Eagle Rock
We ran Eagle Rock right after doing Saran Wrap so we were already having a great time. We played on the big dirt hill, then started up the trail. There wasn't any snow and hardly any mud, but the rocks seemed quite a bit more exposed and dug out compared to the last time we were there.
We had a good time from the start, and Monica tried to get on the big play rock with her new 35" tires. Apparently they still weren't big enough because she still didn't have the clearance. Bob S. ran one side over the rock instead and that worked out fine.
When we got to the first obstacle it had changed quite a bit. The rocks were bigger because more dirt around them had been dug out. It made for some interesting lines and a bit more difficulty.
Monica tried the line up the left side and got her front tires up without any issues, but the rear tire wouldn't come up. She is still having the rear steer issues when going up a steep incline, where her rear axle will steer off in another direction on its own. She worked on it for a bit, then gave up and went through the middle instead, which was still a fun time.
Dave came through next in the middle of the chunky rocks, making it look really easy. Jed took the same path and also didn't have any issues.
Cheryl tried the left line too and got much further. It looked like she was going to make it, getting her rear tire up on the big rock on her passenger side. It was so close, but not close enough. She tried a few more times but it wasn't going to happen, so she took the middle line through it instead.
Don drove right through the middle, barely slowing down and having no trouble with the rocks.
Bob S. tried the left line and gave it a lot of gas, but he couldn't get his rear tires up on the rocks. JJ took the middle line while Bob was working on it. Bob tried and tried but it wasn't meant to be, so he went up it through the middle.
Bill walked right through the middle without any issues, too.
Steve used a lot of gas pedal to get his Blazer through the rocks, and he barely slowed down on his way through it. Whatever works!
Bob R. cruised through it a bit to the right side, finding a nice, mellow line through the mess. Micheal flexed his way through the middle, making easy work of it in his Cherokee.
The CJ-7s brought up the rear, with Roger coming through the middle without any troubles. Gary followed him through without a single issue.
Right after that obstacle is a long series of rocky hills and switchbacks that gave everyone a lot of fun and work. Steve had to really work at the big switchback, but he powered through it.
Three vehicles were coming down the wrong way but they managed to pull off at a section of old, unused trail and we got by without a problem. We got going up the hill and unfortunately a full-sized, stock truck was on its way down the wrong way too. The other vehicles had turned around behind us and were headed back up, so now we had 16 vehicles coming up and one coming down, and no room to pass.
We worked on it for awhile until we could get the truck down to the old trail section and get everyone through. The driver saw what was left of the trail and decided to follow us out, so he turned around there. Eagle Rock probably isn't a good trail for a stock, full-sized truck unless you don't care about the body or paint.
We snapped pictures of Eagle Rock itself from the top of the hill, then worked our way through the trail. The stream crossing didn't have any water in it, so the mud was avoidable if you picked that line through it. Some vehicles had some issues getting through the rocks there, but we didn't take too long.
It wasn't very long before we were at the last obstacle, and no one took the bypass. Everyone found the line that was right for them, and some lines were very challenging.
The first two rocks are big and on each side of your vehicle, spaced out enough so a Wrangler or CJ-7 will be climbing them at the same time on opposite sides and opposite ends. It makes for a big challenge, and lockers are probably required unless you have a very flexible suspension.
Monica took the twisty line and had a good time. It definitely needed lockers! Dave took the same line and twisted his way through it without any issues.
Jed worked on it, but without lockers it was proving to be too slippery with all of the loose dirt. He went around the first rocks, getting some great flex, then had fun playing on the last bit of rocks.
Cheryl had no problem with the first chunk of rocks, flexing over everything. The last bit of rocks were easy, too, and she got a lot of flex.
JJ tried the first bit of rocks without his lockers, trying to get up on them without success. He went around them instead, playing on the rest of the rocks on his way out of the obstacle.
Don crawled and flexed all over the big rocks, making it look easy.
Bob S. came at it quickly, bouncing and sliding off of the big rocks in the beginning. Then he zoomed through the last bit of rocks too without any issues.
Bill chose a different line at the beginning of the obstacle, having no issues at all. Then he had fun playing on the last bit of rocks.
Steve picked Bill's line but ended up getting pretty hung up on his rear differential. Jed and Monica tried to push him back down but his Blazer wasn't budging. He had to winch himself forward instead. He went up the second half under his own power, getting an impressive wheel stand. At that point we noticed some new scratches on his rocker guard but he had no idea where those came from.
Bob R. chose a mellow line through the rocks, making it all look very easy. Micheal followed, also making it look like he was driving on a dirt road.
The CJ-7s didn't have any issues either, of course. Roger walked right through the middle, and so did Gary. Those narrow axles sure are nice sometimes!
When we got to the crossroads at Forest Service road 379 we turned left to take the long way out. It was very scenic and we enjoyed it very much, even though it was fairly easy. There is a short, rocky, and fairly steep hill that you go up, then a steep dirt hill down, but otherwise it was pretty mellow.
When we got to Gold Camp Road we turned right to exit out on the Cripple Creek side. Then we drove around to get back to Colorado Springs where most of us met for dinner. It was a great day!
Reports from Other Days: 9
Use the arrows or dots to flip through the previews of the other reports for Eagle Rock. Click one of them to read more and see all of the photos from that day.
