*ATTENTION! IMPORTANT!*

I just corrected my post on the clutch conversion. For those that have read it, the master cylinder fitting I used from Advance Adapters was a YJ fitting, NOT a TJ fitting. The TJ fitting didn't work so they sent me one for the YJ and it worked just fine. The Advance Adapters part number for the correct fitting is P/N 716130. Major oversight! Sorry!

Pacific Northwest Trail Links

Some of the trail links, found in the right margin, were broken after DNR changed their website. They are all fixed up and ready for use. If anyone notices broken links in the future, please let me know so I can fix them. Just email me at akav8r@msn.com

Thanks!

Tahuya Videos!

I made another run to Tahuya with Jeff and his JK, and Jay and his XJ. My brother Chuck, my son Daniel, and I rode in the trusty XJ but stayed out of the really deep water this time. Jeff brought along his video camera so we took turns filming. I didn't do much that was video worthy, but I just had to share some of the shots we got. I will make a feeble attempt at letting the videos speak for themselves. I can see now that this new "discovery" will only lead to delicious carnage in the future as we try to make more "interesting" video. Hopefully I don't break my rig first. My 212,000 mile daily driver can only take so much!

Korvettenkapitan Jeff proves that his JK wit der schnorkel can handle the water. Leave me alone, I don't know German...I make this stuff up.



Jay hits the rocks...literally:)

...but not this time


It's a good thing this guy has a snorkel. I need to figure out how to put music to these videos because my narration sucks.


And now for some ruts. Listen for Jeff's front differential making hard contact at the end. No, I didn't try this one, although now I wish I had. I woulda made it:)


I love this video! Jay uses copious amounts of skinny pedal to power through the ruts and loses his right front fender flare at the end. Jeff's laughing cracks me up!


This is the section of Tahuya that ate my fender flares last year. It's steep but turned out to be a non-event this year. Jay comes down after Jeff, with Chuck spotting.


Finally, some video of my XJ. Daniel slept peacefully in his car seat through this one. I would occasionally check to make sure his bobble-head was still attached.


This one is boring but I like to watch videos of my Jeep, so skip it if you want to.


I like this one. Too bad it's short.


And now for some XJ poser pictures.





That's it until next time. We'll certainly be taking the video camera again.

She'll be comin' DOWN the mountain when she comes...

My brother and I went for a little spin in Capitol Forest. I was in search of a large landslide on the north side of Capitol Forest but we had been repeatedly thwarted by downed trees and slushy slippery snow. Just when we were making progress, we came upon this.

We grabbed a stick and took some measurements for the camera.




You'll notice that the crevice continues in a full half-circle. This road won't last with the Washington rain funneling past it.

Skiing and Snowshoeing at White Pass!! OK, Not Really...

Heidi and I dreamt up a grandiose plan to finally escape from the kids for a day. We like them and all, but everybody needs a break. We rented snowshoes, cross country skis and all the trimmings. We even bought freeze dried dinners to cook in our Jet Boil for a meal on a snowy trail somewhere. In my mind, this was shaping up to be a great day full of adventure, scenery, and time alone with my wife. The forecast was holding up well so I figured weather wouldn't be a problem. I still elected to take the Jeep because I have chains for it, just in case. Five miles from the top of White Pass the wind began to HOWL. By the time we reached the top the wind was gusting in excess of 40 mph...and it started dumping snow.

Standing outside the Alpine Center, which could be confused with a flimsy yurt, we took some pictures of our rapidly deteriorating day away from reality.


We passed some woman who could barely remain upright on her cross country skis as we made our way to the yurt. Now that's funny, except we have that problem without any wind. The yurt master, evidently the resident head cheese, eye-balled us warily. He seemed to think that we looked like newbies, which we are, and figured we were about ready to do something stupid and venture out, which we most definitely were not. He gravely advised us that snow bombs were falling out of the trees that were still standing up. Many of the trees had evidently succumbed to the wind and were blocking the trails. Oh, and the ski patrol is calling it a day too, so if we go out we will be on our own. Oh, and the power is out all across the mountain, which we didn't notice because, you guessed it, we're standing in a yurt. I blankly accepted his diatribe, not that I needed ANY convincing, and thanked him very much. It seemed funny to me that the ski patrol was packing it in. Isn't this the very time that idiots get themselves in to Darwinesque situations and require the AID of the ski patrol? We looked around the yurt, confirmed that it was, in fact, a yurt, and headed for the Jeep.

One last picture of our plight was taken because, on some later date, it will be hilarious that we drove for a couple of hours, rented a small fortune in gear, had no physical activity whatsoever, bought warm socks, and managed to pick the one day to go skiing for the first time in 11 years that we couldn't go skiing.

And we're driving again, trying to beat everyone else off of the mountain...yippee! All joking aside, Heidi and I had a great time. We always do!

Tahuya Pictures and a Couple of Videos

I took Daniel to do some wheelin' in Tahuya again. Joining us was Jeff with his familiar 2008 JK Rubicon. Jeff's pal Jay, who was joining us for the first time, brought his 1996(?) Jeep Cherokee XJ with a Rubicon Express 4.5" lift and 33" tires.

Here is Daniel and I at the beginning.

Jeff and his passengers

Jay and his XJ

I keep forgetting to fix the transfer case linkage that "broke" after my clutch job. A few more times lying in the dirt on the trail will bolster my motivation for sure. Jay eats a snack and prepares to pull the transfer case lever.

Jeff couldn't resist living up to his nickname of "Korvettenkapitan", or U-boat Captain.

A short video of one of the many "puddles" at Tahuya.

Courtesy of Jay, here is some video of a short descent by Daniel and I in the XJ. As usual, it's steeper than it looks in the video.

Jeff's turn. Notice he is still steaming from the multiple water crossings.

More Tahuya water, although not very deep...my running gear silently thanks me.


This is a new section of the Tahuya 4x4 trail. I wasn't so sure I wanted to venture into this area because I figured we would just get stuck. With plenty of recovery vehicles around and A LOT of prodding by Daniel, I decided to give it a try. My XJ only stopped once on the way through, but I got hung up a few times on the way back and ended up destroying my right rear bumper cap...$5 at the junkyard...big deal!





A quick push for the open differentials





Jeff did this section without the swaybar disconnected. Lockers sure simplify these situations! When I lift tires, I STOP MOVING!









This hill climb was very steep. I didn't even try it. Jeff gave it a valiant effort but was unable to get his Jeep up the hill. We ended up winching his Jeep up the hill just for fun. I decided to turn around and go back through the "whoop-di-do's" as Daniel called it. That is when I pranged the bumper end cap.









Planning to head back soon!