D Hammers

[underwood]

Couple of pics of sat. Sorry scotty could not find any pics of you. This is after the plaque on sledge.

BOB on sledge

Sledge








Hope these img work. I have a perfect tract record so far.

100% failure

[Wind_Danzer]

You ruined your perfect failure record.

Looks good, I can't wait until I'm out there next week. I'm gonna be taking lots of pics!!!

[underwood]

Looks good, I can't wait until I'm out there next week. I'm gonna be taking lots of pics!!!

You will have a great time it is so peacefull out there. at least this weekend it was. Only two other groups on the entire ohv area. Lots to do. Mabey the wife and i can meet up with your group one day to wheel. Have a safe trip.

[Wind_Danzer]

Thanks, I'll be out there with Blaine, Kat and Sergey. Christmas in the desert and I don't think we are expecting many people to be around, though who knows.

Can't wait. 2 days and counting till I leave.

EDIT: I also want a temp check. What were the days/night like. Warm, cold??? Looks likt Jeans and a sweatshirt in a pictre or two. Was it windy?

I'm trying to pack now and want to make sure I have everything.

[Jerry Bransford]

Originally posted by Wind_Danzer
I also want a temp check. What were the days/night like. Warm, cold??? Looks likt Jeans and a sweatshirt in a pictre or two. Was it windy?

I wasn't there with Mark but there are not many places colder than the desert in the winter, especially early in the morning. It warms up a little when the sun gets high enough to shine over the top of the mountains but other hours, you better have some really warm clothes with you.

[Wind_Danzer]

Jerry,

That's what everyone is saying but I figured I'd get a more "real time" forcast from someone who was out there this weekend. His numbers will be off by 4 days. Don't worry, I've got a decent sleeping bag, some pretty warm clothes and a windproof jacket.

Keep in mind, where I'm at it's been constantly in the low to mid 30's during the day with drops into the low 20's and teens at night recently.

[Robert J. Yates]

nice. so was all the jv hype accurate? i'm always curious to hear first timers impressions.

jamie. don't even think that it will be warm at night

[underwood]

so was all the jv hype accurate? i'm always curious to hear first timers impressions

Well I did not wheel all of jv so i cant give a complete review.

i think over all it has alot to offer to all people . We played on the sand dunes, rock crawled, and had the best knight sky I have seen in a long time.

As far as rating the trails I know you can take diffrent lines in the valleys, But i have been to much harder trails.

I like trails that make you take only one or two lines. So the whole group has to try the same lines.

I enjoy watching how peoples rigs work compared to others in the same situation.

I know people are going to reply back about my last comment.
But if i took the same line as the other jeeps i would have just idled up the trail no worries. Scotty may tell you i backed up a couple of times. but these were on lines that were very tricky. And I did feel like body damage was NOT a issue.

SO this said i will probably go out next week and roll

[underwood]

Wind_Danzer

Your from the east so the knights will be like the ISLANDS to you There was not much wind but if there was it would be chilly. The wife and i only had on sweat shirts and jeans at knight the day depended on the sun comming out. I would say day 65 night 38. So not to bad You will have a blast.

[mrblaine]

Originally posted by underwood


I know people are going to reply back about my last comment.
But if i took the same line as the other jeeps i would have just idled up the trail no worries.

SO this said i will probably go out next week and roll

Pick your poison, let me know when you are ready to up the ante a bit.

[Wind_Danzer]

Originally posted by Robert J. Yates
jamie. don't even think that it will be warm at night

LOL, that's why I got UnderArmor Cold Gear to sleep in.

Combine that with my sleeping bag and fleece socks, I should be fine. I think Sergey is bringing his heater too so warming up the tent before bed and then climbing into a sleeping bag that will keep me pretty warm, I think I'll be fine. Besides, while I might be loosing weight, I still have quite a bit of insulation left.

[underwood]

Pick your poison, let me know when you are ready to up the ante a bit.

YEAH BABY!!! WAS WANDERING WHAT IT WAS GOING TO TAKE TO GET YOU TO SHOW ME SOME GOOD STUFF?

[Jeepincj7]

Well, with all the hype I've heard about how much harder Sledge was this year compared to last, I had to run it again. Honestly, I think that it isn't any harder at all. In fact, I think it was much easier this time around, especially the upper section above the mailbox which used to be my favorite part of that trail.

Anyway Mark, it was a pleasure to meet you and Jen and hope to see you guys again soon.

Like I said, you are more than welcome to join our group at Ocotillo Wells over New Years.

[underwood]

Jeepincj7
Hey did you have a good time today? Jen and i had a great time You and your wife were alot of fun.(BOB and his wife also) The wife was more excited to see other girls than anything else. Sorry no pics of you I was hoping i had a couple but jen said you wer to far ahead. PM on times on new years and dates you will be there .

