Note: Some of the photographs on this path write-up usually are not of the same old high quality I usually publish on my web page. I took about 90 minutes of video utilizing my new digital camcorder through the journey. Some of the “nonetheless” photographs included listed here are digital grabs from the camcorder. The digital camera permits me to create nonetheless photographs from any a part of the digital tape. The CCD pickup component within the camcorder will not be as massive (ie., the pixel rely is smaller) as my Sony digital nonetheless digital camera, so the image high quality is a bit decrease. However, I believe you’ll take pleasure in them none the much less and it ought to provide you with some form of thought what the journey was like. Enjoy!
It all began with an e-mail from Robert Yates, my off-roading buddy from CA. I met Robert by the RAM-JAW newsgroup a few years in the past. Since then, now we have wheeled Death Valley and the Charouleau Gap Trail collectively. This time the e-mail requested me if I’d be enthusiastic about a run on the Rubicon Trail in late summer time. With the JU Moab 2001 run already within the works, I used to be undecided if I may make a while for the Rubicon. My spouse was taking a while off in mid-summer to return to Michigan to attend a few household weddings and make the most of the chance to go to her family throughout her 3 week automobile journey. I put Robert on maintain with a weak “possibly” and waited to see how issues would possibly form up.
After the Moab occasion was completed, I gave some severe consideration to operating the Rubicon. I had a handful of issues I needed executed on Lady earlier than I’d take into account the path. I had executed some analysis on the path, gleaming information and pics from web pages that described the path. I received some first hand information from a neighborhood Jeeper and with the entire details (and fiction?) in entrance of me, I made my record of should do gadgets. If I may get these taken care of, I’d strongly take into account making the run.
I had already acquired a pair of D-44 axle shafts for spares throughout my Round 2 build-up, however I used to be missing spares for the entrance D-30. I additionally needed to beef up the entrance axle housing and reinforce the decrease management arm brackets too. If I may get these main points resolved, I’d be in a significantly better place to affix my associates for a Rubicon journey.
Robert was in a position to assist me out with the D-30 axle shafts. He was engaged on a Warn hub conversion for his TJ and agreed to let me have first dibs on the inventory D-30 shafts he had been utilizing as spares. He additionally had a brand new hub to go together with the whole set of axle shafts. We agreed on a value and I statused that merchandise as executed.
After a cellphone name with O-R Fab, I arrange a date to have my D-30 axle housing trussed. While Lady was within the store, in addition they beefed up the decrease control arm brackets on each axles in addition to the frame end decrease management arm brackets for the rear finish.
With the above gadgets taken care of, I ran a few native trails to verify every part was working as anticipated. I began up one other dialogue with Robert and the opposite two Jeepers that will be making the journey and the dates and different particulars solidified. An oil change and chassis lube had been executed the week earlier than the journey. With every week to go, I used to be about as prepared as I used to be ever going to be.
I met up with Robert at his home in Chino. We attached with a few different Southern CA Jeepers for an awesome dinner (thanks Blaine!) and I lastly received to place faces with a few names. Robert and I left the next morning to hook up with Bruce and Michael, the opposite two Jeepers that had been a part of the group. An hour’s drive discovered us off the freeway and at a McDonald’s for a fast breakfast and fuel tank high off. The 4 of us left for just a little city NE of Sacramento. Michael had household there who would supply us with some flooring area for the night time.
About 200 yards from their home, Bruce’s CJ-7 dies on the street…..the fault was lastly traced to a intermittent crankshaft place sensor connector. A newly bought Autozone coil resulted in but extra intermittent engine issues (that took the blokes a short while to search out) as we swapped ignition elements in an try to get spark on the distributor. The finish consequence….we postponed our Monday morning departure for twenty-four hours.
Tuesday morning, I used to be killing a couple of minutes, doing a closing checkout whereas the blokes had been getting some espresso on the quickie mart. I grabbed my RE entrance monitor bar and was shocked to search out it unfastened. I used to be much more shocked once I received a detailed take a look at the bolt.
