2010 Washington Trail Tours - copper Tj - Photo 32181244

Back to Article

This shot pretty much shows what the trail was like all day when it wasn't a big wet mud hole. Carl Yarbrough of Old Town Customs romps his trick, copper-colored TJ through the slick abandon logging roads that make up most of the 'wheeling trails in this area.

1104 4wd 01+2010 washington trail tours+photo

1104 4wd 02+2010 washington trail tours+trail tour

Trail Tour 2010 began in beautiful downtown Cle Elum, Washington, at the Traveler's Inn on a not-so-bright Monday morning. As you can see, we faced grey skies and rain drops. Not that anybody cared. We were headed for mud and were just glad to be together again.

Exercising our No. 1 rule (no trailers), our fearless leader Scott Frary lead us out of Cle Elum towards the Liberty 4X4 Trail System, in his spotless Flatfender-ish, TJ-ish, Hemi-powered Jeep. It wasn't to remain spotless for long though as mud was the order of the day.

We hadn't been on the trail more than a few minutes before we were axle deep in Washington's finest. This particular mud hole proved to be a nemesis for many in the group. Multiple tries, lots of strategic log placing and judicious amounts of throttle got everybody through.

Here is another view of the first big mud hole as Larry Trim, owner of Trail Ready, drops his "ain't no mall runner" Grand Cherokee into the goo. Larry's '97 GC is no stranger to 'wheeling, having been a test mule for Trail Ready products for ZJs since 1999. The OE 5.2L V-8 breathes through a Safari Snorkel and blows through a Dynomax exhaust. The 35-inch Mickey Thompsons are spun by a TerraLow 4 :1 231 T-case coupled to Dana 30 and 44 axles with Superior 'shafts, CMT joints, and ARB Air Lockers. Of course the Baja Claws wrap around Trail Ready's latest HD15 beadlock wheels equipped with World Series Rock Rings with a 5-on-5.5 bolt pattern. The SUV's tender body is protected by Trail Ready bumpers front and rear, along with the company's Rocker Guards and T-case and fuel tank skidplates.

This shot pretty much shows what the trail was like all day when it wasn't a big wet mud hole. Carl Yarbrough of Old Town Customs romps his trick, copper-colored TJ through the slick abandon logging roads that make up most of the 'wheeling trails in this area.

Lizard and Dorothy Fonnegra were our rookie 'wheelers this year. Representing Mastercraft seats and owner Robbie Pierce, Lizard was making obstacles look easy right from day one, causing more than a few of us to scratch our heads at his claim to have never 'wheeled before. Maybe it had something to do with Robbie's borrowed '07 JK Unlimited. This Jeep is a showcase for displaying Mastercraft seats in a JK, but also sports Dynatrac Pro Rock 60 axles hung from a Fasteck 6-inch long arm suspension featuring Fox Coilover shocks. BFG tires and Walker Evans wheels round out the look of this Mastercraft graphic-covered JK.

Jeff Trammell and Advanced Suspension Design were newcomers to Trail Tour for 2010, but their '97 TJ was up to the task. Spinning 37-inch IROKs on Trail Ready wheels was a turbocharged Jeep 4.0L hooked to an AX15 manual, a Klune-V 4:1, and an NP231. The suspension featured the company's control arms mixed with ZJ and TJ coils. TNT front tube fenders gave the TJ a unique look with help from Advanced Suspension Design's aluminum half doors and top.

Although most of the day was spent deep in the trees (and mud), we did pop out on top of a mountain at one point to take in this view of the snow capped Cascade peaks.

This shot pretty much sums up day one of Trail Tour 2010. Carl Yarbrough of Old Town Customs is all smiles after giving the mud his all in his custom TJ. The result? Mud: 1, Carl: 0. He buried the Jeep (and himself) and had to resort to the winch cable.

Did we mention that Monday was Mud Day?

Tuesday morning we awoke to beautiful blue skies and warm temps. We packed up all our belongings and checked out of Cle Elum. Our first stop of the day was in Roslyn, Washington, a town whose claim to fame is being the film set for the TV show "Northern Exposure". Bet you never saw that many Jeeps on the street during the show!

