What Trail Condition Do You Fear The Most?

[4xFar Adventures]

So what condition(s) have made you question if you REALLY wanted to be out there? There are more than this, but these are some of what I have personally experienced.

Ascents- You may only see the sky, not the trail in front of you. Front tires can lose traction and steering may be vague from the unloaded suspension. Climbing over rocks or tree roots uphill just makes it worse.

Descents- Dipping a front wheel into a rut when your chest is already pressed into the seat belt. Failed hill climb. Slick mud with almost no control.

Off Camber (Side Slope)- How much higher is this rock on my side? The passenger can touch the ground with their hand. (ALWAYS KEEP BODY PARTS IN THE VEHICLE!)

Right On The Edge- If I move 3" over I'll roll 1000' down the face of this mountain.

Mud/Water- It's so deep I might hydro-lock the engine unless I keep moving.

Corrugated/Washboard Road- Sometimes speed is the only thing that will smooth out the ride, but the tires have little traction and steering is almost impossible.

Night Condition- Everything feels much closer with limited visibility. Even good off road lights can make it difficult to read the terrain because of how they fill in the shadows.

 

[Jonovision]

"Trail Closed"

 

[4xFar Adventures]

That truly is the worst of them all!

 

[Winterpeg]

Failed ascent where I have to back down... and if I don't do it straight and under control I would likely roll.

Off camber can definitely be sketchy too.

Then there's nothing worse than hearing that "crunch" and looking out that side mirror that you hadn't glanced at in the last 5 seconds and realizing that you really should have gotten more sleep the previous night (but couldn't because it was so friggin hot and humid and the brand new tent pole was broken when you took it out of the bag and you were stuck in a spare 2 man tent with your 2 little kids... but I digress, lol)

 

[WJ - Firefly]

MUD! The bottom is unknown and the consistency can be anything from slick to sticky...

 

[Gunnermoose]

I will say it it a combination of "snot-slick" mud in an off-camber situation on a shelf road.

While running the Utah BDR in 2015 the group ran into this situation. The mud was created from snow melt. The logging roads are cut to drain the water off of the hill. There was about a 5 mile section that had not had sunlight hit it yet so it was about 3"-4" of pure slime. No ability to stop or steer. To say the least everyone on that trip gain a new apprciation for their driving ability. Those of us with Mud Terrain tires were just as helpless as those without. We could not get enough tire speed to clear out the tires, because that type of speed we wouldnt have been able to stop.

 

[TreXTerra]

Deep mud. Not only is there a risk of getting stuck (I don't have a winch yet), but it often hides rocks, roots and other hazards. Even if you don't encounter any problems, it gets into the u-joints, ball joints, and other parts, causing wear. It fills up the skid plates and every nook and cranny in the chassis, then it dries out and waits for you to do work on the rig before falling in your face all day long.

Edit: spelling

 

[Runamok]

Dang it your scaring me away from this activity and I just started!

 

[Gunnermoose]

Know your limits, be comfortable in uncomfortable situations and be willing to learn. Everything will work out!

 

[O.Dfj]

I dont fear mud i fear cleaning it up.

 

[maktruk]

Quicksand

 

[2ndGenFlip]

Off camber And on the edge this weekend experienced both and im scared of heights i did my best to keep my cool and got out with the help of another guy trailing with us threw out the rest of the trail it went smooth with the help of another member @Flip he knows his stuff i learned to take direction and read the lines

 

[4xFar Adventures]

Dang it your scaring me away from this activity and I just started!

In most situations, listening to your gut is the better call. Don't get in over your head, and hit the trails with a friend who has some more experience. Turning back is a learning experience, and something everyone should know when to do. And don't forget to ask questions in the mean time, we're here to help!

 

[4xFar Adventures]

Mud seems to be a pretty common bane. I'm right there with you. I find while it's fun to play in the mud, the aftermath is usually just not worth it. Enough to splash onto the body is cool, but anything over the axles and I start getting leary pretty quickly.

 

[Tim]

Definitely side slopes or narrow tracks with a rock face on one side and a shear drop on the other.

 

[Lifestyle Overland]

Mud, because offroad trailer.

This is going to be the worst part of the Shadow of the Rockies Trail in September... Monsoon season for Colorado / Northern NM.

 

[Mad Garden Gnome]

....dirt transitioning to pavement....

 

[chris90]

Definitely side slopes, I normally carry stuff on my roof so am quite top heavy and I worry any time I start to lean a bit. Mud I can handle because you can always recover the vehicle (unless it is a race against time before the tide comes in in which case that would be pretty bad) but if you tip over it is a whole other story.

 

[expeditionnorth]

sloping icy trails & bouncing rocky roads as it kills my back instantly

 

[SLO Rob]

Now it's mud, after me and @S.L.O_X had to get new alternators and @Mad Garden Gnome had to save us. Thank god one truck worked after that! Still finding that silty stuff everywhere...every. where.