Here is a close-up of the grade 8 bolt that holds the RE monitor bar in place on the body bracket. Notice something humorous about it? Perhaps it’s the stripped (or lack of) threads which can be catching your consideration? I ought to have seen this when doing the oil change and lube the week earlier than. I had been battling a dying wobble drawback since having the D-30 trussed. I can inform you that when this bolt was changed with a great one (albeit the rigorously drilled 5/8″ gap I labored so laborious on is now wobbled out considerably), my entrance finish issues instantly went away. Now I do know that I didn’t cross thread the nut onto the bolt….and I ran it forwards and backwards to Moab after putting in the brand new carry (and monitor bar). I put it on myself and thoroughly handed torqued it to 175 ft. lbs. I’ll be having a dialogue with the oldsters liable for this.
52 minutes later and a pair of failed makes an attempt at finding grade 8 {hardware}, we had a brand new bolt, nut, and lock washer in place (and a pair of full spares for my components field). ACE Hardware was the third spot we checked and located an awesome number of {hardware}. We hit the freeway and headed for the entry highway that results in Loon Lake the place we’d begin our run.
We arrived on the path head and I instantly aired down and disconnected the entrance sway bar. I set Lady’s 35″ MT/Rs at 9 PSI and we topped off our fuel tanks from my two Jerry cans. We would later discover {that a} half tank (~9 gallons) of fuel would get every of us to the tip of the path at Lake Tahoe. Better to be protected than sorry!
Our final shock for Day 1 would present up on the Gate Keeper, an impediment you encounter close to the Loon Lake path head. It was right here that we found that Robert’s new Warn hub conversion was not working correctly. Somehow, the unsuitable sized hubs had been despatched to Robert. I later came upon from Robert that Warn had been contacted about this and so they assured him it was the correct hub set. Robert’s solely probability to take a look at the work was a fast journey up and down the road in 4WD, as he had been engaged on it only a few days earlier than I arrived in CA. With the tires chirping, all concerned assumed the mod to achieve success. The drawback was that the axle splines wouldn’t correctly interact the hub splines. So, Robert couldn’t really “lock in” his hubs…..he had 2 HI and 2LO vary. We pulled out his borrowed spare hub which was of the proper kind and put in it on the motive force’s aspect.
I suppose I can point out that between the time that Robert first tried Gate Keeper and after we deduced his hubs had been the unsuitable pair, I managed to kill my proper knee whereas serving to to push Robert’s TJ off of a rock. I felt my proper knee pop whereas I used to be pushing (on the unsuitable angle) on his entrance bumper. I’m fairly certain it really slipped barely out of the socket, because the ache was amazingly intense. I assumed it was throughout proper then and there for me. I hopped over to a close-by rock and sat down, pale and sweating (oh yeah…..I used to be in shock for a few minutes). Within about 20 minutes (I used to be in a position to limp round a bit however had very restricted motion). I used to be fortunate it was my proper knee and never the opposite one, as Lady has a clutch and that will have been practically unattainable for me. As it was, getting out and in of a 6″ lifted TJ sitting on 35″ tires would show to be an fascinating problem all in itself for the following 48 hours or so. As I sit right here doing this path write-up, it’s 6 days for the reason that accident and the knee continues to be noticeably swollen.
We had Robert as much as 3 wheel drive and it was time to decide…..run the Rubicon or abort. Bruce and I had been operating on 35″ tires. Everyone had winches, straps, hi-lifts, and an awesome crawl ratio. Food and water weren’t a difficulty, as we had greater than sufficient ought to we have to take an additional day or two. Call us loopy, however the determination was made to provide it a attempt. Robert mentioned he was up for the problem and all of us agreed that we’d get him by, a method or one other.
We cleared Gate Keeper and a stand of tree and began out throughout the realm often called the “Granite Bowl”. The bowl will not be really a part of the unique Rubicon Trail. However, with the highway from Georgetown beneath restore, that is the opposite route by which the west finish Rubicon could be accessed. This can be the route that the Jeep Jamboree takes (which was accomplished simply a few days earlier than we began our journey. As you may see within the image above, the bowl is simply that….a really massive dish formed granite slab. Lots of oldsters come right here to play for the day, making it tougher to truly discover and keep on the OHV path that exits on the north finish of the bowl and hooks up with the Rubicon Trail on the Ellis Creek crossing. I had spent the earlier weekend with my GPS mapping software program (OziExplorer) and a Rubicon Trail information e book, making a GPS monitor for our journey utilizing my USGS 7.5′ CD topo maps. This information was then damaged into path sections and uploaded to my GPS every morning of the journey. I additionally made an precise GPS monitor of the path so I’ve that for future reference as properly. I’m proud to say that my anticipated monitor was extraordinarily near our precise monitor….so shut that it made no distinction throughout our run.
