After work one day me and a buddy set out for a three hour tour of a favorite 4wheelin' spot. Since it was a quick trip I didn't put in my CB, grab a coat, recovery gear, snacks & water. Destination was side trails off the Gold Camp Road up Cheyenne Canyon, SW of Colorado Springs. Not too difficult trails, but plenty secluded and a variety of terrain.
It was a beautiful drive up the GCR to our turn off. I locked in the hubs, aired down, shifted to 4WD High and headed up the trail. Climbed over a few rocks, forded a stream and we headed for the meadows. Usually I avoid this area because it's one big marsh and the track is so deep and filled with water everyone gets stuck. Well ****y me decided to cross the meadow by straddling the ruts on the wet grass. All went well for about 50 feet when my right wheels slipped off the grass into the bottomless rut. No problem I thought while shifting to 4WD Low. We went no where fast. Stuck! Ol'76 is sitting on front and rear diffs between ruts. We are stuck big time!
Lots of swearing ensued when I got out my bottle jack from under the drivers seat, go to place it under the rear axle and watch it disappear beneath the surface of the water like a boat anchor. More swearing as I reach down into the frigid water soaking my arm to the shoulder before I touched the jack. Fishing out the jack gave my buddy Steve a good laugh. I wiped the smile off his face when I told him we ain't getting out tonight as we watch the sun disappear behind the trees. Being secluded and dark, walking out didn't seem like a good idea.
Opening up my wood army surplus ammo crate I searched through my extra oil, service manuals, spark plug pump, snatch-em strap, flares and misc. stuff to retreived my army surplus blanket. Sharing the blanket and a fitful nights sleep with engine and heater running intermittently, we managed to survive the night.
Come sunup we hiked back to the Gold Camp Road where we ran into my frantic wife (now ex) and her dad in his Jeep Grand Wagoneer woody. Since I never came home the night before she feared the worst and recruited her dad to come find me. She guessed right where we went. Guiding my father in law back to scene of the crime I hooked up my snatch-em strap to the FJ tow hitch ball (yes I know) and to the Jeep. Third yank broke my strap, almost stuck the Jeep in mud.
Well crap!
We headed back to Colorado Springs to get Steve's white FJ40 and Del in his new little Bronco. We headed back to my stuck FJ. Using another snatch-em strap Del buried the Bronco, which was a gutless wonder and had no power in the first place.
Steve pulled Del out and Hooked up his FJ to my front tow hook while I jacked up the front of my stuck FJ.
Plan was to have Steve pull me off the high lift jack and out of the ruts. Planned worked and after a good jerk Ol'76 was free. After congratulations all around we headed home. Thanks friends wherever you are now!
That my friends is the story of how to do everything wrong when out 4wheelin' and my tale of wo!