After leaving Roslyn we headed for the hills. Manastash Ridge was our 'wheeling destination for Tuesday. This area is the home of Funny Rocks and Moon Rocks, two well-known Washington State play areas.

Funny Rocks is a smallish rock outcropping with several good ledges and notches to challenge your rig and your driving skills. The approach to the area provides a good view of the whole area, so some watched from below while others cruised around the rocks trying different obstacles.

Mike Waclawski picks a tame line up Funny Rocks in his '97 TJ. Despite having the smallest engine on Trail Tour each year (a stock 2.5L four banger), Mike always manages to show up the Big Dogs with his smooth driving and clean lines. Sometimes a manual trans, lighter weight, and Detroit-locked diffs, combined with experienced driving, are the hot ticket.

Mel Wade put on a show in this notch with his big JK. Mel's company, Off Road Evolution is quickly becoming the "go to" shop for JK mods and watching this big black Unlimited work is one reason why. The rig features all of Evo Manufacturing's suspension bits, including the Evo Front Double Throwdown with King Coilover and King Bypass shocks at each corner, joined in the rear by an Evo Lever System with the Double Throwdown King shock package, as well. There are also Evo Long Arms with billet Envy Links. Axles are a pair of Dynatrac ProRock 60s with ARBs, 5.38s, and chromo 'shafts, with 40-inch Nitto Mud Grapplers attached via 17-inch ATX beadlocks. A Stak three-speed T-case helps the stock 3.8L V-6 spin all that strength. Protecting the body from that tight notch are Evo Rocksliders, Evo Body Armor, Evo bumpers and tire carrier, along with a Rockhard 4x4 rollcage surrounding Mastercraft seats.

Andy Burleson's '47 CJ-2A is no stranger to Trail Tour as Andy has been on all six of them. His Willys is one of the more unique flatties we've come across, mainly because it sports a Cummins 4BT diesel. But not just any 4BT. Andy wasn't content at just stuffing the plus 900-pound oil burner under the little Jeep's hood. No, he also found room for an intercooler and TWO turbos! Standing up to all that grunt is a 6.34 NV4500 coupled to an NP241 T-case. Down-shaft is a 14-bolt axle with 4.10 gears wrapped around a Grizzly Locker. Up-shaft is a Dana 60 stuffed with a Detroit. Both axles spin 38-inch TSLs on Raceline beadlocks. Directional headings are handled by a PSC ram-assist. With this setup, Andy can pretty much head wherever he wants and this little green tractor will chug right through.

After playing on Funny Rocks we headed over to Moon Rocks. This was the first snow we encountered during this year's 'Tour but not the last. Old Town Carl quickly plugged up this line by getting hopelessly stuck and then having fuel delivery issues. The rest of us fanned out and found alternate lines through this maze of steep and deep rock formations.

You gotta figure if you bring a Toyota to an all Jeep gathering and break down you're gonna gather a crowd of hecklers! Here, Jason Redfield quickly points out to any disbelievers that his broken spring centering pin is 100-percent American and quite likely the same part found under a lot of Jeeps. After much disassembly and some welding, the 'Cruiser was good as new. However, the sun was low and it was time to head for the barn.

Yes, even Dana 60 ring and pinions can break, especially when a heavy foot, a Hemi, and a jump are involved. Brad Kilby spent the better part of Tuesday night and most of Wednesday wrenching with the help of Jim McGean, Mel Wade, Randy Rubin (the heavy foot), and a few others. The repair involved a five-hour round trip parts run to Seattle by Lizard. All the effort shows the level of dedication everyone on Trail Tour will go to keep everyone on the trail all week. Trailers? We don't need no stinkin' trailers!

We caught Ryan Galford's CJ-grille-equipped '93 YJ coming off the trail Tuesday evening. We missed it on Monday as Ryan spent the day in Cle Elum chasing down engine sensor gremlins (thanks, NAPA!). The Jeep's build took 18 months and was finished the day before Trail Tour started so a few problems were to be expected. We were glad to see it motoring along with its Chevy TBI running smoothly and spinning those 37-inch Krawlers through the Washington muck. Other features of this clean and simple machine include RE 4.5-inch spring-under leaf springs with M.O.R.E. perches and shackles controlling a Dana 44 front and Currie High-Clearance 60 rear. A 700R4 spins a twin-stick 300 T-case and Tom Wood's driveshafts. Ryan looks forward to enjoying many more runs in the Northwest with his family in his new Jeep after all his hard work.

