: Black Sheep Bounty Trail Run - Clayton, OK (6/27/09)
Lance Morin 06-29-2009, 06:05 PM Well, I hooked up with Jay Albrecht in Clayton on Saturday, June 27th. He had his Ford 5.0 powered Lovell buggy and I had my Ford 5.0 powered Rockwell buggy. We dropped into Green Mamba about 10am. We then continued into Green Mamba Extension and Jay mentioned that he had never seen or been on the Bounty Trail. What? A fellow Black Sheep had never even seen our Bounty Trail. :eek:
Traction was good this day so I we took off up the lower section of The Bounty Trail at the end of Green Mamba Extension.
I don't have many pictures because it was hot, traction was pretty good, and when traction wasn't so good, we were gettin' it :grinpimp: Even then, all but a couple of pictures are of Jay since I had the camera.
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I had planned for us to cut out at the emergency exit to Walk in the Park. However, we somehow blew right by it even though Jay and I both took our first winch line on that turn up the rocks just below the exit.
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This is an area I actually know well and should have remembered since I winch at least once on this section every time I've been there. I think perhaps the near 100 degree temperatures had zapped most my senses.
Missing that turn out bascially puts you into the upper section of the Bounty Trail. It had been a long time since I last hiked the upper section and I had never personally driven that section before. In fact, only a handful of people have driven it - or even know where it is.
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Lance Morin 06-29-2009, 06:06 PM We made it to the big V-notch area before our next encounter with the winch cable. Jay actually pulled into the V-notch and made several furious attempts at getting up before he even made much progress - but he made some.
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Eventually, forward progress was halted... and Jay did something we tried to do very little of in these temperatures. Get out and check things out a bit.
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Once Jay got out things got a little crazy for me. I thought I spotted a cleaner line into the notch.... but I was WRONG!
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We'll I flopped it pretty good here. If not for the tree, I would have been on my lid or pehaps back on the other side.
My winch died after we got me back up. Though upright again, I was still in all kinds of a mess but it was the safest why to get me on all fours.
We had to winch Jay up this sluice so he could winch me from the top. Finally I got back over to the main sluice and still needed some cable help to get past the notch. Of course, his winch started acting up and the rope was spinning on the drum. Eventually, he got it sorted out. I think I hiked up and down that area of the sluice at least 20 times. Running line for Jay, running line for me, re-running line because it was spinning on the drum...
Eventually, we then shot up to another little section of boulders. I powered and rear-steered up a tough line that I'm not sure I could make again. Jay went to find another line a few yards away. I parked my rig to go spot Jay and when I got back it wouldn't fire up. The battery was dead. We did not have jumper cables in either buggy, but we had some back on my trailer at Slim's. We were not sure exactly how far it was to the main road leading back down so Jay shot straight up as I hiked and marked some trees so we could find our way back with the jumper cables.
So about and hour later we get back, jump it and off we go. We get just past the Gobbler's Knob exit and my motor stars sputtering. I had about 9 volts (or less) on the gauge. Great for a clock radio or smoke alarm - not so great for the buggy.
I was able to baby it down New Trail all the way to the C&H Sugar intersection and it died again. So Jay came back and we charged it off his battery for about 15 minutes so I could make the final push back to my trailer at Slim's. It just made it and sputtered some as I turned to load it on the trailer.
I loaded it. We came back to the A&A, cleaned up and grabbed some dinner. It was about 7pm when we got back to town. So much for wheeling half a day, resting and doing some evening and night wheeling. These two not so small guys were spent.
It was a long hot brutal day, but still a good day of wheeling with no real major carnage.
Props to brotha Jay who ended up leading most of the way up Bounty Trail.
The next time we'll have some better pictures of the real obstacles and try to find some better temperatures also.
We cut the upper section in freezing cold December weather, earlier this year a group of us hit it again right after some serious rains this Spring. Now, Jay and I attack the whole trail with temps near 100. Yeah, we are not right in the head for sure.
bayouhazard 06-29-2009, 09:09 PM Great report!!! Wish I could have made it. Got a lot of stuff going on and haven't even started to pull the trans. Also getting antsy on putting in the links so it may be a few months till it's done. We'll have to plan something when it's cooler. I really want to try the bounty trail...last two times I was out there I couldn't find anyone willing to go up it with me.
billyji 06-29-2009, 09:16 PM Sweet write and pics Lance. Looks like you and jay had a riot !! Thanks for putting tracks back on the bounty. That makes 6 people who have been from bottom to top.
