question about Lionsback video and Glacier Ridge threads

[LGraubner]

As I watched the video of the Ford Bronco coming down Lionsback without power and minimal brakes, it reminded me of a time in So. California when my fiberglass dune buggy went down a steep mountainside, fortunately without me.

I also read in another thread about Glacier Ridge and someone wondering about how a rig ended up way down a steep mountainside.

I grew up in Southern California and had a rock crawling fiberglass VW dune buggy that had a low gear and big engine and was excellent offroad. Anyway, I decided to ditch a day of college and headed for Saddleback. About 7 miles back on a trial, the little metal plate that folds over the pin to hold in the break pedal broke and I was without brakes on a steep twisting downhill road. I ran it into the side of the hill and managed to stop. As I got out of the vehicle, it took off again and proceeded to go over the edge of a steep bank.

It went about 50 feet before coming to a stop in some thick chapparal brush. Good thing, because it was another 1,500 feet to the bottom of the canyon and I would have had to write it off.

I walked to the main road, called a cousin with a 4WD with a winch and we rescued the vehicle. I repaired it enough to get home and from them on, I didn't wheel alone and I didn't ditch any more days of college.

Seeing the Lionback video and reading about the lost truck on Glacier Ridge brought back some memories.

Another place we had a near miss 20 years ago was on the backside of Anza Borrego and Coyota Canyon. There is a steep one-way 4WD road on the back of that canyon that has a high pucker factor.

[PDXWheeler]

LGraubner previously said:

As I watched the video of the Ford Bronco coming down Lionsback without power and minimal brakes, it reminded me of a time in So. California when my fiberglass dune buggy went down a steep mountainside, fortunately without me.

I also read in another thread about Glacier Ridge and someone wondering about how a rig ended up way down a steep mountainside.

I grew up in Southern California and had a rock crawling fiberglass VW dune buggy that had a low gear and big engine and was excellent offroad. Anyway, I decided to ditch a day of college and headed for Saddleback. About 7 miles back on a trial, the little metal plate that folds over the pin to hold in the break pedal broke and I was without brakes on a steep twisting downhill road. I ran it into the side of the hill and managed to stop. As I got out of the vehicle, it took off again and proceeded to go over the edge of a steep bank.

It went about 50 feet before coming to a stop in some thick chapparal brush. Good thing, because it was another 1,500 feet to the bottom of the canyon and I would have had to write it off.

I walked to the main road, called a cousin with a 4WD with a winch and we rescued the vehicle. I repaired it enough to get home and from them on, I didn't wheel alone and I didn't ditch any more days of college.

Seeing the Lionback video and reading about the lost truck on Glacier Ridge brought back some memories.

Another place we had a near miss 20 years ago was on the backside of Anza Borrego and Coyota Canyon. There is a steep one-way 4WD road on the back of that canyon that has a high pucker factor.

Ok, where's the question? I looked but didn't see where you used a "?".

[Sparky]

I think... maybe he's asking about the breaks?

[LGraubner]

has anyone ever had their rig go off the road and have to be retrieved at the end of a winch?

[FJR Colorado]

Here's a nice carcass near the entrance to Poughkeepsie Trail out in the San Juans...



I like the marmot who has taken up residence inside the wreckage.

I also liked the Forest Ranger who described Poughkeepsie to me in a slow Southern drawl as "one dirty, dirty road..."

[Noisycow]

I know it is not really a challenge 4x4 skill-wise, but I really want to go up Lion's back with a friend who is scared of heights.

[highbeams]

LGraubner previously said:

has anyone ever had their rig go off the road and have to be retrieved at the end of a winch?

we did a retieval last labor day during a run, vehicle did about 75 off the trail down a ravine, took us about 3 hours to get it back up
3 years ago in the Jaurez mountains, because of a loose parking brake I lost my beloved CJ5, had wheeled it for 20 years (something about a jeep, they become part of the family) I set the brake but it was not tight enough to hold, 2 minutes later I watched it go about 700 feet down, still there. Have pulled numerous vehicles out of 20 foot or so booboos, It is a lot more common than thought.
now that ithink of it, this year we pulled a FJC out of a hole, thing was about 2 inches from being on it's side. funny, CruiserLarry still trust me to spot

[Noisycow]

I bet that was a heartbreaker watching the CJ5.

On a lighter note, I did the same thing with my MR2. It went backwards, got up to about 25mph across a grocery store parking lot, just barely missed a group of old ladies before plowing into one of their cars.

I was shopping and the lady paged "would the owner of a red Toyota please come out to the lot." I thought someone dinged my car - oops. They sure were upset.

City story, sorry.

[akoda]

Noisycow previously said:

I know it is not really a challenge 4x4 skill-wise, but I really want to go up Lion's back with a friend who is scared of heights.

Not a challenge?? I have only seen some pictures of people going up it and a video somewhere here of an fj going up it. Looks challenging to me, but the pictures may look worse than it really is. All I will say is I don't think I have the testicular fortitude for the drive even if my fj does

[gnwhite]

akoda previously said:

Not a challenge?? I have only seen some pictures of people going up it and a video somewhere here of an fj going up it. Looks challenging to me, but the pictures may look worse than it really is. All I will say is I don't think I have the testicular fortitude for the drive even if my fj does

amen brother. i Think i feel the same way. with my MT im not sure i would try it.