Rubicon Trail 2001
We lastly made it throughout the Granite Bowl….and we even did it with out taking any unsuitable turns or dropping off any of the ledges onto our heads! We discovered the Ellis Creek crossing and stopped there for lunch. Robert discovered a rock to sit down on and had his toes soaking within the cool water in a couple of minutes. I nonetheless query whether or not Robert ought to have filed some form of EPA paperwork or not. [insert big grin here]
We received again on the path and pushed on in direction of Buck Island Lake, the place we hoped to make night camp. Lady got here throughout this pair of rocks (the path was nonetheless just about like a forest service path at this level….probably not too tough) that made for a prefect suspension flex shot. Both stuffed tires are on the bump stops and the passenger entrance is definitely an inch or so off the bottom.
If you take a look at the above picture, you may see the very discover powdery filth (be aware the tire tracks in it) that makes up the Rubicon Trail. The filth is definitely extra like flour than it’s filth…..and you can’t transfer with out inflicting it to make a cloud round you. Even an idling engine kicks up the mud sufficient in order that it blows into the Jeep. At one level, we mentioned placing the little white disposable mud masks on our record for the following journey. The stuff is nasty to say the least.
As we labored our approach eastward on the path (be aware that the time period “labored” is usually measured in a ten yard distance), we received to Walker Rock, one other collection of obstacles on the path. On this a part of the path, I used to be main, so I received the responsibility (pleasure?) of selecting a line over every new part we got here to.
It was after passing Walker’s Rock that I received my one and solely “Rubicon Kiss” of the journey. You can see the flare received just a few scratches on it. I didn’t really feel too dangerous since Michael tagged his in the very same spot. Did I point out that the powdery filth on high of the rocks makes for a considerably slippery state of affairs whenever you get off camber a bit?
We continued to work in direction of the following impediment because the afternoon handed. The Little Sluice Box was subsequent on the record of issues to see (or drive by?).
The pic above was taken about 50 yards again from the doorway of the Little Sluice Box. Those rocks in the course of the picture are within the neighborhood of three`~4′ tall, some greater, some smaller. They had been blown off the face of the rock formation up and to the left of the path by somebody a 12 months or two in the past, supposedly to make this impediment more difficult for the oldsters with 38″+ tires. Needless to say, we didn’t run it. We did stroll just a little methods down the path and located a possible line up and onto the granite slab that marks the proper hand boundary of the path.
After sizing up the Little Sluice Box, we opted to take the acknowledged bypass that takes you throughout a big part of granite slab to the NE of the impediment. We discovered that even the bypass had just a few surprises ready for us.
You begin the bypass by climbing up the granite slab, working your Jeep between two carefully spaced timber. Once by them, it’s a laborious left flip and onto a really steep rock face that drops you again to floor zero in a short time. Your proper aspect tires monitor a line that may put you over onto your aspect in case your spotter (or the motive force) will get sloppy. Here is Bruce and his CJ-7 on the brink of drop down the rock face. Michael is recognizing for him on this impediment.
Rubicon Trail 2001
We completed the bypass round Little Sluice Box and realized that Buck Island Lake was not going to be made earlier than it might be darkish. All of us agreed that we’d relatively be off the path by the point the solar set. With this in thoughts, we modified our plans and determined to attempt for Spider Lake whereas we nonetheless had daylight left.
The path was turning into more and more harder. The boulders and ledges had been turning into greater and extra carefully spaced. There was no room for error until you didn’t thoughts smashing your diff right into a rock or punching a gap in your oil pan. Tire placement was the secret and getting them to remain put was turning into extra of a problem. Because of Robert’s distinctive 3WD state of affairs, he would often want to connect his winch cable to Michael’s Jeep with a purpose to make it over the rocks. With no energy being utilized to his passenger aspect entrance tire, it was a battle to get it up and over the taller rocks. Robert usually occasions needed to take a worse line simply in order that the un-powered tire might be extra simply “pushed” over the rocks in its path.
