A big thanks to Marco, NDCruiser and Rckhound to coming up there to strap me out. And really to everyone rallying up to lend support.
The JadeRunner let me down on the trail for the first time in a big way Thursday night. My mini truck gear driver tcase that mates with the Marlin split open. I was shifting it out of low when it happened. You can see the crack afgter Dan and I unbolted it and pryed it back together the best we could.
My friend Dan and I were going in for a 3 day backpacker to call elk and fish. So we were fine for quite a few days. Our concerns were that there isn’t much traffic on that road, cell coverage is long ways away. I could barely hear some guys on the Glenwood connection but I didn’t have that frequency programmed in right. We would have had packed out to the dirt road Sunday if we weren’t sure anyone was coming. But, when that MTB came by and he said he would get the word out I knew you guys would be coming.
Dan and I were having a difficult time getting the middle skid plate off. We were hack sawing a hard to get to bolt that wouldn't come out when the MTB guy came by Friday at 10am. No one else came by until the next day so we were lucky. You can hear motors from a longs ways off in there. I figured by the time he rode out and contacted RS it would be the Sat afternoon until I could expect help. Dan and I were bored sitting around the stinky runner so we took off into a drainage a few miles away for the night and messed with the elk. I had my handheld on just in case. The next day at noon some side by sides came thru. They said they had cell service on the high ridge so he ran me up there. I had to bite my tongue when he would drive off the the side of the trail to avoid the mud puddles. My att didn’t work up there but his Verizon did and I was able to get a hold of Tim. He said Marco was on the way. Just then I heard him on my handheld. Everyone was at my runner by the time I got back there.
We dropped the rear drive shaft. I had just begun to drop down the more difficult section of the road when the breakage occurred. So up one little ledge and it was smooth sailing all the way up to the car dolly with Marco’s 60 pulling me. Once at the dolly, Steve (Rckhound) fortunately noticed Marcos front leaf spring was broke. Marco had thrown in some welding rod and with his dual battery and two set of jumper cables he was able to weld it up. Add some bailing wire and my gorilla duct to be sure and we were on our way. His 60 pulled my runner just fine. Steve had his wife Amy and friend Phil with them. They stuck with us all the way to Dillon where they were from. They were lots of fun and we all had dinner and went on our way. Marco’s V8 was straining up the hills but soon had the JadeRunner put to bed in my garage.
I now have two weeks to get this fixed before 1st elk season. My wife is in Chicago with the kids for the weekend. I had just prepared her for the new steering rack I needed and now this. I better make that phone call now.
So a super huge thanks to Marco and everyone who helped. Being able to have a stranger contact someone in RS and get the word out on the forum is a big deal. That’s a pretty good feeling to have when something like this happens in the middle of nowhere. Rising Sun Rocks!
No man left behind, no man left alone.