Scott Frary warned us ahead of time that Wednesday would be "tight tree day." The plan was to do the Rim Rock area including the Lower Pucker Ridge and Leaning Tree trails. Removing tops and windshields was highly recommended. The Lower Pucker Ridge trail climbed quickly up through stands of dead forest, making for a stark contrast to the colorful Jeeps winding their way through the gray surroundings. Tom Wood of driveshaft fame leads part of the gang upwards.

Soon we were out of the dead stuff and into the tight trees. As we climbed, the scenery and the views just kept getting better. The higher and higher we climbed, the trees got tighter and the trail better. The Rim Rock area was fast becoming our favorite spot of the week as it is a great example of the kind of 'wheeling to be found in Washington.

The trail itself had some good loose areas with basketball-sized rocks rolling around beneath you. Here, Al Vandervelde finesses his Ford 302-powered TJ through a tough spot. This Jeep has been an ongoing project vehicle in Albert's magazine 4WD Canada.

The widest rig on the trail was Jason Redfield's '69 Land Cruiser FJ45 flatbed. Those honors might have been contested by Mel Wade and his monster JK, but Mel missed out on Tree Day as he was helping Brad Kilby rebuild his rear end. Jason did an awesome job of threading the big 'Cruiser through this very tight trail despite fighting balky steering all day. The FJ's 41-inch Iroks were the biggest tires on the 'Tour but were easily turned via a Dana 60 and a GM 14-bolt, both stuffed with 4:10s and ARBs. Up the Tom Wood's driveshafts are a four-speed Atlas T-case and an NV4500 tranny. A TBI Chevy 350 motivates everything. Jason is quick to point out that he co-owns the Toyota with Ryan Weber, owner of Montana Auto & Fabrication. The bed, bumpers, and cage, along with the task of creating the FJ45 cab from three FJ40 tubs was all accomplished in Ryan's shop.

1104 4wd 27+2010 washington trail tours+trail

1104 4wd 28+2010 washington trail tours+trail

Maneuvering around the trees required the help of a good spotter for the right side of the rig. Dick and Susan Moss work together to keep their clean '01 TJ just that: clean. Dick and Susan have been on several Trail Tours and seem to split their driving 50/50. From a glance their Jeep looks almost stock except for the 37-inch BFG KM2s and Walker Evans beadlocks. Lurking beneath the rig's subtle exterior are a host of mods like an Atlas 3.8, a Currie 9-inch front axle, and a Currie RockJock rear, both with Detroits. The axles are hung from a Rubicon Express 4.5-inch long-arm suspension with Bilstein shocks. The 4.0L six has been warmed up with a Borla header, K&N filter, Hypertech programmer, and a Mean Green H.O. alternator. The steering is enhanced with a PSC pump and ram-assist. Bumpers are Hansen and Rockhard, winch is Warn, and the list goes on and on.

Talk about "trail use behind it", Alan Hewitt's '76 CJ-5 has been in his 'wheelin' hands for eleven years and on all the Trail Tours. This old school 'Five, with its 84-inch wheelbase, sprung-under leaf springs, AMC rear axle, T-18 granny box, and 8274 Warn winch reads like a spec sheet from an '80s era Jeep. The more '90s D44 front axle upgrade and Mastercraft seats, along with the Millennium-era Krawlers and Trail Ready beadlocks keep Alan from losing the Jeep to the Smithsonian! All kidding aside, Alan's driving proves that a rig's capability is still 80 percent the nut behind the wheel. We'd follow Alan and his CJ anytime and probably couldn't hang with him.

