I know you probably have plenty to do after a long trip wheeling, but I can't hold my breath any longer! Get busy and give us the real scoop!

Originally posted by SpaceGhost
I know you probably have plenty to do after a long trip wheeling, but I can't hold my breath any longer! Get busy and give us the real scoop!

Here is what Woody had to say in an email from him this morning!!

Paragon kicks ass....heh heh. Only junked one Newfield sleeve/cage. No rolls, no new body damage. Wife loved it too, and is FULL of ideas for the truck now! :-) Hate to say it, but the two of use "extreme" guys from wisconsin never pulled our winches (cept when my birf junked) One guy said the trail we did was one he would never consider, it's unnamed and TOO extreme. Guess my near-roll while in 4' of water got him nervous...heh heh

Woody sorry to throw out the teaser, but now you're forced to do a full write up, but only if it doesn't take time from answering my stupid questions!! :p

Thanks Sean, btw your adapter kit just left here.

Now on to Woody...... I'm sure he knows what I'm thinking, but I gotta ask. Should we be making plans to do the Paragon stop on the Ultimate Tour? Troy and his cronies are almost talked into it, but will it be enough challenge to warrant a full scale attack? You are the most qualified to advise us since you know the group I'm talking about and the trails they play on.

Give it up!

Originally posted by SpaceGhost
Thanks Sean, btw your adapter kit just left here.

Thanks, got the UPS notice this morning!!


Now on to Woody......

He's got pictures too, but I'll let him post that link!! :flipoff2:

Sean, yer gettin me in trouble....SpaceGhost, put this place on yer list, definitely.

Well, here's the report. Friday we started out headed towards one trail, but traffic (stockers) held us up, so we dropped into a freshly cut unnamed trail, with about 15 trucks. 5 entered the initial dropoff, in part due to time constraints. Mike (Ranger pickup from WI) and I were the last two. The first was an EB - busted a passenger outer on the first series of rocks. Next was a Scrambler - pulled cable. Next a CJ7 - pulled cable. Mike in his Ranger - we discussed and opted for the high, offcamber side. He makes it. Same line for me, making it, tho with a strap for "counterbalance" on the cage.

Next section, more rock, deeper this time. EB is off the trail repairing. CJ7 gets in, does some MAJOR wheelstands, ends up pulling short cable at the end. Scrambler gets in there, breaks, pulls cable. Mike gets in there, makes it. I make it also, again with 6' of air under the drivers front and a safety strap on the cage with 4-5 guys holding. 94" wheelbase was too short for these....100" would have helped.

3rd section, 4' deep water on left, 15' diameter puddle. Mike is thru (we are the only two left) and I think he's clear, so I drop in. Front tires out, left rear 4' under, right rear damp only. Mike has hydro-steering fitting vs. rock issue and with full hydro, he's stopped. I have to back out of this 4' puddle, WAY off camber...so out comes another strap to keep my shirt dry as I back out and the suspension settles. End of that trail, since passing Mike is impossible. Snorkle apparrently required for next water hole, since it's supposed to be much deeper. Next time.

So, off to Sherbert Rocks....kick ass area. Lunch stop as we get going, lots of fun offshoots. 82 SAS mini spits a passenger birf, I'm behind him, I opt to take the right turn back downhill while he repairs/winches. Drivers rear on a rock, Drivers front on different rock, but similar height. Passenger rear climbing a 30"+ rock, passenger slider about 8" above rock, passenger front dropping into a crevass.....PING!! The guts of that newfield shattered into WAY too many pieces, stripping the shaft threads in the process. Tried the highlift, too much suspension travel. Winch forward 8-10" and then drop down and out. Mike is playing on an adjacent section and spits a 44 joint. Day done, back to camp, repaired about 90 minutes later (took dinner break and opted to rebuild newfield rather than replace with weaker spares)

Sat, PipeBender. One nice wheelstand, but would have been no biggie has I been in 4WD and not 2WD (oops). Tough trail, but good traction. First half of group thru, then off to Drumstick and ChickenWing and then M-Trail extension. Mike does in a 2nd front joint at the top of M-Trail, trying a silly spot. Does he nver learn??

Sunday, Mike does Whompum and Pick yer Poison and loves them.....Chris (my wife) drives and we hit some more scenic/not quite so silly stuff. She DOES breeze up Impossible Hill, making it look easy, while the rest worked at least a little at it. Guess me NOT spotting was a good thing.

On the road Sun at 4-5pm, Lemon (motorhome) junks its thermostat in western PeeAaye (PA) so we lose 1.5 hours to repair. Home Mon at 5ish, slept for about 6 hours in Ohio somewheres.

Equal to Attica, but different. Attuica is no Paragon, but Paragon is no Attica. 8000 acres available, 15k owned. Old coal mining area. (hence the CMCC ride naming!) I'm going back, probably in 2004 or so. Baltimore 4Wheelers are a SUPER bunch...wheeled the whole weekend with Chris Tefke, Awarness Training Director for United 4WD. Super guy, and lots o-fun.

oh yeah, pics....

http://www.ih8mud.com/misc/ (folder SHOULD be obvious...these are not cleaned or anything, so don't criticize)

http://www.ih8mud.com/misc/2002-05-25_paragon/P5240030.JPG

http://www.ih8mud.com/misc/2002-05-25_paragon/P5250070.JPG

(my wife driving this time)
http://www.ih8mud.com/misc/2002-05-25_paragon/P5260099.JPG