ultimate Adventure 2012 Part 2 - army Surplus Store - Photo 43889856

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A part of the UA tradition is stopping by an Army Surplus store. This one in Sandpoint, Idaho, was especially big and carried everything from survival guides to the weapons that you’ll need to actually survive!

Rocky Dorame blasted the mud from his Hazzard Fabworx TJ’s vital components in readiness for Day 5’s road trip. Removing the mud from your rig’s brakes, radiator, and wheels is necessary preventive maintenance for long road days. Fighting overheating and a wobbly wheel on a winding mountain pass is never a fun or safe idea.

The drive through Mount Rainer National Park is extremely scenic. As you wind along the elevated pass you shoot through tunnels and alongside extreme drop-offs.

A snowball fight in the middle of the summer helps liven the mood and keep things cool. When is the last time you needed a jacket in July?

Typical Washington views are anything but typical! While going from high elevation to low quickly shifted the weather and backdrop, both the mountain scenery and low-lying canyon bottoms offered something great to look at.

The Vantage Bridge shot us across the Wanapum Lake portion of the Columbia River. Opened in November 1962, this second rendition of the cantilever Vantage Bridge spans over 2,500 feet and stands approximately 75 feet tall.

Our final destination for the evening required four-wheel drive and very low air pressure. Wheeling to our campsite through the Moses Lakes Mud Flats and Sand Dunes, we were a thunder of revs, dust, and lights that could just be made out in the dusk.

Our sandcastles and camping arena for the night was a high-top dune that overlooked the lakes edge. Setting up camp at night is par for the course on the UA.

Bubba Rope’s Matt Kime and Faron Tidwell did a great job of powering their fullsize truck in the sand and mud. Kime’s classic K truck is no lightweight, but that didn’t stop him from catching a little air on the sandy ridges.

A warm bunch of Spam, egg, and cheese burritos for breakfast was a great gift from the old cronies and an excellent way to start the day. Of course, our morning wouldn’t be complete without a drivers meeting and one last awesome river view.

Chilean Sebastian Varas is no stranger to sand dunes. And with over 400 ponies stuffed under the hood of his Willys, the ultraclean flatfender blasted effortlessly over all obstacles in its way (including hapless photographers!).

Synergy’s Rob Peterson’s mud pit assault looked awesome, but unfortunately part of the big wave made it past the Jeep’s air filter and into the engine. The result was an exploding rod through the side of the engine block! All it takes is a few tablespoons of water and your engine can go boom.

Big trucks and huge dunes can often be a challenging combination. Luckily, Offroad Designs’ multiple gearing options gave them plenty of dune-churning range.

Another frequent flyer belonged to Oklahoma invitee Jody Ardrey. Since the UA was the straight-axled Tacoma’s maiden voyage the Okie took full advantage of the chance to put the fresh suspension system to the test.

With four-wheel steer capabilities the Orange Jeep cut some great monster truck–style donuts and powered through the mud with ease. The 40-inch Trail Grapplers and powerful 3.6L engine seemed to be a versatile combo in both the dunes and the mud.

Nitto may soon come out with a new line of Air Grapplers, as Nitto’s Tim Coltey had no trouble launching the two-door JK. Good thing the low-slung Jeep had 40 inches of rubber and 12 of wheel travel or else that landing could have been much harder.

“When pigs fly” is an old expression that seems very relevant for the portly RubiWagon JK. While the 5.9L Cummins–powered Jeep did managed to lift all four 42-inch tires off of the ground.

The swing-a-way tire carrier swung a little too far post-landing. We hope old crony Keith Bailey opted for the extra renter’s insurance before he left the Williams lot!

Steve Carroll’s TrailBlazer still sports the factory six-cylinder, which is not the most powerful block but seemed to get the job done. It was great to see the custom Bow Tie equipped with 40-inch Mud Grapplers and 1-ton axles working well on the trail.

Invited reader Jimmy Jack definitely wasn’t afraid of the mud flats. Though he had a few minor issues throughout the week, his can-do attitude and great skill set helped him survive the UA like a seasoned pro.

A part of the UA tradition is stopping by an Army Surplus store. This one in Sandpoint, Idaho, was especially big and carried everything from survival guides to the weapons that you’ll need to actually survive!

We’re pretty sure this is how the next episode of Messin’ With Sasquatch starts out.

The views along the Bitterroot Range are amazing, but be sure to watch the road carefully. The long dirt path has a few optional routes and some extremely big drop-offs.

Wooden bridges on the lower portion of the trail help to stabilize the paths on some of the creek crossings. Momentum across the watery pass is not necessary, but it sure looks cool.

Returning reader Paden Saracino’s XJ worked great in the slickrock creek bottom. As night neared, the 40-inch Mud Grapplers were a great gauge to see just how deep the watery path was.

Since the range runs across the Montana/Idaho border, ultimately you will cross state lines. Don’t blink, because there isn’t much of a welcome sign or notice as you reach the top of the pass.

Jupiter Jane’s Traveling Café may never come across a morning rush like our group again! Thanks to Laurall for being a great sport and the delicious drinks and cookies.

Dave Chappelle and Tom Boyd were a constant help throughout the week. When rigs would pull over for issues, they were always one of the first to stop and lend a hand. The little Hilux pickup was a huge hit on the trip, even though many mistook it for a Chevy LUV!

Jeep engineers Jim Repp and Tony Carvallo were a great help throughout the week answering technical questions and lending a hand to the entire group. As the days progressed their Unlimited JK defiantly began showing its battle scars, but even a mangled lower control arm on the last trail obstacle couldn’t keep the Michigan Jeepers’ sprits down.

The GenRight Wrangler driven by company owner Tony Pellegrino looked right at home in the rocky stream. The rig’s massive tires and flexy suspension helped him clear many of the protruding logs and boulders in his way.

Zone’s MJ simply worked great in the rocks. And while passing water offered a bit of shifty footing, the bright-green Jeep did a fine job of staying planted and not getting swept downstream.

The Ultimate Adventure class of 2012.

Trent McGee and Sam Gillis swapped out driving duties on the last day of wheeling. Taking up the rear of the pack, the two old cronies had no trouble making their way to the top.

Chris Durham’s low-lift ride used careful footing and a bit of momentum to get up the tricky climbs. Good belly clearance is helpful on trails like this, as there are many deep ruts on either side of obstacles that will absorb your wheel travel and leave you stranded on your belly.

Cooper Rasmussen’s Offroad Power Products JK was a great testament to how versatile the Jeep JK platform is. While we wouldn’t consider the 4BT-powered Wrangler quiet, it performed well on the trails and possibly scored the best fuel economy numbers throughout the week.

Good spotting helped veteran UA wheeler and Warn rep Fred Perry pilot the Warn JK through the tight overhang. A small steering issue temporarily grounded the big red rig Jeep, but with a crew of cronies on the trail to help out, they got it fixed and under way in no time flat.

The long-wheelbase Samurai of our invited Canadian reader Nic Pook simply worked awesome all week long. The lightweight, nimble platform made twisting through the water-soaked boulders look easy. Pook admitted that this was very similar terrain to what he wheels in the country just north.

Tim Hardy’s crumpled Samurai was a river rat that couldn’t be stopped. Spidertrax co-owner Eddy Casanueva was even brave enough to ride along for the last section of the day!