Lost Valley to Cottonwood Canyon

[calvinhunt]

[size=12]Carl and I started our day by driving an old dugway that was the main road when I was a kid (we're always seeking out different old dugways to drive).

Just yesterday we took a drive up among the deer and bears (of which we saw both) to the top of a nearby mountain where at 11,700 feet it was nice and cool.� But, today we ventured back out into the desert heat of over 90 degrees among the rattle snakes and scorpions (of which we saw neither).




Then we headed into Lost Valley, where about the only thing lost was the remnant of the trail.





I think it should be re-named, Rock Valley.




Going down another dugway.� In this part of the country, it's by the use of dugways that we get from the top of a mesa to the bottom of an adjacent canyon.




I call this the Rock Garden.� Here there are boulders scattered around and most are larger than our Jeeps.




We finally reached the cool shade of the trees in the bottom of Cottonwood Canyon where we could eat lunch and take a break. However, because the last 60 feet was pure sandhill, we chose to leave one Jeep at the top of the hill.




Carl made a few attempts to climb the hill, but the sand was just too lose and the hill too steep (If the video turned out Carl will probably add it here). We'd planned to use my Jeep to attach Carl's winch cable to, but instead Carl chose the small boulder (to the right with the blue strap around it).




On yet another dugway as we climb up out of Cottonwood Canyon and head home.

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[Carls_jeep]

That trail was the rockiest so far. At one point there was a rocky climb with two paths up. Calvin chose the easier way and I chose the steepest and rockiest. It was so bad it tossed the Jeep from side to side and up and down so much I began to think, this was a bad mistake, but I made it. I hope I didn't leave any required parts on that hill.

When we got to the sand hill and lunch spot Calvin said he would stay at the top and I could go down if I wanted so I went down. After lunch and a rest I decided it's time to climb out. After about four tries Calvin suggested I get a longer run so I did. I made it 3/4 way up the hill and locked it down as shown in the video below.

http://s82.photobucket.com/user/yeathatshim/media/2013%20Utah/P9070014_zps1e9ee523.mp4.html

Then I ran out the cable and hooked a strap around a rock I thought big enough to pull me up. It wasn't. As seen in the next video it was still not easy to pull up with the winch and the Jeep pulling. I tried with just the winch but is was a hard pull so I helped with the Jeep.

http://s82.photobucket.com/user/yeathatshim/media/2013%20Utah/P9070015_zps3c24c5f6.mp4.html

All in all it was a lot of fun and a chance to use the winch again. It was about 95 deg in Cotton Wood Wash where we ate lunch and not much cooler higher above and we were very tired that evening. I think I need to look at the under carriage for damage from that trail. I have more squeaks and rattles than before but man was that fun.

These trails are what a Jeep was made for, not for driving down to the McDonalds for a milkshake or taking to a car show on a trailer. I really feel sorry for the garage queens, trailer queens and show queens. You really need to take your Jeep to where it was built to be.

[PaulS]

I keep a pulley block in the back of my Jeep.  (Or I did when the Jeep had a back.  Right now, it's in one of the many bins of parts.)  It's big (about a foot in diameter), but well worth having.  When there's enough winch cable available, running it out the anchor point, through the block and back to the Jeep, gives twice the pulling force. 

If I'm pulling something other than my Jeep, I anchor the end of the line to something other than the Jeep (if possible), so the Jeep sees only the direct force from the winch, but the item being pulled gets twice that force.

-Paul

[Carls_jeep]

I have a snatch block in my tow kit too but when pulling the total load is still on the object your anchored to regardless of how you rig the cable.

If you attach the end of the cable to the vehicle and the snatch block to a fixed object you have a two to one ratio pull.

If you attach the end of the cable to a fixed object and the snatch block to a fixed object you only have a one to one ratio pull.

Using the Jeep winch with the snatch block on a fixed object and using the end of the cable will only give a one to one ratio of lift or pull, not double. When the winch pulls one foot of cable the object at the end of the cable will move one foot.

The thing I wish winches had is a cable guide that would move the cable across the reel line fishing reels do. That would keep the cable from getting balled up at one end.

[Carls_jeep]

Annabelle wanted me to take a photo of here with some friends so here it is.

[PaulS]

I have a snatch block in my tow kit too but when pulling the total load is still on the object your anchored to regardless of how you rig the cable.

True� If the weak point is the anchor, it doesn't help.� But if you're trying to get up a steep slope and the winch is straining, and you have a solid anchor, it can help reduce load on the winch.
 

If you attach the end of the cable to the vehicle and the snatch block to a fixed object you have a two to one ratio pull.

Yup.� See above.

If you attach the end of the cable to a fixed object and the snatch block to a fixed object you only have a one to one ratio pull.

Using the Jeep winch with the snatch block on a fixed object and using the end of the cable will only give a one to one ratio of lift or pull, not double. When the winch pulls one foot of cable the object at the end of the cable will move one foot.

True as written.� But if your Jeep is the fixed object, and you want to move the item the snatch block is attached to, you get twice the force on that item.� (If the end of the cable is attached somewhere near the Jeep.)

The thing I wish winches had is a cable guide that would move the cable across the reel line fishing reels do. That would keep the cable from getting balled up at one end.

Yes!� Every time I see a winch with a nice neat winding of cable, I wonder how the heck they did that (or if they've ever used the winch).

[Carls_jeep]

They probably get that nice neat wound cable like I do. I unwind the glob and guide the cable back on the reel by hand with a heavy leather glove on.

[corpsman]

it's a good thing you guys left one of the jeeps at the top of the hill!