We lastly discovered what appeared to be a flip off that headed within the path of Spider Lake. The solar was shortly dipping for the horizon and it was practically 8:00 PM after we pulled up close to the lake’s edge. We had spent the final 8 hours (give or take a couple of minutes) on the path. We regarded on the map and agreed that these few miles of path had been fairly an accomplishment on condition that Robert was operating in3WD and none of us had ever seen this nation earlier than. We received all the way down to the duty of establishing camp and bringing Day 1 to a detailed. After everybody ate, I fired up the digital camcorder and all of us received to see a replay of our first day’s journey.
On Wednesday morning, Day 2, I rolled out of the passenger aspect Jeep seat (sure, I sleep within the seat) to search out a wonderful day awaiting us. I ripped open a bundle of dehydrated meals (bacon and eggs) and boiled up some water to re-hydrate my breakfast. Hey, don’t knock it till you attempt it….it was ok that I ate one other one for breakfast the following morning!
After breakfast was executed and I used to be packed up, I walked all the way down to the lake to take a few pictures of the gorgeous surroundings. As you may see within the above picture, the lake was extraordinarily calm. You may see logs and such laying on the underside of the lake, close to the shore. The water high quality was wonderful, in my view (evaluating this to any Arizona lake).
As you may see, there isn’t a lot in the best way of a sandy seaside, eah? The granite slabs come proper as much as the water’s edge and that’s it. It does make for a pleasant method to hold your ft off of the rock and soak these drained outdated toes within the good cool water. Little did I do know when this image was taken that I’d be doing simply that by the day’s finish.
Rubicon Trail 2001
We had been again on the path by 9:00 AM, doing it in low vary, 1st gear…..climbing up and over the by no means ending path of rocks. We once more seen that the path was turning into an increasing number of difficult. Luckily, we had been getting higher on the traction sport so I suppose that evened every part out about proper.
I gave my digital digital camera to Bruce who kindly snapped a pair pictures of Lady and me. She is flexing it up only a bit coming down off of this ledge. We encountered but extra ledges and obstacles alongside the path that provided each a problem in addition to some good picture ops!
The ledges had been getting a bit taller as we labored our approach in direction of Buck Island Lake, the place we hoped to be by lunch time. We nonetheless had not seen the Old Sluice Box but which might be exhibiting up any time quickly. I had these obstacles waypointed on my Garmin GPS however we had discovered that with the variety of spur trails (enjoyable trails individuals go play on) that take off in numerous instructions, it may be tough to know precisely the place you’re or the place the principle path really is.
Bruce’s CJ-7 runs a standard spring beneath axle suspension. He has a pair of Detroits within the Ford 9″ axles which flip 35″ BFG MTs. As you may see within the above pic, his CJ flexes fairly good. After some time, I received to thinkin’ that somebody was simply up the path a methods, pushing the larger rocks out onto the path simply to see if we may recover from them.
Rubicon Trail 2001
We continued to work our approach over the path…..or was that the path continued to work us over? Sometimes I used to be not fairly certain. Here is Robert (left) and Michael (proper) on the bypass for Old Sluice Box. We fully missed the doorway to Old Sluice Box, which was most likely OK. Once into the bypass route, I used to be in a position to inform, through my GPS monitor, that we had been skirting the Old Sluice Box impediment that misinform the west of us. Once on the finish of Old Sluice Box, I walked up the field a brief distance after which yelled for the opposite guys to return on over. I yielded to the path (my knee was not going to take this mountain goat remedy) whereas the opposite guys hiked up into the impediment. Robert reported it was certainly stuffed with a bunch of very massive rocks.
We pressed on and hand lunch about 20 yards from the shore of Buck Island Lake. The path will get fairly robust once more when you cross over the Buck Island Lake Dam (as if it hadn’t been robust all morning lengthy). There are some fairly good ledges and rock faces to climb on this part of the path. The Rubicon will not be going to allow you to overlook the place you’re and what you’re doing there!
We completed lunch and pushed on in direction of Big Sluice Box. We needed to make camp by 5:00 PM or so and Rubicon Springs can be our vacation spot until one thing dangerous occurred. Speaking of dangerous happenings….Robert seen that his drag hyperlink was beginning to really feel the punishment of path. Because his passenger aspect entrance tire couldn’t climb over a rock (it needed to be pushed), the power required to make this occur was beginning to bend his drag hyperlink proper under the adjuster by the pitman arm.