Mike Green
LUVMYTJ 06-30-2009, 05:12 AM Nice pics Lance,
Is it marked up in there pretty well? We are heading up the weekend of 7/11/09 . I had planned to play on the redneck blvd side of the hill but would like to get some of this also. The lower portion of bounty turns left off of the mamba extension if you are going up , correct.?
Lee
thump93yj 06-30-2009, 06:34 AM You lost me at...
Well, I hooked up with Jay Albrecht
Gross :flipoff2:
BigWoodyWag 06-30-2009, 06:53 AM You lost me at...
Gross :flipoff2:
In Zubaz pants he's way hotter!!!
Quick somebody save that pic as its the 1st wheeling pic I've ever seen of Jay without Zubaz pants on.
Lance Morin 06-30-2009, 07:50 AM You lost me at...
Originally Posted by Lance Morin
Well, I hooked up with Jay Albrecht
Gross :flipoff2:
You, sir, need to control your sexual fantasies and get that motor swap finished.
Redruuster 06-30-2009, 11:39 AM Memorial Weekend we attempted to run Gobblers Knob all the way from the bottom with Ate My Lunch assumably being the beginning. We walked Ate My Lunch and found it probably impossible went up to puckered and watched our geezer buddies work their way through this and up to the entrance of Redneck Millionaire and at this point they exited the Knob with alot of our help an alternator and Dana 60 shaft. And oh by the way Puckered isn't very long and it took aroun 4 hours to push through. So my question for all you seasoned Green Acre veterans, how does Bounty compare to Gooblers Knob?
billyji 06-30-2009, 01:09 PM Memorial Weekend we attempted to run Gobblers Knob all the way from the bottom with Ate My Lunch assumably being the beginning. We walked Ate My Lunch and found it probably impossible went up to puckered and watched our geezer buddies work their way through this and up to the entrance of Redneck Millionaire and at this point they exited the Knob with alot of our help an alternator and Dana 60 shaft. And oh by the way Pluckered isn't very long and it took aroun 4 hours to push through. So my question for all you seasoned Green Acre veterans, how does Bounty compare to Goblers Knob?
Its completley different. The Bounty is similar to Walk in the Park turned up a few notches.Dirt,rock etc make sure your winch is working and go give it a whirl.There are sections that are very drivable. Then there are sections you really have to winch. I am one of the builders of Green Acres and this is only my opinion...
By the way I and a few others have driven Ate My Lunch,Plucked and RNMBLVD unassisted !
Mike Green
Redruuster 06-30-2009, 02:41 PM Its completley different. The Bounty is similar to Walk in the Park turned up a few notches.Dirt,rock etc make sure your winch is working and go give it a whirl.There are sections that are very drivable. Then there are sections you really have to winch. I am one of the builders of Green Acres and this is only my opinion...
By the way I and a few others have driven Ate My Lunch,Plucked and RNMBLVD unassisted !
Mike Green
Well that was my question. If your skilled and equipped, Gobblers Knob is doable without a winch but Bounty is still untamed without a winch. Glad to hear your opinion. Myself and our group have run seemingly everything out there multiple times but just haven't had the balls to run Bounty, Plucked or Ate My Lunch and so it looks like we should concentrate on conquering Gobblers Knob bottom to top before we move on to Bounty. Thanks for your guidance.
linked&bobbed_S10 06-30-2009, 02:52 PM Is Gobbler's Knob the real nasty hill climb off of the main access road between wet n' wild and jeff's ledges or across from KT's Climb?
If that is so, that is an insane climb! I have yet to try Green Mamba, but its next in line for me on Labor Day I believe, from there I will look at the extension and determine how big ol' boy I feel at that point!
Dammit Jim! Green Acres is one bad ass place to wheel!
Redruuster 06-30-2009, 03:15 PM Is Gobbler's Knob the real nasty hill climb off of the main access road between wet n' wild and jeff's ledges or across from KT's Climb?
If that is so, that is an insane climb! I have yet to try Green Mamba, but its next in line for me on Labor Day I believe, from there I will look at the extension and determine how big ol' boy I feel at that point!
Dammit Jim! Green Acres is one bad ass place to wheel!
