLAUGHSTERPHOBIC(sp.)

HEY! My buddy Chad is going up there this weekend! Call him-(605)660-6666. Tell him Cody said he was going to the Hill's.

Are any of you guys going to the Dakota Challenge in August? I'm signed up and can't wait. Just wish I had a crew cab diesel for a tow rig.

Out of curiosity, do you guys prefer boggers or swampers out there?

Originally posted by twistedmetal
I
So, make sure you Colorado guys understand how tight the trails up here are. CLAUGHSTERPHOBIC(sp.)

cool. i'd hardly call myself "hardcore", what does that mean anyway? like i said, we dont want to do the hardest stuff ya'll got if its as crazy as you make it sound. we do run challenging stuf down here, and wanted to make it up there to check out your neck of the woods. what trails would your reccomend for us then? tia

Originally posted by lt1yj


Out of curiosity, do you guys prefer boggers or swampers out there?

SX's SoDak rocks hate tires:D

Lame,

I currently have 39.5 TSL's and Boggers. I don't think I'll get "approval" for another set. I think the only reason I got the TSL's approved was the teeth rattling ride of the boggers on the road. The boggers have very stiff sidewalls compared to the swamper, but they suck on muddy, wet, or slippery side hills. I'm cutting the bogger tread for better side hill traction but they will still be slippery.

Are the 39.5's too tall for SD?

Thanks!

Originally posted by lt1yj

Are the 39.5's too tall for SD?



I wouldn't think so. You ca basicly run any tire size you want. I know a guys that runs on 32's, Erin has 35's, nother guy I know ran 38's, so you should be good.

Originally posted by lt1yj
Lame,

I currently have 39.5 TSL's and Boggers. I don't think I'll get "approval" for another set. I think the only reason I got the TSL's approved was the teeth rattling ride of the boggers on the road. The boggers have very stiff sidewalls compared to the swamper, but they suck on muddy, wet, or slippery side hills. I'm cutting the bogger tread for better side hill traction but they will still be slippery.

Are the 39.5's too tall for SD?

Thanks!
I ran with guys that had TSL's that didn't seem to have any problems. Being too wide is more of an issue than being too tall in SoDak, IMO. Those bastards make some tight trails. Lots of narrowed rigs, with smooth sides out there.

being too wide is more of an issue than being too tall...

HELL YES! Exactly my feelings! I took a Scout II on full width 1 tons and 38x14.50 SX's through TWISTED. Forgot the shoe horn! I came home, wheeled the livin' shiat outta' the poor Scout, yanked the goodies out of it, narrowed my axles 5 inches and I am them back into a Suzuki Sidekick! On Twisted, I actually did run into a few problems being too tall. You know those really cool dead trees that lay over the top of Twisted and you are supposed to fit under them? I didn't fit. Even had a tree roll off the bank above us, land on my 'cage, and a 2 foot branch JUST missed my wife. That took care of my bikini top. Did I mention the rain storm? Yeah, that sucked.

Hey guys,

I'm headed to the Black Hills with a group of 12-14 fullsizes and I'm looking for info on the trails themselves such as difficulty and directions. Our group will range from mild family wheeling to wild so looking for a range of trails to satisfy everyone. Any books or maps out there? We'll be staying at the Fish N Fry campground in Deadwood the week of July 6-11. Having people from three countries (Australia, Canada, and Alaska) and a bunch of states attending, should be a fun time.

Thanks buds,
Dustin

Contact my good pal Axleater in Rapid City. All this man needs is an excuse--ANY excuse--to go wheelin! He runs a fullsize(sorta) Jeeeep(you'll see why) Cherokee on fullwidth 60s and 42s. The reason I say Jeeeep, is because he dovetailed the rear end a few feet, then cut and reworked a pair of CJ tailgates to fit in the back, so now the tailgate says Jeeeep! It rocks. He is also with the Maxles Engineering crew, so if you have any bad axle situations arise, he'll be able to take care of you.
PM him, or PM me for his number, I'm sure he'll be glad to help you out.

Thanks Twistedmetal, I e-mailed him but haven't gotten a response yet. Are any of the trails on a map somewhere like a US Forest Service map?

sent ya a pm
axle

hey cody, when you going to get your junk out here?