We made it to Big Sluice Box round 2:00 PM or so. I made it by the primary 30 yards and located a spot to park so I may return and take some pics whereas the opposite guys got here by. Here is Michael winding his approach by the beginning of the downhill left flip switchback which marks the start of the Big Sluice Box part of the path.
Lady negotiates the final a part of the change again flip in the beginning of Big Sluice Box. The subsequent quarter mile (or barely extra) would show to be some very enjoyable wheelin’.
Robert is getting some wonderful droop on his proper entrance. This shot was taken a bit additional into Big Sluice. By this time, we had been beginning to discover that his drag hyperlink was taking over a bit extra of a bend (extra about this later).
Rubicon Trail 2001
Here is Michael recognizing Bruce over what by now appears to be an infinite river of rocks. Are they ever going to finish? Every time we received by a troublesome part, I’d say “Well, that have to be the tip of Big Sluice.” Another 10 yards and a bend within the path would put us initially of one more rock backyard to navigate.
We even managed to discover a water gap impediment alongside the best way. There was no bypass round it. I hate water due to the issues it will possibly do to the drive practice elements (diffs, transmissions, and so on.). Lady’s tail pipe bubbled the complete approach by the water. I caught Robert wading by the water. I do know he hoped his 3WD wouldn’t trigger him to get caught (or worse but, break down) within the water gap. Luck was shining on us and he made it by with no issues.
After making it by the Big Sluice Box and the water gap, we pushed on in direction of the bridge over the Rubicon River and eventually Rubicon Springs. We encountered 4 autos (3 Land Cruisers and a Jeep) additional down the path, simply earlier than the bridge. They had suffered a flat tire and had been simply ending the airing up of the tire. After speaking with them for a bit, we found that this was a tour group (ie., they lease the autos and have a information). The information was driving a Jeep….hmmm….I’m wondering why?
We made it to Rubicon Springs and stopped for about 20 minutes to pay our tenting charges and chat with the care taker. Rubicon Springs is a principal staging space for the massive Jeep Jamboree. We had been now on non-public land, and thus the rationale for the $10 tenting price (good for as much as a 5 day keep). We received some tips on the place the most effective camp spots had been and hopped again into the Jeeps. Another 20 minutes of mainly simple path put us at an awesome spot, proper subsequent to the little creek that flows by this space.
Here is an image of our “entrance yard” at our camp website. Pretty laborious to take, eah? About 10 minutes after arriving in camp, all 4 of us had been down on this good cool water, washing off the path mud. The water was a bit on the cool aspect (in comparison with my swimming pool in Phoenix), however I used to be not going to complain. It felt nice after busting all of these rocks on the path.
We made some dinner and cracked open just a few well-deserved chilly ones. I scraped the pics off the digital nonetheless digital camera and put them onto my laptop computer. With 12VDC utilized to the 115 volt AC inverter, I charged the battery on the camcorder whereas we watched the laptop computer’s slide how of the earlier two day’s footage. After that was executed, we huddled across the camcorder’s relatively small LCD display (and I do imply small) and watched some extra of our day’s adventures that we caught on video.
Note the bend in Robert’s drag hyperlink….simply to the left of the adjuster…..proper within the space of the threads. The final a part of the Day 2, particularly Big Sluice Box, took its toll on the {hardware}. With this being the beginning of Day 3, all we had been hoping for is that we’d make it to the highest of Cadillac Hill, the final main impediment between us and Lake Tahoe (a.ok.a., the tip of the path).
Rubicon Trail 2001
We broke camp, once more round 9:00 AM, and headed up the path to see what surprises Cadillac Hill might need in retailer for us. Robert was in “survival mode”, as he put it. His principal aim was to get off the path in a single piece. My knee was feeling a bit higher (fortunate me) and after I received it stretched out a bit, I may get round on it fairly properly.
We made the underside of Cadillac hill in brief time and located a gaggle of three autos simply clearing the steep granite slab that marks the start of the impediment. These people had been tenting at Rubicon Springs too. There had been two quick wheel based mostly Jeeps and a Cherokee within the group. We gave them a couple of minutes head begin after which scoped out a line to go over the slab.
Lady made it over the granite slab in fantastic form. It was a type of obstacles that regarded worse than it actually was. We had no issues with traction or slipping off of our chosen line.