You are thinking of Gasper Goo. Gobblers Knob is on the backside of the mountain. Down the street from Slims Slope. I guess that would be the best way to describe it.
billyji 06-30-2009, 03:21 PM Well that was my question. If your skilled and equipped, Gobblers Knob is doable without a winch but Bounty is still untamed without a winch. Glad to hear your opinion. Myself and our group have run seemingly everything out there multiple times but just haven't had the balls to run Bounty, Plucked or Ate My Lunch and so it looks like we should concentrate on conquering Gobblers Knob bottom to top before we move on to Bounty. Thanks for your guidance.
Personally it depends on what kind of wheelin you are talking about or wanting. Gobblers Knob is Rock Crawling. Right now you need to be light and I would suggest stickies of some sort. I ran it with my 44's and winched most of the obstacles. Unfortunately over time some of the climbs in Gobblers will become less diffuclut. The Bounty is trail running. Personally The Bounty is going to be a trail you will probably always have to winch on atleast one section probably more. I figure thats why we own winches and part of the reason for building it how we did.
Have you tried Tuckers Triumph ? The top has now been routed around the huge waterfall.
Mike Green
LockedLJ 06-30-2009, 03:23 PM Have you Tuckers Triumph. The top has now been routed around the huge waterfall.
Thats just because all us wimps were bypassing it anyways :D
a map that MG made awhile back...need to look for the cleaned up version...
http://inlinethumb15.webshots.com/21326/2882919880098084959S600x600Q85.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2882919880098084959fnpwBT)
billyji 06-30-2009, 03:30 PM Is Gobbler's Knob the real nasty hill climb off of the main access road between wet n' wild and jeff's ledges or across from KT's Climb?
If that is so, that is an insane climb! I have yet to try Green Mamba, but its next in line for me on Labor Day I believe, from there I will look at the extension and determine how big ol' boy I feel at that point!
Dammit Jim! Green Acres is one bad ass place to wheel!
LOL Yeah that is Gasper Goo as said above. That climb is actually a lot easier. Unfortunatly some idiots filled it with stacked rocks about 3 weekends after we cut it!
Mike Green
billyji 06-30-2009, 03:35 PM Thats just because all us wimps were bypassing it anyways :D
Stay on the trail LOL
Seriously when we cut that trail several years ago I got caught up in the top center of those ledges and broke my winch line. Once we got it reapired. It took me pulling, and Famous Jay from above along with another rig. 3 winches to get me out so it might not be a bad idea that it was routed around.
Mike Green
Lance Morin 06-30-2009, 09:37 PM I would say Mike nailed the which is harder question. It's just different wheeling.
Gobbler's Knob is pure creek/waterfall rock crawling. If you drop down into Ate My Lunch, expect to winch a couple of times. If you don't winch great, but expect to - even with sticky tires and super low gearing. I had to spot Mike on a crazy edge of the rock face line to keep him from having to winch. It's not a line most would run without having somebody out spotting them up it going super slow. Then again, I've seen a rig or two make it without a spotter as well.
The Bounty Trail is a boulder filled trail. If one stays on the path (trail) we have now, there will always be one or two winch areas (at least). As usual, I expect as more people attempt it, more will fill it in with rocks and crap because they have some winch phobia or something. Again, I would not get stuck on this trail without at least two rigs with good working winches. That way, you have another vehicle or winch in case something goes wrong. I also wouldn't recommend more than 4 rigs, personally. If you make good time on the Bounty, then go do something else. The more rigs, the more things can and will go wrong. There is really only 1 good area to escape once you are into the trail and it's about half way in.
mrtoddb 07-01-2009, 07:45 AM We were the ones sitting in the middle of Green Mamba that you had to go around when you came through there! We had a great time, but ended up breaking every Jeep but one that day, but still fun!!
wngrog 07-01-2009, 09:01 AM I love building evil trails.
TJ Ken 07-02-2009, 10:44 AM It was nice meeting you Lance & Jay. Good peeps to hang out with.
We were the ones sitting in the middle of Green Mamba that you had to go around when you came through there! We had a great time, but ended up breaking every Jeep but one that day, but still fun!!
We stopped at the bottome of Blacksheep Blvd to see if your buddies needed any help up there. I told them I had some Hydraulic Fittings back @ the motel, but they refused
Hope the day wasn't too long getting that rig off the trails.
Lance Morin 07-02-2009, 12:22 PM Yeah, maybe next time I'll get to hang out more. I was dead beat on Saturday night. I might have wheeled some Sunday if the battery where willing. Looks like it was actually the alternator that gave out. Perhaps something bigger than a 130 amp and a single battery are in order.
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