Poor Tony and Dawn Fox. Tony has been on every Trail Tour and has been Scott Frary's tailgunner on all the runs. Hence, we rarely get many pictures of him since whenever he arrives, the rest of the group is on the move again. This year was no different except that Tony was unfortunate enough to have the only rollover during the week - right in front of everybody. Fortunately, damage was minimal and no one was hurt, and Tony's tough '92 YJ will still be tailgunner for many years to come. Tony's YJ holds true to its AMC roots with a Howell EFI-equipped 401 under its louvered hood. A Turbo 400, Atlas 4.3, Tom Wood's 'shafts, ProRock 60 rear, 44 front, Detroits, 4.56 gears, Warn axles, and CTM U-joints, make up the rig's stout drivetrain. BDS 4-inch leaf springs with Bilstein 7100 reservoir shocks provide a simple yet smooth suspension system for this Pacific Northwest-based Jeep.

By late in the day we had climbed almost above the tree line and were surrounded by scree fields. The views were fantastic as we headed down the Lower Pucker Ridge and Leaning Tree trails.

Back at the Silver Beach Resort, our home for Tuesday and Wednesday nights, the evening wrenching and bull session ensued. Here Carl Yarbrough uses the Killer Bee's Premier Power Welder to repair Jason Redfield's Bilstein shock.

By late in the day we had climbed almost above the tree line and were surrounded by scree fields. The views were fantastic as we headed down the Lower Pucker Ridge and Leaning Tree trails.

The fourth day of Trail Tour began with a move down the road from the Silver Beach Resort to Whistlin'Jack's Lodge, We were off to do more 'wheeling, this time on the Kaner (AKA "Shoestring") trail in the Naches area of central Washington. We immediately hit a big mud hole where Scott, and the rest of us, made messes of our rigs. Frary's Jeep was originally built as a SEMA show rig in 2005. It features an Aqualu Wrangler aluminum body with a custom flatfender-looking front clip grafted onto it. A 5.7L Hemi spins a 3.0 Atlas and Dynatrac ProRock 60 axles with Detroits, 4.88s, and 37-inch BFG Krawlers. Walker Evans coilovers and Currie TJ suspension bits keep the ride smooth, while heated Mastercraft seats take the comfort level over the top. Scott has lead all his Trail Tours with the Jeep and despite its show car appearance, we've seen that he is not afraid to stick his foot into the Hemi and allow the Flowmaster exhaust to wail.

Here is another 5.7L Hemi wailer. Brad Kilby, owner of Kilby Enterprises always has his foot on the loud pedal in this '04 TJ Unlimited. Despite grenading the rear ring and pinion on Tuesday and wrenching all day Wednesday, Brad was back hammering on it Thursday, with the 40-inch MT Baja Claws flinging their share of mud. The Jeep is built for hammering though, with 40-spline axles fitted into Detroits, stuffed into ProRock 60s hung from Bilstein Coilovers and Nth Degree arms, with added whump protection from Light Racing bumpstops. Of course, the Jeep features the full collection from the Kilby catalog, including: On Board Air, bumpers, rocker guards, and skidplates.

And here's the heaviest foot in the bunch. Carl Yarbrough just keeps us rolling with laughter year after year. Trail Tour just wouldn't be the same without him. For 2010 he brought his own Jeep; a custom-to-the-hilt TJ built just for Trail Tour, in his fabrication and machine shop, Old Town Customs. This low-riding, unique-looking TJ features a fully-tubed OTC chassis with an integrated cage. OTC triangulated four links with ORI Struts suspend a spooled Dana 60 front axle with 4.88s, Moser axles, and F-350 hubs/brakes, and a rear 10.25 Sterling axle equipped with a spool. The mud is flying from 37-inch Interco SSRs, spun by a TBI Chevy 350, 700R4, and a NP231 T-case. Once again, sturdy Tom Wood's driveshafts pass the power down the line.

During lunch time each day Phil Rohr and Rick Hensen would break out their portable BBQ. These guys had us drooling every day while we ate cold sandwiches to the aroma wafting from the direction of Phil's shiny Aqualu-bodied CJ-7.

Tom Wood enjoys a great view of the Washington Cascades from his open-air CJ-7. Tom has always 'wheeled the Trail Tour enclosed in his Grand Cherokee. It was good to see him come out into the open and expose himself!