There had been various good obstacles on Cadillac Hill, though after we made it to the highest, all of us agreed that it was not practically as dangerous as what we had seen through the earlier two days. Don’t get me unsuitable, there have been a few locations that you just needed to work for, and Robert received a bit knotted up when he couldn’t get his tire put the place he needed it. He mentioned the pucker issue meter went to full scale whereas he waited for Bruce to get the winch hook related to the CJ-7. I missed all of this since I used to be additional down the hill making an attempt to maintain one in every of Lady’s flares out of these rattling rocks! (I succeeded this time.)
We made it to the highest of Cadillac Hill and on to Observation Point. Travel time up so far was a easy 75 minutes. Not too dangerous we thought. Then we received one other take a look at Robert’s drag hyperlink. It had taken on a severe angle since leaving Rubicon Springs. We knew the path can be simpler from right here on out, however we nonetheless had about one other 9 miles (give or take a bit) earlier than we’d see Lake Tahoe. We felt assured we’d make it and can be at our resort (Harvey’s Casino in South Lake Tahoe, NV) round mid-day.
I handed my Sony digital to one of many guys and posed for an image at Observation level. This spot on the path provides you a view of a significant portion of the path (though I’ll be darned if I may decide it out approach over there on the other aspect of the valley). This is concerning the final spot the place you may look again over the realm you traveled. We all took a bunch of pics right here whereas we waited for the group of three Jeeps to get additional down the path (we caught up once more with them right here).
Rubicon Trail 2001
We had been about half-hour from Observation Point once I heard Robert on the CB, “Bruce, it broke”. Bruce was within the lead and Robert was operating within the #2 slot. That was it, the drag hyperlink was now in two items and we wanted a path repair to get us out of right here. We had been about 7 or 8 miles from the tip of the path. We would discover that there have been nonetheless some extra tough spots forward, however nothing like we had been operating over the previous two days.
I prompt we take a HI-Lift jack deal with and minimize it to size so it may slide over the 2 ends of the now damaged drag hyperlink rod. We eliminated the adjuster from the tip that was nonetheless hooked up to the pitman arm. We needed to hacksaw the opposite finish of the rod due to the knuckle the place the steering stabilizer connects. As I advised Robert, these two components had been left-overs from the brand new drag hyperlink mod!
Once the HI-Lift jack deal with was in place, we took a few rachet straps and wrapped them across the drag hyperlink and the junction the place the tie rod and drag hyperlink be a part of. We had been counting on this to maintain every part collectively and provides Robert restricted steering management.
After some dialogue, we determined to tow Robert behind Bruce’s CJ-7 utilizing a really quick Y strap association. This would trigger the entrance of Robert’s TJ to be barely pulled across the corners and would hopefully minimize down on the quantity of motion of the steering.
I do not know if this labored the best way we thought it ought to, however as you may see within the above picture, there may be Robert’s TJ, sitting on asphalt, about 50 yards from the highway that skirts Lake Tahoe. We had been all extraordinarily pleased with how the path repair held up. Robert mentioned it felt good and tight the complete approach. It took use a number of hours to complete up these final 7~8 miles of the path.
After we had been out, we referred to as for a wrecker and had the disabled TJ towed to the Harvey’s Casino parking zone at South Lake Tahoe. Robert handled us all to dinner in one of many resort’s consuming institutions. We additionally managed to toss down just a few chilly Coronas earlier than calling it a night! 4 Jeeps went in and 4 Jeeps got here out!
The following morning, Robert and I hit the highway at 8:00 AM in Lady. We drove again to the place we left the tow rig and trailer, loaded Lady on it, and headed again for Robert’s TJ. (did I point out we will load and safe a TJ on that trailer in properly beneath 5 minutes?). Around mid-day, we met up with Bruce and Michael within the on line casino parking zone, put Robert’s TJ on the trailer, and set out for Chino. We pulled into Robert’s driveway about 11:30 PM that night. What an journey!
I wish to take this chance to thank Michael, Robert, and Bruce for permitting me to share this off-road journey with them. I’ve by no means skilled wheelin’ like this and it is perhaps a while earlier than I do it once more. But I can inform you one factor for certain…..I cannot consider a greater group of Jeepers to do it with. These three guys are #1 in my e book and I’ll be most honored to bust one other path with them…..and Robert….subsequent time you’re gonna’ do it in 4WD, OK? [insert really big grin here]
Remember, TREAD Lightly!