Cruise Moab Live (2015)

[blackdiamond]

You must not have gone into Mickey's Hot Tub?  It's the last one you go by before dropping down the Dragon Fin thing.  Your truck would probably just drive out.  I have never managed to get out without at least two or three people on the strap.  One of my nemisis spots.  My 85 truck was a wheel travel issue and the 4Runner seems to have too much rear weight, too soft of springs, etc., but I really think some tires with a softer compound would make the difference.

[BigMike]

You must not have gone into Mickey's Hot Tub?  It's the last one you go by before dropping down the Dragon Fin thing.

This was the last one before dropping down and it seemed entirely impossible at first glance. No one in our group of 20 rigs attempted it:

[jangelfire]

Heres a hot tub fail

[blackdiamond]

That is Mickey's Hot Tub and I have seen several rigs drive out fairly easily in past years. It may have changed buti suspect your truck would do great. The Cruisers probably made a wise choice.

[BigMike]

Heres a hot tub fail

That would seriously suck

That is Mickey's Hot Tub and I have seen several rigs drive out fairly easily in past years.

Okay I'll try it next year then. It seemed like once in there you'd have to get winched either way out. It would have helped seeing a rig make it first

[BigMike]

So we took off eh

[BigMike]

There are a lot of drop offs out here that look really steep upon approach but end up being not so bad once committed.





Felt for the 40-series guys. Short wheelbase not helping

[BigMike]

I seriously thought this Quad rider was gonna endo and eat cake but he made it. He wasn't leaning back as much as what seemed necessary. Then again I'm used to MTB XC where one's body weight has a far larger effect.



Speaking about XC, we crossed another cool MTB trail. Would love to do some riding out here. Only so much time in a day...

[blackdiamond]

Here is a 2015 video from EJS of Mickey's Hot Tub.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pt-t8ebJiGg

[jangelfire]

Thats the easy one

[blackdiamond]

Thats the easy one

That's Mickey's Hot Tub.  I wasn't trying to suggest that he try the truly crazy one.

[blackdiamond]

The Devil's Highway Hot Tub is the wild one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LF2dMmEVgmc

[BigMike]

Not sure which was which but the one I quoted above seemed like the Highway Hot Tub. It was crazzzzzy steep

[BigMike]

So we continue on, I was one vehicle in front of the tail gunner and we approached another obstacle I soon found out was called The Escalator.

There was already an 80-series with our Crawler Gears half way up by the time I got there. Come to find out this was the guy who had laid it on its side in Hell's Gate.

Man that looked really difficult! Some pics:



It was so steep even just as photographers we were loosing our footing trying to get closer

[BigMike]

Enjoy the digital zoom





This guy was getting owned and it was only getting worse and worse. The spotter kept telling him to backup but it was impossible. Even his spare tire carrier was deflecting up against the sandstone.



Unfortunately he was just in a really bad spot and had to get winched. Looking up from below it was really intimidating.

[BigMike]

So I start looking around wondering who's next and people were just looking back with blank stares. I asked a few ppl I knew if they were next and they said hell no we gotta drive back home.

Well I've gotta drive back home too but I'm not one to come this far to not give it a shot. But things I didn't like are that 1) no one else was interested in trying so I'm not gonna be able to see what's the proper line, and 2) I don't know anyone or have any spotters I know I can trust.

And then it hit me. Our EMT, Rubicon native, long time friend Mr Bob Brown is there and he just happened to be returning to his rig with everyone else to take off.

So I get his attention and ask him in a serious demeanor if he knew the line and if he could spot me. He replied firmly that if he spots me I can make it.

Our confidence fueling each other I promptly get in my truck and head for the entrance while people walk back over to enjoy another sucker.

So as I'm making my way over in my rig there is this broken down two-by at the entrance to the climb....



So I get around him and then I have to wait for another two-by who was up top showing off and ended up breaking an axle and had to get winched up.

So with that two-by up top being winched out of the way it was my time to shine!

[Toyotadon]

Oooh, a cliffhanger!  LOL, it's fun watching this unfold.

[blackdiamond]

After damaging my 85 in the Escalator I have not taken the 4Runner in. I would guess that you did ok with your fairly wide track.

The line that I have seen people be successful on is to stay so far passenger on the approach that you are almost off the black marks which turns the first steep section into being a bit off camber. The key seems to be having your rear axle way right to straddle the hole. I have seen it done where it looked fairly easy, but easy it is not.

[SqWADoosh]

Taking bets on if he made it up without a winch. I'll give 2:1 odds that he made it up without  I've seen much less built rigs than Mike's tackle escalator. It really does seem that knowing the line is everything. It appears from everything I've seen that the line is very much to ride slightly to the passenger side of the 2nd hole and then straddle the V on the way out.

[blackdiamond]

Taking bets on if he made it up without a winch. I'll give 2:1 odds that he made it up without  I've seen much less built rigs than Mike's tackle escalator. It really does seem that knowing the line is everything. It appears from everything I've seen that the line is very much to ride slightly to the passenger side of the 2nd hole and then straddle the V on the way out.

I've seen some fairly "stock" looking rigs make it look doable and some "buggie" style rigs get eaten up by it.  In my opinion, it really is much more difficult than it looks when you see it in person.  I just watched a YouTube of a Power Wagon making it look easy.  It's amazing how much a different wheelbase or track width will change things plus it's a game of inches with any rig.

[SqWADoosh]

I've seen some fairly "stock" looking rigs make it look doable and some "buggie" style rigs get eaten up by it.  In my opinion, t really is much more difficult than it looks when you see it in person.

Yeah I already decided a while ago that I would be skipping it. 

[cruiserpilot]

  So what?!  You're gonna make me wait to see what happened?   

[twistedtoy92]

The anticipation is killing me!!!!   

[jangelfire]

The anticipation is killing me!!!!   

You know he made it.that obstacle is made for low gearing and he has that.i cant wait to take my rig through it.

[jangelfire]

Short wheelbase usually= winch

From what ive witnessed

[jangelfire]

Im 118" so should just crawl it

[BigMike]

Someone better place some big bets with SqWADoosh

So Bob's advice was to enter squared up to the first climb and then stay far left until the top and then crank it hard passenger and climb out top-right.





So I get to the top of the first climb...



...and drop in...



And discover the bowl is filled with water! Love the challenge, just wasn't expecting that. It was a good 20" deep. Up to about my hubs.

[BigMike]

Following Bob's directions I keep it driver



And everything was looking good, traction and progress was good, up until this point:

[BigMike]

Which turned into this:



What happened was that my front tires weren't doing any good and because my rear tires were also wet gravity just continued pulling the rear end down while the rear crab walked to the right until I was in a pretty good pickle.

[BigMike]

Two things could have helped. I could have disengaged my rear E-Locker (but there would be no guarantee it would unlock), and Bob thinks I might have had it had he brought me passenger to start the climb out top-right sooner.

I agreed with both points and I stayed in this position for a while while we discussed my options.

It was suggested to try to climb out hard driver....



...but that was only pushing the rear over more