Well, I bring it out there...but it doesn't run, drive, go, stop, or even sit very level with the front axle sittin' on stands again! My guess is that I won't even make it very far out of camp, let alon very far into the first trail. But i COULD be wrong......

Dustball--Its crazee trying to find the trails in the Hills. You could(and I think we ALL have) drive right past them if you don't know what you're looking for. Hell, even the locals have difficulty finding them. You're talking about hundreds of miles of dirt roads and forks and now road construction to keep you head scratchin'. You're best, and ONLY bet is to hook up with a local(like Axleater), and enjoy wheeling, rather than driving and mapreading. Besides, the trails aren't Roads, they're high water run-offs, and wash outs. Those aren't on any map. Not to mention that new trails open up and old ones get closed without much notice. And can I add one thing? Bring a few garbage bags and grab what you can see laying on the trail? Lot's of disrepectful jackasses, lazy hikers(is that an Oxymoron?), and moving waters all contribute to the litter up here. The Black Hills are one of the few places left that you can LITERALLY place a tire where no tire has EVER been before. It sure takes the thrill of that away when a Bud Light bottle and a Tampax wrapper are lying in the middle of the trail(don't ask). Enjoy!

Originally posted by twistedmetal
I AM NOT trying to flame anyone here, just stating a point. I ran A few trails last July with Scott Wrigglesworth. Before coming up he warned me that a group of "harcores" from CO were coming up.
...

Well, it is funny how "twisted" this story gets with each telling. In the next version we probably gang rape your sister.

Originally posted by twistedmetal

And can I add one thing? Bring a few garbage bags and grab what you can see laying on the trail? Lot's of disrepectful jackasses, lazy hikers(is that an Oxymoron?), and moving waters all contribute to the litter up here. The Black Hills are one of the few places left that you can LITERALLY place a tire where no tire has EVER been before. It sure takes the thrill of that away when a Bud Light bottle and a Tampax wrapper are lying in the middle of the trail(don't ask). Enjoy!

Yup, garbage bags are with us most of the time, rest of the time we just put the trash in the back of the Broncos. Trash is very annoying to come across on while on a enjoyable trip.

Originally posted by TerryHowe


Well, it is funny how "twisted" this story gets with each telling. In the next version we probably gang rape your sister.

Yeah, sorry about that, Terry. I posted that before I had the chance to talk to you again and get the REAL story. Bummer you guys didn't get to run the whole thing, but it would have been a long night for all of you anyway, with me winching most of it in 2wd. Of course, I may have been able to get a DS U-joint from the Bronco boy(Was his name Shawn?) and drove out. Found out later that my stupid shackles were flippingand causing the bigger joints to bind and tear the U-joint straps.

Anyway, very sorry, but that was the story I managed to pick up with what we could make out from your CB replies. Just not enough to get the whole story. But, you gotta admit, the trails were tougher than you may have expected? It just SEEMED like you guys were used to more casual trails. I say that because the CO crew seemed to just kinda lumber through the trails, while we are USED to hauling ass to get through them in a reasonable amount of time, like we did on Twisted. It may have seemed like we were trying to lose you guys-not the case. We just knew we need to MOVE to get out from under te rain. Hell, by the time we got to the first couple of waterfall sections, the run-off was launching 5 feet off the edges of the ledges! And it was only drizzling!
For what it's worth, you guys DID say that you were going to run day and night until it was time to return home. We showed up expecting that, Scott was expecting that. But then you decided to turn around right at the entrance to Kong, and left us alittle more than annoyed. It was still daylight, and there was plenty of light left to run Kong, which was one of my goals for that weekend. So, when we were sitting on your trailers, we tried to get you to run one more trail--Twisted. We were already annoyed, and then your call came in about EFI stuttering, something else happened, blah, blah, blah...we ASSUMED you guys just wanted to get back to your trailers. We may have been right, we may have been wrong, we only have your word to go on.
For what it's worth, a few of us are planning an interesting run: Every 5+ trail in the Black Hills-In one weekend. A few say it can be done in 40 hours, I'm thinking 50-60 with the luck we all have. Broken rigs(depending on severity) will need to be willing to drop out and camp on the trail to alow the rest to continue. But I'm sure I'll be the first. Is it hard to sleep in a 5 point...upside down?