Thanks agin for letting us tag along. Mark And Jen.

[Robert J. Yates]

Originally posted by mrblaine


Pick your poison, let me know when you are ready to up the ante a bit.

heh, I was thinking of the same thing.
anyways, jv is huge and there is alot of trails so I was't really infering that you ran all of it in one day. my first three trails were pretty easy too and then I got bit pretty good.. wheel out there long enough and sooner or later the rock gods want an offering. roger that on the night sky - with little man made light, it gets pretty awesome.

[Wind_Danzer]

Originally posted by Robert J. Yates
roger that on the night sky - with little man made light, it gets pretty awesome.

See, now that's something I can't wait to see. I love sunsets, sunrises and the like. Hopefully there will be some clouds to amplify the effect and then I also hope they blow out so I can see the stars. Maybe I'll even catch a satellite pass on through. The last time I saw one of those was when I was in Rocky Mountain National Park. I know there will be a new moon on the 23rd so so the sky won't be polluted with moonlight, except for maybe a little sliver towards the weekend.

[mrblaine]

Originally posted by Wind_Danzer
See, now that's something I can't wait to see. I love sunsets, sunrises and the like. Hopefully there will be some clouds to amplify the effect and then I also hope they blow out so I can see the stars. Maybe I'll even catch a satellite pass on through. The last time I saw one of those was when I was in Rocky Mountain National Park. I know there will be a new moon on the 23rd so so the sky won't be polluted with moonlight, except for maybe a little sliver towards the weekend.

Well, hopefully I will have my custom weather and night sky controller finished by the time you get here. Any more special requests you'd like me to program into it while I'm at it?

[Wind_Danzer]

Hmmmm.... good question....

As long as I'm around good people and see some nice stuff I have no requests.

I should have a big ass grin on my face the whole time I'm out there, I love the desert.

[Sephiroth]

JV sunset

[Sephiroth]

Constellation Object Right Ascension Declination FOV
Orion NGC2024, IC434, B33 5:41 -2.2 69'x51'
Scope f/stop Camera Mount Guiding
Televue TV-85 and Takahashi Epsilon 130 f/5.6 SBIG ST-2000XM Losmandy G11 Self Guiding
Date Start Exposure Location
3/7/2003 19:22 R:125, G:40, B:52 minutes Johnson Valley, CA
Notes
TV-85 image data and E-130 data from 3/2/2003. I'll go back to this next year and get some really long exposures.

I didn't arrive at the site until after 10pm. Clear and cold, about 25?F

[TObject]

Originally posted by underwood

As far as rating the trails I know you can take diffrent lines in the valleys, But i have been to much harder trails.

I like trails that make you take only one or two lines. So the whole group has to try the same lines.

I enjoy watching how peoples rigs work compared to others in the same situation.

underwood ,

Perhaps you may want to try running some of the competition grade courses out in Johnson Valley. They are pretty nice for anybody who's looking for harder stuff.

And if you bring flags with flat bases that you can put on the rocks (the spots are marked with white paint), you can insure that all your friends take the same line.

[underwood]

Originally posted by TObject
underwood ,

Perhaps you may want to try running some of the competition grade courses out in Johnson Valley. They are pretty nice for anybody who's looking for harder stuff.

And if you bring flags with flat bases that you can put on the rocks (the spots are marked with white paint), you can insure that all your friends take the same line.

Tobject.


I think JV can be made as hard as you want. Stuff a mountain climber will only do. And i enjoyed JV Am looking forward to returning to do back door.

This said. I have no intrest in competition. Or Compitition courses specfic. I like taking trails or specfic obsticles. Off roading for me is a friend and family thing. I like wheeling with others.

Moab is an exampe of this prichet, Upper hellderado, The wash tubs. These are trails or obstacles that are pretty tough and you have to do the trails. (the bypasses are not the trails).

Examples of what i think are comp stuff Farmington MN . We had a blast there but the trails are not marked you just kind of wander around. The locals new what they called the trails but stuff was spaced far apart.

If i do some comp course one day I can't relate this to a friend back East. Most people Enjoy trying trails or obstacles that are Named. And have a history Or are going to be there when they come to visit.
I know JV has all of this Trails, Obstacles, comp stuff. Its a great place. But you want hard core go to pottue Ok. spelling is wrong on that. There are trails that will eat your lunch. And there are no bypasses.
I am looking forward to spending many more trips to JV. I know i wll stuff that is Bad A$$.

Also for you people that read this and think I'll Take him out and we will get him to roll. Well show him. Sorry suckers!!! I will Wheel with anyone and try any Anything But wheeling to me is not about proving something to these guys. I am more proud to come back every time with a clean rig.

