New Year’s Day Hangover Run

Summary

On New Year's Day, 2021, a group of 31 off-road vehicles embarked on a High Desert Off Road Hangover Run, encountering plowed roads, deep snow, and challenging trails, with some members experiencing vehicle issues.

Abstract

The New Year’s Day Hangover Run organized by the High Desert Off Road club saw 31 rigs convene at Albertson’s in Emmett. The planned route up Sheep Creek and over to 2nd Fork was unexpectedly cleared, turning the anticipated off-road challenge into a straightforward drive. Despite this, the group, including the author and his companions, sought out deeper snow for a more authentic off-road experience. They faced a tough spot that required the strength of Howard's 42" Pit Bull tires and big block motor to overcome. The day also included assisting less-equipped vehicles and dealing with a wheel spacer issue on Howard's vehicle. The author noted a persistent ignition problem with his Jeep, which affected its performance and fuel efficiency. The group covered nearly 100 miles, a significant distance for off-road vehicles, and despite some challenges, the day was deemed a great start to the 2021 wheeling season.

Opinions

The author preferred the challenge of off-road conditions over the plowed roads they encountered.
The author appreciated the capability of Howard's vehicle and Gabe's trailblazing efforts in the snow.
There was a sense of camaraderie in assisting the three Toyotas and the group of JKs that followed them.
The author was concerned about vehicle reliability, as evidenced by the mention of his own ignition problem and Howard's wheel spacer issue.
Despite the difficulties, the author expressed enjoyment and a positive outlook for the wheeling year ahead.

New Year’s Day Hangover Run

31 rigs on a New Year’s Day run (Photo by the author)

January 1, 2021

Thirty-one rigs met at Albertson’s in Emmett for a High Desert Off Road Hangover Run. We went up Sheep Creek and cut over to 2nd Fork. Unfortunately, the entire way had been plowed, so it was little more than a dirt road drive. Since Howard, Gabe, and Harvey were going, I took my big Jeep instead of my blue Jeep.

We quickly got to the trailer drop off for Sagehen Reservoir, so after an appropriate time of eating lunch, the four of us took off from the group in search of big snow. We found it.

Howard breaking trail with 42s (Photo by the author)

Gabe broke most of the trail until we found a tough spot. After working on it a while, Howard took to beating on it with his 42" Pit Bulls and big block motor. After running almost to the top of the hill, we turned around to find that three Toyotas had followed us. Since we were now behind them, luckily they only had to winch once on the way down.

Gabe’s Jeep headed up the hill to the big snow (Photo by the author)

However, we then came across a group of about five JKs. They were tied off to trees, anchor points, and winches everywhere, about to drive off the road. It reminded me of the Jeep stickers I sometimes see: “Don’t follow me. You won’t make it.” Follow us at your peril. After 15 minutes of waiting, the trail was clear, and we continued to the bottom.

Cliff, Howard, and I heading down the road (Photo by Joyce Miller)

We had about 40 miles of plowed road to get back to the trailers. On the way, Howard heard a noise. We started looking, and I noticed a loose wheel spacer on his driver's front. Since I had just had a wheel spacer issue on my little Jeep, I was in tune with that problem. By the time we made it back to the trailer, he had done a lot of damage.

A loose wheel spacer (photo by Howard Shields)

Loose wheel spacers cause damage (Photo by Howard Shields)

I am still fighting a small ignition problem that caused my Jeep to run a little poorly, which in turn caused me to get terrible gas mileage. I need to change my rotor and see if that’s the issue.

We put in almost 100 miles in Jeeps. Normally, that isn’t that big of a deal, but 100 miles in a crawler is a long way. I would have been more comfortable in my little Jeep, but I still had fun.

Overall, it is a great start to wheeling in 2021.

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