Puddles

[andy1015]

Guy, I may have been wrong in saying rockwood because im not really sure where that is, but it is railroad ave, it is about 100 yards from quaker bridge going towards the pike. My GPS marked it as railroad ave, then went down towards rockwood and split at sleeepy branch. I read old posts and it seems that i may be the last one to go down this road so im sure you know the road im talking about. It was probably just a bad description. In the old post it mentioned constable bridge and lock something bridge. I am just surprised because i have been down quaker probably a thousand times and never went down this road.

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=39.699791,-74.682827&spn=0.028529,0.051928&z=14&om=1

 

[TrailOtter]

Regarding puddles, the section of the Batona Trail near Ives Lake is flooded out. It's just past where the Highland Park Club used to be at Tub Mill Road and Martha Road (does anyone know when it burned down??) Anyway, the earthen dam that was constructed to hold the lake back has failed and if you want to traverse this section, you walk along the raised earth on the side of the trail opposite the lake and cross parts on a makeshift bridge. I'll edit this later to include a picture.

 

[woodjin]

Andy, I've done that road many times with my bronco. I have done it in flood conditions as well. This puddle you are talking about...I think I know the one. It is over flowing into the woods? The go arounds are fairly new? It does get pretty deep but I had no trouble on any puddles on that road with my bronco with mud tires in 4 wheel drive. I would not attempt it without 4 wheel drive. There is one puddle on that road that has some debrie and is heavly rutted. There is a very obvious drive around on that.

I would recommend getting yourself a good (no china ) hand winch and some chain/ tow ropes just in case.

Jeff

 

[andy1015]

Thanks jeff, yea you got the right puddle. I have a 4x4 dakota, it has the tow package so 31 tires, but not mud. By the looks of it the groung look pretty solid, but was by myself, no winch, plus i had to be home in an hour and i live an hour away. But that is good to know that you have made it through many times because you know i wanted to go back next day and go through, i sat at that puddle for 10 min wanting to go through. But you're right i need to get a winch, so that way i got a backup for when i do get stuck. But those small puddles that have huge ruts, that is always what im worried about. Guys with 38 and 40 tires rut those out, you don't have a shot with stock truck if you catch the ruts.

 

[woodjin]

But during an enduro or hare scramble race, whoops can wear you out so fast. Your arms pump up with blood and become useless. So much fun but can also be a painful experience. Haha. Thanks for bringing this up. To me riding in the Pine Barrens and whoops go hand and hand.

You are absolutely right. That arm pump is no fun and if your in a long stretch of whoops and your arms start to go....trouble. Sometimes the whoops go on for miles. If I'm doing a long stretch and just leisurly riding I have found that the whoops can be pretty fun at a slow speed and standing. Fighting them a medium speed is taxing.

I remember once when I was flying down a trail. I mean 60 mph fast and these deep whoops came out of no where. It was too late to do anything and I hit the first one and caught air. I was bracing myself for a horrible landing in the whoops but by the grace of God I cleared all of them and landed on flat ground. Since then I never go that fast unless I am 100% I know where the whoops are.

Check this out. A bunch older Austrian guys doing a cross training of enduro and trials riding. This is fun to watch even if you are not a rider.

 

[woodjin]

Thanks jeff, yea you got the right puddle. I have a 4x4 dakota, it has the tow package so 31 tires, but not mud. By the looks of it the groung look pretty solid, but was by myself, no winch, plus i had to be home in an hour and i live an hour away. But that is good to know that you have made it through many times because you know i wanted to go back next day and go through, i sat at that puddle for 10 min wanting to go through. But you're right i need to get a winch, so that way i got a backup for when i do get stuck. But those small puddles that have huge ruts, that is always what im worried about. Guys with 38 and 40 tires rut those out, you don't have a shot with stock truck if you catch the ruts.

Sure. My mud tires are 31's. And I hear you about the guys with the 38's and 40's rutting it up. As far as winches go; I broke a few cheap chinese come alongs before I got an old industrial grade 3 ton engine hoist. It is old and built to last forever and can pull anything out sideways. Cost about $80. Well worth the expense.

Jeff

 

[bobpbx]

Check this out. A bunch older Austrian guys doing a cross training of enduro and trials riding. This is fun to watch even if you are not a rider.

The heavy guy has a certain grace. His weight obviously helps him on this. Check out his street clothes for riding, like he just got out of work at a hardware store.

It looks to me Jeff, like 100% trials training, and very little enduro training.

 

[Teegate]

I can't understand them


Guy

 

[woodjin]

The heavy guy has a certain grace. His weight obviously helps him on this. Check out his street clothes for riding, like he just got out of work at a hardware store.

It looks to me Jeff, like 100% trials training, and very little enduro training.

Yeah, it looks that way to me also, but because they are doing it on enduro bikes I guess you could call it cross trainning. I suspect these are enduro guys who get into shape by practicing trials techniques. Makes sense.

Jeff

 

[jburd641]

A word to the wise when it comes to puddles. Deep puddles can trap vehicles but don't let the not so deep puddles get you like they did me one day.
I was out cruising in my jeep and turned off 206 at Atsion Lake and headed through the woods. Now, my jeep was a stock 87 Wrangler and was doing just fine getting through the puddles. I thought they were rather easy as a matter of fact and not knowing where the road led to, I turned around. I also turned off the 4 wheel drive. Big mistake!!!! About the second puddle I hit, which was up to my running boards, I got stuck. I didn't know what to do. I was faced with a walk back the way I came of about 6 or 7 miles or so or go forward towards the unknown. I chose forward and luckily, about 500' down the trail was one of the most beautiful sights..Batsto Village. I caught someone about to leave work and got a pull out. Lesson learned!!!!!
Just thought I'd share this lesson and hope it saves someone else from my mistake.