[Jerry Bransford]

When I talked Jeeping with Mark a couple months ago, I got only the distinct impression he was wheeling and built his Jeep to have fun, as most here are, and definitely not to impress or outdo anyone.

[mrblaine]

Here's the problem Underwood, between you saying how you just idled around out there, and JeepinCJ7 saying how easy Sledge was, you two pretty much threw down the gauntlet.

Those of us that spend large amounts of time out there with family and friends are now trying to get a read on how much time we actually want to spend with folks that are way better than we are skill and equipment wise and appear to have something to prove.

I go out there with rare exception to wheel with my friends, family, and know fully well where the comp courses are and how to sign up for them.

My initial reaction to anyone that starts telling me how easy stuff is, is to send them a sign-up sheet for any of the sanctioning bodies that run events.

If you really got something to prove, prove it where it counts or find some competitors that are going out to practice and follow them around. As it is, the rest of us are just thrilled to be able to get over the trails and back to the lakebed in one piece.

My second reaction is if you wish to start telling me how hard trails are in other parts of the world, maybe those are the trails you ought to be running.

All that said, I'm pretty certain that little of this is intended they way you are coming across. I just wanted to take this opportunity to let you know how I am perceiving what you are saying. If you do intend it the way you are coming across, then I doubt you and I will be spending much time on the trails together.

[papromike]

Not sure if it makes a difference (having never run any of the HAMMER trails) but

Marks' jeep has like 42's on it and 4 wheel steering...and full width axles

Maybe tire size??, not sure though just guessing

[Robert J. Yates]

Bigger rigs do not always make it easier out there. Witness our last run on Outter Limits. We were making good progress but were caught by a group that included 3 rigs on 42's or better running 60's and Rockwells. They took the better part of 40 minutes on the last waterfall - Cherokee rock. Those rigs made all our Jeeps look small but in comparison, it only took 10 minutes for all 4 of us to climb the same rock. And that was after they tore the **** out of the obstacle with to much skinny pedal and left us all with nice 42" size holes at the bottom

Would I like a set of larger tires and axles, sure but frankly, they do not impress me and typically, on the trail from what I see, most of those guys are hard on the gas and not finesse drivers.

[Jeepincj7]

Originally posted by papromike
Not sure if it makes a difference (having never run any of the HAMMER trails) but

Marks' jeep has like 42's on it and 4 wheel steering...and full width axles

Maybe tire size??, not sure though just guessing

Not true. Yes, his rear is a centered Dana 60 front axle, however, it is welded and the rear steer is not functional yet. He's also only running some pretty bald 38" TSLs. They were grooved tires mounted on 16.5x12" rims. He is stretched to 100" though.

Blaine, I don't think he is saying anything to call anyone out. I think that he is just saying that for all the hype that Johnson Valley gets, its really not as tough as the hype lives up to. I heard about how much harder Sledge was this year compared to last and that of the orginal seven(minus Back Door of course) that its is now the hardest trail. I just don't agree. The upper section above the mail box is now easily passable, and the only real tough section where body damage is a possibility is right at and just after the plaque.

Trust me, you are just as equipped if not more than I am on those trails. I run Scout 44s with 37" MTRs. No upgraded shafts or u-joints. Yes, I am happy to get the rig back to camp in one piece as you are, but considering how well built Mark's TJ is, I have to side with him on this one. Sledge did not test his vehicle except for two lines that he tried to drive. One he drove, and the other he couldn't.

Bob had never run Sledge before, but he told me that Jack, Sunbonnet, and Wrecking Ball are all much more difficult, and I also agreed with him.

[Rockjeep]

Jeepincj7, is that the red tj from the cover of the magazine? If so he was at the car show at the jeep dealer here in riverside. If so can you say junk yard wars. There is even jb weld on the front axle. No way I would ever ride in that thing. The only cool part is the super charger, and the flat fenders. You can have 60's but if there built like crap there no better than a d35.
Kory

[sethmark]

I've run the snot out of the hammers trails this fall and was one of the first thru Sledge in September. It was hard in september, but I'd bet dollars to dog turds that 4 mos worth of stacking and trail riding has mellowed it out significantly.

JV trails, IMO, change so much that each time out is a new adventure. What handed me some ass the last few times out was remarkably simple this past time.

Its a crapshoot. Certainly every trail out there is passable by a jeep on 35s. Some will be easy some will be hard, and some will just plain suck. And which trails are easy and hard will change every time thru.

[Rockjeep]

The hammers are great. There is no way to predict what the conditions will be. One time you send ALL day on one trail, and the next time you find someone has stacked every rock in the valley to make it the 91 frwy and blow through there in a couple of hours. That's the beauty of the hammers.
Kory