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Seven Days Five Trails Who is up for it?

Tuesday we packed up camp and were planning on heading to Brewer lake to camp for the night. We made it about 200 feet from camp to a pretty good climb and JK Mike broke a driver rear axle shaft.

IMG_0928 by Matthew Dresselhaus, on Flickr

To get it all apart we ended up having to pull all but the pinion from the axle housing. The broken axle shaft wedged itself in the locker. we had to pull the e-locker apart to get the piece out.

20170829_173245 by Matthew Dresselhaus, on Flickr

Thru the use of Ham radios we were able to get a hold of JK Mike's dad in town he located a Yukon alloy shaft and misc parts we needed for the repair and brought them up the mountain. I wheeled out to the paved road and back in with the replacement parts. I had to stop and take a few pictures in one spot. Always fun wheeling solo.

IMG_0926 by Matthew Dresselhaus, on Flickr

IMG_0927 by Matthew Dresselhaus, on Flickr

By the time I got back with the replacement parts it was around 430 pm. We reassembled the Jeep and resetup camp and stayed at Swamp one more night.
 



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Wednesday morning we packed up camp and headed out the plan was now to skip Brewer Lake and go into town for gas and ice then head to Coyote lake. When working on the JK yesterday it was found that the other shaft had twisted splines and was ready to break anytime. We didn't discover the second shaft till it was to late to get a second shaft on the same day. So the plan was for my wife to pickup the other side shaft and bring it up the mountain with her. She was bringing my Dad up who was going to ride with me for the rest of the trip. So Mike took off early from camp solo and headed for town. If he had any problems we would catch him on the trail He made it to town, got the parts and on a pullout on the side of the road swapped out the passenger side shaft.

We all made it to town topped off and headed to Coyote. On the way to Coyote we stopped at Red lake on the way. Here is an older picture of one of my previous trips of Red lake.

20160630_144628 by Matthew Dresselhaus, on Flickr

We continued passed Red Lake and on to Coyote. We get about 200 yards from Coyote lake at the last hard spot and JK Mike tells me he keeps feeling a thud under his feet. As he pulls forward I see that the driverside link mount brackets are broken and swinging on the frame. We start determining the best way to get a welder up to fix the problem. As I pull into Coyote lake I notice the first camp is taken. On the second take I notice it is Sean (4x4junkie) from this site camped there with his friends. I have met him up there the last two years and camped with them. I go over to and talk to him and find out he has a welder in his BroncoII. We setup camp and planned to fix the Jeep Thursday morning.

Thursday we get up and tear the Jeep apart to get the bracket off. Here is the busted bracket.

IMG_0933 by Matthew Dresselhaus, on Flickr

Prepped straitened and ready to be welded back together.

IMG_0934 by Matthew Dresselhaus, on Flickr

We slapped the bracket back in and did a nice walk around Coyote Lake.

IMG_0931 by Matthew Dresselhaus, on Flickr

IMG_0932 by Matthew Dresselhaus, on Flickr

IMG_0935 by Matthew Dresselhaus, on Flickr
 












Friday we got up and decided to go on another hike into the Dinkey Creek Wilderness. We left Coyote lake and hiked a few miles south to our First lake called First Dinkey lake. As look at the picture you will see three peaks in the back ground. Those are Three Sisters Peaks. The one we on Monday was the one on the left in the below picture. you can see this lake in the picture I posted earlier. I fished the lake for about 20 minutes. I caught one and lost another.

20170901_110127 by Matthew Dresselhaus, on Flickr

We left First Dinkey Lake and headed to South Lake

20170901_114913 by Matthew Dresselhaus, on Flickr

Then we hiked to Swede Lake.

20170901_121921 by Matthew Dresselhaus, on Flickr

Then headed back to First Dinkey lake and back over to Camp at Coyote. JK Mike decided to pack camp and head home. He was in a wedding the next day so he didn't want risk making it home in time. Once he got back to pavement he reached me on Ham radio to let me know that he made it off the trail and the lift bracket on the passenger side was starting to break on the front suspension. Fortunately he he made it home that night without incident.

Saturday we packed up camp and made our way out. We made quick work past Red Lake. Instead of heading strait out we decided to do a quick trip over to West and Strawberry lakes. The trails to each is not very hard but they are dusty and bouncy.

We made it to West and and I didn't take any pictures there. Then we went over to Strawberry lake.

IMG_0948 by Matthew Dresselhaus, on Flickr

While at West Brian was showing me his modified steering shaft. I noticed the fan was also rubbing on the shroud. a quick look around and noticed the passenger motor mount bolt snapped on the top. A length of chain and a bolt was wrapped around the mount to hold it on the way out. We made it back to pavement and back to reality. It had been a great week of fun adventure and relaxation. I made the two hour drive home. Brian and TJ mike drove down the mountain to stay the night in town and leave for San Diego Sunday morning. You can read more about Brians adventure on the way home here.

Bkennedy's SAS and Modification Thread
 






WOW 9600 feet LOL Just kidding. Trail looks like you all had a lot of fun. I really need to get my Explorer rolling to get out. Tired of seeing everyone else having fun. Hope to have you all out this way and go up to 13,000 feet in the vehicle. :)

Considering I live a 70 mile drive away at under 400 feet it is a pretty good haul. 100ish miles away is the tallest point in the lower 48. I hope to hike it one day. We had a blast.


Do have to say you all got some very beautiful pictures up there.

Thanks I enjoy the local trails. I try to spend 20-30 days a year up in the local mountains.
 






Great pics and report Matt. I'm kinda relieved I didn't make it after hearing of all the hiking you guys did. Having health issues, and I might not have made it off the Mtn.

That and the carnage on rigs more built then mine. It might have not made it down either! LOL
 






Great pics and report Matt. I'm kinda relieved I didn't make it after hearing of all the hiking you guys did. Having health issues, and I might not have made it off the Mtn.

That and the carnage on rigs more built then mine. It might have not made it down either! LOL

The hiking was purely optional. The hike up Three Sisters peak was a brutal hike. My 72 year old dad did the hike to First Dinkey, South, and Suede. He is good shape for his age for sure. You have a year to plan for the week long trip in the plans for next year. It will have some optional hikes as well but you can always relax and hang out at the lakes. We had a few hammocks setup that called a few peoples names thru the week.
 






Besides what happened on drive home, I had a great time. So did TJ Mike and Ken. It was just a all-around good trip. Challenging trails, beautiful scenery, great people, great fishing and great campfire sitarounds. Spent some long overdue time with old friends and made some new friends. I will post up some pictures soon.

Thanks to Matt for organizing this run. When we picked up your dad I have to admit, I got a little emotional thinking about how much my dad would have loved to have gone on this run.
 






It would have been great having your dad with us. I always enjoyed listening to his stories around the campfire. I can't wait to see more pictures from the trip.
 






Dusy opened today. It closes November 1. So three weeks the trail will be open this year. The only good I can see of this is that some major trail repairs were done this year. Hopefully that will make for a quick opening next year.
 












No. I wish I was. If you hurry up and get the interior back in you will have a chance at running it this year.
 






Life keeps getting in the way of progress. I was planning on working on it hard and heavy the yesterday and today. Got nothing done, I was on the phone all day.
 






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