Just got back from Mohawk!!!


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Posted by EB on May 09, 1998 at 23:04:56:

Howdy,
I just got back in from a day of awesome 4wheeling!
It started as a quest to find the Mohawk Trail where the Jeep Jamboree's are held. I ended up finding several great spots, and I have no idea if they were part of the Jamboree route or not.
If your near Western Mass and want to try the same route, here's were some of the toughest stuff was found.
Take Rt 2 to the French King Bridge in Gill, on the Westbound side there's a rest stop near the bridge, you'll see an access road leading into the woods near the middle of the rest area. Take the trail, then bear left till you see the Power Lines.
Head West, you'll have a great ride.
You can take the power lines for about 5 miles, you cross a few roads, and have to take some creative entrances and exits, but thats part of the fun.
The toughest obstical I found on the power line trail (you can find tons of other chalenges if you don't take the "road") took me 6 attempts to finally make it up.
(Remember, I'm driving a stock YJ with 3/4 worn Dunlop Rovers.)It was a very steep strech about 120 feet long with a stream running down the middle, which was all loose rocks, slick mud enbankments on the side, and the obligitory large jutting rocks scattered thru-out the incline. Eventually I got the right line and the tires to stop spinning out and I made it to the top.
Shortly after, we ran out of film and had to hit a store. When we went back, we hit a trail in Hoyle, MA that started as an abandoned logging road and after clearing several trees from the trail turned into total wilderness. We used a chain from the front bumper of the YJ to drag several deadfalls clear of the trail, but finally got to the point where there were 20 year old live trees growing thru the middle of the "road", and there was no where to go but back the way we came.
About the time we realized we wern't going any further, my Clutch stoped working properly. I could ease in into 1st and grind it into Reverse, this went on thru the 16 point turn that was needed to turn the Jeep around. By the time I hit the paved road, the Clutch had stoped working completly.
Of course you don't really need a clutch to drive a Standard, but it does make life alot easier.
I managed to make it from Hoyle (west of Gardener, MA) to Concord, MA with out ever coming to a complete stop. When I hit Concord, I checked to see what the problem was. First I discovered I had a hydrolic clutch, which was new technology to me. I was hoping to find the adjustment and tighten it up enough to make it thru the Stop and Go.
I checked the Fluid, and it was a fingertip deep in the resevoir. I got some brake fluid, added about a ShotGlass full, and the clutch started to work like new, however it softened up a bit by the time I made it home.
So it looks like I have a leak in the Clutch line, but that should be an easy fix, and the price of the tubing will be well worth the memories of the trip.

Well, I'm sure the shit-eating grin will wear off in a week or two!

We went thru 2 "one-use" cameras today, and I already got them developed. There are some very nice shots. I've got a week wait on Picture Disk, and the new pics will be posted on the Pic page soon as I get the JPGs.

Well time to sign off for now.
Muddy Trails,
EB




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