Duck! Jim McGean's TJ Unlimited looks like its squatting to get under this fallen tree. Or maybe it's just the weight if his newly-installed 5.7L Hemi. Dynatrac Jim is a big sponsor of Trail Tour and a great guy to 'wheel with. Other new additions to this yellow Trail Tour veteran include a 545RFE trans and a four-speed Atlas. The Dynatrac ProRock 60s and Rubicon Express 4.5 long-arm suspension have had no problem coping with the new power.

Our last day of Trail Tour 2010 dawned with beautiful sunny skies and breakfast at Whistlin'Jack's Lodge. This was a great place to stay along Highway 410 if you are 'wheelin' in the Naches area.

Our final trail was in the Clover Spring area, and our first obstacle was this recently fallen tree. The standard 'wheelin' toolbox in Washington includes a chain saw, so in no time three saws had this big road block reduced to firewood.

Friday was Mel Wade's day to experience what he missed on Wednesday. Big, wide 40-inch rubber-equipped rigs are a tight squeeze on these Washington trails. Mel got it through and was grinning the whole way.

More beautiful mountain meadows lured us to see what was around the next bend as we 'wheeled along the trail.

This errant little pine tree took exception to our passing and attempted to stab us to death. Almost did too! We backed up and it sprung right back into normal tree position.

Tom Wood was one of the first to enjoy the snow when we reached it. Tom brought his CJ-7 this year, which he has owned for years and gave a frame-off restoration just last winter. The '79 CJ remains an honest AMC with a healthy 401 V-8 under the hood, while upgrades like a 700R4 and an Atlas 3.8 are found mid-ship. Of course, "the best driveshafts in the world" feed that power to Dana 60 axles fit with ARBs and 4.27 gears. Rancho 3-inch leaf springs keep the old CJ true to its origins but Tom mounted them in a spring-over arrangement to fit 35-inch Goodyears comfortably.

Although not on the official roster for Trail Tour, Alex Riedo, who works for MasterPull, was a passenger with Andy Burleson in the diesel Willys. We guess Alex got tired of the fumes because he kept popping up in his well-built Cherokee. Here he powers though the snow with no need for his MasterPull winch line.

As the trail climbed higher, the snow got deeper and just about everyone pulled their winch line at this spot. Tom and Kim Allen, owners of PSC Motorsports and makers of all things steering related, couldn't maneuver around this snow bank and they couldn't muscle though it with their 425hp 6.1L Hemi-powered JK, so out came the winch line from the Warn 9000ti winch. The Hemi was dropped into this '08 JK when the Jeep only had 300 miles on it along with a Grand Cherokee five-speed auto and a Stak 4.3 T-case. Since the Jeep was torn apart, the party continued with Currie Dana 60 RockJocks installed under each end, both stuffed with Detroits and 5.13 gear sets. Of course, PSC steering components order the direction of the 37-inch BFG KM2s.

1104 4wd 49+2010 washington trail tours+jeep dynatrac

The scenery on the final day of Trail Tour was some of the best all week. The beauty we enjoyed off to our right is the William O. Douglas Wilderness. These shots show that designated 'wheeling areas and wilderness areas can co-exist next to each other, allowing everyone to enjoy the beauty of area.

The scenery on the final day of Trail Tour was some of the best all week. The beauty we enjoyed off to our right is the William O. Douglas Wilderness. These shots show that designated 'wheeling areas and wilderness areas can co-exist next to each other, allowing everyone to enjoy the beauty of area.

The 406 small-block Chevy V-8 in Phil Rohr's Aqualu aluminum-bodied '85 CJ-7 was no match for the snow, even with a shot of 150-horsepower NOS spinning the 40-inch Nittos. The Warn winch was still called into action. Other features of this beautifully-built Jeep include a TH350, Stak 300 4:1 T-case, Tom Wood's 'shafts, a Dana 60 with a spool, and a D44 with an ECTED electric locker. The Jeep also sports some really clean custom fab work done by Phil, including the bumpers, the tire rack, and the dash.

1104 4wd 53+2010 washington trail tours+break time

1104 4wd 54+2010 washington trail tours+scenery

1104 4wd 55+2010 washington trail tours+jeeps

1104 4wd 56+2010 washington trail tours+repair city